Olympic Road Race (men’s) 2024 (August 3rd)

[Leinster]

I think those are all valid points.

I also think they don't have a rider who could have won today, whatever the team makeup, allocations, or tactics.

If Pidcock had made every move Healy made today, at the same time Healy made them, then silver and bronze would have gone to someone other than who got them.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

This is why I've been questioning the choice of Mathieu to go all in on this race for a while. It might hold not as much prestige, but gold was up for grabs in XCO. Trying to combine the two would have made a lot more sense, to me at least.

He needs proper prep to succeed on the MTB; he's completed 3 XCO races since August 2019 when he was the best XCO racer that season. Since then, he's also crashed on the first lap of two major races.......unlike Pidcock, he can't just jump on the MTB and be competitive.
If he really wanted to target the XCO race, then he needed to set aside time for it; that wasn't possible, so going 'all in' on the road race was the correct decision.

 

[gregrowlerson]

I think the race has been way to easy for Evenepoel to win.

This aged about as well as Nairo Quintana.

 

[red_flanders]

If Pidcock had made every move Healy made today, at the same time Healy made them, then silver and bronze would have gone to someone other than who got them.

Seems possible. Same could be said of 20 other riders.

As for Pidcock and Silver or Bronze...

 

[Leinster]

Seems possible. Same could be said of 20 other riders.

As for Pidcock and Silver or Bronze...

Yeah, but he finished 13th. If he was trying to win today, it wasn’t evident.

 

[scribers]

I don’t think this race was a crapshoot at all. Remco wins it 7-8 times out of 10

 

[stekelegel]

Looks so simple for Remco, but it’s just an incredible age of cycling. Before you had great riders winning but they always needed a bit of luck…
Vanderpoel said he thought they got gotten away after his first attack. Maybe bad luck for them that Pedersen missed that break. Remco could have gotten stuck in the Bunch protecting WVA. And then said that when he saw Remco going, he knew the race was done.
Healy was real good today, I wonder if he would have just ridden in the second break and not done the solo if Remco could have dropped him that easy.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

It's great to see such a small nation as Belgium getting some gold medals

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Wow.

What. A. Race.

 

[Leinster]

I don’t think this race was a crapshoot at all. Remco wins it 7-8 times out of 10

At least one of the other times, Wout wins it by attacking when everyone is watching Remco.

 

[Brullnux]

It's as if people have completely forgotten about Wollongong and Liège '22 and '23.

The underestimation of Remco this year has been surreal.

The step forward has come in GTs, not one day races. This is what he does in one day races and has been doing for years now (already!).

 

[andrew_s]

He needs proper prep to succeed on the MTB; he's completed 3 XCO races since August 2019 when he was the best XCO racer that season. Since then, he's also crashed on the first lap of two major races.......unlike Pidcock, he can't just jump on the MTB and be competitive.
If he really wanted to target the XCO race, then he needed to set aside time for it; that wasn't possible, so going 'all in' on the road race was the correct decision.

Setting aside time for XCO wouldn't just be a matter of preparation - he'd have to have ridden enough of an MTB programme both this year and last year to earn the UCI points to qualify an Olympic place for the Netherlands. As it was, the Netherlands had no places for men, so riding MTB wasn't an option.
Back in 2019/2020 when places for the last Olympics were being qualified, the Netherlands were also getting points from Milan Vader, who was good for top 10 in a World Cup on a good weekend, but he's also swiched to road.

 

[jmdirt]

WOW! Congrats Remco!
RR+TT Olympic Champ!

also congrats to Madouas and Laporte!

homer hat: good ride Matteo!

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

It's as if people have completely forgotten about Wollongong and Liège '22 and '23.

The underestimation of Remco this year has been surreal.

No need to be Remco chamois-sniffer, but if you're so inclined, go for it.

I certainly didn't underestimate him on one-day races, but I did have questions re: his grand tour potential after his 2023 Vuelta. He didn't look super at last year's Worlds either. I think he answered a lot of questions with his performance at this year's Tour.

 

[Bolder]

The "underestimated Remco" meme is kinda weird. For three years he's been part of a select group of favorites in any one-day or one-week race he enters, and now we can definitively add GTs to that. I'd be surprised if any knowledgeable cycling fan felt otherwise.

 

[proffate]

At least one of the other times, Wout wins it by attacking when everyone is watching Remco.

Pure fantasy, Wout would never have the tactical savvy to pull it off, and even if he had found himself hauling around half a dozen classics men like Remco did, he would never be able to ride away from them all (purely based on his relative stature).

 

[movingtarget]

Remco did a Remco. Now it's become expected. Great ride even with a late dramatic puncture. Good result for the French as well and the team looked happy enough post race.

 

[tobydawq]

The step forward has come in GTs, not one day races. This is what he does in one day races and has been doing for years now (already!).

He won a Grand Tour two years ago but for various reasons people decided that didn't really count.

 

[tobydawq]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1819761794132398179

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1819761794132398179?t=N7jc6BuxGYBPdSealC_Ncg&s=19


I think Madiot was okay with the silver medal for Madouas.

 

[Ricco']

Setting aside time for XCO wouldn't just be a matter of preparation - he'd have to have ridden enough of an MTB programme both this year and last year to earn the UCI points to qualify an Olympic place for the Netherlands. As it was, the Netherlands had no places for men, so riding MTB wasn't an option.
Back in 2019/2020 when places for the last Olympics were being qualified, the Netherlands were also getting points from Milan Vader, who was good for top 10 in a World Cup on a good weekend, but he's also swiched to road.

Netherlands had a spot in the mens xco (thanks to Tom Schekellens placing in the U23 race in Glasgow) but chose not to use it

 

[Coffeeplanter]

He needs proper prep to succeed on the MTB; he's completed 3 XCO races since August 2019 when he was the best XCO racer that season. Since then, he's also crashed on the first lap of two major races.......unlike Pidcock, he can't just jump on the MTB and be competitive.
If he really wanted to target the XCO race, then he needed to set aside time for it; that wasn't possible, so going 'all in' on the road race was the correct decision.

Yes, but that is exactly what I meant. He had the time to show up to (some of) Nove Mesto, Arinsal, Portes du Soleil, Snowshoe and Mont-Saint-Anne last year and actively thought about it, but ultimately couldn't be bothered. He had the time to show up to Nove Mesto again this year and thought about doing so, but once more couldn't be bothered. Going all in on this lottery of a road race and not hedging his bets by including mtb was, in my opinion, a mistake.

Prior to the road race he stated XCO in Los Angeles will be a major goal, but Van der Poel is not 24 anymore. Any chance you do not grab is a wasted one. By the time the next Olympics come around he'll be 33, and the world will look entirely different by then. Phenoms come and go. There'll always be someone ready to take the crown, and it would appear that mythical figure has already appeared in Albert Withen Philipsen. Not to mention Pidders will probably still be around.

 

[Taxus4a]

Great race! Belgium was the strongest team as expected and Remco make history.

 

[Squire]

Yes, but that is exactly what I meant. He had the time to show up to (some of) Nove Mesto, Arinsal, Portes du Soleil, Snowshoe and Mont-Saint-Anne last year and actively thought about it, but ultimately couldn't be bothered. He had the time to show up to Nove Mesto again this year and thought about doing so, but once more couldn't be bothered. Going all in on this lottery of a road race and not hedging his bets by including mtb was, in my opinion, a mistake.

Prior to the road race he stated XCO in Los Angeles will be a major goal, but Van der Poel is not 24 anymore. Any chance you do not grab is a wasted one. By the time the next Olympics come around he'll be 33, and the world will look entirely different by then. Phenoms come and go. There'll always be someone ready to take the crown, and it would appear that mythical figure has already appeared in Albert Withen Philipsen. Not to mention Pidders will probably still be around.

Are you really hedging your bets by possibly losing to Pidcock in the MTB then being gassed for the road race?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Setting aside time for XCO wouldn't just be a matter of preparation - he'd have to have ridden enough of an MTB programme both this year and last year to earn the UCI points to qualify an Olympic place for the Netherlands. As it was, the Netherlands had no places for men, so riding MTB wasn't an option.
Back in 2019/2020 when places for the last Olympics were being qualified, the Netherlands were also getting points from Milan Vader, who was good for top 10 in a World Cup on a good weekend, but he's also switched to road.

I'm sure they had a spot, but didn't use it (ah, somebody has already stated this). Which is pretty damning - having a spot, and turning it down.

The Dutch coach needs to sit down and plan for LA 2028, and find out if MvdP is serious about racing the MTB; instead of this 'will he/ won't he' saga. Schellekens looks like he'll move to the road, so the cupboard is looking bare for male Dutch XCO riders.

 

[gregrowlerson]

think remco may have blown his chance

"Samsonite....I was way off!"