Grassmarket

Is he going to be able to get insurance though?

More here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/60968522

New videos up on the Russian Biathlon website for the Russian Championships which are on this weekend. As usual, ю хаве ту рид сыррилик.

GP Miguel Indurain had to be re-routed today because of snow in the hills. Worries for the Pays Basque next week, always a big climbers’ race.

There are two big holes in the global sporting calendar every year. Late March, when the Winter season ends, to mid-May, when the mainstream summer sports again. Then late September to mid-November, when the opposite happens. So what I’ve got now is: Cycling season at full steam North & South hemisphere Rugby League season ditto. NCAA softball & volleyball Curling World Champs Don’t watch soccer anymore - used to like it up till the early 90s, but now it’s just a global money laundering front. Currently watching UK Open indoor lawn bowls - it’s like Curling for overweight middle-aged people!

ES has the Paris Marathon on Sunday morning, starting very early because Paris is noted for its extreme, energy-sapping heat in early April.

Thing with National Anthems is that none of them ever sound remotely like the music of whatever country they represent, but they all sound like like Regimental marching music of the pickelhaube era. Well, apart from the National Anthem of which is Dancing Queen, if course,

It’s The Boat Race on Sunday. So called because it is the only sporting event in the World where humans race each other in boats. Anyway, Oxford v Cambridge Men’s Race & Women’s Race, always with a good chance of both sinkings & collisions. Back in its rightful place for the first time since 2019. If you’re a fan of of any other Universities you’ll have to wait for the NCAAs or the Henley Regatta.

The good news is that the UCI have clearly told British Cycling they’re pushing it too far & the TG cyclist won’t compete as a woman for the time being. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/60934099

They've been told by British Cycling they'll be subject to disciplinary procedures if they do.

British Cycling about to destroy itself. A cyclist is dropped from the men’s Junior programme decides to change sex a month later & will now ride as a woman in the British Nationals as a woman at the weekend. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10665565/Top-women-cyclists-scared-speak-trans-rival-prepare-race-against-her.html

Vasaloppet next year?

Seems a bit strange. Obvs the Norwegians treat their nationals as a weekend to emphasise the Club scene, whereas the Swedes see them as a National Team event.

College softball already well underway for some time now, watched a couple of games last weekend. In case you don’t know, the PAC-12 Conference - ie the big West Coast schools - has a great live stream on YT. Basically the whole week’s sport is a single stream, so you can rewind at any time & watch whatever you like from the last week.

OK, I can see why that is.

ISL Swimming has to miss a year - it is financed by a businessman who has other things on his mind. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/60894997

There’s no worse insult you can throw at a Russian than accusing them of being “Asiatic”, so I doubt they’ll be happy.

Nothing that 10 years in a Siberian logging camp won’t cure.

Thanks but no thanks. Plenty other sporting meets out there this summer.

Norwegian races from today & I guess this weekend are not geoblocked on NRK. We have another of our new generation super-biathletes for us oldies - Kirsti Skjelbreid-Gjelland joins the young Slettemark as a youngster with two biathlon parents. Got a good new shooting graphic - shows you where all five shots fall. Don’t know if it’s got a special Vittozzi mode for when all five shots are on a neighbour’s target, though. https://tv.nrk.no/serie/skiskyting-nm/2022/MSPO40130122/avspiller

Aha! The name’s Abramovich. Roman Abramovich. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ebAssCr990

Tony Nash, British Bobsleigh Gold Medallist at Innsbruck 1964 has died. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/60877376

Are there many Israel to Poland trains?

Very similar - JK Rowling builds hospitals (she financed a whole hospital department here in Edinburgh, named after her mother), Vlad Vlad’itch blows up hospitals. Vladimir Putin has accused the West of trying to cancel Russia the same way it canceled JK Rowling as he launched an extraordinary rant amidst his faltering war in Ukraine. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10652119/Ukraine-war-Putin-defends-JK-Rowling-rant-cancel-culture.html

Macedonian fans celebrating their first victory over Italy since 205 BC.