2013 97th Ronde van Vlaanderen, 257km, Sunday 31th March

[Arnout]

Well I'm done with the subject. No man can understand the fight a woman faces to be taken seriously. All the defense of his actions simply proves my point, it's okay to treat a woman shabbily

Back to racing....

I think you misunderstand me. All I'm saying is that this is a little joke and in the grander scheme of things something that does, in my opinion, not deserve the outrage it gets, also compared to other inequalities around.

 

[Pandora]

My personal opinion is that the joke of Sagan was just that, a joke, and does nothing to diminish or elevate the status of females in society. In fact, being lighthearted about it as he was is in my view probably better than to deny the existence of real sexual behavior like this, which apparently is the honorable thing to do. With this sentence with Airstream copyright, I just want to say that I cannot understand that porn is legal, prostitution is legal and noone gives a **** and when Sagan makes a joke, he is crucified for it. The level of hypocrisy on this subject is, to me, more disturbing than the action of Sagan.

I think it was really bad manners from his side, but no need to pull porn and prostitution topics. What I don't understand is why everybody jumped on this while on this very forum exist threads like Babes on bikes and another one on podium girls, with sometimes more offending comments and allusions and everybody is happy with that.

 

[Descender]

A podium lady is in effect in professional paid employment, and therefore regardless of being in an office environment, if groped this constitutes sexual harassment in a work place, so don't quite get your having to be in an office? Very odd old fashioned view point here.

The race was good though, yes specially the end bit...oh actually I didn't watch it I was just saying this so that Hero2 don't delete me.

You're basically saying all jobs share the same characteristics and all workplaces are the same environment.

I think that claim is obviously false.

And, this discussion is getting boring...

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

i think we should call cipollini to hear his opinion on this.

Agree +1

Hey for crying sake, it's PODIUM GIRLS we're talking about. Mrs. Aubrey, wake up!

And lets cut this nonsense political over-correctness, please leave this sort of reminder-stuff to ultra conservative societies. Live a little!

And hey, yes I'm a man, but don't use that as an excuse; Pardon me, but if I was a podium boy between Vos and Bronzini, I would be deeply dissapointed if that kinda thing was not gonna happen

Please don't take things so serious, leave them to the office, thats something else.

 

[serfla]

Him especially; he has much more class than to behave like that

Relax, Carol
How about me grabbing your bottom
Don't tell me you'd mind... We're friends
And I'm such a charmer with this winking.

Almost like young Peter.

 

[JRanton]

I am sure that Sky and OPQS's riding today was a protest against the new route.

I'm glad Lotto got their podium finish. Well deserved.

Pathetic stuff from BMC, Sky and OPQS.

 

[horsinabout]

You're basically saying all jobs share the same characteristics and all workplaces are the same environment.

I think that claim is obviously false.

And, this discussion is getting boring...

Well no not the same place, or context really, but it was harrasment, becaues the action was off script. And like you suggest the whole podium girl thing should be revised, a tad old fahsioned wouldn't you say, anyway back to the bike race!

 

[Arnout]

I think it was really bad manners from his side, but no need to pull porn and prostitution topics. What I don't understand is why everybody jumped on this while on this very forum exist threads like Babes on bikes and another one on podium girls, with sometimes more offending comments and allusions and everybody is happy with that.

Or a random night in the pub, yes. Exactly my point.

 

[theyoungest]

Once again, what the **** does Carlton Kirby - ES backup sports commentator and the man in the avatar, got to do with a discussion on sexism?

Oh excuse me, I thought it was that annoying guy with the rants on Islam. My bad.

Carlton Kirby's views on sexism are unknown to me.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Just seen the full results. Maaskant actually finished the race after abandoning basically all other cobbled classics this season. Looks like he's finally getting better after (another) knee injury. Too late to make anything this season though. Sigh, since 2009 he's just been f**** all over by injuries and illness. Seems to be the fate of every talented dutch rider tho

 

[hiero2]

If I have to delete any more OT posts, after having issued one previous warning, I will issue infractions or 2-week vacations depending on the severity.

Now there is a thread where you can post your opinions. However, I would strongly advise all to watch their posts for personal attacks. Some of the ones I deleted were getting strong.

 

[ElChingon]

If I have to delete any more OT posts, after having issued one previous warning, I will issue infractions or 2-week vacations depending on the severity.

Now there is a thread where you can post your opinions. However, I would strongly advise all to watch their posts for personal attacks. Some of the ones I deleted were getting strong.

Why didn't you just move the posts over? The topic in the world is of the same thing so how can it be OT here? It all transpired at the race so its still a part of the race whether you like it or not.

Then you don't delete all relevant posts. If you're going to do something either do it right or don't do it at all.

 

[blaxland]

Awesome race Cancellara,also good rides by Sagan and Roelandts.Was waiting for more riders to attack but cancellara was just superb.Also good to see Haussler back in good form.

 

[Telmisartan new]

Haussler re-invigorated by new team,Van Avermaet growing on me daily,terrific rider,would love him to win a monument and confirm his talent instead of being always close but no cigar.Cancellara just sublime,i said he wouldn't drop Sagan on the Kwaremont,i was right but wow! destruction followed later,thought Sagan could stick to him,called it wrong,hope Harmon/Kelly don't resort to 2010 "You know Sean,Contador and Cancellara,different types of rider admittedly but if i really really pushed you,come on,in your opinion,who's the best cyclist in the world?

 

[greenedge]

Great ride by Cancellara- he blasted away, at just the right time.

Nice to see Sagan do some pulls and great to see Lotto on the attack- Roelandts the only other rider to even attempt to challenge Cancellara/Sagan.

Devolder and Kwiatowski also rode very well. Chavanel and Langeveld- best of the rest- in terms of strength.
Bad rides by Sky- though EBH looked ok, BMC- who could have sent Oss up the road- saved by GVA and Astana- who at one stage had 4 just lurking behind Stijn.
Unlucky for Boonen and Gatto puncturing so often.

 

[Telmisartan new]

Great ride by Cancellara- he blasted away, at just the right time.

Nice to see Sagan do some pulls and great to see Lotto on the attack- Roelandts the only other rider to even attempt to challenge Cancellara/Sagan

Good point about Sagan doing some pulls,could almost sense a 'detente' between them,one classics master passing to another,maybe too romantic from me,but definitely a thawing of relations.Fab:"Okay son,there's an order here.there's me Tom and you,Tom's not good,i've cost you San Remo,so don't play up and you'll get Amstel later once i have E3/RVV/PR treble"

 

[bissib]

I like that he took turns too. Maybe not so smart, taking turns with Fabian is basically suicide (the Czech Eurosport commentators were surprised too, they were like "Oh **** son, what are you doing??") and maybe it cost him the strength to keep up with Fabian in the last metres of the hill, but at least noone can accuse him of wheelsucking like during the last TdF.

Overall I am satisfied with the result. Cancellara and Sagan were clearly the best riders today and Cancellara was clearly the best rider today. Deserved.

 

[woodburn]

Haven't seen full race yet. How did the peleton not catch Sagan and Roelandts after the Paterberg? They seemed close in the one brief video I saw.

 

[katkotom]

You lost me here.

Id be surprised if 1 in every 1000 kids in Slovakia knew who Sagan is.

don´t worry, almost everyone knows who Sagan is now...you go out for a bike ride and people just shout at you "Sagan, Sagan..."

 

[katkotom]

Please tell me he wasn't with his family in that pic. I think the shirt is far worse than the pinch, though that was certainly in poor taste as well. I don't dislike him as a rider and I don't mind his celebrations but this stuff certainly grants him "tool" status in my book.

just to calm you down, I took the picture at a dinner following his victories at Paris-Nice in 2010...he was 20 then... what is so wrong with the shirt...he is a young guy, wants to have fun in his life...

 

[bissib]

don´t worry, almost everyone knows who Sagan is now...you go out for a bike ride and people just shout at you "Sagan, Sagan..."

I can actually confirm this. About a year ago, few people knew about him. But now it is not so uncommon to see small kids "playing Sagan" on the street.

 

[wwabbit]

Haven't seen full race yet. How did the peleton not catch Sagan and Roelandts after the Paterberg? They seemed close in the one brief video I saw.

Because Ian Stannard wasn't in that reduced peloton.

 

[jens_attacks]

I can actually confirm this. About a year ago, few people knew about him. But now it is not so uncommon to see small kids "playing Sagan" on the street.

wonderful. all that matters. not that it'd be wrong to "play sagan" with the girls too

 

[katkotom]

This along with that t-shirt covered in obscenities he was so proud of given the fact almost every slovakian kid worships this guy like a god he really doesn't set a good example.

I wouldn´t say someone worships him people just know who he is and that is really good for cycling imho...

was Tommeke setting a good example by taking cocaine? no...so why all the fuss about a shirt...

back to cycling - I was also impressed by Kwiat...he looked super strong in the escape group almost breathing with his nose riding up the bergs

 

[Hugo Koblet]