Can We Put The Football On Please?

Continuing my 'pro-cycling is brilliant' epiphany I took the day off work today to watch the UCI World [Cycling] Championships from Mendrisio, Switzerland.

'That can't be', I hear you say, 'today is the rest day'.

And you'd be right, of course, today is the rest day. On Wednesday and Thursday this week the elite mens, women and mens under-23 time trials were held and I enjoyed watching the edited highlights on British Eurosport each evening. Today I'd planned to watch the full, unedited broadcasts courtesy of my Sky+: all 12 hours or so (minus advert breaks).

Unfortunately things didn't go to plan and, with less time for tv than I'd hoped something had to give - and naturally it was the womens event that met the yellow Delete button. The line had to be drawn somewhere and, well, it wasn't a difficult decision.

The mens race was dominated, from a sporting perspective, by the magnificent performance from Fabian Cancellara that saw him finish a full minute and half ahead of his nearest rival - even a cycling novice like myself couldn't help but admire the athleticism and technique of the Swiss rider.

From an English perspective, the big story was the unfortunate malfunction to Bradley Wiggins' bike that saw him forced to switch to a backup bike, losing valuable time and any chance of a podium finish.



Credit to Wiggins for continuing with his race - I suspect that many sportsmen and women in his position would have walked off the circuit in his position but, having regained his composure, he eventually finished around two and a half minutes off third place.

A mention also for Kenya-born British rider Chris Froome - ahead of his move from Barloworld to Sky next season - who finished in eighteenth place: chapeau (as they say a lot on British Eurosport).

So, onto the weekend: it's an early start in the morning for the womens road race before the turn of the elite men on Sunday. Despite my earlier comments I'll be watching the womens race tomorrow, if only to get a feel for the course, before settling down for the main event on Sunday.

I decided back in the summer to cut back on the amount of meaningless football that I watch on tv: and let's be honest they don't come much more meaningless - in the grand football scheme of things - than Portsmouth v Everton and Sunderland v Wolves. My lovely wife didn't believe I would do it but so far I think surprised her.

Not that she's entirely supportive of the 'new me' though - on Wednesday evening, as we settled down for the days cycling highlights from Mendrisio she asked, with a hint of desperation in her voice 'it's Man Utd v Wolves in the Carling Cup tonight, I don't suppose we could watch that instead?'.

Following a short 'exchange of views' that centred around the merits of Sky Multiroom she retired to the 16 inch portable television up in the bedroom muttering something about sleeping on the sofa.