2012 Giro d'Italia, May 11th, Stage 6: Urbino - Porto Sant'Elpidio 207km

[Lexman]

Baffles me when people are glad that they won't see the world's best riders.

that's it just : 'the world's best riders', he's no part of it...

 

[Eshnar]

No, I didn't say that.

ah, ok.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Oh god, not that Cav discussion again..

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Anyway, it would make the flat stages definitely more interesting to watch, so that's the reason why some people want him out.

OK, gotcha. Shall be just ban Cav, Boonen, Contador, Gilbert if he's in 2011 form, Cancellara if he's in 2010 form and Tony Martin from TTs, full stop, just for your enjoyment? Again, I can't get my head around this idea that it has to be really close to be entertaining. That's fine, but I enjoy seeing a master at work, and feel sorry for those who can't appreciate that.

 

[will10]

Haven't we got nineteen "Cav is an undeserving World Champion" threads already?

 

[Forunculo]

Haven't we got nineteen "Cav is an undeserving World Champion" threads already?

I missed 18 then.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Explain this to a guy following another sport. Yeah our current world champion cycling finished in the laughing group today because he can't actually climb. He finished 30 minutes behind the best.

Nobody would understand in their right mind how you can call it a world champion

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Explain this to a guy following another sport. Yeah our current world champion cycling finished in the laughing group today because he can't actually climb. He finished 30 minutes behind the best.

Nobody would understand in their right mind how you can call it a world champion

For balance, explain to them also how the best GT rider might finish last in a flat stage and how the best climber might finish last in the sport's biggest one day race. I've done this many times, and anybody with an IQ of over 50 has understood straight away.

 

[hrotha]

Explain this to a guy following another sport. Yeah our current world champion cycling finished in the laughing group today because he can't actually climb. He finished 30 minutes behind the best.

Nobody would understand in their right mind how you can call it a world champion

What if Gilbert had won?

Honestly, if that guy doesn't even understand the basics of cycling, I don't care if the concept of WC is hard for them to understand.

In other news, about the only semi-important riders who lost time are Serpa (injured, +16 minutes) and Carrara (crashed, +21 minutes).

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Explain this to a guy following another sport. Yeah our current world champion cycling finished in the laughing group today because he can't actually climb. He finished 30 minutes behind the best.

Nobody would understand in their right mind how you can call it a world champion

Only if they were a bit dim

Usain Bolt in the 10000m - if they're still not getting it then give up

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The best climber would never finish last in a hard classic.

Sprinters are the most non-versatile guys in the sport. Even you with your IQ of -50 would understand

 

[hatcher]

And how Gilbert and Cancellara, two cyclists in the discussion for best cyclist in the world, both missed the time limit in the 2011 Tour de France.

 

[Zerak-Tul]

Explain this to a guy following another sport. Yeah our current world champion cycling finished in the laughing group today because he can't actually climb. He finished 30 minutes behind the best.

Nobody would understand in their right mind how you can call it a world champion

Yeah, that analogy would work the day you ask, say an NFL quarterback to play defensive lineman. Or a soccer striker to play goalie.

Please.

People specialize within sports, cycling is no different.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

The best climber would never finish last in a hard classic.

Rujano might be the best climber in the world right now, in Contador's absence. He wouldn't make it past the first cobbled secteur in P-R.

 

[El Pistolero]

And how Gilbert and Cancellara, two cyclists in the discussion for best cyclist in the world, both missed the time limit in the 2011 Tour de France.

Cancellara was sick and Gilbert was laughing all the way because he knew he would be put back in the race. If the time limit was actually ever enforced on a big name he wouldn't have missed it. But these riders know they can miss the time limit as long as they're in a big group.

 

[hatcher]

Cancellara was sick and Gilbert was laughing all the way because he knew he would be put back in the race. If the time limit was actually ever enforced on a big name he wouldn't have missed it. But these riders know they can miss the time limit as long as they're in a big group.

Oh well as long as Gilbert was laughing all the way. That isn't even more disgraceful.

 

[El Pistolero]

Oh well as long as Gilbert was laughing all the way. That isn't even more disgraceful.

Every rider thinks like that because they know how to evade the time cut. Your little friend Mark Cavendish uses this trick a lot more than Gilbert, trust me.

If it was up to me I'd throw them all out unless they have a valid reason for missing the time cut(mechanical, crashes, illness, etc), but you can't throw out big names if you want to be in the media for 3 weeks.

 

[Fetisoff]

Yeah, that analogy would work the day you ask, say an NFL quarterback to play defensive lineman. Or a soccer striker to play goalie.

Please.

People specialize within sports, cycling is no different.

But cycling is different.

You'd never expect Barcelona to lose 8-0 to Osasuna.
Magdalena Neuner would not finish dead last in the race that she finishes even on a horrible off-day.
Hockey and basketball and so on - well, you can have a top team get destroyed by a ****ty team, but you would not expect them to be destroyed like that 50% of the time, which is roughly the amount of stages Cav finishes in the autobus.

So yeah, cycling is different

 

[El Pistolero]

OK, gotcha. Shall be just ban Cav, Boonen, Contador, Gilbert if he's in 2011 form, Cancellara if he's in 2010 form and Tony Martin from TTs, full stop, just for your enjoyment? Again, I can't get my head around this idea that it has to be really close to be entertaining. That's fine, but I enjoy seeing a master at work, and feel sorry for those who can't appreciate that.

None of these riders have dominated their field for four years. Classics are more unpredictable and enjoyable than your average little flat stage. Besides, I never said I agreed with those people.

 

[nickel999]

Explain this to a guy following another sport. Yeah our current world champion cycling finished in the laughing group today because he can't actually climb. He finished 30 minutes behind the best.

Nobody would understand in their right mind how you can call it a world champion

+1

I try to explain this to my non-cycling sports frends who follow baseball and soccer but they can't grasp this concept.

 

[hatcher]

+1

I try to explain this to my non-cycling sports frends who follow baseball and soccer but they can't grasp this concept.

Really? Ask them how good a keeper Messi is, or how good a pitcher Albert Pujols is.

 

[El Pistolero]

Messi isn't world champion in football though.

 

[Fetisoff]

Really? Ask them how good a keeper Messi is, or how good a pitcher Albert Pujols is.

Would they see Messi in goal, or Pujols pitching in 50% of the games they watch?

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Well Cav did better than his predecessor today...

 

[King Of The Wolds]

+1

I try to explain this to my non-cycling sports frends who follow baseball and soccer but they can't grasp this concept.

They can't understand that some riders are good at some things and bad at others, and some riders are vice-versa? And in a 3 week race, you get both of these things happening, so the riders will get opportunities to be good and bad. And in a WC, which is a 1 day race, the race could be either of these things, so this will determine which riders will do well.

It's really easy to explain and understand. For the record, my 6 year old daughter gets it.