Chris Hoy - Poor Attitude?

[Dalakhani]

I don't think Hoy's come out of the Euro Championships with much credit.

Firstly, he decides to not ride the Keirin "to allow Crampton and Kenny a chance to accrue Olympic qualification points in the discipline".

Then the tinkering with the order of the team sprint leads to only a bronze.

And, finally, he gets knocked out in the first round of the sprint.

What's going on? These are the European Championships, shouldn't he be showing them a bit more respect?

As a Brit, I'm tired of hearing "2012, 2012" over and over again as though it's not possible for a track cyclist to hit top form more than once every few years.

Steve

 

[hmsgenoa]

So someone who is thoughtful enough to help someone from a younger generation (having won four golds himself) to get a start in the Olympics is a bad egg?

Show me the cyclist who has won a gold at every single championship event they have ever taken part in.

Do you think they had the foot off the gas when recording a time two tenths slower than the winners? Who's to say they would have gone quicker if Hoy had started first?

Get real (Like Hoy is being). You'll be the first to sl_g him off if he doesn't repeat and get a gold in London, so give the man credit for having his eye on the ball and being aware of what is required for his teamates and not just himself.

 

[Dalakhani]

You'll be the first to sl_g him off if he doesn't repeat and get a gold in London,

No, I won't be.

You sem to be missing my point. My point isn't that he won't be trying in London, my point is that he seems to show insufficient interest in winning championships that aren't the 2012 Olympics.

To me, that's a waste of his talent.

so give the man credit for having his eye on the ball and being aware of what is required for his teamates and not just himself.

How exactly is that not trying to game the system in favour of his teammates?

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

On point one i think allowed kenny and crampton to get olympic points is much more important that Hoy winning european gold.

The team sprint they were trying something out.

The individual he ****ed up.

Dont see the problem myself.

 

[orbis_25]

Unfortunately, I think this is the nature of the beast. The Olympics are all that matters. Think about it. Did we all know who Chris Hoy was before he won those 4 golds? Well, yes, but that's because we're cyclists. Did the general public? Probably not. Hoy made himself a household name by winning at the Olympics, and that must have lead to better working conditions (more money for a start) for him. Can we really blame him for this attitude?

Taking that into consideration, the European Championships are just another qualification event. Different styles and ideas need to be tried out at some competition, and that has to be far enough away from the real goal so that if it works, great, practice some more, and if it doesn't, there's ample time for a rethink. There's a world of difference between hitting top form, and tweaking your style. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and we shouldn't expect Hoy to win all the time.

In terms of the kerin, Hoy also recognises that it's not all about him, and that British Cycling are going to need new heroes. Throwing those new guns in at the deep end either next year or in Olympic year is not very professional, so Hoy should be applauded for giving them the chance now.

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

You need to look at this with a sense of perceptive, like Hoy himself is doing.

Yes, he would like to have won both events - but its not the end of the world that he hasnt done so.

And while the Sprint will certainly be dissapointing - the 2nd instance this year where he has shown complacency and had it cost him - he still at least qualified 1st, so the speed is there.

And while Britain did not win the Team Sprint, they had the joint fastest time of the day - their time in the 3rd/4th place match being the same as Germany's qualifying time.

As for his absence in the Keirin. Well, Hoy has nothing to prove in this event. Come the World Cup(s) and World Championships, he will be there - but for now, it simply makes sense that the British team allow both Kenny and Crampton to participate, and have more experience at racing against non-British rivals.

 

[simo1733]

He could have won his sprint heat easily.He was miles ahead and then seemed to switch off. Now he has to do the repecharge.What was that all about,any ideas?

 

[hmsgenoa]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hmsgenoa
You'll be the first to sl_g him off if he doesn't repeat and get a gold in London,

No, I won't be.

Good.

You sem to be missing my point. My point isn't that he won't be trying in London, my point is that he seems to show insufficient interest in winning championships that aren't the 2012 Olympics.

I haven't missed any point.

Have you read his autobiography?

Because if you have (or do) you'll understand he affords all the championships the respect they deserve, whether they be European or CommonWealth for example.

Quote:
so give the man credit for having his eye on the ball and being aware of what is required for his teamates and not just himself.

How exactly is that not trying to game the system in favour of his teammates?

I didn't say he wasn't trying to 'game the system' did I?

At this level, effectively professional, his team manager may have instructed him to do so, in much the same way as Stefan Domenicali (Ferrari F1 Team Principal) might expect Felipe Massa to concede ground if it meant Fernando Alonso might have a better chance of winning the championship. Why assume that Hoy himself was the instigator of this? (just because he has told that that what was done).

And when it comes to you, yourself, 'Dalakhani' what respect are you affording Sir Chris?

Your id implies you either consider yourself to have a high pedigree, or like to be associated with things of a high pedigree.

Are you a 'thoroughbred' on a bike? Have you ever won a bike race, and if you have have you followed it up with win after Win at the highest level? If you have then of course you have more credibility to make your comments.

 

[hmsgenoa]

Unfortunately, I think this is the nature of the beast. The Olympics are all that matters. Think about it. Did we all know who Chris Hoy was before he won those 4 golds? Well, yes, but that's because we're cyclists. Did the general public? Probably not. Hoy made himself a household name by winning at the Olympics, and that must have lead to better working conditions (more money for a start) for him. Can we really blame him for this attitude?

Taking that into consideration, the European Championships are just another qualification event. Different styles and ideas need to be tried out at some competition, and that has to be far enough away from the real goal so that if it works, great, practice some more, and if it doesn't, there's ample time for a rethink. There's a world of difference between hitting top form, and tweaking your style. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and we shouldn't expect Hoy to win all the time.

In terms of the kerin, Hoy also recognises that it's not all about him, and that British Cycling are going to need new heroes. Throwing those new guns in at the deep end either next year or in Olympic year is not very professional, so Hoy should be applauded for giving them the chance now.

Absolutely agree. If anyone here has read Chris's autobiography they'll know that one of the problems these athletes face is that they don't always find out just how well they are going, or if a new technique is really working, until they are able try it at a championship event.

So they could have been acheiving faster times with a new order (in training) but still encounter a French or German Team with better form. They don't find out until they get there.

 

[Derrick]

Could that be that they don't race enough?

 

[Dalakhani]

Have you read his autobiography?

Because if you have (or do) you'll understand he affords all the championships the respect they deserve, whether they be European or CommonWealth for example.

He didn't bother turning up for the commonwealth games.

I didn't say he wasn't trying to 'game the system' did I?

No, that's what I said.

At this level, effectively professional, his team manager may have instructed him to do so, in much the same way as Stefan Domenicali (Ferrari F1 Team Principal) might expect Felipe Massa to concede ground if it meant Fernando Alonso might have a better chance of winning the championship. Why assume that Hoy himself was the instigator of this? (just because he has told that that what was done).

Did I assume wrongly?

And when it comes to you, yourself, 'Dalakhani' what respect are you affording Sir Chris?

What respect would you like me to afford him? And why?

Your id implies you either consider yourself to have a high pedigree, or like to be associated with things of a high pedigree.

I think you may be jumping to conclusions about my choice of username.

Are you a 'thoroughbred' on a bike? Have you ever won a bike race, and if you have have you followed it up with win after Win at the highest level? If you have then of course you have more credibility to make your comments.

So, by that reasoning, no-one on this forum has the right to criticise any professional cyclist because we can't cycle as fast as they can?

Is that what you're saying?

Profressional sport wouldn't exist without the interest of spectators. And the idea that spectators shouldn't have opinions about the performances of the sportspeople they're watching is just plain daft.

To me, it seems like Hoy approached these games with a poor attitude.

Maybe that can be justified by arguing that his sport is so draining that he can't be expected to put in peak effort more than a couple of times a year.

But is that really the case?

Steve

 

[Dalakhani]

Absolutely agree. If anyone here has read Chris's autobiography they'll know that one of the problems these athletes face is that they don't always find out just how well they are going, or if a new technique is really working, until they are able try it at a championship event.

That seems a bit odd to me, especially in an event like the team sprint where it's just a race against the clock.

I would have thought they'd have a timing device at Manchester velodrome that would allow them to find out which tactics and team order was the most effective.

Steve

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

That seems a bit odd to me, especially in an event like the team sprint where it's just a race against the clock.

I would have thought they'd have a timing device at Manchester velodrome that would allow them to find out which tactics and team order was the most effective.

Steve

While that may be true, its generally the case that in most sports, whoever the competitor, its 'harder' to do as well in competition than it is in training. Pressure being the key word.