My weekend in Pink (and Tartan)

So the Giro d'Italia was in Ireland this weekend, though some of the UK press you would be hard pressed to realise that one of the three Grand Tours in the UK was taking place in part of the UK. Indeed some of them devoted more space to another of them coming to Yorkshire 2 months hence than the action going on in Northern Ireland for 2½ of the three days that the Giro spent on Irish roads.

However, that was not the same for Northern Irish media. All the papers had pink headers and front pages and back pages full on pictures and stories from the fans or curious locals who were lining the roads in their thousands as some of the world top cyclists sped past.

This however, is the story of my weekend following a sport I love close to my own doorstep.

Thursday

Although a wheel wasn't to be turned in anger until Friday, the day before any Grand Tour is when the 22 teams are presented to the host city of the first stage. In Belfast this took place in front of City Hall and only a few yards away from the finish line for the first and second stages. Over the last couple of weeks leading up to the Giro coming to town Belfast was becoming more and more pink in shop windows, people's gardens, school playgrounds or wherever. 

Some of you may have seen on Twitter my agonies on the day that the wristbands allowing free access to the presentation led to frustration. However, I have to thank the manager of Visit Belfast for helping me secure tickets.

I had left just down the road from City Hall just before the Gates opened but already there was queue that went around the back, so instead of heading somewhere for food as I had intended I made my way to teh back of that queue.  

We were soon moving very swiftly forward, but by the time I was in the presentation area all the good spots in front of the stage had been taken. However, being a fan I knew how these things work so went over to the side where the ramp was set up for the riders to make their way unto the platform. There was plenty of space there when I turned up. 

As you can see from me in the pink cap I got a prime piece of cycling fan real estate. On my right is Sky superfan Mavis Evans a north Walian, on my left another fan from Cumbria. But beyond Mavis you can see two young fans from Australia, there were also Americans, Belgians, Italians and Colombians not too far away. The person with the blue jacket and iPad was actually the last person who made the front page of the Belfast Telegraph on Friday morning, yes I was that close to being on the front page.

I took some pictures before my batteries in my camera had died, I had no extras (an error I would not make for the rest of the weekend). So most of the GC contenders were not captured on my camera as they rode in after their teams, nor sadly did I capture the three Irish riders Dan Martin (GRS), Nicholas Roche (TCS) or Philip Deignan (SKY), or the only Brit Sky's Ben Swift.

As Deignan is from Donegal and my kilt is Donegal County Crest Tartan there was only one item of clothing along with a Giro d'Italia T-shirt that I was going to be wearing the whole weekend as I followed the race around.



Friday

The eventual winners Orica-GreenEDGE during recon

Team Time Trial day saw me heading first to Titanic Belfast to see the preparations from the team in the morning before their recon sessions. Got to see around the paddock and the various times was stopped for photos myself because of the kilt. But as the roads were getting closed off I headed away from the paddock area and out unto the course. I'd earmarked by spot at the foot of the Newtownards Road (at least for starters).

It allowed me to get a lot of good shots of the teams coming around under the overpass, then sweeping around and unto the Newtownards Road, but also gave me a chance to get them coming back down. The weather in the morning was perfect and dry and the teams went out initially to see the lie of the land and then pushing harder and faster to see how they would ride the TTT on full gas later in the day.

After a while I wanted to get some different backdrops so heading up the Newtownards Road and just as the last few teams were coming past I was watching alongside former Junior Road Race Champion Colm Armstrong, brother to Adam, who in 2008 was second in the U23 to Dan Martin.

But me and my kilt made our way back down a lot of the Newtownards Road and to the Titanic quarter ready for a bit of atmosphere in the pit area.

However, for the evening I decided that I wanted to get to the Stranmillis corner. So before the roads closed I headed off to the most Westerly part of the route. However, when I got there over an hour before the racing was actually to start it was already packed with people (see below). 

I did take a few videos of the action at this point, but with the crowd growing even bigger than from these images I wasn't getting good enough pictures of the sweep around the bend that I wanted. So I moved back along the embankment towards Queen's PEC. It was here that I knew that Garmin had had a major mishap as they arrived well over 7 minutes behind the team in front and with only five riders. But it allowed me to get images like this of Team Sky in the Race:

The day was to be the Aussies with Orica-GreenEDGE taking the honours, but it was Canadian Svein Tuft who pulled on the first Maglia Rosa of 2014 Giro d'Italia.


Satruday

A Biciletta Rosa for the Maglia Rosa

The first road racing stage of the day came on Saturday. I was once again hanging around the paddock at teh start. The star of the show was the Bicicletta Rosa for the Maglia Rosa Svein Tuft of Orica-GreenEDGE he had been the first of their team to cross the line in what turned out to be the fastest TTT the evening before, although they had to wait for 20 other teams to take to the course to find that out.

As you can see in this picture there is a guy with a camera pointing in my direction. Little did I know that I also getting filmed for the Orica-GreenEDGE backstage pass. You can see me below about 45 seconds into the video. I'm actually talking to Matt White the sporting director of the team about how he'd kept his promise from the Liege-Bastogne-Liege backstage pass to win the Maglia Rosa in Belfast.



However, when I say star of the show there was also Irish cycling greats Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly walking around who I managed to photograph both of.

I hung around the Titanic long enough to see the Giro leave, here they go on their roll out:

However, I knew where I wanted to be out on the course, so I headed to Central Station to get on a train. I got off at Carrickfergus and header out along the route (taking in a little of the activities that were taking place in Carrick. An hour later with many thumbs up, waves on the as yet unclosed roads I made it to my destination the climb of Knocknagulliach, just above Whitehead.

There were two reasons for this, first it was the closer climb to Belfast allowing me to double up both seeing the start and some of the action. Plus while I was in my Donegal tartan within sight of Whitehead I was remembering how at the start of the last century my Donegal born great grandfather was stationed as a policeman in the town below. It was here that he met a local girl, fell in love and their third child was my maternal grandfather.

Bizarrely on a day when the race was wet we had decent weather and I was able to take my green tweet jacket off from most of the time I was waiting for the race. Then I was able to take this picture of the breakaway. But sadly as I took a snap of the helicopter hoovering above us I got a battery exhausted warning on my camera, and as I started to change them the peleton came around the corner and I missed them.

After the race had passed however, I made my way down into Whitehead, just as the rain started to fall, so I headed into the pub in time to see the race arrive at Whiteabbey and so unlike Friday I was aware of how the race finished without having to ask people on the train.

Sunday


Not to cause offense to the great city of Armagh, but getting there from Bangor in time to see the race head off would have been problematic. However, getting to Dublin and the finish was doable and also would hopefully allow me to witness a bunch finish. So I had booked myself unto the Giro special which was sadly not full to capacity but I met up again with Mavis from Thursday and we were able to catch up on our Giro's so far.

My camera issue today however was that I had left my SD card in my laptop, something I'd realised on the train up from Bangor when I went to show someone the pictures of Tuft's frame from the day before. So I knew I would have to buy a new one when I got to Dublin. Meanwhile on the way down Mavis and I had great fun looking out for the signs of pink that showed us where the route was visible from the Belfast to Dublin line. When we arrived I set off on the hunt for an SD card and she to book into her hotel for the evening.

SD card secured I found a good spot about 270m from the line. But just after the last chicane and opposite Oscar Wilde's house. It was here that I ran into my second Irish cycling champion on the side of the road, only this time the reigning women's road race champion Melanie Spath. It seemed ideal and I was just going to snap on continuous for the duration. Here are the start of the sequence of the lead outs:

Coming into sight Edvald Boassen Hagen (SKY) was leading the way, his team mate Ben Swift was sitting in third wheel.

Ben Swift is just about to exit my shot, but six back just appearing in Marcel Kittel (GIA) in the Maglia Rosso (red jersey)

Here is Kittel making progress but still with a lot of work to do.

I did mange to get the Maglia Rosa who now was Tuft's team mate Michael Matthews, but can you spot him below.

All in all, like the organisers I had a great three days of the Giro in Ireland. My knees may have been suffering on Saturday night after the amount of walking that I had done over the previous two days. I've lost a little bit of weight in my active spectatoring. But I've met some interesting people along the way and am more determined that ever to one day take in some of the famous stages of the Grand Tours in their own countries.

However, I also hope that another Grand Tour will come to Northern Ireland and/or Ireland very soon as a result of the reception that we were able to give the second biggest road race of them all, because when it does I will certainly be there, hopefully this time on my bike.

It's beginning to look a lot like #Giro

On my way into Belfast this morning I was just coming down the step from Central Station when I saw a sight that cheered my heart on this damp day. A Movistar team car was just turning the corner into the turning circle in front of the Waterfront Hall.

However, when I got to the corner myself there was a sight that made this cycling fan's heart sing. There wasn't use one team car but several. Amongst them were those of Orica-GreenEdge, BMC, Tinkoff-Saxo, Columbia, Lampre and many more. I stopped to take a picture of just some of them.

I then made my way to Visit Belfast to pick up the wrist bands that will enable me to get into the front of Belfast City Hall tomorrow evening for the team presentations. While I was there I also picked up a back of official merchandise. A T-shirt, cap, bag, noise maker hand and four wrist bands, three in the colours of the Bandiera d'Italia, the other of course in pink for the Maglia Rosa.

Friends will know that I like my wrist bands, so it wasn't two long before I was branded as an Italian. The pink one may wait, I have a lot of pink that I will be wearing over the weekend, so I may not go all out with that wristband just yet.

On the way home there was a queue of traffic heading along May Street, stuck in the middle of this was the Cannondale team, car. I shouted over, "Don't worry it will be easier to get through Belfast on Friday." Which got me a smile from the driver.

But it is certainly beginning to look a lot like a cycling Grand Tour is about to take place on my doorstep.

Sky falling in on St Patrick's Day

Regular followers of me here or on my sporting blog will be aware of my love of cycling. But something that has happened as a result of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York has thrown me a moral curve ball.

Guinness decided at the eleventh hour yesterday to pull their sponsorship of the parade in New York. This was after they requested that the organisers allow LGBT Irish Groups to march in the parade. Before others say they are allowed to parade, or that other groups don't march behind a banner, this is not the case. Groups do march behind the banner indicating who there are. Many of Ireland's LGBT people did emigrate some to the UK others to America when those places were less LGBT friendly than they are today. Like all such immigrants to the states they are as staunchly proud of their Irish roots as anyone else.

Guinness as part of their decision said:

"Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all. We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year's parade.
.

"As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation. We will continue to work with community leaders to ensure that future parades have an inclusionary policy."

This is good and a brave decision especially as there was a 1.4% drop in share price of Diageo (the  parent company). However, it is the reaction of one media tycoon that leads to my dilemma.

Rupert Murdoch has said on twitter:

Where will this end? Guinness pulls out of religious parade bullied by gay orgs who try to take it over. Hope all Irish boycott the stuff 

It is a pity that Murdoch appears to be boycotting the 21st Century, I think we should boycott all of his stuff. This is easy as Eurosport cover cycling. But there is one issue. The title sponsors of both the GB Cycling Team (pictured) and the British UCI World Tour team is Sky which of course if out of the Murdoch stable. Most of the top British cyclist race for them, they are coming to Belfast in May for the Giro d'Italia and Yorkshire in July for the Tour de France.

After comments like this from Murdoch I'm going to find it very hard to support my favourites with a clear conscious.

Pretty in Pink #BradleyWiggins #Wiggo #GirodItalia #Giro

Those readers who know me know I love my cycling. In fact later this month I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Mapping le Tour, a book that covers the maps (another of my fascinations) of the previous 99 runnings of the longest running Grand Tour.

But tomorrow sees the start of the 96th edition of the slightly younger Giro d'Italia. It is the race that contains both last years winner Ryder Hesjedal and the winner of the Tour de France last year Bradley Wiggins. But there are three other previous grand tour winners in the mix Vincenzo Nibali  (Vuelta a España 2010), Cadel Evans (Le Tour 2011), Michele Scarponi (Giro 2011). Plus other contenders who have stood on Grand Tour podium, either as king of the mountains or in the top three in General Classification.

The leader of the next three weeks on the roads of Italy will wear the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey) you can follow my thoughts of the day's routes and action over on my sporting almanac.

But in the meantime I think this song is appropriate and as for genre almost Wiggo-esque.

Ey up lad, it's lads on bikes

The Tour of Britain on Ilkley Moor

Yeah the 2014 Grand Depart of the Tour de France will come to Yorkshire. The first two days of racing will feature the county on 5 and 6 July before a stage down to London where the third days racing will end.

It is the fourth time that the Tour has visited Britain after trips in 1974 for a stage two loop around Plymouth, 1994 when after stage 3 went from Calais to the Eurotunnel. stage 4 took the Tour from Dover to Brighton and then stage 5 for a loop around Portsmouth, 2007 saw the Grand Depart with a time trail around Hyde Park in London, followed by a stage down to Canterbury which David Miller did his best to try and win.

This time with three days racing on English soil it is the longest sojourn unto British soil in one visit of the races history a reflection of how successful and popular cycling now is in the UK.

Yorkshire had beaten off bids from Florence and Edinburgh, but race officials have not ruled out a visit to Sir Chris Hoy's home city at come point in the near future so the Tour may well be back.

Perhaps we shall need a new verse to On Ilklaa Moor Baht'at maybe something along the lines of:

Then t'lad in yella cycled past

It can happen to even the greatest cyclists #roadsafety

Not Bradley Wiggins crash

The news that Bradley Wiggins has been involved in a crash on British roads while riding his bike shouldn't come as a surprise to any who cycle. The fact that it happened in a relatively quiet village and  to the winner of the Tour de France has garnered media attention of this scale.

While I was a student in Kingston I soon learnt that not all road users could follow simple rules such as:

• Lane markings: I once got squeezed between two cars while turning right, the one of my left was in a left turn only lane at the lights.
• Overtaking without due caution: I was once looking to turn right, and waited for a van to come past me before heading to the centre of the road. As I checked over my shoulder to move out the van broke right in front of me breaking my jaw.
• Pulling across lanes without checking: I was once cycling along in a cycle lane in rush hour traffic for a car to turn through the gap left my a car right in front of me. I couldn't break in 1m so took an excursion over their bonnet.
• Open doors without checking: On a different day but on the same stretch of cycle lane a car once parked in a no-parking zone for that time of the morning, straddled the cycle lane. I had to pull out to go around them, only to be greeted by an opening driver's door in the face. Fortunately the car behind me managed to stop just in time to merely tap my back as I lay on the ground.

There are just a few of the examples, the ones where I came off due to contact. There were other occasions where avoidance action was taken, sometimes throwing myself and/or bike out of the way of inconsiderate drivers.

I admit those misadventures happened over 20 years ago. However, they did total a couple of bike frames and several wheels, and could easily have been fatal, bike helmets weren't en vogue then and I wasn't wearing one. However, there are still stories about cyclists who are obeying the rules of the road suffering injuries or death as a result of other road users, protected in their steel shell not seeing  them or taking attention of them.

Here are some tips.

• If there is a cycle lane, check if there is a cyclist in it
• Even if there isn't a cyclist may be coming up the inside of traffic.
• If you are a cyclist obey traffic lights and stop signs (indeed any part of the highway code) yourself
•  Leave room on the inside of a slow moving queue of traffic, that is where the cyclists should be able to go safely.
• If you are going to be parking all day (while going to work etc) don't park over a cycling lane on a main road use a side road
• Cyclists wear a helmet, armour sadly is a little impractical for side impact protection.
• Give cyclists room both while overtaking and after you have overtaken, don't take an immediate left after overtaking them wait for them to cross the junction first
• If driving always be aware of cyclists
• If cycling always be aware of other vehicles and ride at an appropriate speed for the surroundings (it isn't always a individual time trial)

 I hope that Wiggo has a speedy recovery from his broken ribs to get back into training for next season and that all road users will learn to respect others especially those who are vulnerably exposed on their bikes.

Royal Mail Golden Stamps 20 #London2012

It was the final full day of activity in the Paralympics though there is some action tomorrow, but our GB Paralympians weren't letting the Royal Mail rest as there was more gold in the offing.

First up at Brands Hatch David Stone (keeping up the look a like train looks like David Millar) got on his Tricycle in the T1-2 Road Race, he's lost his time time title the other day but was determined to hold on to his other title from Beijing. He ended up taking on Giorgio Farroni of Italy in a sprint finish taking the gold by 7 seconds.

It is hard to think that tomorrow it will all be over for another four years. There are six medal events tomorrow. The 7-a-side football, wheelchair rugby and four categories in the marathon. There are still two chances for GB medals David Weir in the men's T54 and Shelly Woods in the women's T54.

Royal Mail Golden Stamps 18 #London2012

Paralympics GB finished yesterday with more silver medals than Beijing and the same number of bronzes. With 25 golds, only 2 more yesterday, so far they are 17 down on what they achieved then, but within striking distance of the Olympians. Today was to be no exception in continuing the Gold Rush though meaning more Royal Mail stamps.

First up down at Weymouth there wasn't enough wind to be able to compete in the medal races, however it didn't prevent GB's first ever medals in Paralympic sailing and one of those was gold. Helena Lucas may have been the only woman in the 2.4mR class fleet but after yesterday's race she was guaranteed at least silver with her lead over Germany's Heiko Kroger. A gold post box will appear in Portland.

Then there was hiStorey being made over at Brands Hatch. Yeah that women Sarah Storey won her fourth gold of these Games in the C4-5 women's road race. She was in a lone breakaway and finished 7 mins 22 secs ahead of the rest of the field: she actually caught the men's C1-3 peleton that was 2 minutes up the road. As a result she has equaled Tanni Grey-Thompson as the female GB Paralympian with the most gold medals they both now have 11. Also level with fellow 'swimmer' David Roberts with his 11 golds. Will there be more at Rio to add to Storey's 20 year career in the pool and on the bike.

For the record Storey has 11 gold 7 silver and 3 bronze to Grey-Thompson's and Robert's both with 11 G, 4 S, 1 B. Only Mike Kenny has more golds 16 plus 2 silvers. She also is the British athlete on the most gold medal stamps....so far.

Next in the Aquatic Centre 15 year-old Josef Craig took three seconds off his own world record in the Men's S7 400m freestyle which he took off fellow Brit Jonathan Fox in qualifying this morning, who this time finished outside the medals. He took the lead at 150m and never looked like getting caught from there. He won in 4:42.81 and was the baby on the men's swimming team.

Then it was over to the Olympic Stadium where the 29th Gold matching the Olympians and 104th medal surpassing Beijing came in one 32 seconds of explosion. Hannah Cockcroft beat her own Paralympic Record set in the heats to win the sprint double in 31.90secs and 2.26 seconds ahead of the rest in the women's T34 200m. Her second gold medal winning push will see a second golden post box.

But things were not over in the stadium just yet. Within an hour Dave Weir was up for the third and final of his track finals in these Games; the T54 men's 800m. He sat in second from the break until coming off the last bend into the home straight as he pulled away to make it three in London 2012.

In the very next race the men's T44 100m Jonnie Peacock beat Oscar Pistorius, Alan Olivera and others to be the fastest man on one leg. The crowd were roaring 'Peacock, Peacock' before the start which caused Jonnie himself to ask them for silence. He ran away to the line in 10.90seconds. 

Three days to go but already surpassed the number of medals from Beijing and the target set by Paralympics GB. Also more Gold medal stamps for the Paralympians than the Olympians.

Royal Mail Golden Stamps 17 #London2012

So at the start of the day there were 23 Golds for Paralympics GB, but Dame Mary Peters was calling for all 27 of the UK gold medalists to be honoured with gold post boxes. She was referring to Bethany Firth a swimmer for Seaforde, Co. Down, and athletes Jason Smyth from Eglington, Co. Derry and Michael McKillop (with 2 golds) from Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim.

Either way the Paralympians were closing in on the 29 golds won by the Olympians, so today there was to be no rest still for the Royal Mail stamp design team.

However, what was the story of today. Well the Storey got underway over at Brands Hatch with the cycling women's C5 Time Trial. Of course in the Olympics we took gold with Bradley a multiple Olympic Champion, so our very own Storey added to her haul of gold medals win a third at these Games, her fifth in cycling to go with her five in swimming. She won by 94 seconds over the 16km course.

Finally in the pool we had a golden Hynd in the men's SM8 200m medley when Ollie Hynd made his breaststroke count to take the lead and go into the final length well a head and nobody ever looked like getting anywhere near him. His big brother Sam however was just outside the medals 4th in the same race, but Ollie like Lee Pearson now has a full set of Gold, Silver and Bronze from London 2012. So Ollie will be expecting to see a golden post box in Kirkby in Ashfield.

Royal Mail Golden Stamps 14 #London2012

It may the Sunday in the middle of the Paralympics, but just like their Olympic counterparts the Paralympians were not giving the Royal Mail stamp designers a day of rest.

Over at Eton Dorney there was the first gold of the day. The Mixed Coxed Four LTAMix4+ of Pam Relph, Naomi Riches, David Smith and James Roe and cox Lily van den Broecke took the gold to add to their world championship. Gold post boxes will appear in Weston Turville (for Pam), Marlow (Naomi), Stratford upon Avon (James), Aviemore (David) and Oxford (Lily).

Over in the Olympic Stadium there was a young 21 year-old going for his second medal of these games in his preferred event. Aled Davies in the Discus F42 threw 46.16m in the final round after already a guaranteed gold to add to his bronze in the shot putt. So there will be a gold post box in Bridgend for the Welsh thrower. His medal was presented to him by the future Princess of Wales, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.

Then it was over to the velodrome where there chances in all three events on the final day. In an all British final in the men's tandem sprint saw Anthony Kappes and his pilot Craig MacLean take the first race. They then took the banking round and jumped with over a lap and half to go than Neil Fachie and pilot Barney Storey had to settle for only silver today and had sat up before the bell.

Next up the gold rush headed into the Aquatic Center in the women's 200m Freestyle S14 Jessica-Jane Applegate was only 4th at the half way stage and third at 150, but in the final 50 metres she came through to  touch out with a win by 0.55 secs.

At Greenwich Park Sophie Christiansen onboard Janeiro 6, surely a horse named for four years time scored 82.7% in Grade 1A Dressage.

 

Sophie's win along with Natasha Baker in her class yesterday and the three silver in the other classes also ensured that Team GB yet again took the team gold. So Lee Pearson wins his 10th with Sophie Wells and Debbie Criddle also forming part of the team. Gold has been the exclusive domain of the GB equestrian team since Dressage was introduced to the Paralympics in 1996.

Finally back on the track in the last race of the night it was time for another GB Paralympics poster boy to follow in the footsteps of Mo Farrah and take men's T54 5000m gold. Dave Weir did not disappoint coming into the back straight of the last lap he was starting to come up on the rear wheel of the leading Korean and then with 200m to go he went on the attack and surged away in the last 100m to win with a gap between his rear wheel and the chair behind. So a gold post box for Wallington, Surrey.

Royal Mail Golden Stamps 13 #London2012

Day three and the GB Paralympic gold rush continues so too do the stamps, though not until Monday. It really was a Superhuman Saturday

First up in the velodrome there was success in the men's B 1km for Neil Fachie and his sighted pilot Barney Storey (yes keeping the gold rush in the family is Sarah Storey's husband). Neil gets a gold post box in Aberdeen and Barney as well as getting a gold medal (a first for the pilot riders) gets a gold post box in Disley, Chesire.

The track produced our next medal with our very own homegrown bladerunner Richard Whitehead in men's T42 200m. Richard is a marathon runner normally, but there is no event over that distance for his class. So not wanting to have the opportunity to compete before a home ground stolen for him he asked the IPC what he had to do, they said run the 200m, so he did and broke his own world record to win in 24.38. He certainly did have to steal away his medal as his gold post box will appear in Robin Hood country in Nottingham.

Greenwich Park saw a continuation of gold in the dressage ring from the Olympics. However, not in the form of Lee Pearson who only managed to add silver to his 9 golds so far. But Natasha Baker in Grade II took a first equestrian gold for GB Paralympics. Uxbridge, home of Brunel University (not Abraham Lincoln University my American friends cf Olympic Opening Ceremony) will be the location of her gold post box.

The gold kept on coming not just in the velodrome, but also in the Storey household. Yeah Sarah was back to her winning best in the women's 500m time trial C5. So if Disley can manage a third post box to be painted gold they will all be due to the Storeys. Sarah isn't finished yet as she will be looking for more on the road at Brands Hatch.

In the pool the whole debate about whether Victoria Arlen was in the wrong category as for the first 300m she was racing just ahead of Ellie Simmonds in the women's S6 400m freestyle. In the last hundred Ellie made her move and smashed the world record by 5 seconds 5:19.17, Arlen whose record it was also smashed it just 1.01 seconds down in silver. So Ellie not only just gets her face staring down from bill boards but her own gold post box in Aldridge, Walsall.

Royal Mail Golden Stamps 12 #London2012

Sorry for not doing this yesterday on the second day of the Paralympics but I was seeing Games Makers, the Paralympic Agitos hanging from Tower Bridge and watched some of the coverage on the big screen at Potters Field next to City Hall after I had a job interview.

So day two saw two more golds.

First up was the first Paralympic stamp for Wales and a gold post box in for Tredegar in Blaenau Gwent because of Mark Colbourne's win in the men's C1 individual pursuit.

The athletics started in the Olympic Stadium and there was gold from the start with Hannah Cockcroft finishing 10m clear of the field in a new paralympic record of 18.06 secs. Halifax will get a gold post box to celebrate the winner of the women's T34 100m. (Is there still any gold paint left in Yorkshire?)

Don't go looking for their stamps yet though as they are not being released until 3 September, i.e. Monday.

Royal Mail Golden Stamps 11 #London2012

Yes I am just going to keep the numbers progressing, the Paralympics are still part of London 2012 and the Royal Mail are issuing 2 stamp mini-sheets for each of the Gold Medalists in GB Paralympics team over the next 11 days we didn't have to wait very long for the Gold rush to resume.

First up was Sarah Storey in the women's C5 individual pursuit at the velodrome. If you missed her in qualifying in the morning she captured her opponent not once but twice on the way to a new world record which would have put her in good standing with the top women cyclists with both hands. She captured again in the final. So she will be the 30th stamp issued by the Royal Mail for the Games but the first for the Paralympics, and will have a gold post box in Manchester. It is her third Paralympic gold in cycling (after 2 in Beijing) to add to her five in swimming (Barcelona and Atlanta) before an ear infection caused her to get out of the pool and unto her bike for fitness only to find she was competitive there too.

Next up it was in the pool where after a number of silvers Jonathan Fox took the first gold in the pool in the men's S7 100m backstroke. It was an upgrade from his silver in Beijing and although not as fast as his world record time in qualification it was enough to fend off the opposition. There will be a gold post box for him in Plymouth tomorrow as well as this stamp.

What if the Tour was Armstrong winless?

"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now." 

These words of Lance Armstrong today have far reaching ramifications for cycling and the Tour de France. World Anti-Doping Agency chief John Fahey, said:

"[Armstrong] had the right to rip up those charges but elected not to.

"Therefore the only interpretation in these circumstances is that there was substance in those charges.

"My understanding is that when the evidence is based upon a career that included seven Tour de France wins, then all of that becomes obliterated." 

Ullrich leaving before the start of 2006 Tour

So with those seven titles obliterated it makes Jan Ulrich GER not a one time winner but a four time winner, his second behind Marco Pantani is also looked by some as a doubtful outcome considering Pantani's later record (named in Operación Puerto posthumously) and untimely death. He could be credited with the wins in 2000, 2001 and 2003. He was also 4th in 2004 but he too was stripped of his 2005 third place earlier this year as a result of the Operación Puerto doping case. He was about to take part in the 2006 Tour and was suspended just prior to starting that Tour as a result of the Puerto list of names.

Alex Zülle SUI was second to Armstrong in his first 'win' in 1999, but the year before Zülle was caught up in the Festina affair the year before and admitted to taking EPO. In November 1998 his haematocrit was found to be 52.3% the limit is 50%. Under rules today he would have been suspended at the time he came second to Armstrong.

The 2002 win should go to Joseba Beloki SPA who the following year coming off his bike ahead of Armstrong who then famously went cross country to rejoin the race. However, in 2006 he was also implicated in Operación Puerto but cleared by Spanish authorities, the same Spanish authorities who recently cleared Contador to race only for the UCI to end up giving him a suspension. He's also come 3rd in 2000 and 2001 behind Armstrong and Ullrich.

2004 the runner up was Andreas Klöden GER who has faced accusations of an illegal blood transfusion in 2006 as well as being part of the Astana Team in 2007 that was withdrawn after the team leader Alexander Vinokourov had a positive test proven.

Finally it leads to 2005 where Ivan Basso ITA came in behind Armstrong, Basso was another one caught up in the Peurto scandal and in 2007 was handed a two year ban which included his suspension from his own team and lasted therefore until October 2008. He was also 3rd in 2004.

Further down the general classifications:

• Fernando Escartin SPA (Kelme)  3rd 1999 - was part of a team that in 2004 former team member Jesús Manzano accused of systematic doping during his time with the team from 2000-2004 just after Escartin's highest placing in Le Tour
• Laurant Dufaux SUI (Saeco) 4th 1999 - was part of the Festina Team that was kicked off the 1998 Tour and he admitted to doping at that time.
• Ángel Casero SPA (Vitalicio Seguros) 5th 1999 - was one of the already retired riders names in Operación Puerto.
• Christophe Moreau FRA (Festina) 4th 2000 - was one of the initial three members of the 1998 Festina team to admit to using EPO and served a 6 month suspension.
• Roberto Heras SPA (Kelme-Costa Blanca) 5th 2000 - would have won a 4th record Vuelta a España in 2005 if he wasn't banned for EPO usage. He was also part of the same Kelme set up as above for Escartin, before spending three years in US Postal with Armstrong.
• Andrei Kivilev KAZ (Cofidis) 4th 2001 - came behind Armstrong, Ullrich and Beloki. His legacy is not one of drugs but two years later on stage 2 of Paris-Nice he crashed while not wearing a helmet and died of his injuries as a result the wearing of helmets became compulsory.
• Igor González SPA (ONCE) 5th 2001 and 2002 - however in 2003 he was not allowed to take part in Le Tour because he was deemed to have gained advantage from the asthma drug salbutamol and was banned from taking part in races on French soil. During that 'ban' period which only applied in France he actually won the Vuelta a España.
• Raimondas Rumšas LIT (Lampre) 3rd 2002 - but on the last day of that race drugs had been found in a car driven by his wife, who claimed they including EPO, anabolic steroids, testosterone and growth hormone were for her mother-in-law. The following year after just completing the Giro d'Italia in 6th place he tested positive for EPO and was banned for one year. He was arrested, charged and given a suspended sentance with importing illegal drugs along with his wife in 2005 in relation to the 2002 case.
•  Santiago Botero COL (Kelme) 4th 2002 - was later suspended by his then Phonak Team in 2004 when he was named in connection with Operación Puerto. He was subsequently cleared by the Colombian Cycling Federation.
• Alexandre Vinokourov KAZ (Astana) 3rd 2003 5th 2005 - whilst he was never implicated in Operación Puerto five of his team mates were and his team Astana-Würth withdrew from the 2006 Tour as they had not enough riders to start. However, in 2007 Vinokourov was not in the GC contenders after a crash in the final 25km of stage 5. He had a bad day in the mountains before a remarkable recovery in the time trail the day after, then winning in the mountains two days later. The next day it was announced that he  tested positive for a suspected blood transfusion on the day of the time trial and was stripped of both those stages.
• Tyler Hamilton USA (Team CSC) 4th 2003 - in 2004 after winning the Olympic time trial his A sample was reported as positive, but his B sample was unable to be tested so he originally kept his medal, but as a stage winner later in that year's Vuelta a España he again tested positive and was handled a 2 year ban. He was named in Operación Puerto, an then in 2009 as part of his comeback tested positive again and was handed an eight year ban. He is also one of Armstrong's ex-team mates, from his first three 'wins', to have testified against him saying he use EPO before and during those three Tour. Earlier this month the IOC stripped him of his 2004 Olympic title.
• Haimar Zubeldia SPA (Euskaltel) 5th 2003 - has never been under any suspicion of doping offenses and came 6th in this year's Tour.
• José Azevedo POR (US Postal Service) 5th 2004 - although part of Armstrong's US Postal team from 2004 -2006 Azevedo has never been implicated in any doping scandal.
• Francisco Mancebo SPA (Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne) 4th 2005 - was another of those implicated in Operación Puerto an not allowed to compete in the 2006 Tour and announced his retirement immediately after that. Although he then at the end of the year changed his mind about retirement.

So even if the seven titles are taken from Armstrong there are suspicions over all the beneficiaries and in some cased the entire podium. Looking at names that have never been linked to doping allegation in those 7 tours the cleanest possible line up of 'winners' are:

• 1999 Daniele Nardello ITA Mapei +17'02" who had the 7th best accrued time
• 2000 Daniele Nardello ITA Mapei +18'25" 10th
• 2001 Andrei Kivilev KAZ Cofidis +9'53" 4th (see above)
• 2002 José Azevedo POR ONCE +15'44" 6th (see above)
• 2003 Haimar Zubeldia SPA Euskaltel +6'51" 5th (see above)
• 2004 José Azevedo POR US Postal +14'30" 5th
• 2005 Haimar Zubeldia SPA Euskaltel +23'43" 15th

So just how far into the past an how far down the pecking order are people going to take this retrospective removal of Palmarès.

Royal Mail Golden Stamps 6 #London2012

No five day week for the Royal Mail stamp design team as Team GB continue to bring on the Gold rush.

Over at Greenwich Park our show jumping team of Nick Skelton, Scott Brash, Ben Maher and Peter Charles were taken to a jump off by the Dutch team, but they had three clear rounds in  the jump off while the Dutch had three fences down between two riders so they couldn't discard both.

The gold paint will be out for post boxes in Peebles (Scott Brash), Alton (Peter Charles),  of Bishops Stortford (Ben Maher) and Alcester (Nick Skelton)

 The second stamp is for someone who already has a share of one. But this one is on his own. Some thought that when he was picked instead of Sir Chris Hoy who was looking to defend three golds from Beijing that they were stopping a legend. But Jason Kenny has he second gold from these Games in individual sprint to go with the team one, his third overall and going with the silver in this event four years ago behind only Hoy. So Bolton will get a second golden post box.

We talked about this team being Team GB's greatest team. Well with six more days of competition they are one short of the target from Beijing with three very good shouts in the cycling tomorrow with Hoy in the Keirin, Victoria Pendeton in the women's sprint and Laura Trott leading the Omnium after day 1.There are also the Brownlees in the triathlon, Robbie Grabenz in the high jump plus the chance of more horsey gold in the Team Dressage. So we are close to nut just equaling Beijing but zooming past that total.

Five gHOYlden rings! #London2010 #TeamGB

Victory salute

Today the cycling has moved from the road into the velodrome and what a day it was. World records fell in the Team Sprints to both the men and women's GB teams, though the later lost theirs minutes later to China, and to the men's 4000m team pursuit.

But there was drama in the first round of the women's sprint. Victoria Pendleton was deemed to have overtaken Jessica Varnish too early and this resulted in them being relegated to last in the round rather than progressing to the gold medal match.

The GB team of Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Peter Kennaugh (the other Manx man) then did what Mark Cavendish in the GB box said they would do and not only won but smashed the World Record for the 4000m team pursuit, they went long stints on the front and kept all four of them together until the bell lap.

Next up were the medal rounds of the sprints.

In the women's the Chinese took the line first...

...but...

...after the commissaires reviewed the footage they too were relegated to last in their round to only take the silver. Meaning that the German's took Olympic gold despite two other pairs actually breaking the world record on the day.

For the men it was GB v France and Philip Hindes was up against Gregory Baugé but completed the first lap just ahead, handing on to Jason Kenny and then Sir Chris Hoy who crossed the line in 42.600secs for a new World Record but for Hoy it was his fifth gold to go with 1km time trial in 2004, sprint, team sprint and Keirin in 2008, plus the silver in team sprint in 2000. He has now equalled the number of gold and total medals of Sir Steve Redgrave, one more medal this week and he will go ahead of Sir Bradley Wiggins Wiggo with most medals.

But not only was it the fifth gold for Sir Chris it was the fifth for Team GB in these Games.

Team GB tally for today 3 gold and 3 silver. Over to the pool to see if Rebecca Adlington can add to the haul tomorrow having qualified for the 800m Freestyle this morning.

Royal Mail Golden Stamps #London2012

As promised the Royal Mail are issue stamps and commemorative First Day Covers for any British Olympian who wins gold at London 2012.

90 Royal Mail vehicles are heading off tonight to over 500 post offices so that the stamps will be on sale by lunchtime tomorrow. Or you can order a First Day Cover stamped with the address of the Olympic Stadium, with a date of issue the day after any win.

So here are the stamps to honour Helen Glover and Heather Stanning

and Bradley Wiggins

c

Also in Chorley, Bradley Wiggins home town, Lossiemouth for Heather Stanning and Penzance for Helen Glover the Royal Mail will be painting a post box gold in honour of the occasion.


My order is in for the first two first day covers.

Cyclist killed by Olympic bus #London2012

News just coming in that a 30-year-old cyclist was killed in Newham near the velodrome, hockey stadia and paralympic tennis arena on the edge of the Olympic Park. He was run over by a media bus and vehicles are currently not leaving the Media transport Mall's multi-storey car park.

It is not clear yet whether the cyclist was attending events, a volunteer, a passing member of the public or even an athlete. But sadly any death is such a circumstance is unfortunate.

No doubt more details will become clear once the next of kin have been informed.

My thoughts are with his family at this time. As someone who was knocked off their bike four time while I studied and worked in London I know just how inconsiderate some London drivers are, and how some of them even ignore clear traffic markings.

Update the International Olympic Committee have confirmed that the victim is not an athlete taking part in the Games.

Update 2 After initial reports that nobody had been arrested in conjunction with the death, a mid-60s man has now been arrested and take to an East London police station suspected of causing death by dangerous driving.

Update 3 The cyclist has been named as 28-year-old Daniel Harris who was a web specialist from Ilford who had recently started using his bike to commute to work. He death has led to Bradley Wiggins calling on cycle helmets to be made compulsory, and headphones and use of handheld phones to be illegal while riding.

Wiggold - Gold goes well with yellow #London2012

Wiggo and Froome receiving their medals at Hampton Court

On the last day of the torch relay the flame took a visit to the famous maze at Hampton Court Palace. Today the Palace acquired by Henry VIII saw the return of the King, or at least the Maillot Jaune from France, Le Tour that is.

Out through roads and town that I have cycled along in my time living in that part of the world was the women's and then the men's Time Trials.

All the talk before the start of the men's was about how Brits Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins had come first and second in the two Time Trials in Le Tour. Tony Martin (GER) the World champion in this discipline had retired after the first of those because of a broken bone in his wrist, and three times World champion Fabian Cancellera (SWI) the defending champion had had a fall at the turn just inside Richmond Gate in the road race on Saturday, after having a broken collar bone in April. There was also some talk about Luis Leon Sanchez.

So how would the Brits do and would those injuries affect the two men who have most recently worn the rainbow jersey in this discipline?

The answer seemed to answer itself out on the road. For Sanchez it was over almost as it began, he broke his chain on the start ramp and then shortly after needed a new rear wheel.

For the other four at the first time trial they were all in contention. Then at the second Froome took the lead only to see it taken by Tony Martin, and less than 80 seconds later it went to Wiggins. Cancellera was outside the medals at that spot. It was a top three that would not change all the way back to Hampton Court.

Wiggins crossed the line looking fresh while Tony Martin sat on the ground looking shattered. But Wiggo only had one concern, he still did not know it he had won or not. When we saw a shot of Cancellera at the Diana Fountain in Bushey Park outside of the time for any medal we knew, but Brad still wanted to know. When Cancellera finally climbed off his bike he was in agony clutching his left shoulder, I still suspect that he may well have broken his collar bone once again on Saturday but was determined to make the start line in defense of his Olympic title.

So in front of Hampton Court as the Union Flag (strangely without the roundel after a W, I and two Gs) was raised by the Gurkhas in honour of Team GBs second gold medal of the Games and day. God Save the Queen was song out just a little more vociferously than the chants of "Wiggo, Wiggo" just before they started to sing.

Wiggins with 4 Golds 2 silver and a bronze is now the Brit with the most medals, at least for now, Sir Chris Hoy may match him within days.

Wiggins is also the first man to win the Tour de France and Olympic gold in the same year!

Britannia Rule the Champs Élysées Tour de France 2012

Your 2012 Champion

Well the script for this tour didn't have any twists in the tail. With a little over 10km to go there was a group of three with a 20 seconds lead over the peleton, but slowly but surely they got pulled back. At times Chris Froome the man who is second in the GC was leading the peleton to pull it back. As we crossed by the finish line on the other side of the Champs Élysées they were captured and Team Sky were riding back at the front of this Tour.

Under the tunnel it was Saxo-Bank who lead for the last time but just behind them was the Maillot Jaune, followed by the Norwegian Champion and World Champion. Out of the tunnel and take Norway Corner into Rue de Rivoli then something unusual if not unique happened the Maillot Jaune hit the front with a km to go. He led all the way into the Place de la Concorde until the left hand bend. With a flick of his elbow it was over to Edvald Boasson Hagen who powered on to the right hander entering the Champs Elysées. No sooner were they on it today that there was a missile launch.

The Manx Missile zoomed off down the cobbles almost before anyone else had taken the corner. The rest of the world top sprinters tried to catch up but for the fourth year in a row once the Missile was launched there was no abort and no mistake and nobody even got within a bike length. He crossed the line in the Rainbow Jersey ahead of the Green Jersey in second and Matt Goss with yet another top three finish but without a win.

So we have a British winner of the stage lead out by the British winner of the Tour. Britain won one in three of the stages in this year's Tour taking another record, beating the 6 of 2009. Athough unlike then when they were all won by one man, Cavendish, this time Cav took 3, Wiggins both Time Trials, Froome one mountain stage and David Millar in one break away.

Lesley Garrett sang the national anthem in what looked like one of her last night of the Proms dresses. Then all that was left was for Bradley to draw the raffle numbers from the winners podium and wish all the fans a safe journey home and not to get too drunk. Yeah it was a winners acceptance speech that only a Brit and probably only Brad could make. But as he said some dreams do come true and now his old mum's son has won the Tour de France.

What a Tour! What a result for Britain!

We now have a short intermission before many of these guys leave from The Mall to head over Box Hill again and again before returning to The Mall for the first Gold Medal of London 2012.

Will the man who won this Sunday be doing the same off the Victoria Monument next Saturday?

Stay tuned.

Just for the record



General Classification

1 Bradley Wiggins Sky ProCycling 87 hr 34' 47"
2 Chris Froome Sky ProCycling +3'21"
3 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas-Cannondale +6'19"

Best Young Rider

1. Tejay van Garderen BMC Racing Team 87hr 45' 51" (5th overall)
2. Thibaut Pinot FDJ-BigMat +6'13" (10th Overall)

Points Classification

1. Peter Sagan Liquigas-Cannondale 421pts
2. André Greipel Lotto-Belisol 280
3. Matthew Goss Orica-GreenEDGE 268
4. Mark Cavendish Sky ProCycling 220


King of the Mountains

1. Thomas Voeckler Team Europcar 135pts
2. Fredrik Kessiakoff Astana Pro Team 123

Best Team

1. Radioshack-Nissan 263hr 12' 01"
2. Sky ProCycling +5'54"
3. BMC Racing Team +36'36"

Super Combative Rider



Chris Anke Sorensen Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank