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

[memyselfandI]

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.

Hindsight is 20/20 but he should have focused solely on Remcos backwheel, that's what I'm hearing over the Internet. (I think Belgiums were riding for Remco after all) Of course Frenchies played so well that it'll probably lead to same result from Mathieus point. But then again memyselfandi would have loved to see Remco drop Mathieu instead of Madouas in Sacre Coeur uphill drag, same way Pogi did in Flanders, see ya!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Overall, I think this is a 6/10 or 7/10 race. Took a bit too long to get going for my taste, and I knew Remco would win once he got that gap. Great circuit, the first 220-230 km, not that much. Would have liked to see a proper battle with MVDP, WVA etc. like last year in Glasgow, but still a quite good race, but had still expected a bit more.

The danish team and its riders again showed incompetence and unlikeabilty. Don't really know what to make of that, but its impossible for me to root for these riders. Mørkøv's first comments are he's "in the shape of his life, and we rode a great race" while Skjelmose blames mechanicals and what not, and commentators trying as hard as possible to not call them out for underperforming heavily. Can't wait for what "only first place matters Mads P" feels about the race. Should have saved Bjerg all a long for that group with Küng and stop pretending Mads P has anything on Wout and Mathieu

 

[tobydawq]

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

Then you haven't watched many. Definitely not Rio.

 

[awavey]

I expected them to ride under the Eiffel tower to the finish for some reason

 

[Didinho]

Madouas holding on to 2nd got me feeling like Asgreen and Pedersen in the Ronde. Almost no camera and suddenly they’re there. When you think they would catch them.

 

[red_flanders]

Then you haven't watched many. Definitely not Rio.

Right, because I didn't like Rio, I didn't watch it.

It's a subjective opinion. No need to get in a bunch about it.

 

[tobydawq]

Overall, I think this is a 6/10 or 7/10 race. Took a bit too long to get going for my taste, and I knew Remco would win once he got that gap. Great circuit, the first 220-230 km, not that much. Would have liked to see a proper battle with MVDP, WVA etc. like last year in Glasgow, but still a quite good race, but had still expected a bit more.

The danish team and its riders again showed incompetence and unlikeabilty. Don't really know what to make of that, but its impossible for me to root for these riders. Mørkøv's first comments are he's "in the shape of his life, and we rode a great race" while Skjelmose blames mechanicals and what not, and commentators trying as hard as possible to not call them out for underperforming heavily. Can't wait for what "only first place matters Mads P" feels about the race. Should have saved Bjerg all a long for that group with Küng and stop pretending Mads P has anything on Wout and Mathieu

Generally agree but Skjelmose and Pedersen did have some incredibly ill-timed punctures to be fair.

I don't know what Mørkøv is talking about, though.

 

[will-10]

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

Logged onto the thread and found an asterisk on the first page I opened - a new record even for CN!

 

[sam6]

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

There were 2 better Olympic RRs in Tokyo. Rio men's race was also better

 

[tobydawq]

Right, because I didn't like Rio, I didn't watch it.

I don't understand this comment.

Rio was a much better race than this. Today was a fine race but I think one has to be a very, very big Remco fan to think that it was a top tier one-day race.

 

[sam6]

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.

Remco would have had to have dropped Pogi, which I don't think he could have done. So long as he was moderately well positioned when he attacked then there would be no problem

 

[Carols]

I'm Not a Remco fan but I'll say RESPECT!!!!

 

[red_flanders]

There were 2 better Olympic RRs in Tokyo

You win the 2024 Gold in Missing the Point.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Honestly, what's your problem?

You've done nothing but cheered for Remco the past months but as soon as he wins, you dislike him again.

At this point I think if Masnada won something, you would disown him as well.

Honestly, what's your problem?

You've done nothing but cheered for Remco the past months but as soon as he wins, you dislike him again.

At this point I think if Masnada won something, you would disown him as well.

I comment on instinct, like Nibali

My use of the word mutant was just to illustrate how strong was remco and that it was this that decide the race, not some Belge tactixs

 

[Danskebjerge]

The danish team and its riders again showed incompetence

I can't remember an Olympics or a World Championship in the last 3 years where the Danes didn't make any big tactical errors.

 

[red_flanders]

I don't understand this comment.

Rio was a much better race than this. Today was a fine race but I think one has to be a very, very big Remco fan to think that it was a top tier one-day race.

I thought the venue absolutely sucked. I hated that Nibali crashed.

I am a very big Remco fan. To not call it a top tier one-day race is a joke. One might have to be a top-tier Remco hater to dismiss it that way.

 

[Netserk]

I thought the venue absolutely sucked. I hated that Nibali crashed.

I am a very big Remco fan. To not call it a top tier one-day race is a joke. One might have to be a top-tier Remco hater to dismiss it that way.

It must be easy to call out all the haters when you have access to the objective measure of races.

 

[tobydawq]

I thought the venue absolutely sucked. I hated that Nibali crashed.

I am a very big Remco fan. To not call it a top tier one-day race is a joke. One might have to be a top-tier Remco hater to dismiss it that way.

No, I really don't think so. There was no real action before the first time up Montmartre, and as soon as Remco went, one knew it was over.

In Rio there was much more to play for and the situation changed so many times. Plus it was a fantastic route.

I'm quite neutral on Remco but admittedly not a great fan of the long solo.

 

[Sciatic]

Van Aert getting all he asked for for not working with MvdP

I think that’s on MVDP—he could have bridged to the group in front, yes pulling Wout with him, but then that group might have worked together. Although MVDP looked in pain at finish so don’t know if he didn’t quite have it today.

French TV broadcaster showing views rather than the race... again

You they paid a tidy sum to host the Olympics, so it’s not surprising they would want to show off their city.

 

[red_flanders]

It must be easy to call out all the haters when you have access to the objective measure of races.

I posted an opinion.

For a guy who criticizes every turn of every race, that's a pretty bold statement.

 

[red_flanders]

No, I really don't think so. There was no real action before the first time up Montmartre, and as soon as Remco went, one knew it was over.

In Rio there was much more to play for and the situation changed so many times. Plus it was a fantastic route.

I'm quite neutral on Remco but admittedly not a great fan of the long solo.

Fair enough.

 

[Netserk]

I posted an opinion.

For a guy who criticizes every turn of every course, that's a pretty bold statement.

What criticism have I made of this route?

And you didn't just post an opinion. You made a claim about the objective quality of the race:

But beyond the last, that was objectively a great race.

 

[meat puppet]

It was an okay race. Not great, not lousy. This year that is a lot to say, actually. Though again one main contender just rode away. How this has become the norm and expectation still does not compute in my mind. For years it was not possible to just outaerobic-ise a peloton. Now just riding away is the norm.

Anyway it is clear that evenepoel was the strongest and the victory was well deserved.

On another but related note, it was interesting to observe how totally disarmed mvdp became once he concluded he was unlikely to just drop wva on the climb. His kick was no match to aerobic firepower today.

 

[Lequack]

I expect Remco to honor his olympic medals by wearing all gold suit.

 

[red_flanders]

What criticism have I made of this route?

Did I say "this route"?

Anyway. I posted my opinion "...for me". If you want to get wound up about it, have at it.