Spring and September

It's deep into Spring Classics time in the road world and it's proving to be a tough time for the pros. Specifically Gent-Wevelgem, which saw crashes that dislocated Greipel's collar bone. From the sprinters Cav was also out with a virus that had kicked in straight after Milan San-Remo.

Just got out of bed after 18hours with fever. Woke up this morning in a pool of sweat. I'm lucky to have my @petatodd looking after me.

— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) March 28, 2014

The biggest casualty, especially given his early season form, which was storming, was Ian Stannard. He was clipped by another rider twice and came off into a ditch, fracturing a vertebra and putting him firmly out of Flanders and Roubaix. This is a massive shame as he was really looking like he was a contender for those hard-man races which would have put him on for a career high. Luckily earlier race and injury casualties, Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome are staying out of trouble and rebuilding form for the summer.

Other news came in for the other end of the season as the route for the increasingly high profile Tour of Britain was announced. It will start in Liverpool on 7th September and will visit Knowsley, Llandudno, Newtown, Worcester, Bristol, Exmouth, Exeter, Bath, Hemel Hempstead, Camberley and Brighton before culminating in the now traditional London finale.

Elsewhere The Guardian managed to put a minimal amount of effort into finding out why people sometimes don't ride to work. Apparently people don't like bad roads and rain. Who knew.
A