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

[Netserk]

Mathieu should probably have tried a bit harder to make it work with Wout after they got away the first time but when Wout proved to be able to match him on Montmartre, it was very hard if not impossible for him to win.

He should have read the Belgian strategy. Van Aert was never going to make a winning attack, Evenepoel could. So always mark Evenepoel, and then the Belgian team will help control the race.

 

[dobrien]

I love the Olympics and it should be a target for all top riders to want to win. It just makes me sad that someone who clearly would have been stronger than the winner didn't turn up and it cheapens the whole competition

I don't think it's fair to say that; this is a completely different race from the Tour GC. Remco crushed the rest today and I think Tadej would have had his hands full today personally. I'm a Tadej fan so I don't rate one blindly over the other, but that goes both ways. Remco was really, really good today.

 

[BubbaChuck]

if thsi is vdp leve he si getting destroyed by pog next year.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Mørkøv says in the post race interview the Danes wanted to ride offensively from the get-go.

Fair enough - but maybe they should have realized a bit earlier (an hour earlier) that the other big teams didn't want to contribute to that.

Btw, he said - once again - that he is in the shape of his life.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Some forum Remco supporters right there

 

[awavey]

A lot of time and money with English riders on this course wouldn't get you much against remco I don't think.

Absolutely, but its the attitude about it that sucks, right from rider selection to team tactics its just treated like a poor cousin.

 

[E_F_]

Btw, he said - once again - that he is in the shape of his life.

Another comment I can't answer properly in this part of the thread... I don't actually think he's delusional, about that.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

 

[tobydawq]

He should have read the Belgian strategy. Van Aert was never going to make a winning attack, Evenepoel could. So always mark Evenepoel, and then the Belgian team will help control the race.

Perhaps, but I think it was right to launch the first attack. If Wout couldn't follow him and he had been on his own, things would have looked good for him.

 

[awavey]

I almost hoped that Remco will start running just like uncle Chris did but he kept his cool.

Do you think if it happened in the final corner he would have considered it with the finish line in sight 🤔

 

[red_flanders]

This shot rocks. Wonderful color rendering, great crowd, incredible location.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

I love the Olympics and it should be a target for all top riders to want to win. It just makes me sad that someone who clearly would have been stronger than the winner didn't turn up and it cheapens the whole competition

Thanks for reminding me that Pog finished 19th at the Worlds in Australia.

 

[red_flanders]

I love the Olympics and it should be a target for all top riders to want to win. It just makes me sad that someone who clearly would have been stronger than the winner didn't turn up and it cheapens the whole competition

What an absolute crap you just took on the best Olympic RR I've personally ever watched.

 

[YavorD]

Do you think if it happened in the final corner he would have considered it with the finish line in sight 🤔

Maybe he would carry his bike over his shoulder running for the line just to narrowly beat Madouas in the sprint.

 

[awavey]

It was 4th, and I think he may well have thought he had a medal due to the lack of radio.

No he was celebrating the prestige of the race

 

[Danskebjerge]

the best Olympic RR I've personally ever watched

I think 2016 was better.

In fact any Olympic race that wasn't decided with 20+ kilometers to go would be better than this one, in my opinion.

But the surroundings, the route etc were nice.

 

[Didinho]

He got time to cheer for the other riders.

 

[Valv.Piti]

My big question is why in the hell they didn't at least do 5 laps? This course was great, and it would have been a better race had they entered the circuit before

 

[Netserk]

Perhaps, but I think it was right to launch the first attack. If Wout couldn't follow him and he had been on his own, things would have looked good for him.

Depends on his legs on the day. If he felt very good, then I agree.

 

[red_flanders]

I think 2016 was better.

In fact any Olympic race that wasn't decided with 20+ kilometers to go would be better than this one, in my opinion.

But the surroundings, the route etc were nice.

Sure, we all have our preferences. For me the race was exciting for a couple of hours, the location was beyond stunning, the crowd was incredible, there was great racing, and the guy I was rooting for won.

But beyond the last, that was objectively a great race. If someone else prefers another, OK. But I thought the venue sucked in 2016, and that is a huge negative for me.

But the point was, crapping on that race by whining that one guy didn't show up and acting like he'd have walked away with the race? LAME AF.

 

[E_F_]

that was objectively a great race. If someone else prefers another, OK

mfw I do not enjoy objectively great races.

 

[Danskebjerge]

and the guy I was rooting for won.

Of course that plays a role.

But beyond the last, that was objectively a great race. If someone else prefers another, OK. But I thought the venue sucked in 2016, and that is a huge negative for me.

I liked that the route and the surroundings were different in Rio. The audience wasn't impressive, that's true. But still the drama was ten times that of Paris, especially towards the end.

But the point was, crapping on that race by whining that one guy didn't show up and acting like he'd have walked away with the race?

I agree that the value of a race shouldn't rely on who is participating and who is not. In the short perspecitve, yeah, you can say that rider A won because rider B wasn't there. But a champion is a champion.

 

[awavey]

I think 2016 was better.

In fact any Olympic race that wasn't decided with 20+ kilometers to go would be better than this one, in my opinion.

But the surroundings, the route etc were nice.

Yeah I'd say go back to part in the thread where we were discussing ostriches & burgers if people thought this race was that good, that first however many hours where the peleton were virtually track standing were as tedious as anything I've watched for a while.

The circuit part livened it up and you'd have to be completely incompetent not to make Montmartre look good for a route.

Does that make it a good race ? Because the winner was largely who was expected to win, and won by a margin even with a late puncture, i dont know if many picked anyone except Allaphillipe as a French medalist.

Difficult to properly assess imo. It feels better finish, than most Olympic road races have got, but see how well you remember it 4 years from now would be my criteria as to its goodness as a race.

 

[Didinho]

The leaning tower of Paris.

 

[Unchained]

Because I was not expecting it, total surprise.. When Remco came to the finish directly in front of the tower it was truly beautiful to see. A historic finish line. Race was really well done..