Gary Fischer has sold his soul to Trek.

Have you looked at the new Boardman range for 2011. Simply awesome bits of kit

[urlhttp://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_777747_langId_-1_categoryId_165499#dtab[/url

you'll struggle to find anything as close to that for spec and quality.

And this is the 2010 if you can still get one
[urlhttp://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_502089_langId_-1_categoryId_165499#dtab[/url

I looked at the boardmans when I bought my first bike last year through C2W, awesome spec for the price, just a shame they are Halfords build quality (had nothing but problems on my mid to top end carrera).

Trek are another brand I've been looking at, spec isn't such an important thing to be honest, as long as I can get a good frame, I'll uprate the parts as I go along. The funny thing is my mrs keeps saying "why dont you go to sports direct, they've got some cheap ones there" ha ha women eh!

Just watched the last 40k of todays tour of flanders, thought Geraint Thomas had a good ride, great finish to the race and what a brutal one it looked, 18 climbs up cobbles, no thanks!

ToF was simply awesome. One of the most exciting races I've watched in ages. GT rode excellently I was hoping that the group could make it back as he would have been a great prospect for a sprint to the line. Definitely one for the future and possibly next weekend at Paris - Roubaix. Recieved my what MTB mag their best rec hardtail bikes in the 500-600 price range are 1 Carrara fury 2 Spech Hardrock Pro 3 Decathlon Rockrider 8.1 4 Trek 4300 5 Spech Hardrock Comp This looks a good buy though at Wiggle a Kona Blast. It has a decent fork on it at good entry level shimano groupset. www.wiggle.co.uk/kona-blast-2011/ Infact scrap the lot I've just found you this beauty. Simply awesome kit at that price and Canyon are going to be this years big thing in MTB following winning bike of the year in WMB mag. The forums are buzzing about them www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes ... tml?b=2051. If I was after a hardtail it would be this one without a doubt.

ToF was simply awesome. One of the most exciting races I've watched in ages. GT rode excellently I was hoping that the group could make it back as he would have been a great prospect for a sprint to the line. Definitely one for the future and possibly next weekend at Paris - Roubaix. Recieved my what MTB mag their best rec hardtail bikes in the 500-600 price range are 1 Carrara fury 2 Spech Hardrock Pro 3 Decathlon Rockrider 8.1 4 Trek 4300 5 Spech Hardrock Comp This looks a good buy though at Wiggle a Kona Blast. It has a decent fork on it at good entry level shimano groupset. www.wiggle.co.uk/kona-blast-2011/ Infact scrap the lot I've just found you this beauty. Simply awesome kit at that price and Canyon are going to be this years big thing in MTB following winning bike of the year in WMB mag. The forums are buzzing about them www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes ... tml?b=2051. If I was after a hardtail it would be this one without a doubt.

Quote ="Fungus The Muffin Man"ToF was simply awesome. One of the most exciting races I've watched in ages. GT rode excellently I was hoping that the group could make it back as he would have been a great prospect for a sprint to the line. Definitely one for the future and possibly next weekend at Paris - Roubaix. Recieved my what MTB mag their best rec hardtail bikes in the 500-600 price range are 1 Carrara fury 2 Spech Hardrock Pro 3 Decathlon Rockrider 8.1 4 Trek 4300 5 Spech Hardrock Comp This looks a good buy though at Wiggle a Kona Blast. It has a decent fork on it at good entry level shimano groupset. www.wiggle.co.uk/kona-blast-2011/ Infact scrap the lot I've just found you this beauty. Simply awesome kit at that price and Canyon are going to be this years big thing in MTB following winning bike of the year in WMB mag. The forums are buzzing about them www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes ... tml?b=2051. If I was after a hardtail it would be this one without a doubt.'" What a beauty that canyon is, will defo be looking for a test ride somewhere!!! the Kona blast looks good too, and I know the carrera fury is a decent bike in my range. back to the roads, its building up nicely for sky I feel so far, looking forward to next weekend and hopefully GT can give it another good run!

Quote ="Fungus The Muffin Man"ToF was simply awesome. One of the most exciting races I've watched in ages. GT rode excellently I was hoping that the group could make it back as he would have been a great prospect for a sprint to the line. Definitely one for the future and possibly next weekend at Paris - Roubaix. Recieved my what MTB mag their best rec hardtail bikes in the 500-600 price range are 1 Carrara fury 2 Spech Hardrock Pro 3 Decathlon Rockrider 8.1 4 Trek 4300 5 Spech Hardrock Comp This looks a good buy though at Wiggle a Kona Blast. It has a decent fork on it at good entry level shimano groupset. www.wiggle.co.uk/kona-blast-2011/ Infact scrap the lot I've just found you this beauty. Simply awesome kit at that price and Canyon are going to be this years big thing in MTB following winning bike of the year in WMB mag. The forums are buzzing about them www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes ... tml?b=2051. If I was after a hardtail it would be this one without a doubt.'" What a beauty that canyon is, will defo be looking for a test ride somewhere!!! the Kona blast looks good too, and I know the carrera fury is a decent bike in my range. back to the roads, its building up nicely for sky I feel so far, looking forward to next weekend and hopefully GT can give it another good run!

It'll be interesting with sky if BW can do anything worthwhile at P-R. He's said he would like to do something at a classic. And a good show would certainitely take some of the heat and pressure off his shoulders come TDF time. It would be great if sky worked for GT should he be in a good position as he has a much better sprint than flecha. Though that won't happen.

Looks like it will be dry and warm as well. You really need some crappy weather to mix things up, cause a few crashes and decimate the peloton to make it much more entertaining.

With the Canyon you may struggle to find a test ride unless you go over the channel. However their telephone staff are english and have a really good reputation.

Nobody would be happier than me if BW could tame the pave this weekend but I just can't see it. I was impressed to see a few Sky jerseys come the 'selection' at Flanders but a real shame that GT couldn't be on the right wheel come the decisive break.

GT proved last year at the TDF and on Sunday that he can deal with the cobbles so I think he's worth an e/w punt.

As for the winner I don't know. I thought Cancellara had Flanders and Roubaix tied up but he proved he is only human at the weekend. Although you do wonder if he allowed them to be caught so he could get some help at last!

It seems that Boonen was a bit canny making Fab going off to early. Though apparently as he got caught behind the 2 riders who had been in the breakaway he couldn't follow Fab as his legs were shredded.
From having a read around I think Fab was expecting to get to the top and find Boonen with him so they could work together, but he wasn't there.

As for GT He'd done that much work to get Flecha back onto the front to be in position that he didn't have it to go further. You could clearly see him at the front pulling the group back up in the last few K's. Personnally I think Flecha should have reversed roles and helped get GT up there as he has a much better sprint than Flecha.

Roll on sunday and round 2
DING DING

Shame we can't get a few more off the site here to join our league - at least if someone else joined I wouldn't be last as things currently stand.

My transfers are in - think I've got a well balanced team for this week with a few in purely based on price.

I'm doing the Paris-Roubaix sportive next year so I'll be watching with even more interest this Sunday.

I'd join, but I dont like finishing last so wont bother lol!!

just caught the last 5k of the Basque tour, so cant really comment on much of it, but vinukorov(sp) was going very very hard at the end there and took the win easily! Going to be a tough cookie with Astana behind him this season.

I see that theres been a bit of controversy re - paris Roubaix sportive this year. So much that it's been scaled down significantly. It's still one I'd love to do though. Plus I need to reorganise a flanders ride as well now I missed last weeks.
Who are you going over with to do it? Are you organising it yourself or going with a organiser?

I managed to transfer in a half decent team I think for sunday. Fingers crossed now lol

Yeah Vino took them all by surprise and powered to a good win. I'm not sure where I stand with Vino. I can't make my mind up if I like him or not since coming back from his doping ban. I'm interested to see what he will focus on this year. I don't see him being strong enough for TDF so will he try and target the Giro as his main goal?

Depends if Contador is allowed to race in the TDF this year or not. If not then it's going to be quite an open race IMO.

Yeah exactly. Though whether he is or not I can't see past Andy Schleck especially if he can improve his ITT time. We'll just have to wait for the court of sports arbitration to sort it out.

From what I've read on it Contador amongst others have been allegedly doping for years. Infact taking into account potential dopers the 2009 TDF may actually have given Wiggo 2nd place instead of 4th.

What a superb Paris-Roubaix this year. You kind of think that with the glorious weather it would have been a procession with no incidents but they were falling down all over the place.

Looking forward to Amstel Gold now this weekend. Predictions anyone?

you can't look past gilbert. wheel suckers like hushoft might be able to get a free ride on flat courses like roubaix but come the final climb on sunday it won't be that easy.

vino's one of my favourate riders despite being a cheating scumbag. there's no way he'll challenge for the tour or any other gt though

I've picked Cadel Evans for my want to win option on Sunday. Since winning the worlds he became a new man and highly enjoyable to watch. I also think Vino could be a potential winner he can be a very strong rider at times and think after the way he rode last week he was testing his legs and a strategy for sunday. It wouldn't surprise me if those 2 and Gilbert came in on the podium. With maybe Frank Schleck as another outside pick.

Shame Cadel had to pull out injured. I turned from disliking the guy completely to being really impressed with him last year.

So then - Liege Bastogne Liege. Gilbert again? No idea how he managed to get up that hill in front of all the climbers yesterday. He's really impressing me right now. Or can Vino win and get cheered this year? (I know my position on Vino - as much as he rides with panache he's a dirty stinking cheating doper, no better than Ricco).

I think that L-B-L may just be one race to many for Phillipe. Like you say he was awesome yesterday he rode up the Huy like it was a mole hill. So glad I had him on my fantasy team lol. He is truly a classics specialist and could dominate them for a good few years to come.
I wonder how he would fair if he had a proper pop at the TDF?

As for Cadel I had him as my team capt. Didn't realise he was injured until it was to late as I'd used all my transfers. DOH!

Nearly time for the first grand tour and I haven't a clue who will win it. Basso is out of sorts Cadel I think is targetting the TDF. I wonder if someone like Scarponi or Zonda will have what it takes?

You've got to wonder haven't you - it'd need to be a flatter TDF and I've no idea what he's like at time trialling. If it was like the old days and everyone went out to win every race then maybe he'd stand a chance. Would probably stand a better chance in the Vuelta.

I had Gilbert in the team and Rodriguez so I managed to claw back a bit more ground on you. Not sure I'm totally happy with my team this week.

I'll stick my neck out for the Giro and say Nibali. Depends whether Basso is riding the Giro of course as to who the team captain is but I think he can do it.

I forgot about Nibali he was superb last year. I remember thinking that I thought he could have left Basso a few times but reigned in to help his team captain and main GC rider.

Agree about Gilbert and the TDF. I don't think he's known for his big hill climbing is he?

How thick are the Schleck brothers? I know Luxembourg has a small gene pool but come on....

Did they honestly think the way to beat Gilbert was to carry him all the way to the finish?

Anyway - onto the Giro now. I see Contador has decided to do the Giro - Why?

I think he knows that WADA are going to insist on a ban so he's doing it purely to prove he can win a GT clean - this will in some way help him prove that when he was blood doping during last years Tdf (or eating contaminated beef which had received a blood transfusion shortly before being slaughtered) but didn't make any difference to the result.

Excuse me a moment while I get really chuffing angry. I hate doping on any level but appreciate that for a long time it was deeply ingrained into the sport.

I appreciate there are several reformed dopers back in the peloton, or as DS's in the cars or team managers. I appreciate that there are those reformed dopers we love (usually the ones who have since come out and said what they did was wrong) and those we hate (usually the ones who feel as though there was some serious injustice because in their eyes they were doing what was necessary to compete).

But if we're ever to clean up this sport we need people like Contador to serve their time, own up to what they did and move on. We need a whole new clean set of DS's and Team Managers. We need a zero tolerence approach to doping - one strike and you're out - forever.

It's simple he's doing the Giro as he knows he probably won't be doing the TDF so see's this as his chance to win a grand tour. Most of the big names are aiming for TDF glory leaving a few second strings and the spanish dude who's name I've forgot that left cervelo. Castre thats who I'm thinking of.

But all that's going to happen is instead of bring stripped of the 2010 Tdf and 2011 Tour of Catalunya he will now also be stripped of the 2011 Giro as well surely?

He'd be sitting on his at home now if it wasn't for the spineless Spanish federation choosing to wipe out his 1 year ban.

The whole thing makes me incredibly angry with cycling. It also makes cycling continue to look as though it's riddled with doping to the outside world.

He won't be in my fantasy team anyway!!

Carlos Sastre? Spanish TDF winner from 2008 after his attack on Alpe d'Huez?