Britain still doesn't understand road racing...

[Boeing]

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



Oh, dear.

Steve

perhaps he was quoting 'Brains'ford himself

 

[Fus087]

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.

That would more be Paris-Tours. At least pre-Zabel.

My personal opinion:
The Worlds (and wearing the rainbow jersey) is the biggest there is in cycling, period. That jersey (and later, the rainbow bands) give you so much respect in every race you'll enter for the rest of your career, we can't even begin to understand it.
It's only surpassed by being a Belgian and winning the Ronde in the rainbow jersey. Or being an Italian and winning Lombardia in it.

But I will also gladly admit that I'm a Classics guy.

One thing I find sad is that when Cavendish wins multiple GT stages next year, he probably will wear the rainbow jersey only for the first one. Afterwards he'll be in green (red if it's the Giro). There's nothing like winning in that jersey.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm surprised you find us chauvinistic Bavarianrider, from what I've read or heard of non-Brits coming to live in Britain (Dara O'Briain, Bill Bryson) they remark on the self-deprecation of the British more than almost anything.
Perhaps we're just chauvinistic to Germans?

My opinion on the article - Winning the TdF is better than winning the WC, the journalist is wrong, but the rainbow stripes is a cooler jersey.

Perhaps Bavarianrider should watch some of the comedy of Henning Wehn. He, for those that don't know, is a German comedian based in Britain, whose entire act is about British preconceptions about the Germans (his "the War this week" roundup of British newspapers continual stories mentioning WWII even when not relevant was very funny), both savaging the British misconceptions, and poking fun at the stereotypical German (he'll often tell an obviously poor joke, then spend a long time dissecting and explaining the joke, as if the reason it didn't get a big laugh is that people didn't understand, being very thorough and meticulous, and it is this that brings the laughs, not the joke itself). Germans can enjoy Britain and its idiosyncrasies too, and vice versa.

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.

Don't forget how many Cavendish fans talked of how worthless Greipel's Vuelta green jersey was, until Cavendish won one!

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.

Certainly more impressive. That was the kind of race this Worlds SHOULD have been.

 

[LugHugger]

Well i don't think this is a particular cycling related thing.
Britains are simply the most chauvinist country out there in general.
Really there's no other country were self perception and reality differs as much then among the British.
They still think this is the 19th century or something.

Hmm. You've clearly never been to Australia. Or the USA. Or South Africa. In general, of course.

Perhaps it's just the Britons that you've met. Perhaps it's just that you're German, don't get sarcasm and don't have a sense of humour?



Now, where did I leave my quill and ink? I need to write a chauvinistic letter full of racial stereotypes to the Daily Mail..........




Edit: thanks, Libertine. Henning Wehn is hilarious. I was trying to remember his name. Any Fighting Talk featuring Henning is pure comedy gold.

 

[uphillstruggle]

I kinda like the gurdian because of their football podcast.

The Guardian often posts great stuff but like any media outlet trying to produce 24/7 journalism it often resorts to trivial tabliodescque pieces. Their football coverage is good but the amount of times they put out a team/player X is in turmoil followed the week latter with team/player X is the best thing since sliced bread is laughable. They pretty much cover the football in the same way the tabloids do but write it up in a more intellectual way. Their coverage of cycling is even worse.

But yeah the Podcast team are really funny and know their football.

 

[hatcher]

Hmm. You've clearly never been to Australia. Or the USA. Or South Africa. In general, of course.

Or Bavaria, apparently.

 

[Freddythefrog]

loved it !

When Cavendish wins the Tour that will definitely be a greater achievement than his WC win

Even better would be him winning yellow and green in the same year ! I saw the article and, as an avid cycle fan did not read beyond the headline. Earlier in the year the same paper ran a piece saying that Cav was now equal to Eddy and next year would eclipse him ! "Cav to be greater than Eddy"

All Cav needs to do is get the yellow one and spotty one in the same race he gets the green one and then win it again a few times. Operation Eclipse Eddy. They are plotting it in the Sky bus as we write. Can you do all that without having ever left the bunch or grupeto the whole race ?

 

[Anonymous]

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

but i didnt say green was better, i said the two most prestigious for a sprinter were green and worlds (on the basis that most sports enjoying public have no idea what milan san remo was)

as for Acf, i still dont understand his post now what he was disagreeing with. lost me.

 

[greenedge]

It's not as if anyone really remembers Vainsteins. Also Cadel has won the Yellow and the Rainbow jersey. I wonder which one he ranks higher??? ( rhetorical )

 

[greenedge]

All Cav needs to do is get the yellow one and spotty one in the same race he gets the green one and then win it again a few times. Operation Eclipse Eddy. They are plotting it in the Sky bus as we write. Can you do all that without having ever left the bunch or grupeto the whole race ?

All he has to do is get Wiggins riding tempo on the front and the bunch will be the Grupeto.

 

[Dalakhani]

I just remembered a story from the Daily Mash (UK s**** news site) from summer of 2009:

British Guy Did Not Win Tour De France

THE British cyclist who crossed the line first in Paris yesterday did not win the Tour de France, experts stressed last night.

Across Britain viewers cheered and shouted 'up yours you froggy *******' as Mark Cavendish sprinted ahead of the pack, only to discover that he actually came 131st...

Quite close to the truth, I suspect.

Steve

 

[hrotha]

I just remembered a story from the Daily Mash (UK s**** news site) from summer of 2009:



Quite close to the truth, I suspect.

Steve

Earlier Italian cyclist Franco Pellizotti was crowned King of the Mountains, Britain's Bradley Wiggins was King of the Fields and Streams, and Hanuman, the Hindu demi-god, was named King of the Monkeys.

American Lance Armstrong put in a stunning performance at the age of 37 to finish third, with many saying he would have won for a record 36th time if his bicycle did not have cancer.

Haha, this is gold.

 

[ramjambunath]

I just remembered a story from the Daily Mash (UK s**** news site) from summer of 2009:



Quite close to the truth, I suspect.

Steve

That's brilliant.

 

[mancsyboy]

Well i don't think this is a particular cycling related thing.
Britains are simply the most chauvinist country out there in general.
Really there's no other country were self perception and reality differs as much then among the British.
They still think this is the 19th century or something.

ah but we won the war.

Just living up to my stereotype. Must dash going to discover a new continent and teach them how to be civilised. Well after a cup of Earl Grey/. Tally Ho old chap

 

[Marcus135]

ah but we won the war.

Just living up to my stereotype. Must dash going to discover a new continent and teach them how to be civilised. Well after a cup of Earl Grey/. Tally Ho old chap

I don't like Americans very much but they won the war... At the very least its would have gone on for a number more years if they had not joined in.

 

[Midnightfright]

I don't like Americans very much but they won the war... At the very least its would have gone on for a number more years if they had not joined in.

I think he knows that his he's just playing up to the stereotype that all Brits single handely won the war.

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't like Americans very much but they won the war... At the very least its would have gone on for a number more years if they had not joined in.

World war I and II would have most definitely been lost if it wasn't for the Americans. World war I would have been very close though, but Germany was on the upper hand until America decided to join in at the end of the war.

 

[ramjambunath]

without getting too political, the second world war was won on the eastern front with majority of the troops and casualties concentrated towards the soviet side. I'm not posting statistics, but a bit of research will unravel a lot.

 

[hrotha]

World war I and II would have most definitely been lost if it wasn't for the Americans. World war I would have been very close though, but Germany was on the upper hand until America decided to join in at the end of the war.

That's debatable. The only reason Germany launched the Spring Offensive was that they desperately needed to end the war before the bulk of the American army could get into action. If the US hadn't got involved, there's no telling how the war would have turned out.

 

[Puzzilan]

The Americans won the war with cash, the Russians won the war with blood

 

[Midnightfright]

Oops sorry I must of popped into the wrong forum. Silly me I thought it was about cycling but i must of clicked on the military buffs forum instead.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

That's debatable. The only reason Germany launched the Spring Offensive was that they desperately needed to end the war before the bulk of the American army could get into action. If the US hadn't got involved, there's no telling how the war would have turned out.

Its not debatable it is total rubbish. The war was already lost well before the US joined in. However the US did a very good of finishing it off.

Russia halted the Germans and forced them to consume most of their resourses. China did likewise in Asia.

All of this is moot though and has absolutely nothing to do with cycling.

Do you think all the people who died in the war did so in order to allow cycling nuts to have petty arguements about it 60 years later? Shame.

 

[hrotha]

Its not debatable it is total rubbish. The war was already lost well before the US joined in. However the US did a very good of finishing it off.

Russia halted the Germans and forced them to consume most of their resourses. China did likewise in Asia.

All of this is moot though and has absolutely nothing to do with cycling.

Do you think all the people who died in the war did so in order to allow cycling nuts to have petty arguements about it 60 years later? Shame.

I'm talking about the Great War here, not WW2.

 

[mancsyboy]

I don't like Americans very much but they won the war... At the very least its would have gone on for a number more years if they had not joined in.

Deary me. It was said with tongue in Cheek. (I think thats a british trait). It wasn't meant to start a who do what in the war thread. Although the Dutch football fans do sing a song when playing Germany " We want our bicycles back"

 

[SimonC]

Oops sorry I must of popped into the wrong forum. Silly me I thought it was about cycling but i must of clicked on the military buffs forum instead.

Was going to say the same, thought I'd logged onto the History Channel first and second world war forum.

As for Britain not understanding road racing we are getting better and there is still some way to go.