Olympic Road Race Men

[BroDeal]

Marcel Wüst's opinion on the London course is something I can agree with. He said, “It’s ****,”! So true.

A disgraceful course specifically designed for Cav. There should be a sit down protest at the start.

 

[Ripper]

That thought crossed my mind as well - just on the basis that Cav might (unlikely as I think it is) get dropped with a couple of circuits to go on Box Hill and be out of contention, leaving the other GB riders to try late attacks.

Brailsford has said something to the effect "If Cavendish doesn't win then none of us will win" but I suppose that's what he has to say.

I am pretty sure that unless MC crashes out or gets dropped baddly in the first lap or so of Box, then the mission is to get him to the finish with the front group. Which means the rest of his team is staying with him and pulling him back.

Prediction: Cav does get dropped and we get to see a 55km drag race afterwards.

 

[Ripper]

I don't think so this time. Although Sky do use Stannard that way in the northern classics.

In this case, plan A-Z is to get Cav to the Mall near the front.

Any disruption Stannard might achieve in a big break would take more effort and be less effective than his contribution to a 4-man Sky chase.

Correct. Stannard will be part of the team time trial trying to ensure Cav gets back in time

 

[Ripper]

A disgraceful course specifically designed for Cav. There should be a sit down protest at the start.

It would be entertaining if things don't turn out as 'planned'

 

[*G*K*S*]

Can someone put a $100 down for me on Cancellara winning both the RR & TT? Thanks.

 

[Jalina]

It does look like it's Cav's race to lose and that the course has been designed with him in mind, but as a non-Brit, I have no real problem with that. All host nations over the years have tweaked/designed things with their athletes in mind in a variety of sports. One of the perks of putting up the bucks to host the event. A reality of big sport.

In saying that though, it may not be quite so clear cut. Sagan is definitely a factor, and unlike Cav, you'd have to think he's potentially a factor no matter how the race unfolds. To be honest, I'm more interested in an exciting race than who the winner is and I genuinely hope the medal winners are not decided by crashes or other problems.

Sagan for mine.... or Cancellara.

 

[BroDeal]

It would be entertaining if things don't turn out as 'planned'

That is a pretty big if, especially when the brits have been making alliances with other countries.

 

[jordan5000]

For those complaining about the course: feel free to grab a complimentary box of tissues.

 

[BroDeal]

For those complaining about the course: feel free to grab a complimentary box of tissues.

Feel free to celebrate a hollow, undeserved win.

 

[Eric8-A]

Marcel Wüst seems to think that they will go up Box Hill at around 30km/h which is quite fast and means that the climb isn't that hard. When you have a team like GB's even if Cav does get dropped, they will have 55km to bring him back to the front. I am tipping Cancellara.

A disgraceful course specifically designed for Cav. There should be a sit down protest at the start.

Feel free to celebrate a hollow, undeserved win.

Same as the World Championships in Copenhagen. Which is why I'm not going to bother seeing the race. If there's a winner other than Cavendish, I'll catch it later in the day.

 

[BroDeal]

Same as the World Championships in Copenhagen. Which is why I'm not going to bother seeing the race. If there's a winner other than Cavendish, I'll catch it later in the day.

That is my plan as well. Why support a race where the result was fixed during its planning? It's a farce. Watching it as though it were not is supporting the sham. If a real race happens instead of a six hour snoozefest ending with a sprint then I'll catch it on replay or a torrent.

 

[Eric8-A]

That is my plan as well. Why support a race where the result was fixed during its planning? It's a farce. Watching it as though it were not is supporting the sham. If a real race happens instead of a six hour snoozefest ending with a sprint then I'll catch it on replay or a torrent.

+1
Well said

I'm just going to have to prepare myself for if Cavendish does win, to be able to put up with the BS my brother's going to be with the whole day.

 

[BigBoat]

I hear they were checking the motorbikes at the Manx TT races for Stannard doping.

He's a motorpace alright! Just hope the USA do not drive the front of the pack like they did last time around with the Brits at the Worlds.

 

[Sophistic]

Cav got dropped on easier courses, its all just a matter of how much the other teams are willing to work together/if Greipel-Goss are with Cav-Germans-Aussies have no one in front either. As strong as Wiggo & Co are, its not a full train and they might be up against a bunch of some of the best rolleurs in the business.

 

[BroDeal]

He's a motorpace alright! Just hope the USA do not drive the front of the pack like they did last time around with the Brits at the Worlds.

The Brits have been talking with the Americans to try to get them to keep the race together for Farrar. They have also been talking with the Germans. Probably the Australians as well.

It seems stupid because Farrar cannot beat Cav. Greipel and Goss might have a chance, but it is not something I would bet on.

The race should start with at least a one hour Belgian burn off, just peg it right from the beginning.

 

[jordan5000]

That is my plan as well. Why support a race where the result was fixed during its planning? It's a farce. Watching it as though it were not is supporting the sham. If a real race happens instead of a six hour snoozefest ending with a sprint then I'll catch it on replay or a torrent.

Some races are for sprinters, some for climbers, others for puncheurs, when was the last time an olympic road race clearly favoured the sprinters?

 

[Eric8-A]

Team USA should play their chances with a break. I highly doubt Tyler has the form to at least win a medal.

 

[BroDeal]

Some races are for sprinters, some for climbers, others for puncheurs, when was the last time an olympic road race clearly favoured the sprinters?

No worlds RR race or Olympics should be for the sprinters. They should be hard, long races of attrition where the strongest man wins. We don't need to get rid of the climbs in Flanders or the cobbles in Roubaix every few years to give the sprinters a chance. If a rider cannot handle a hard race then they should not be world champion. Period. The same goes for the Olympic RR.

 

[auscyclefan94]

That is my plan as well. Why support a race where the result was fixed during its planning? It's a farce. Watching it as though it were not is supporting the sham. If a real race happens instead of a six hour snoozefest ending with a sprint then I'll catch it on replay or a torrent.

I will be watching till 1am - when the race finishes!

 

[its like that]

Can someone put a $100 down for me on Cancellara winning both the RR & TT? Thanks.

I'll take that bet and offer you double the odds

 

[Kwibus]

Could anyone tell me how the profiles of the road races were in Sydney and Atlanta?

Looking at the last 3 winners there always seems to be a strong rider winning the race and I'm not sure about Syney having a selective course, but I could be wrong.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Some races are for sprinters, some for climbers, others for puncheurs, when was the last time an olympic road race clearly favoured the sprinters?

When was the last time a World Championships clearly favoured the pure climbers? Duitama 1995. Since then we've had several WCs that a sprinter can win.

For my money, the Worlds and Olympics road races are like monuments and add similar kind of value to the palmarès. There is a monument for everybody, as long as they're good enough. Milan-San Remo gives the pure sprinters a chance, but they can also place well at De Ronde. De Ronde is for rouleurs, but puncheurs and sprinters can also do well. Roubaix is for rouleurs, but pure time triallists can also do well since they can hammer out the power over the cobbles. Liège is for puncheurs, but climbers and more versatile sprinters can also win. Lombardia is for climbers and puncheurs.

Accordingly, to fit in with the achievement factor and the prestige being like that of a Monument, then these courses should be befitting of that. I feel we should not have World or Olympic RR courses which are flatter than Milan-San Remo, nor should we have World or Olympic RR courses which are more mountainous than Lombardia. Geelong 2010 was an example of how to do a flat course well - it was selective, endurance came into it, the two small hills were close enough to the finish to make attackers give it a go, but ultimately they couldn't prevent the sprint. And that's OK - I don't mind the sprinters getting their day in the sun if they've had to work for it.

Hopefully teams like Belgium, Spain and Italy make this race really hard on the climbs, but that long run in and the strength of the British time trialling makes me fear the worst.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Could anyone tell me how the profiles of the road races were in Sydney and Atlanta?

Looking at the last 3 winners there always seems to be a strong rider winning the race and I'm not sure about Syney having a selective course, but I could be wrong.

Sydney wasn't hard but a break won. Not sure about Atlanta

 

[greenedge]

I know Mendrisio was not that hard ( compared to 1995 ) but i would have considered the fact that it finished on a climb made it a race that favoured climbers.

Cancellara seems strong on any cat 2 climb ( last year stage 16 TDF ) so the fact he was their means nothing as to suggesting it was not a climbers' route.

 

[Cancellator]

In relation to a previous post, only 30 kph on box hill? That sounds pretty slow for an under 4% climb.

I am disappointed in the reduced coverage from Eurosport. I mean it is a medal event, they could have shown more of it. Horrible streams it is then