Grassmarket

Nobody - I mean literally nobody, zero people - turned up for a Biden/Harris/Cindy McCain campaign event in Arizona today.

It’s second season syndrome, happens in every sport. When you’re in your first season you achieve a lot because the opposition is never focussed on you. In your second season, everyone knows you’re dangerous & so they guard you out of contention.

Belgian TV coverage after the final just ridiculous - cameras straight to 8th place van Aerts, nothing for the actual winner.

Big climbing day today, but it’s cold & wet so nobody much interested in the GC race so far. 30k to go, looks like it is starting to happen now. And...nothing happened. Looks like a breakaway day, then. 4 mins & 15k to go. Castroviejo & Ruben Guerreiro going for the win from the break. Action at last from the peloton. Guerreiro gets the win! First World Tour win. Bust-up in the last 1k for the overall, but Almeida keeps the Pink.

Off we go in Hengelo & we have a mess-up with the time for Faith Kipyegon’s 1000m WR attempt....the magic disco lights said No Record though. Weather pretty cold and driving rain, so anyone who gets a PB will be doing well. Irish guy Brian Fay gets a PB, this is like Mallorca for him. Next up, Sifan Hassan goes in the 10000m. Said to be a WR attempt.....30:12 is Dutch record, perhaps more realistic. WR pace at 3000m...Laura Weightman doing a great job pacing. Sifan goes solo with just under 7000m to go Sifan well up on the lights....is up at the 5000m mark! Nah, has gone out too fast, is falling off her lap times. Target now would be Paula Radcliffe’s ER at 30:01. Final time 29:36.67, new ER & 4th fastest on the all-time list, very remarkable in the circumstances.

Looks like a breakaway day in the Giro - 10 minutes up with 34km to go. First bid for the win - Alex Dowsett goes off solo. He’s a TT specialist so.... Looking very good for Dowsett now, 30 secs & 6.5km to go. Textbook 1-2 for Israel Startup Nation, sent Brändle down the road first, when he got caught Dowsett attacked, get their first ever Grand Tour win!

Bit if excitement now!

Actually he does not get much mainstream coverage at the moment. Think the Road Worlds a couple of weeks ago was the first time he got much attention.

Mechanical, maybe.

Horrible weather conditions again, it’s turned into a year for the only the most spherical marbles. Got to feel sorry for Crazy Cat’s Eye, ended up at a dead stop just 2cm short of the line, completely caked in sand.

Can you get to the BBC website? It’s on there.

I suppose it’s possible he had no other symptoms other than losing 2-3% off his top performance levels. I know that COVID patients - like top international athlete my 88-year old mother - have trouble absorbing sufficient oxygen.

I remember that Australian Open match that went onto something like 05:00 Melbourne Time.

They play to a close tonight?

Couple more things this weekend. Podebrady Race Walking. https://www.facebook.com/czatletika/videos More long distance track action from Hengelo with some big names and probably magic disco lights.

Another easy one for Demare in the end.

Oi oi, if you’re a fan of echelons you need to turn the TV on, Giro is completely broken up, big names all over the place just now. Nibali & Almeida in front group - Majka, Fuglsang, Pozzovivo, Yates all stuck in second or third group. Majka & Fuglsang get back on, Pozzovivo & Yates still distanced. And lead group knock it off, everyone back in. Could start again in a few minutes. Currently riding past one of Italy’s most beautiful & historic oil storage facilities. All broken up again, but this time all the GC contenders seem to be at the front.

Arnaud Demare manages to get up a tough climb in the last 2km for a great sprint win.

6.5 seconds off Bekele’s time!

26:11.02 WR

He’s definitely working with the lights. Well up at 8k

Uh oh, red lights..... Up at halfway, has got 4600m to do on his own now.

Yes, that must be it, other 3 are helping those going for NRs, presumably.

Crikey, 6 pacemakers. No excuses!

Huge 14:06.65! Almost 6 seconds off!