Olympic Road Race

[The Hitch]

They were exciting because of what was happening BEHIND the lone breakaway. It was part of a biger picture. It is great to win a tour stage but in terms of GC it did not mean anything. Whereas I the olympics you cross first you have gold.

IMO watching 30 or so people scrable for the line is more exciting then watching a lone breakaway 5mins up the road.

For me the breakaway is more interesting because you see riders that dont usually get a chance, have their moment of glory.

Thats something truly special.

Also often they do fight it out amongst themselves in the final km. Groups fight groups fight individuals and often it ends in a sprint.

 

[kanari]

There are bigger teams than 5 man teams

I think his point is that there will be maximum 5 riders per team in the Olympics.

 

[Mambo95]

There are bigger teams than 5 man teams

Not at the Olympics there aren't. The top ten countries only get five riders.

Here's the qualification rules: http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/g...bjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=NjkzODE&LangId=1

 

[El Pistolero]

Not at the Olympics there aren't. The top ten countries only get five riders.

Here's the qualification rules: http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/g...bjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=NjkzODE&LangId=1

Ah, so much the better then. But the result will not change.

Lars Bak could hold off entire breakaways every day in his ****ing own.

 

[AussieGoddess]

I also think that this Olympic course will be raced much, much harder than a lot of you are assuming. It isn't going to be a rolling rest day and then 10km of racing, it's the Olympic goddamn Games. It's going to be an aggressive, fast-paced race, regardless of the route.

I agree totally. I still think it will be an actual race ... not a foregone conclusion

There are bigger teams than 5 man teams

Both Germany and Australia will want the race to end in a sprint. 2 teams is more than enough to kill all the suspense. Unless the course is somehow more difficult then said and unless the weather is bad it will end up in a mass sprint. I don't know who will win that one, but it makes it pointless to watch except the last 5-10km.

Actually I am pretty sure that Australia and Germany WONT want a bunch sprint that Cav will win. He has proven pretty comprehensively that he is the best at that finish ...

I think there will be an incredibly hard fight to get into the break - as only GB will try and bring it back.

It they do get it back, attacks will start from well before the end so that its not a bunch sprint.

 

[patterson_hood]

Apparently they do.

No, we all want it to be exciting throughout, we're just pointing out that to the vast majority of viewers and spectators a bunch sprint to end will be the most exciting finish.

There are bigger teams than 5 man teams

Both Germany and Australia will want the race to end in a sprint. 2 teams is more than enough to kill all the suspense. Unless the course is somehow more difficult then said and unless the weather is bad it will end up in a mass sprint. I don't know who will win that one, but it makes it pointless to watch except the last 5-10km.

That's probably 50/50 judging by the weather over the last few years. If Goss is up the road then Australia may leave it to others to chase, in which case it may be more interesting than you think.

 

[El Pistolero]

No, we all want it to be exciting throughout, we're just pointing out that to the vast majority of viewers and spectators a bunch sprint to end will be the most exciting finish.



That's probably 50/50 judging by the weather over the last few years. If Goss is up the road then Australia may leave it to others to chase, in which case it may be more interesting than you think.

Bullcrap that was just you generalizing your friends opinion to a whole crowd. Viewing numbers don't lie. More people watch mountain stages then they do flat stages. By a long shot.

 

[patterson_hood]

Bullcrap that was just you generalizing your friends opinion to a whole crowd. Viewing numbers don't lie. More people watch mountain stages then they do flat stages. By a long shot.

Do you have the numbers? A link?

I'd have thought that Paris had the most viewers.

Also, of course people watch the mountain stages in a GT, it's where the GC is usually decided. This isn't a GC and I think it's likely to get almost as many viewers whatever the parcours is.

 

[scullster46]

No, we all want it to be exciting throughout, we're just pointing out that to the vast majority of viewers and spectators a bunch sprint to end will be the most exciting finish.


That's probably 50/50 judging by the weather over the last few years. If Goss is up the road then Australia may leave it to others to chase, in which case it may be more interesting than you think.

No, unfortunately the vast majority of viewers want to see copious amounts of spectacular crashing . Well at least in the US that is.

see this for the view of the average american sports fan:
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-tour-de-france-worst-sport-thats-worth-watching/

 

[patterson_hood]

No, unfortunately the vast majority of viewers want to see copious amounts of spectacular crashing . Well at least in the US that is.

see this for the view of the average american sports fan:
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-tour-de-france-worst-sport-thats-worth-watching/

That's pretty depressing.

 

[luckyboy]

Don't Olympics normally spread some events around the country? They could've had the road race in a more hilly area like South Wales or Yorkshire.

I'll probably try and go to watch the finish anyway, and some part of the TT.

 

[L'arriviste]

Don't Olympics normally spread some events around the country? They could've had the road race in a more hilly area like South Wales or Yorkshire.

I'll probably try and go to watch the finish anyway, and some part of the TT.

No, this whole thing is "typical London mentality". Don't mind me though, I'm boycotting it because, like everyone else who applied, I didn't get even a sniff of Olympic tickets for the RR or any other event. Evidently they've all been dished out to corporations, law firms and teenage cracked.com readers who don't even like sport. So I'll watch it on telly and try hard to stay awake.

 

[patterson_hood]

No, this whole thing is "typical London mentality". Don't mind me though, I'm boycotting it because, like everyone else who applied, I didn't get even a sniff of Olympic tickets for the RR or any other event. Evidently they've all been dished out to corporations, law firms and teenage cracked.com readers who don't even like sport. So I'll watch it on telly and try hard to stay awake.

Tickets for the road race? Surely most of the course is freely open to the public?

 

[Mambo95]

Tickets for the road race? Surely most of the course is freely open to the public?

Stands at the finish, I believe (like in Paris). Seems like a waste of money to me.

 

[patterson_hood]

Stands at the finish, I believe (like in Paris). Seems like a waste of money to me.

I'd get a few deck-chairs and set up on the ascent of Box-Hill. Less people and see more of the action.

 

[luckyboy]

Stands at the finish, I believe (like in Paris). Seems like a waste of money to me.

Oh I thought it would all be free. Nevermind.

TT route is a bit short - http://www.london2012.com/documents/venue-documents/cycling-time-trial-route.pdf
44km

 

[Mambo95]

Oh I thought it would all be free. Nevermind.

I don't know for sure, it's just what I read. It'll only be stands for the last 50-100m, anyway. I'm sure you'll be able to see the finishing sprint (if there is one) for free.

There will be more details at the time I guess. One thing is for certain, it will be a hell of a lot easier to see live than the Beijing race.

 

[L'arriviste]

Tickets for the road race? Surely most of the course is freely open to the public?

Stands at the finish, I believe (like in Paris). Seems like a waste of money to me.

Oh I thought it would all be free. Nevermind.

TT route is a bit short - http://www.london2012.com/documents/venue-documents/cycling-time-trial-route.pdf
44km

Yes, the course is open. The start/finish approach will be totally open to the public for the TT, but not so for the RR. The tickets were supposed to be for seats in a big grandstand and open access to some sort of 'race village' around the start/finish area. The ticket price (astronomical) covered the pre-race, the start, numbered seating in the stand, big screen throughout the day, finish and medal ceremony.

Despite the cost, it did seem like it would have made a pretty good (or at least unique) viewing experience and for a whole day's worth of onsite, it perhaps might have represented better value than, say, a tennis match. But of course now I'll never know.

 

[ergmonkey]

It is a similar argument regarding the Australian Nats course. Guys like Renshaw are whining about the course being too hard though in past years it has proven that sprinters and climbers can be up there for the win.

Yep, and I can't really see the point in Renshaw whining about anything, anyway. Goss is better than him at everything--sprinting, climbing, distance, cobbles. Well, maybe not quite everything, since Renshaw is really good at head-butts and door-closing.

Still, whatever course the organizers throw at them, Renshaw won't get a title as long as Goss wants it. Then, of course, if there's more real climbing, the Aussies have pleny of other riders to take over.

 

[Hairy Wheels]

It's not a semi classic. It's the Olympic road race. A separate entity to anything else. And, quite rightly, entirely up to the host nation as to how they want to stage it. And besides, what do you want them to do, erect a Cat 1 climb in the centre of London?

As for being not selective enough, it will be plenty selective - there'll be one gold medal winner, one silver medal winner and one bronze medal winner.

Lame bit of barely hidden nationalism....jingo much?

 

[Caledon]

Thread closed.

Apparently not.

Guys give up on El P. He is like the Terminator, he will never stop - not until all parcours in every race have an average gradient of 9% and a MTF.

We must leave him alone in his little sloping world. For him variety is most definitely not the spice of life. We are clealry all morons for not agreeing with him.

 

[El Pistolero]

Go troll somewhere else. Not every race needs to be mountainous. It needs to cater to all types of cyclists like was accomplished last year at the WC in Australia. Not a pancake flat olympic race that only sprinters will have a shot at winning. If you can't understand that concept then you should indeed ignore me(why don't you instead of whining the entire time by the way?).


What variety is there at this Olympic event? Only one type of cyclist can win here? And you dare call that variety? Please get your thick head out of the sand sir. Variety would be where all types of cyclist have a shot at winning. And sadly, this is not the case as instead we get a panclake flat event where nothing will happen until the final 10km. I want all types of cyclist to have a fair shot at an Olympic title here. I want it to be a real fight, I don't want someone win who spend his entire race inside the peloton sucking wheels. And before you go on to say that Thor did that last year... No, he did not. He actually chased the front group him self, but the cameras didn't show any of that. He was a worthy winner of the rainbow jersey and Cavendish never will be one. Cavendish is more exciting off his bike then on his bike. That says enough to me. I have nothing against Cavendish personally, he actually seems like a nice guy(when he wins). But I will never ever be a fan of his racing style and I would find it a shame if someone like that could become an Olympic champion by sucking wheels until 150 meters to go. The same goes for anyone who wins like that all the time.

The thing is, I want variety. You don't. I don't want to make it impossible for sprinters to win such an important event, but I don't want to have it given to them because the course is even less selective than Milan-San Remo. And that is to sad for words. You don't need to agree with me. Frankly I could care less. But you don't need to put words in my mouth that I never said.

I can even understand why they make a flat World championship. It comes every year, so plenty of time for other types of cyclist to shine the year after that. But an Olympic event only comes once every 4 years and its a terrible shame that only sprinters will be able to win here...

Compare the palmares of a hilly classics specialist or a climber(and not Gilbert or Contador ) to that of a sprinter and think again of trying to put the sprinters in a victim role here. Thank you very much.

I just don't want to call someone an Olympic champion even though he gets dropped in every Monument cycling has! To say it with the words of Gordon Ramsey: f*ck me, what a f*cking joke!

 

[Andy99]

I just don't want to call someone an Olympic champion even though he gets dropped in every Monument cycling has! To say it with the words of Gordon Ramsey: f*ck me, what a f*cking joke!

Still referring to Cav? Forgotten about Milan San Remo?

 

[LugHugger]

Here's the profile (about half way down the page):http://road.cc/content/news/30829-a...race-course-proves-rumours-route-were-correct

9 x 175m high/4-5km length climbs between 75-200km followed by 50 km drag to the finish line.

Now, forgive me, but this looks remarkably similar to Gent Wevelgem. A Cav fave for sure but not a shoo in. Past winners of GW: EBH, Freire, Burghardt, Hushovd, Klier, Cippolini, Hincapie.

A pretty good mix of rouleurs and sprinters there. I'm afraid that the London parcours was NEVER going to offer the grimpeurs much to get excited about. This race is far less of a procession to a Cav coronation than some people think.

 

[El Pistolero]

Still referring to Cav? Forgotten about Milan San Remo?

He still got dropped there in 2010 and in 2011 he ****ed up again. But wasn't specifically geared towards Cav.