Britain still doesn't understand road racing...

[hatcher]

Finally.

...

 

[rhubroma]

The most prestigious titles a sprinter can win are the world title, and green jersey.

As said before, the journalist in question is just trying to put the world championship in perspective for all the british readers that dont follow cycling that closely.

Cant beleive this thread has made it to page 2.

Thus is addressing those who are ignorant of cycling and who are being informed by a hack journalist that is just as unknowledgable of the sport. So ignorance begets more ingnorance in a never ending cycle of incomprehension and misconception about the real nature of the sport under discussion through misinformation, which is thus the wrong way of thinking.

This is what is ment by nationalism.

 

[sublimit]

Disagree with what? There doesn't seem to be anything in that post that can be disagreed with.

He agrees with the people that think the Green is more than important than the Worlds, I think.

He disagrees with people that think he's wrong ..
Actually I have no idea now that I've re-read it.

 

[Moncoutie]

Obviously its a pretty daft article, though par for the course really for british newspapers.

 

[patterson_hood]

He agrees with the people that think the Green is more than important than the Worlds, I think.

He disagrees with people that think he's wrong ..
Actually I have no idea now that I've re-read it.

It is an extremely confusing post. It's as if he had decided he was going to disagree before reading the post and seeing if there was something to disagree with.

 

[boomcie]

The most prestigious titles a sprinter can win are the world title, and green jersey.

I personally rate Milan - San Remo higher than the green jersey.

Though controversial I consider that the biggest sprint meeting of the year, especially since the nineties.

Of course this year the Worlds topped that.

 

[The Hitch]

A few hours after Cavendish's win on Sunday, the Guardian had a drool-piece where their cycling correspondent wrote:



Oh, dear.

Steve

As ridiculous as that is, im happy to read it. Finally someone aknowledges cycling exists outside of July.

Oh dear never mind.I noticed on the BBC web site that Cavs win was only 4th on the sports stories.Behind ,Tiger getting a new caddy,and Van Persie is not discussing a new contract with Arsenal.
WTF

Agreed, thats the truly ridiculous bit.

 

[The Hitch]

Another gem from a different paper; "Yet for cycling nuts there is no great distinction between Cavendish’s achievement (green jersey) and that of Cadel Evans, the overall winner" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...reat-Britains-greatest-current-sportsman.html

As a cycling fan it's great that the sport is getting more and more exposure, but some of what you read in the mainstream media ...

Ok now that is a disgraceful comment. I find it particularly horrid that they try to tell other people, what we (the cycling nuts think). We think the exact opposite actually.

Also i remember reading somewhere that with Contadors doping controversy, Cavendish was now the number 1 cyclist in the world.

 

[cineteq]

Ok now that is a disgraceful comment. I find it particularly horrid that they try to tell other people, what we (the cycling nuts think). We think the exact opposite actually.

Also i remember reading somewhere that with Contadors doping controversy, Cavendish was now the number 1 cyclist in the world.

It's wrong, it should be Cadel Evans!

 

[Swabian Lass]

I can understand that if you're British any coverage of cycling is good coverage. I feel the same way here in Germany sometimes. All in all I didn't think it was too bad, given that it's written for an audience that mostly don't have any idea what's going on.

 

[Bavarianrider]

I think its hard to comment on a nations self perception until you have lived there and spent a great deal of time amongst its people and tbh I you did spend a great deal of time ( in guessing you haven't) you would probably be surprised at what the British people perceive themselves and there nation as. I myself have been living in the UK for 8 years now but am Irish born and I would say if anything Irish self perception differs more from reality ( obviously I'm generalzing) and these are the only 2 nations I've spent length of time so can comment on with any confidence. Altough I'm not entirely sure why I typed my spiel as its fairly obvious your baiting ppl.

Sorry, i should have rather said the British media. That's what i meant in the first place.

 

[Midnightfright]

Sorry, i should have rather said the British media. That's what i meant in the first place.

Well than yes you are more accurate there. I'm not sure what other countries are like but our media certainly doesn't reflect well on our country.

 

[The Hitch]

Disagree with what? There doesn't seem to be anything in that post that can be disagreed with.

The idea that the green jersey is equal to the rainbow perhaps?

Green jersey is way overated by British fans ever since Cav said he wanted it in 2009. Of course as Libertine Seguros points out he then said that the green jersey doesnt mean much, he just wants to win stages, which got the entire British cycling crowd to say that Green doesnt matter so much.

They even said new 2011 rules would NOT be in Cavs favour because Cav just cares about winning stages ergo wont try intermediate sprints.

Then Cav got the green jersey on his shoulders again and changed his mind. Overnight the MV became the most prestigious thing in cycling.

Until someone beats Cav in the green jersey standings again that is.

Outside of this little world, The Green jersey isnt that big. The stupid, "sprinters only" rules put it down big time imo. The idea that a green jersey with 5 sprint wins trumps a yellow is the stupidest thing ive heard since Liggett (or whoever said it first) said that Cali was a GT.

There are over a dozen achievments in cycling greater than winning a MV. Start with the Tour, go down through the gts and the worlds, through all 5 monuments, past major classics like FW, through GT podiums, and only then do you get to the green jersey.

As Boomcie said - MSR> Green jersey.

 

[Anonymous]

I kinda like the gurdian because of their football podcast.

 

[Dalakhani]

I can understand that if you're British any coverage of cycling is good coverage. I feel the same way here in Germany sometimes. All in all I didn't think it was too bad, given that it's written for an audience that mostly don't have any idea what's going on.

And, if they read that article, they'd have even less of a clue.

Maybe this is the way to get people interested - by hyping up the stuff the locals have won - but I found it disappointing (and silly). The Worlds are the Worlds, they're important enough without having to be over-stated.

An article pointing out that Cavendish has now won pretty much everything a road sprinter can win would IMO have been a far better way to praise him.

And I do wonder what was going through the journo's mind when he wrote that piece. Did he know he was writing rubbish (in order to promote the sport - if he sees that as his job)? Or does he actually believe it?

Steve

 

[El Pistolero]

The idea that the green jersey is equal to the rainbow perhaps?

Green jersey is way overated by British fans ever since Cav said he wanted it in 2009. Of course as Libertine Seguros points out he then said that the green jersey doesnt mean much, he just wants to win stages, which got the entire British cycling crowd to say that Green doesnt matter so much.

They even said new 2011 rules would NOT be in Cavs favour because Cav just cares about winning stages ergo wont try intermediate sprints.

Then Cav got the green jersey on his shoulders again and changed his mind. Overnight the MV became the most prestigious thing in cycling.

Until someone beats Cav in the green jersey standings again that is.

Outside of this little world, The Green jersey isnt that big. The stupid, "sprinters only" rules put it down big time imo. The idea that a green jersey with 5 sprint wins trumps a yellow is the stupidest thing ive heard since Liggett (or whoever said it first) said that Cali was a GT.

There are over a dozen achievments in cycling greater than winning a MV. Start with the Tour, go down through the gts and the worlds, through all 5 monuments, past major classics like FW, through GT podiums, and only then do you get to the green jersey.


As Boomcie said - MSR> Green jersey.

I get what you're saying, but this year I'd rate the green jersey and Milan-San Remo over the rainbow jersey. Not based on prestige of course, but based on my opinion.

It also depends from cyclist to cyclist. Boonen for example called the green jersey the hardest to get jersey in cycling and is very proud of it despite his hatred for the Tour.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

Winning the yellow is 100 times more prestigious than the green jersey even with 5 stage wins.

5 stage wins is more notable. The green and polka dot are an ok aside, but do not really seem to have the prestige of yesteryear. I blame Virenque; best climber my ***.

Not like the good ol days of British cycling when as a kid I could sit down to my cornflakes with Robert Millar in Polka dot jersey printed on the side.

Ahh Im off to find my Panasonic-Raleigh top.

 

[Angliru]

The most prestigious titles a sprinter can win are the world title, and green jersey.

As said before, the journalist in question is just trying to put the world championship in perspective for all the british readers that dont follow cycling that closely.

Cant beleive this thread has made it to page 2.

I thought that Milan-San Remo was, in some circles, looked at as the World Championship for sprinters? I think Cav's MSR win is much more impressive and important than this WC victory.

 

[Angliru]

William Fotheringham writes for them but the paper has a real anti Contador bias though and loves andy schleck.

That puts them on my sh!t list for sure. Their quality quotient just fell in the gutter.

 

[Angliru]

He agrees with the people that think the Green is more than important than the Worlds, I think.

He disagrees with people that think he's wrong ..
Actually I have no idea now that I've re-read it.

That just gave me a headache.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

I can understand that if you're British any coverage of cycling is good coverage. I feel the same way here in Germany sometimes. All in all I didn't think it was too bad, given that it's written for an audience that mostly don't have any idea what's going on.

Yes this is the point, no matter what crap you here (I heard that in France, Germany and Italy Cav is bigger than Beckham on Radio Talksport!) the fact that there is any coverage is better than nothing.

There are no dedicated UK newspapers for sport unlike most countries and so after all dominating football every other sport gets very little coverage. Cricket and Rugby hardly get any coverage when compared to football so cycling doesn't stand a chance. Lets not kid ourselves as a sport cycling is well and truly in the minority category in the UK. Its getting a hell of a lot better but its tiny compared to the above sports.

The fact is that the laws of demand and supply are unequivocal. Cycling gets the coverage the audience demands. In UK everything comes second to football.

And whilst we are talking about the UK, its great that so many people on here so their own chauvinism whilst commenting on UK being so small minded and arrogant. Scotland mostly has its own newspapers and journalists, there are even Northern England based papers. So how we can all make such sweeping statements about the entire UK is really perplexing.

 

[Angliru]

It is an extremely confusing post. It's as if he had decided he was going to disagree before reading the post and seeing if there was something to disagree with.

Consider the source and all will be fine.

 

[ferryman]

Sorry, i should have rather said the British media. That's what i meant in the first place.

No you got it right the first time. The British media know what their readers want to read/believe.

 

[Frosty]

Yes this is the point, no matter what crap you here (I heard that in France, Germany and Italy Cav is bigger than Beckham on Radio Talksport!)

I think Dave Millar said that, or at least said they were comparable. How big is Beckham in France, Germany and Italy?

 

[FignonLeGrand]

I think Dave Millar said that, or at least said they were comparable. How big is Beckham in France, Germany and Italy?

Yeah no idea tbh. But 'brand beckham' is a world leader so on the whole its crap.

I doubt either are that big in France or Germany so maybe they are as big, or Cav even bigger, but both small.

Both spent time in Italy. Italians who is bigger in the press??