2024 European Championships in Heusden-Zolder/Hasselt (September 11-15) Discussion Thread For All Races

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Don’t know which interview you heard but immediately after the finish he congratulated Merlier multiple times and saying he was the fastest and deserving winner. Even when the reporter asked 3-4 questions about it to stir it up.

I saw the interview he gave while he was still sitting on his bike in the media tent...and he barely mentioned Merlier, and never by name. He may have given another interview, but I didn't see it. Also, he just rode off after the finish. I never saw anything that suggests he came back to congratulate Merlier, based on the camera following Merlier, and Philipsen never coming back to congratulate him.

 

[tobydawq]

...uh...look at the results.

Hindsight much??

 

[shadowrider]

I saw the interview he gave while he was still sitting on his bike in the media tent...and he barely mentioned Merlier, and never by name. He may have given another interview, but I didn't see it. Also, he just rode off after the finish. I never saw anything that suggests he came back to congratulate Merlier, based on the camera following Merlier, and Philipsen never coming back to congratulate him.

Philipsen did congratulate Merlier and said he was the deserved winner. Not having seen the interview and the picture on which Philipsen congratulate Merlier is not an excuse to launch an tendentious message about Philipsen. As a real cyclingfan you should check your sources and consult other news sites, also from other countries and language areas.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Philipsen did congratulate Merlier and said he was the deserved winner. Not having seen the interview and the picture on which Philipsen congratulate Merlier is not an excuse to launch an tendentious message about Philipsen. As a real cyclingfan you should check your sources and consult other news sites, also from other countries and language areas.

Posting immediately after an interview is broadcast about the content of that interview is perfectly reasonable. That sort of research is not necessary to react to what we heard.

I saw the same interview: it was with either the official host coverage or a major international broadcaster (I didn't clock who was holding the mike)* and in the official mixed zone, and it was very much in the tone described. If he dealt with the matter differently in a later interview, then maybe he realised (or was made to realise) what a poor impression he had given of himself.

Edit: * EuroSport and l'Equipe sleeved microphones, 5:14 27 into the English language Disco+ broadcast (although timings might be different in other variants)
Edit to editnote: here on You Tube

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Philipsen did congratulate Merlier and said he was the deserved winner. Not having seen the interview and the picture on which Philipsen congratulate Merlier is not an excuse to launch an tendentious message about Philipsen. As a real cyclingfan you should check your sources and consult other news sites, also from other countries and language areas.

No

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Hindsight much??

...uh...I think "should have" should have been (speaking in hindshght) a contextual clue that I was speaking in hindsight, but lets not pretend that Merlier was some unknown newcomer, who only had an outside chance to win...because he's had a great season, when the team let him ride. So, I would suggest you go and look to see who had the most help in the finale, to see who the team wrongly backed. Philipsen got smoked. Merlier's turn of speed was magnificent, and Philipsen on his best day (meaning a day when Mathieu buries himself at 80kph, so all wonderboy has to do is slip off his wheel just before the line), wouldn't have won. Merlier was in a completely different class, and deserved to have had the enitre team work for him to the exclusion of anyone.

 

[shadowrider]

Posting immediately after an interview is broadcast about the content of that interview is perfectly reasonable. That sort of research is not necessary to react to what we heard.

I saw the same interview: it was with either the official host coverage or a major international broadcaster (I didn't clock who was holding the mike)* and in the official mixed zone, and it was very much in the tone described. If he dealt with the matter differently in a later interview, then maybe he realised (or was made to realise) what a poor impression he had given of himself.

Edit: * EuroSport and l'Equipe sleeved microphones, 5:14 27 into the English language Disco+ broadcast (although timings might be different in other variants)
Edit to editnote: here on You Tube

Philipsen was disappointed, already not being the best friend of his ex-teammate Merlier. So, not having an enthusiastic reaction the first minutes (seconds) after a defeat is perfectly normal. But even those first moments Philipsen never said the victory was not deserved. So bringing a tendentious message was totally wrong.
As a cyclingfan and/or the more as a journalist and/or a forummoderator you should know that you have to search/look for other interviews and check your sources. To avoid to deliver crap.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

As a cyclingfan and/or the more as a journalist and/or a forummoderator you should know that you have to search/look for other interviews and check your sources.

No

If a cyclist/team manager/other stake-holder gives an interview or makes a public statement, it is perfectly valid for us to comment on it here.