I like long things. I’m a fervent supporter of Test cricket, I don’t mind films over three hours long - even if Oppenheimer didn’t deserve that many Oscars - and I’ve always loved the Bayeux Tapestry. However, things can be too long. A history of the 1848 revolutions, as good as it is, remains on my bedside table because its 700 pages are intimidating.
Longer does not always mean better when it comes to bike racing, despite more road adding to the test. In fact, shorter races are often more exciting, more memorable.
