Commonwealth Games 2010 ***SPOILERS***

[Skip Madness]

Yeah, the fields won't be as big or prestigious as the other major championships, but it's cycling on TV and I for one will inevitably find the cycling absorbing.

There is a track and road programme. On the road, there's the men's road race (168km), women's road race (112km), men's individual time trial (40km) and women's individual time trial (29km). In the velodrome, both the men and women get the time trial, sprint, team sprint, individual pursuit, points race and scratch, while the men also get the team pursuit and keirin.

Both the men's and women's road races are on Sunday (10th), and both road time trials on the following Wednesday (13th).

The track schedule commences tomorrow, however, and finishes on Friday. In the morning-afternoon session there's qualifying for the men's individual pursuit, then the women's and men's time trials, then the men's individual pursuit final. The evening session contains only men's points race qualifying heats. You'd think it would be the other way round.

Anyway, getting hold of start lists is like looking for Atlantis, so unless any of you clever sausages get your mitts on something I'll watch it as it goes. Bear in mind that nations who have come to the games include Australia, Canada, England, Isle of Man, Malaysia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, so there will be quite a lot of good riders on both track and road, with hopefully some less traditional cycling nations having a good go too.

Tomorrow's cycling is on the BBC Red Button (not Freeview, though, it seems) from 0555-1115, while BBC Two and BBC HD's 0800-1100 broadcast at least will include cycling.

 

[Ball]

Do you know which big names are competing?

 

[Genman]

Do you know which big names are competing?

There's some info here from British Cycling's website.

http://tinyurl.com/2bzl3z8

 

[Noodley]

I know some of the Scottish team, none of them 'big' names tho....

 

[Skip Madness]

In case anyone was thinking about getting up early for tomorrow (doubtful), although the BBC broadcast on the red button says it starts at 0555, the first riders in the men's individual pursuit won't be getting off until about 0700 by my calculations, and the final few heats won't be until after 0800.

 

[Skip Madness]

Well what do I know. Currently the women's 500m is on BBC2. To be fair to me, I'm pretty sure I read the times correctly on the official website. Better to trust the BBC schedule than that, by the looks of it.

 

[rich p]

Another priceless Porterism as he placed the Irish rider 4th when only 3 had yet started!

 

[Skip Madness]

Nice ride from Becky James today. The Australians already look imperious, although they should get a bit of competition in the men's sprint and keirin. Scott Sunderland was extremely impressive today. The final of the men's individual pursuit was also quite exciting in the final kilometre.

Tomorrow's morning-afternoon session has all of the rounds of the men's keirin (yes, final as well), women's team sprint qualifying and finals and both the men's and women's points race finals. The evening session has men's and women's sprint qualifying plus the first couple of proper rounds of the men's sprint, and men's team pursuit qualifying too.

On satellite and cable BBC Red Button and online, there is coverage from 0655-1050 and again from 1200-1800. On the Freeview BBC Red Button there is coverage from 1400-1515. BBC2 and BBC HD's 0800-1100 broadcast is also set to include cycling, although it might get on to their other BBC1/BBC2/BBC HD broadcasts as well. Whinge all you like about the commentary, but the amount of coverage we're getting from Auntie is first-rate.

 

[Noodley]

I know some of the Scottish team, none of them 'big' names tho....

Yay, Charline and Jenny won silver!!!!

 

[Skip Madness]

Absolutely amazing sprint by Awang. Shame it doesn't stand, that was the highlight of the track so far.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

what should have been a medal combination of awang, edgar and perkins (in whichever order) has been prevented by officlaldom. edgar's crash was just one of those things, and neither perkins nor awang would have been dqed in a world cup match.

betting scandal anyone?

 

[Skip Madness]

Tomorrow's morning/afternoon session sees the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals of the men's and women's sprints. There's also the women's scratch final and the men's team pursuit final. The evening session has qualifying for the men's scratch.

The BBC schedule doesn't indicate any early Red Button coverage, although you may want to check it anyway. However, BBC Two and BBC HD's broadcast from 0800-1100 will include cycling, as will BBC One and BBC HD's broadcast from 1100 to 1300.

 

[dmoan]

what should have been a medal combination of awang, edgar and perkins (in whichever order) has been prevented by officlaldom. [...] betting scandal anyone?

I have watched and rewinded Ross Edgar's crash over and over again, and I cannot see what Shane Perkins is supposed to have done wrong. And Awang won fair and square - its not like he headbutted anyone!

What are the blazers trying to do to the keiran? Maybe they should paint lanes on the track...

 

[Skip Madness]

Excellent result for Becky James in the sprint. To come so close to taking a round against Anna Meares was not something I was counting on.

Tomorrow is the final day of the track schedule, with only a morning-afternoon session. It includes the qualifying and finals of the women's individual pursuit, qualifying and finals of the men's team sprint, and finishes with the men's scratch. Then we have the road riding to look forward to on Sunday and Wednesday.

Cycling is scheduled on BBC Two and BBC HD during their 0800-1100 broadcast, and on the Red Button for satellite and cable viewers from 0655-0935. That's not to say it might not appear in other slots, too.

 

[Noodley]

Fingers crossed for Kevin, Calum and John in team sprint for Scotland...!!