Corner. Straight. Repeat.

I've been staggered at just how boring the Halfords Tour series has been when I've caught it on itv4 over the past few weeks. I suppose it's the curse of crit racing or perhaps it's the fact the coverage never seems to leave the top 5 guys on the road. What's wrong with highlighting some of the rider's turning themselves inside out just to hang on to the tail of the bunch? Sadly I reckon most people watching are only watching for the riders to crash, instead of understanding the level of fitness it takes to be part of racing.
One moment I will remember forever is riding out to watch the Tour of Britain finish in Dalby forest. I was positioned three-quarters up the final climb just before the finishing straight to get maximum viewing time. The leaders flew by, Di Luca in the big ring while fully looking over his shoulder. Then the midpack finishers sprinting to hold wheels fighting with all they had for an anominous position. Finally the backmarkers. Dead last was David Miller, looking like death, in bottom gear and just grinding the pedals to the line. It was only later I read that he hadn't slept the night before due to food poisoning and had thrown up everything he had tried to eat during the day's long stage. I had a new respect for cyclists that day and the demands we all put our body through in the name of enjoyment and fulfillment.

Call me suspicious but with the advent of Rapha seemingly getting a lot more interested in Audax riding lately, I'm calling it out as the next 'newest - biggest - reinvented - marketing hyped' aspect of cycling, the same as cyclocross was a couple of years ago.
Here's a type of riding I've been doing a lot of lately, usually into a headwind all the way home. This is SF style commuting:



I'm werking the weekend, let's hope there's something to talk about Monday.