“I always heed the words of the Queen Mother: never turn down the chance of a cup of tea or a pee.” It’s the first of many golden nuggets of advice, quips and bon mots from my avuncular host behind the scenes of the Tour de France 2017. It is of course none other than the Eurosport commentator, Carlton Kirby, as he shimmies his way into the urinoir outside the commentary box in Bergerac for a quick one before he takes up his post.
Stage 10 and 11 of this year’s Tour may have been two pan flat stages that featured hours of televised chateaux, vineyards and fields of sunflowers with little else to entertain the viewer. But for me they were a dream come true when, for two whole days, I had unfettered access to the behind scenes goings on of Le Tour.
Read MoreAs the Tour de France starts this Saturday, many of us will be spending the next three weeks desperately trying to snatch a peek at the TV during the daytime or, at least, making an early evening appointment with the daily highlights show. For Messrs Millar, Boulting and Boardman, July 1st – 23rd is a slog around the ‘Hexagon’ as they commentate on the great race for ITV4. And this year sees them cover each stage in its entirety.
The trio were on hand at this year’s Eroica Britannia as invitees of sponsors Maserati for an informal chat and Q&A with vintage festival revellers who revealed a passion for the modern Tour. Despite more old fashioned Molteni, Brooklyn and Peugeot jerseys never being seen in one place at one time before, their wearers were desperate for the latest on Froome, Sagan and Quintana.
Read MoreWell...What a weekend! The sun shone; the most handsome steeds in the country were on show; gentlemen, ladies and children dressed up in their finest; New Romantic legends, ABC, took us back to 1987 and the fab disco had all generations dancing their socks off to cool funkadelia and 70's hits late into the night.
Take a look at our fabulous photos and find out all about it here.
Read MoreChris Boardman appeared at the London Bike Show last week with some exciting news about his new performance centre which will be opening in Evesham, Worcestershire at the end of the year. The facility will include a wind tunnel, activity area and physiology testing suite that will be accessible to all cyclists whether they’re Olympians, Paralympians or club riders.
oardman explained that this was the realisation of a seven-year project and that, “I don’t really do excited but this is really exciting! I’m really looking forward to it.” The idea had been conceived all those years ago when he sat down for a curry with an aerodynamic scientist and, together, they hatched the plan. By the end of this year, you will be able to hire out the facility by the hour at “a very reasonable price” giving everyday riders the opportunity to benefit from high-end technology normally reserved for elite athletes. “It’s going to be revolutionary,” he said.
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