2020...2021 Olympic Women's Road Race, Tokyo, 137 KM

[SarahtheDane]

Deignan still thinks Annemeik won!

link?

 

[benzwire]

On the US feed, they are saying that the whole peloton was unaware of Kiesenhofer was out front!

 

[tobydawq]

But there were three riders in the breakaway. Three. It shouldn't be impossible to keep track of them... Especially not when you know that you have to do that as there is no radio communication.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

There are going to be some serious recriminations about the organisation and communication then, because it's not just that the Dutch messed up if other riders also believed they were fighting for gold late on.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Kiesenhofer is a good TTer, 5th at the EC 2 years ago and 18th at the WC last year and 20th at the wc 2 years ago.
They probably had now idea who she was, but you don't give someone with that kind of engine a 10min advantage.

 

[42x16ss]

Really tough to believe they weren't aware of Kiesenhofer.
The chase was on for 50k, not 5.

Not really. If you go back and check you'll see more sitting up and staring around than chasing. They must have thought they only had to keep Shapira and Lichta under control.

 

[Gigs_98]

Deignan thinks Van Vleuten won.

Did she congratulate her or what?

I mean imagine thinking Van Vleuten won and when they tell you she didn't and it was someone else instead they tell you the name Anna f*cking Kiesenhofer.

 

[Lequack]

Very exciting race and winner.

 

[Andy262]

link?

Post-race interview on BBC

 

[Volderke]

not sure but i think it is very normal to celebrate silver, especially with avv's history. i think everyone sees it on the clock too, that there is another winner.

kiesenhofer was amazing, top quality. Breakaway yes, but surviving it in this manner is class.

Wel, she didn't.

to make it VERY CLEAR:

AVV thought she won, and she was VERY disappointed.

So what happened?

The team told the break was on the road, gave time differences etc. They even told AVV live (you could hear it on camera) when she was chasing solo. But they only told her the time gap (5 minutes).
They presumably never told her the number of riders on the road. And they never told the team that one of the break had split and Kiesenhofer was riding still out in the front.
And even with guys in the pitstop, this fact didn't reach the peloton...? What was going on?

But even before, the Dutch tactics were very lousy: they were ordered to attack from way too far out, while it was much better to drill it on the climbs and get the break as close as 2-3 minutes before attacking hard.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Kiesenhofer is a good TTer, 5th at the EC 2 years ago and 18th at the WC last year and 20th at the wc 2 years ago.
They probably had now idea who she was, but you don't give someone with that kind of engine a 10min advantage.

She also won on Mont Ventoux in the Tour de l'Ardêche and would have won the GC but for some ill-timed mechanicals in the Mont Lozère stage.

 

[sir fly]

Not really. If you go back and check you'll see more sitting up and staring around than chasing. They must have thought they only had to keep Shapira and Lights under control.

It was going on for more than an hour.
Someone could have even phoned them.

 

[Gigs_98]

The organization not being able to communicate to the riders that there is someone in front is almost a bit of a scandal.

I don't f*cking care.

 

[42x16ss]

But there were three riders in the breakaway. Three. It shouldn't be impossible to keep track of them... Especially not when you know that you have to do that as there is no radio communication.

The comms should have provided the time splits!

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Kopecky seemed to know she'd missed out on a medal when she crossed the line in 4th

 

[tobydawq]

The comms should have provided the time splits!

Of course, but to not know that only two riders have been caught is inattentive.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Not really. If you go back and check you'll see more sitting up and staring around than chasing. They must have thought they only had to keep Shapira and Lichta under control.

Japs Don't Lie

Shapira! Shapira!

No timing.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Kopecky seemed to know she'd missed out on a medal when she crossed the line in 4th

Imagine if the others actually told the Dutch team, but they didn't believe them.

 

[stetre76]

There are going to be some serious recriminations about the organisation and communication then, because it's not just that the Dutch messed up if other riders also believed they were fighting for gold late on.

Three riders went in the break, they caught two, leaves one still out front even if there are no radios.
Do you really think that in the cars they are not watching the race on TV? So the coaches/trainers were aware of the situation all the time...they f..ked up their communication at the feeding zones and when getting bottles from the cars...simple as that

 

[gregrowlerson]

The men's road race seems rather irrelevant now.

 

[sir fly]

Imagine if the others actually told the Dutch team, but they didn't believe them.

More like they didn't tell them

 

[Mayomaniac]

She also won on Mont Ventoux in the Tour de l'Ardêche and would have won the GC but for some ill-timed mechanicals in the Mont Lozère stage.

Yes, she doesn't ride a lot on the bigger stage, but when she rides she usually gets very respectable results. In hinsight clearly not the type of rider that you wanna give a 10min advantage.

 

[benzwire]

As a PhD, Kiesenhofer knew she could win by exploiting the others' mental inferiority

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Three riders went in the break, they caught two, leaves one still out front even if there are no radios.
Do you really think that in the cars they are not watching the race on TV? So the coaches/trainers were aware of the situation all the time...they f..ked up their communication at the feeding zones and when getting bottles from the cars...simple as that

It sounds like (again, implying from second-hand reportage of van der Breggen's interview) they were told of the break gaps but not how many riders there were or that the break had split so they didn't realise when they caught the duo at 5 to go that they hadn't actually finished the job.

 

[42x16ss]

More like they didn't tell them

Can picture it now, Deignan in AVB's ear:

"Yeah, yeah you caught them all!"