Michael Bailey

Are you ready for cycling's renaissance to hit Norfolk?

This year’s Tour de France was a joy – a special race that ebbed and flowed as well as anything served up by sport in recent times.

Such was the effect, I took a drive (yes, that's much easier than on two wheels) over the Cols du Galibier and Telegraphe on the way back from my summer holiday.

It was also some achievement that Le Tour was such as success, given the controversial participation by Alberto Contador and cycling’s doping problems.

In the end, the drama and torture of a wonderful sport I adored watching as a child was the only thing that dominated the headlines – which is exactly how it should be.

If fact, I actually want to try and do some proper bike rides myself. Keep an eye out for the sponsorship pleas in the next 12 months as I embark on some ridiculously over-optimistic challenge well beyond my abilities.

Anyway, all that fun in July also makes the start of the Tour of Britain on Sunday an exciting prospect.

Like last year, the race will travel through the wilds of Norfolk: this time, with stage seven looping round from Bury St Edmunds to Diss, joining the dots to Wymondham and Reepham before heading west to the line at Sandringham.

It will be the Tour’s longest stage and – on Saturday, September 17 – will also mark the 40th birthday of true cycling star, Jens Voigt.

The line-up is set to be something special too. Mark Cavendish will be there, along with his HTC right-hand men, Bernhard Eisel and Mark Renshaw. Sky will take Ben Swift and Geraint Thomas, while Garmin-Cervelo could easily bring Thor Hoshovd to the party.

Sadly, duties at the Reebok will rule me out of joining Ned Boulting and Co in front of the royal household.

But if you get the chance, take in the race and embrace some cycling – hopefully you will forget the chequered past and see two-wheeled gladiators in a rejuvenated light as well.

Tony Fernandes puts in a Hammer bow...

Tony Fernandes is a man who knows how to play the game. The Team Lotus principal is a genius at it – when to get your name in places that will help you out, and when to stay well clear.

And his West Ham connection? Well it did the trick.

He is a hard man to read at the best of times, but no doubt knows full well the owners – Davids Gold and Sullivan – are looking over their Hammers wreckage and wondering just where it leads them next. Other than the Championship, of course.

Fernandes is a man adept at picking up fallen icons (which I can’t help feeling is a little generous towards West Ham) and turning them around quick smart. So it would be almost remiss of him not to at least have a nibble following their Premier League relegation.

The fact he did it via Twitter made it all the more worthwhile. For social networking, read internet megaphone – especially with someone as highly followed as Fernandes.

Given so much of his time is taken up with Team Lotus' Formula One exploits, along with his full involvement in Air Asia, GP2, his Tune Group and a host of other projects, the Malaysian entrepreneur told me a matter of weeks earlier that a football club is not on his current wish list. Not Norwich, his boyhood East End club or anyone else.

If it was, he would be wishing away his personal life – at least that was the gist.

But why should that stop him conjuring up a bit of interest? After all, I’m sure he – like the rest of us – is still wondering how there seems to be so much money for transfers at Upton Park given their supposedly parlous financial state.

And I’m sure if the Davids did fancy getting out for a token tenner, Fernandes would deem it an opportunity too good to refuse no matter what it meant for his Wednesday evenings.

But even if not, Fernandes has at least reminded everyone out there he is around. In fact, he probably reminded them before he reminded Gold and Sullivan. That’s the power of Twitter for you.

Carrow Road transfer rumours ticking over nicely

It may well be June 17 when seeing Norwich City back in the Premier League will sink in for most. That is the day the fixtures for next season are released – including all the players. It was a stock quote earlier this month.

But for me, it started within hours of promotion being secured at Portsmouth – and the almost ridiculous amount of names and faces being linked with the top flight's latest addition.

At one point we were averaging five completely new names every day.

Things have settled down a little since, but what has become clear is that the surprise sudden arrival that has earmarked the last two seasons is going to be difficult to pull off this summer.

It is very much the style of City under manager Paul Lambert in League One; even last summer with the likes of Andrew Surman and Elliott Ward turning up ahead of the Championship campaign.

However, when the Premier League show is involved there are a lot more people who want in on the talk.

That keeps things open and definitely interesting; although we are all going to have to deal with misplaced names and alterior motives as a result.

Still, it’s been great fun so far. And given that – at this point on Monday morning – we’re probably on one definite (James Vaughan), two almost-certains (Steve Morison, Elliott Bennett) and one likely (Bradley Johnson), there could still be three to come according to Lambert’s hit list.

So maybe the fun has still only just begun…

Time to find out how this great Norwich City story ends

It has been a manic few weeks – from Norwich City’s incredible promotion challenge to (for me at least) the start of the Formula One season, and lots in between.

The newsdesk has been just as busy, with the likes of today’s Royal Wedding.

I’m still hoping someone will marry the footage of Will and Kate doing their thing, and Chris Goreham and Neil Adams’ arguably finest hour in the commentary box against Derby on Monday.

We are getting to the nitty gritty of City’s promotion bid now. Just two games from Premier League football. It’s an amazing thought.

We will be setting out for Portsmouth early Monday, and while I’m convinced the race for second will go down to the last game of the season – just five days later – I believe this bank holiday evening will be key.

City of course could have the chance to settle it at Fratton Park by about 9.35pm should Cardiff slip up at home to Middlesbrough a couple of hours earlier.

More than likely, Cardiff will do their bit – leaving a situation where even a decent Norwich draw on the south coast would not be enough for things to remain in their hands on the final day of the season.

At this point, anything is possible – unimaginable joy to desperate disappointment, even if the latter would almost certainly be short lived.

We are trying to plan the papers for promotion while it’s a possibility. Yet each game at this stage could just as much end in (relative) doom and gloom.

It will be good to take it all in. But part of me is now ready to find out how this unbelievable season is going to pan out – and I’d guess a few supporters feel the same.

We’ve not got long to wait – but the patience is wearing thin.

Rejuvenated Snetterton will excel

Even in this job, there aren't many things that would get me out of bed on my birthday to go to work.

But Motorsport Vision – owners of the track at Snetterton – found one of them that would do the trick: Taking a BMW M3, paddle shift gears and all, around Snetterton's brand new 300 circuit.

And the £3.5m shelled out on the new track has been very well spent.

I had the privilege of driving and being driven around the old circuit, one which was fast, straight and easy for someone of my limited driving talent to get the hang of quite quickly.

Touring car drivers and the rest would be kind on their annual arrivals, but clearly Snetterton's appeal wasn't getting any stronger.

So circuit owner and former F1 driver Jonathan Palmer took it upon himself to redesign the track – first time he has tried to do anything like that.

He picked what he saw as the best bits from the likes of Monza and Montreal, with the aim to create the UK's top racing destination.

And given I'm only speaking as a humble hack who was given the chance to take it in at 118mph, I think those who really know what they're talking about will agree.

The calendar highlights – visits from the British Touring Cars and Superbike championships – will offer something really special this year.

And that's without mentioning the new banks for spectators to view the action from.

If it was my birthday again tomorrow and I was given the chance to do it again, I would get out of bed again.

That’s something the old Snetterton wouldn't necessarily have brought out of anyone.

Sexism - everybody's talking about it.

It feels like the news has been dominated by what happened over the weekend. If you haven't heard, it was the reactions of a certain few to the shocking event of a woman running the line at Molineux - and getting her one big call spot on.

Even me and the Wifey accompanied our dinner last night with a full exchange of views over women’s football, the Kick It Out campaign and darts.

While society has its own issues with equality between the sexes, both sport and journalism seem to be particularly bad cases in point.

Punditry, presenters, personalities, reporters – the male/female split would no doubt make ugly viewing. But given the background – as Wifey said, girls were not allowed to play football at her high school – changing something so engrained is going to take generations rather than years.

Even with that backdrop, there is every chance this week’s events surrounding Richard Keys, Andy Gray and Sky Sports will probably be referred to as key moment.

Of course, when The Sun then covers the story in its own inimitable style – with a huge lifted picture of assistant referee Sian Massey out on the town – you know there’s a bigger problem to solve than a few Neolithic attitudes held by some on the football circuit.

In all honesty, to think women have a problem understanding the intellectual quandary that is the offside rule may well be sexist. But ultimately, it’s just plain stupid.

And while equality in sport will take a lot of time to achieve and barriers to knock down, removing the prejudice – like slating someone perfectly qualified to do a job because she is a she – should be a given. It should have happened long ago.

So for that, Sky has so far got it right. But I guess we will have to wait and see where it all goes from here.

I'll get them in now, my 2011 highlights...

I think it is fair to say 2011 has settled in now; it feels comfortable as our home for the next 12 months.

So we may as well look ahead to what is going to catch the eye before we get the baubles out again.

Obviously winning the Ashes series in Australia will be a big highlight, even a year down the line, but here’s what else comes to mind…

* Snooker World Championships: Will Ding Junhui finally deliver on the grandest table of them all? He is the master now, of course. Then there is the return of John Higgins following his tough 2010, and the fact the players are still adjusting to their new tour. It will be a wide open one.

* Lowestoft Town: The rise has been incredible so far – started by those FA Vase exploits three seasons ago. Now they are bidding for a place in the Conference’s second tier. They sound as determined as ever down Crown Meadow way – and that has worked for them so far.

* Formula One – the battle of the Loti: In the green corner, Hingham’s Team Lotus. Started from scratch by Tony Fernandes and Mike Gascoyne, desperate to battle for points this season, and two excellent drivers on board in Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli.

And the black corner, Lotus Renault. Hethel’s Group Lotus-sponsored Renault team. Previous world champions with Fernando Alonso, and crash-gate villains with Nelson Pique Junior. Anything lower than fifth in the constructors’ championship will be deemed a failure in 2011.

Whatever the two teams are called once they actually take to the grid, the rivalry won’t go anywhere. It will be a clear case of pick your side.

* Everything Olympic: Next year is London Olympics year. Meaning 2011 is ‘one year to go until Olympics year’. Qualifying, form and fitness – no British competitor will want to lose out in the battle to make our big one.

* The Tour de France: OK, so that big, dark drug cloud never lifts from Le Tour. Alberto Contador could be banned, all that jazz. But the event is one I’ve loved taking in since I was a kid. So it doesn’t really matter which year it is, it’ll always be a highlight for me. Allé Andy Schleck!

* And of course, Norwich City: Could we really be watching Premier League football at Carrow Road this time next year? Absolutely. Moreover, you would expect the club to give everything they have got to try and make it happen this season.

The momentum and the manager at City really have got what it takes. These are special times to be a Norwich fan – anything is possible.

...So there you have it.

And if the F1 season is a damp squib, Le Tour won after the prologue and England lose out at the group stages of the rugby, there will be nothing to see here...

Back in the Barclay; A wandering Wilbraham

It hasn’t happened very often since I got this job, but on Tuesday I went to Carrow Road and just watched the game as a fan.

Back in the Lower Barclay too – my season ticket home for 10-odd seasons.

And you know what… it was a little odd.

The passion and joy that comes with seeing your side play – and win, of course – was obviously present and correct.

And the joking over how bad the first half was, be it the crowd’s reaction or what was actually happening on the pitch.

But as brilliant as that second half was, there was a still a twinge of not knowing quite what to do when Wes Hoolahan knocked in his second penalty and jumped into the stand exactly nine rows in front of me.

Same after the final whistle when the players and Paul Lambert did their final waves for the afternoon.

Granted, I haven’t spoken to anyone down at the club for a couple of months now. But as I have done in the past and (hopefully) will get to again, I suppose regular contact and having to do a job means that purity – even distance – you get to enjoy as a fan has diminished a little.

As for today’s (Thursday) signing, I had heard Aaron Wilbraham coming in was a “done deal” before Sky Sports started reporting it this morning.

It felt like a good signing – and one that would fit in with who Lambert usually likes the look of.

Wilbraham was really well liked down at MK Dons but, I must admit, I thought he was about four years younger than 31!

Still, you would expect him to be useful back-up for Grant Holt. He’s a player who has done reasonably well in the Championship before and someone who can put themselves about a bit; who knows where the goal is.

You can never have enough of those, and never have enough strikers.

And let’s face it, Paul Lambert seems to be rarely wrong when it comes to recruitment.

Anyway, it’s back to the press box for QPR’s visit on New Year’s Day.

But for the record, I’d always prefer to be in the Barclay. Fact.

Hold tight Tony, and 2011 could really rock

So Tony Fernandes has come out fighting, and good on him.

Story: Team Lotus switch back to green and yellow for 2011 in F1

Were the rumours on Friday (see my previous entry) a case of Chinese whispers? Malicious falsehoods? A genuine misunderstanding? Or maybe the truth is still tucked away under a few layers?

Anyway, for now we can enjoy Fernandes hitting back.

And that is what he should do, having been first to make a go of ensuring the Lotus name returned in some form to Formula One in 2010 – and then going to the trouble of getting the Team Lotus rights for 2011 onwards.

I think we may have reached the compromise ahead of next season – at least until the current legal dispute over using the Lotus name is resolved in the courts next autumn.

First you will have Lotus Renault in black and gold – and a Renault car; Norfolk connection coming by way of our proud Hethel-based car manufacturer.

And then Team Lotus, based at Hingham with Norwich engineer Mike Gascoyne pumped up. Not now in black and gold, but sticking with the Lotus Racing green and yellow from 2010.

The battle between the two teams on the track next season promises to be fascinating. And bitter. Certainly impassioned.

It’s only just December, but already I cannot wait.

One decision Team Lotus will need to make is who their reserve driver will be, after Fairuz Fauzy saw his deal come to an end.

My vote - how about Rodolfo Gonzalez? Drove well at this year's end of season young drivers' test. Quick, Venezuelan... and grew up in Attleborough.

After all, one more local connection wouldn't do any harm. Would it Tony?

Is Tony Fernandes being squeezed over Team Lotus?

The rumours were flying around today that Tony Fernandes may be forced to leave alone his Lotus ambitions before the start of the 2011 Formula One season.

Speculation I caught wind of suggested FIA chief Bernie Ecclestone had a few stern words for Fernandes at F1’s committee meeting in Monte Carlo yesterday, telling him to change his team’s name from Team Lotus – presumably to leave the new Lotus Renault outfit with a free run at things.

And the suggestion Renault – now engine supplier to both Lotus teams from next season – may use its weight in the fight won’t go away either.

Apparently Renault could yet threaten Fernandes with termination of their engine deal if they do not change the Hingham team’s name.

If that happened, it would effectively leave them without a new car to race with in 2011 – all the design work and their deal for a gearbox and hydraulics system from Red Bull Racing rely on the car having a Renault engine. Obviously, that would border on the disastrous.

Now, this may all be wild rumour. Those I know down Hingham way had their phones off this evening – which may mean things are bad, or they are simply taking a well earned rest.

However, Fernandes – who admitted he only just arrived on time at the F1 teams’ meeting – has suggested the reports could be wide of the mark.

He said on his Twitter feed there is “no such thing” as a suggestion he “must” change his team’s name from Team Lotus.

“We are Team Lotus as submitted,” he continued.

And the FIA agreed with that at the start of the month when it revealed its 2011 entry list. Whether Group Lotus and Renault’s new joint venture effects that will become clear soon enough, I’m sure.

But so far with this whole story, the rule has usually been no smoke without fire.

We will have to wait to see if these reports are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Lotus rules the world - for a day, at least

What a day – and what a story. They don’t come along very often, but when they do they’re a great challenge and extremely hard work.

The headline – Group Lotus will become a major sponsor of the established and successful Renault F1 team, in the process running against Team Lotus and in the same colours next season.

The press release arrived this morning topped with the image of a black and gold car proposed for the new Lotus Renault team in 2011. My jaw dropped.

It was such a swift swipe of a metaphorical machete at Tony Fernandes’ Formula One constructor down the road at Hingham, who aim to run as Team Lotus next season and were running a competition for fans to design their own black and gold livery for 2011.

Long story short, both teams are going to court next year over using the Lotus name in F1 – and the background is incredibly complicated.

That was the big challenge today: writing three lead stories and several panels to give it all a local twist, plenty of analysis, plenty of information – and somehow keeping it clear. It’s late, and I’m not really sure I achieved it. But I tried.

The good news is we are set to have two teams in Formula One with Norfolk connections – although Renault’s team will remain in Oxfordshire and the connection will really only be sponsorship from a Norfolk car manufacturer. They will, of course, be challenging high up the grid.

Team Lotus, Lotus Racing in 2010, will be desperate to compete with Renault – desperate to put one over their now bitter rivals.

However, bagging a first point and closing the one and a half second gap to the slowest of the established teams will be the realistic – and opening - goal come Bahrain in March.

Rumour has it FIA supremo Bernie Ecclestone – and evidence points to F1 fans – being staunchly behind Team Lotus ahead of the forthcoming battles.

But either way, it seems we’re set for two Lotus teams on the 2011 grid and a fascinating battle - on the track, and then eventually in court.

So maybe there will be a few more days like this one to come – and maybe more often than usual.

May I refer you to England's blitz in Australia?

Firstly… how good has this Ashes series in Australia been for England so far? It’s like nothing I can remember taking in before.

Winning the little urn in England is one thing, but to be in with a proper chance down there is something else.

The Aussies need to win two of the remaining three Tests – the first of which starts on Thursday, December 16 I believe, in Perth – and everything now comes down to Australia: question marks hang over their batting, which is only going to become more of an issue with Simon Katich’s absence; they also need to make a much better hash of selecting the right bowling attack.

As for England, they are settled enough to deal with Stuart Broad’s injury. They are a group who have performed so well and so consistently for a decent period, it is now all about keeping their heads. Fascinating stuff.

One thing that has struck me, aside from the two teams, is the referral system.

I’m all in favour of using replays and technology to get decisions right. To ignore it would be stupid and futile (agreed, Fifa?). However, one clear problem out in the oval seems to come when an umpire sees one of his decisions overturned. From then on, the niggles take over and they can’t get a decision right.

That has been the case in both Tests so far this series, and if things get a little closer it could easily play a part.

I guess the answer is either all in, or not at all – or at least enough referrals to make it workable. Two per innings is just silly.

Still, we’re 1-0 up so those discussions may as well wait. There's plenty to keep us going in the meantime. Roll on Perth - a lovey city.

Pride in Potters and Norwich City smashing

What a day it’s been. I’m still in the office, just tidying up a few things – but with the first Ashes Test on in the background, it’s more than worth looking back.

The snooker at Potters has been brilliant again. The third year the Premier League has held its semi-finals and final at the Norfolk venue, once again the packed houses and electric atmosphere delivered. It will be back again in 2011; great news.

Sadly, after blitzing his semi-final against Marco Fu, defending champion Shaun Murphy couldn’t deliver likewise against Ronnie O’Sullivan on Sunday night.

The Rocket is now a nine-time champion in the tournament. He has been in seven consecutive finals and, in all honesty, thrashed his opponent this year to right the ‘wrong’ of 2009.

While 2,000-odd spectators took in the snooker this weekend, more than 26,000 at Carrow Road and everyone watching the BBC got to take in City’s restoration as the Pride of Anglia.

Norwich were excellent this afternoon, especially from midfield forward. Ipswich couldn’t live with City’s quality on the ball and the sweetness of winning the East Anglian Derby never dulls.

You wonder what position both sides will be in when the second fixture in Easter turns up?

No Norwich Half Marathon due to the weather, which was a shame – it should be rescheduled for the new year, so those fundraisers shouldn’t miss out too much.

And the first Test hasn’t quite finished, although Saturday’s batting performance from England was the kind of showing that may send a big message to Australia.

All in all, it rarely gets any better.

The Ashes - feel the glow...

Doesn't it feel like the Ashes have kicked into gear already?

Two days of fascinating cricket – not that I’ve actually been awake to enjoy much of it – and if it keeps up at this rate, the series will be superb.

Australia seem to just have the edge in the first Test at the moment, and England have got to be aware the Aussies are clearly going to step their level up for such a pivotal run of matches.

That said, you look at Peter Siddle’s hat-trick on day one, and then Graeme Swann coming so close to catching Mike Hussey – currently on 81 – first ball earlier today, and there will be some fine lines that dictate who ends up with the little urn next year.

But there has been plenty of encouragement in a lot of what England have done so far, albeit with a couple of fielding and batting shortfalls that need addressing.

The Ashes is starting to produce the warm sporting glow that’s more than enough to light up the dark winter nights this side of the equator.

If only I had Sky Sports…

Man definitely triumphed over F1 machine in 2010

I heard something from BBC’s David Croft today, something he said in a podcast before Sunday’s final grand prix of the F1 season – and it rang perfectly true.

Croft is good value on any day, but he quite rightly pointed out that for a sport where many think it is simply a case of having the fastest car, this season it has been all about the teams – and especially drivers.

OK, so Red Bull’s RB6 was by far and away the quickest car and a few reliability issues made things much more interesting than they could have been.

But it was still the mistakes and great drives that made 2010 one of the most memorable in the sport.

From Mark Webber’s stunning turn around Silverstone, Sebastian Vettel driving into his team-mate at Istanbul – and then Jenson Button in Spa – it was never solely their cars’ speed that dictated things on race day.

And ultimately, Webber’s painful slide off a wet Yeongam track once the safety car retreated and Ferrari’s catastrophic call to bring Fernando Alonso in so early in Abu Dhabi were what decided where 2010’s honours went.

Changes for 2011 will see the return of Kers – basically a power boost button for the driver – and changes to the cars’ wings to promote more overtaking, while the F-duct that arrived this season will be banned. We will find out next season whether they will be changes that improve on this year, to damage matters.

But the real winner for Formula One in 2010 was that everything hinged on the decisions, split second or otherwise, taken by the drivers and their teams at every stage of the season.

Man and his machine – in that order. That is the way it should be, and there is no reason why 2011 should not carry on in the same vein.