Olympic Road Race Men

[thehog]

He gave up half way round the course. He was sat on his *** in the tent whilst the rest of the GB guys were riding an extra 100k. That's hardly "all-in". One cannot compare Germany's effort to GB.

The irony that the man designated for the GB victory is sitting on all day. Then when the win doesn't eventuate everyone else didn't do enough work? If you want to win you do what the Swiss, the Italians, the Belgians did... get themselves into position to win. Sky expected that everyone would work to their tactic. That's not how cycle racing works. You need to adapt to the race as it unfolds. Cav should have called off the chase and asked his team to sit up.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yeah. thats why Nibali Gesink Gilbert Cancellara Vino Uran Menchov Chavannel lulu s etc etc went on the attack. So that Cav would lose. Had nothing to do with them maybe wanting to win the race

Someone who gets it..

 

[Mellow Velo]

Sky rode against every team in the race. Right from start. How / why did they expect other teams to assist when their tactics were to burn everyone off their wheels? That's not how you win races.

Cannot remember when I last saw such poor tactics. It was long slow painful public suicide in front of 1 million people.

You obviously haven't watched Rabobank race, then.

Have to say of all your SkyFail posts, today I found this post to be the most amusing.
Just the right amount of careful analysis to wrap the hilarious melodrama in.

 

[Caruut]

You're reading what you want to read. Boonen is disappointed his team didn't take the bull by the horns and left too much of their fate to Sky. Cav is the only one here playing the blaming game.

The Belgian plan relied on having viable winning options in all the groups. Boonen was the man in the main field and is obviously disappointed that his part in Belgium's race strategy left him without a crack at the victory, but that is a far cry from blaming the other teams.

 

[Caruut]

You obviously haven't watched Rabobank race, then.

Have to say of all your SkyFail posts, today I found this post to be the most amusing.
Just the right amount of careful analysis to wrap the hilarious melodrama in.

They rode fantastically, but I feel they did so in a manner that gave them very little chance of the victory.

 

[Franklin]

How about Tom Bottle?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-disappointed-to-miss-out-on-olympic-medal

Disappointed Team GB didn't tow me to the finish.
Same record, different vocals.

Sorry, but I don't read that at all

 

[Mellow Velo]

Sorry, but I don't read that at all

"We planned everything the way it went, the only thing that went wrong was that Great Britain didn't close the gap," TB

 

[thehog]

You obviously haven't watched Rabobank race, then.

Have to say of all your SkyFail posts, today I found this post to be the most amusing.
Just the right amount of careful analysis to wrap the hilarious melodrama in.

The reason you find it amusing is because I'm right.

The best team, the best climbers, the best ITT'ers couldn't pull off the win for the worlds best sprinter on a nearly flat course you know something went wrong. If it wasn't their abundance of talent is was tactics. Pure
& simple.

But of course it was the other teams. They didn't help Cav win... the irony... imagine your competitors trying to win themselves!

 

[The Hitch]

not trying to smooth things over the "criminal mistake" that Uran made- but even if the two had gone head to head to the finish- I still believe Vino had won still- the problem here is how "stupid" Rigo appeared to the world......fvck

Rigos success is still being treated brilliantly in Colombia though.

And whats more, what we saw here is no accident. For someone like Uran to contest the win and get a silver medal on a course like this, I don't think even Ryo saw that coming.

 

[Mellow Velo]

The reason you find it amusing is because I'm right.

Never said you were wrong, Hog, you aren't.
Just amazed at the variety of ways you have found to say it.

 

[Franklin]

"We planned everything the way it went, the only thing that went wrong was that Great Britain didn't close the gap," TB

That's hardly putting the blame on the GB now is it? He simply says that the plen didn't work out at the end.

No whine at all...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Definitiv. Ohni d'Schwiizer wär überhaupt nüt gloofa in dem Renna und d'Gruppa wär igholt worda! Super Leischtig vo dr Schwiizer Mannschaft! Chapeau. Unverständlich, was Fäbu in dieser Kurve gemacht hat. So schade. Gold wäre auf sicher gewesen! Aber in vier Johr isch as wieder Olympiade. Und denn schtoht dr fäbu zoberscht! Yes. Fäbu Go!

As somebody fluent in Piefke German, Schwyzertüütsch hurts my brain. How it isn't regarded as a separate language I don't know.

Again, Germany didnt go all in and it cost them. Australia didnt even try and it cost them. Both teams raced conservatively with the aim of knakering out GB, but that only works if you exploit the situation when it comes along.

Germany offered Martin up to do some work early on, then let him take an early bath when the race looked to be all in control. When it turned out it wasn't, they could have done with him. Oh well.

Lol, so you are basically contradicting yourself. Germany had tactics to beat GB, not to win the race.

In order to win the race, you must beat the competition. In order to beat the competition, you must beat the toughest of your opponents. Germany correctly perceived Britain to be their toughest opponent, given that they, like Britain, were banking on it being a sprint. They, also like Britain, were rather caught napping by it turning out not to be a sprint.

Rigos success is still being treated brilliantly in Colombia though.

And whats more, what we saw here is no accident. For someone like Uran to contest the win and get a silver medal on a course like this, I don't think even Ryo saw that coming.

I'm looking forward to Ryo telling us all how much money he made from betting on Vino and Rigo for medals.

 

[T-Nielsen]

Any news on Fabian ?

No news is good news I hope.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Rigos success is still being treated brilliantly in Colombia though.

And whats more, what we saw here is no accident. For someone like Uran to contest the win and get a silver medal on a course like this, I don't think even Ryo saw that coming.

Ryo instead predicted an easy win for Byron Guama in front of that uruguayan guy and some guy from Cuba

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Ryo instead predicted an easy win for Byron Guama in front of that uruguayan guy and some guy from Cuba

Some guy from Cuba (actually the pretty talented Arnold Alcolea) came in in the bunch... just didn't play his tactics right I guess.

 

[hrotha]

"We planned everything the way it went, the only thing that went wrong was that Great Britain didn't close the gap," TB

I read that as "the only thing that didn't go according to plan".

He also mentioned how it was impossible to communicate to tell his teammates to ride for him so they had to stick to the original plan, which apparently was "get in the break, and Boonen in the pack".

 

[Franklin]

Germany correctly perceived Britain to be their toughest opponent, given that they, like Britain, were banking on it being a sprint. They, also like Britain, were rather caught napping by it turning out not to be a sprint. And Vino won.

Indeed, the best summary so far

 

[Richeypen]

In order to win the race, you must beat the competition. In order to beat the competition, you must beat the toughest of your opponents. Germany correctly perceived Britain to be their toughest opponent, given that they, like Britain, were banking on it being a sprint. They, also like Britain, were rather caught napping by it turning out not to be a sprint.

I have no issue with Germany going out to beat GB. My problem came when it was obvious that GB weren't closing the gap and yet Germany still didn't commit all their remaining riders to help bring it back. same goes for Australia. They sent Ogrady in the early break so they didn't have to work. I guess the idea was to put Gerrans in the decisive break with Goss in the peleton if the break was brought back. Gerrans missed the break yet there was no change of plan. Ogrady was never going to do anything from that group.

GB's tactics went tits up and they couldnt change it as they were spent, Germany and Australia's tactics went tits up yet they didnt attempt to change them. That is my issue with those two teams today. If I was Greipel I would be livid, especially given his head to head record against Cav this year.

 

[will10]

Some guy from Cuba (actually the pretty talented Arnold Alcolea) came in in the bunch... just didn't play his tactics right I guess.

I take it you missed the Mexican's INCREDIBLE 13th in the bunch sprint _O_

 

[Frosty]

Ogrady was never going to do anything from that group.

He did come 4th in the break sprint. Better than you probably would have expected having been in the break all day though.

 

[Franklin]

GB's tactics went tits up and they couldnt change it as they were spent, Germany and Australia's tactics went tits up yet they didnt attempt to change them. That is my issue with those two teams today. If I was Greipel I would be livid, especially given his head to head record against Cav this year.

I still don't think Australia was using the wrong tactic.

- They had used Rogers to get in the break (failed), so he already spent energy.
- O'Grady was at the front. You have Evans and Gerrans left. Torching Evans might have been a good idea, but his form lately is not that good.
- Also, nobody knows how good Goss felt. Maybe he told his mates "don't count on me". It certainly would explain Rogers belated jump.

As Tom Boonen said, everyone was knackered. You need to have the legs to run these fantastic schemes. Australia simply wasn't as strong as they look on paper (especially with Evans limping along).

 

[Frosty]

Some guy from Cuba (actually the pretty talented Arnold Alcolea) came in in the bunch... just didn't play his tactics right I guess.

Yeah, should have bridged to the break when it was obvious GB couldnt pull it back

 

[Caruut]

Some guy from Cuba (actually the pretty talented Arnold Alcolea) came in in the bunch... just didn't play his tactics right I guess.

The Cuban team car were a laugh. They stopped like a metre from me and got quite excited when we started shouting "Vamos! Vamos!".

 

[la.margna]

Great news on a sad day:

Cancellara has not broken anything. Will decide on participating in ITT coming days.

 

[Franklin]

Great news on a sad day:

Cancellara has not broken anything. Will decide on participating in ITT coming days.

Now that's wonderful news!