Race thread: Olympics 2020/21 Tokyo, Men's Road Race, 234k

[Zinoviev Letter]

As legendary as a man considered one of his country's all-time greats: why would you belittle that?

Olympics bring relatively low profile sports like cycling and walking to a wider audience: is that a bad thing?

I don‘t think that’s a bad thing at all. The Olympics is the main event in and main publicity outlet for a thousand minor sports with no audience of their own, Badminton and sailing and rowing and race walking and synchronised swimming and on and on and on. That includes all of the other cycling disciplines. It doesn’t include road cycling which is a significant spectator sport in its own right with its own audience and traditions and historic events.

My views on the Olympics as an institution are mixed. It’s a great advertisement for a million tiny sports. Much more importantly it’s the great equalizer for women’s sports. Nothing has done more for the funding and prestige of women’s sports. But it achieves both of those valuable things through the magic of crude sporting nationalism, by turning every event into an opportunity for little national accomplishment points.

 

[Netserk]

Ooh, discussing other people's opinion on a discussion board. How aggressive. (And who brought it up here?)

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Ooh, discussing other people's opinion on a discussion board. How aggressive. (And who brought it up here?)

You did actually, by pulling the nationalist card, you opened yourself up to it.

 

[BlueRoads]

That's a really nice photo. Van Aert with impressive hair again, Carapaz with a nice smile and Pogacar, although it irritates me that he reminds me of my mother again, looks so happy, that's nice to see. He already seemed overwhelmed with joy at the finish, despite not having won gold, but obviously, despite just having won the Tour, an Olympic medal means something to him.

 

[memyselfandI]

Ninja of the race btw was Almeida..Not visual contact to my eyes during the race?

 

[Salvarani]

Carapaz and McNulty attack was just well-timed. A move like that was always gonna be the winning move here.

They got a gap while everybody looked at each other.

Of course the group did not cooperate. Not when they had Van Aert and Pog in it, who still got 2nd and 3rd from all that work they did.

 

[jmdirt]

Great race B. McNulty!

 

[MTV]

TRATNIK was the best rider today IMHO!

 

[hayneplane]

Is that an inverse podium where the top step is actually the bottom step in height

 

[dusty red roads]

.... and Pogacar, although it irritates me that he reminds me of my mother again.....

Wait, what? Pogi's like your mother?

 

[hayneplane]

That's a really nice photo. Van Aert with impressive hair again, Carapaz with a nice smile and Pogacar, although it irritates me that he reminds me of my mother again, looks so happy, that's nice to see. He already seemed overwhelmed with joy at the finish, despite not having won gold, but obviously, despite just having won the Tour, an Olympic medal means something to him.

That was quite something to see such a beaming smile on the face of Pogacar. Good to see that he had the perspective to see the value and joy of an Olympic medal despite missing out on Gold.

 

[hayneplane]

Irritating to yet again see a bunch of riders prefer to refuse to work and exchange a small chance of glory for virtually zero chance.

After Wout had dragged it back to 15 seconds 2 strong pulls each would have got them all back in the fight for gold but instead all but Uran and to an extent Pogacar just sat on in the same pattern we saw in the breaks in the Tour with the exact same outcome of the early attack staying clear.

 

[Warhawk]

So the transitive property of race results indicates that based on the last 2 days I've watched cycling, Pogacar is a better sprinter than Cavendish, because he was closer to beating WvA, correct?

 

[BlueRoads]

Wait, what? Pogi's like your mother?

He reminds me of her, whether it's in him or only in me I don't know for sure.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Just had a look at Carapaz's one day racing stats and the last time he was on a podium was the 2017 Industria & Artigianato where he finished second to Adam Yates.
Admittedly he hasn't done that many one day races in each season but what a big one to pull out of the bag.

 

[movingtarget]

Carapaz's form this season picked up in the third week of the Tour and carried over into this race. His final TT in the Tour indicated how good he was. Sooner or later Woods will string a few wins together. He's often one of the strongest and animates the races just about every time but can't get the final results so far. Good rides by Pogacar and WVA but I was never convinced that Carapaz was coming back once the lead got over 30 seconds. The tough course just kept spitting riders out the back.

 

[tobydawq]

That was quite something to see such a beaming smile on the face of Pogacar. Good to see that he had the perspective to see the value and joy of an Olympic medal despite missing out on Gold.

If only he knew better like Zinoviev Letter.



Sorry for the rhyme.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Italy rode a bit too conservative IMO. That said, Moscon had a bad day, Ciccone hit the deck at one point because Thomas and Bettiol was good until he got cramps near the end.
Maybe Formolo instead of Nibali or Ciccone would have been a better option (he probably would have worked with Pogi to finish 2nd behind him).

Looks like I and the whole Italian NT overestimated the effect of the jetlag, overall the Tour guys were clearly stronger. Maybe it would have been a bit different if Moscon or Bettiol had raced the Tour instead of the Giro, but you can't have everything.

 

[BlueRoads]

TRATNIK was the best rider today IMHO!

Not the best, but ... where's this biceps emoji when you need it...

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Sooner or later Woods will string a few wins together. He's often one of the strongest and animates the races just about every time but can't get the final results so far.

Not if Woods keeps racing like this against this level of competition. Loved Pogacar's body language when Woods finally took a pull ....when their break had been reeled back in by the chasers due to Woods just sitting on Pogacar's and McNulty's wheels.

 

[Koronin]

Glad I went to be long before this race ended. Definitely not worth staying up for.

 

[Red Rick]

Glad I went to be long before this race ended. Definitely not worth staying up for.

You missed some crazy action when Valverde came back after getting dropped the first time.

 

[Koronin]

You missed some crazy action when Valverde came back after getting dropped the first time.

Again that would have been a waste of time that was better spent sleeping.

 

[gunara]

Anna Meares and Scott McGrory.

Thanks. So....they're both Australians, again, no kiwi. Can't understand how a former pro be so confused in commentary box.

 

[Asero831]

Irritating to yet again see a bunch of riders prefer to refuse to work and exchange a small chance of glory for virtually zero chance.

After Wout had dragged it back to 15 seconds 2 strong pulls each would have got them all back in the fight for gold but instead all but Uran and to an extent Pogacar just sat on in the same pattern we saw in the breaks in the Tour with the exact same outcome of the early attack staying clear.

Why would they work? This is elementary, no one works in a group of 8.