The 108-strong cast of the 17th modern edition of the Tour of Britain rolled out of Penzance, in the far south-west corner of the island, on a sunny September Sunday, full of promise of a spectacular week of racing to come. The backdrop to the Grand Depart and Stage 1...
Following the mad rush of last season’s grand tours, this season has felt like a return to something resembling normality. It’s been a long summer though, and now it’s late, and we’ve all had a bit too much to drink, and people are being silly and...
The rescheduled 17th edition of the modern reincarnation of the Tour of Britain will take place over eight stages and feature racing in all three countries of mainland Great Britain. The race was relaunched in 2004 following a five-year absence from the racing calendar and this year, just as in...
The second week of the Vuelta has been at times, as predicted, a fiery affair. Following the ponderous, often snooze-inducing flat stages of the opening week, punctuated by just a few brief interludes of excitement, the race roared to life under the sweltering Spanish sun. The week has been a...
The Vuelta is like a sigh of relief. After the pressure cooker of the Tour de France, with its whirlwind of sponsors; its media circus; its prestige; the Vuelta feels like a letting go. Languid, sultry days traversing the dry Spanish landscape, with its rocky outcrops and deserted plains; there’...
Despite coming in third in a recent poll containing just three options, La Vuelta a Espana has always held a peculiar charm. From over 600 respondents, a loyal minority of 22% picked the Spanish Grand Tour as their favourite, and I’m happy to count myself among them. It’s...
