Rate the WCRR

[TourOfTexas]

The favorites were attacking from 40km out. I rate it a 10.

 

[Irondan]

Obviously it was a 10 because I picked Sagan to win before the race.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Attacks from far out by big names and a Cancellara-esque show of power from Sagan on the 23rd Street climb. It can only be 10.

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

They worked to ensure a boring sprint finale. They worked because they had the numbers. Sagan had a limited team, much like Costa in 2013, and still won by attacking, proving that gun size matters, not the amount of rounds one has.

Edit: I take that back about Germany, Degenkolb was in the mix of attacks by the end. I am yet to see people having a go at Germany, on the contrary. They should have been up there, deservingly.

So Degenkolb rode good, but Aussies rode poor, is that's what you're saying? Cause I would say Aussies rode smart, to their strengths, and Germany and especially Degenkolb rode bad, or should I say stupid

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

They worked to ensure a boring sprint finale. They worked because they had the numbers. Sagan had a limited team, much like Costa in 2013, and still won by attacking, proving that gun size matters, not the amount of rounds one has.

Edit: I take that back about Germany, Degenkolb was in the mix of attacks by the end. I am yet to see people having a go at Germany, on the contrary. They should have been up there, deservingly.

So Degenkolb rode good, but Aussies rode poor, is that's what you're saying? Cause I would say Aussies rode smart, to their strengths, and Germany and especially Degenkolb rode bad, or should I say stupid

Degenkolb rode honorably. Australia rode stupid. Riding smart would be pulling a Firenze a la Costa. Or winning in any way.

 

[Orbit501]

I've gone with a 9.

Fast race with plenty of animation, and the nature of Sagan's win, after all those 2nd places, was an absolute joy to see.

Sagan is probably marmite. I happen to like marmite and Sagan too. I think he'll do the rainbow jersey proud.

Only disappointment was Italy being almost anonymous.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

They worked to ensure a boring sprint finale. They worked because they had the numbers. Sagan had a limited team, much like Costa in 2013, and still won by attacking, proving that gun size matters, not the amount of rounds one has.

Edit: I take that back about Germany, Degenkolb was in the mix of attacks by the end. I am yet to see people having a go at Germany, on the contrary. They should have been up there, deservingly.

So Degenkolb rode good, but Aussies rode poor, is that's what you're saying? Cause I would say Aussies rode smart, to their strengths, and Germany and especially Degenkolb rode bad, or should I say stupid

Degenkolb rode honorably. Australia rode stupid. Riding smart would be pulling a Firenze a la Costa. Or winning in any way.

We have a different views...

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

They worked to ensure a boring sprint finale. They worked because they had the numbers. Sagan had a limited team, much like Costa in 2013, and still won by attacking, proving that gun size matters, not the amount of rounds one has.

Edit: I take that back about Germany, Degenkolb was in the mix of attacks by the end. I am yet to see people having a go at Germany, on the contrary. They should have been up there, deservingly.

So Degenkolb rode good, but Aussies rode poor, is that's what you're saying? Cause I would say Aussies rode smart, to their strengths, and Germany and especially Degenkolb rode bad, or should I say stupid

Degenkolb rode honorably. Australia rode stupid. Riding smart would be pulling a Firenze a la Costa. Or winning in any way.

We have a different views...

...fundamentally.

 

[hrotha]

Re:

Attacks from far out by big names and a Cancellara-esque show of power from Sagan on the 23rd Street climb. It can only be 10.

Cancellara-esque? With like 3 km to go?

 

[DFA123]

Really pleased that Sagan won, but was a disappointing race overall. The riders did their best to make it interesting, but there was just too much flat between the climbs for any long range attacks to be worthwhile. Parcours was poor - didn't give enough of a chance to non-puncheurs and the coverage and production was awful. Useless long range helicopter shots, far too many shots of buildings, cameras filming through a hedge, nowhere near enough graphics explaining who was in a break/time gaps etc..

5 Overall.

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

They worked to ensure a boring sprint finale. They worked because they had the numbers. Sagan had a limited team, much like Costa in 2013, and still won by attacking, proving that gun size matters, not the amount of rounds one has.

Edit: I take that back about Germany, Degenkolb was in the mix of attacks by the end. I am yet to see people having a go at Germany, on the contrary. They should have been up there, deservingly.

So Degenkolb rode good, but Aussies rode poor, is that's what you're saying? Cause I would say Aussies rode smart, to their strengths, and Germany and especially Degenkolb rode bad, or should I say stupid

Degenkolb rode honorably. Australia rode stupid. Riding smart would be pulling a Firenze a la Costa. Or winning in any way.

er no. Australia rode smart. Only 1 rider beat them. You are confusing smart with entertaining - two different things.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

They worked to ensure a boring sprint finale. They worked because they had the numbers. Sagan had a limited team, much like Costa in 2013, and still won by attacking, proving that gun size matters, not the amount of rounds one has.

Edit: I take that back about Germany, Degenkolb was in the mix of attacks by the end. I am yet to see people having a go at Germany, on the contrary. They should have been up there, deservingly.

So Degenkolb rode good, but Aussies rode poor, is that's what you're saying? Cause I would say Aussies rode smart, to their strengths, and Germany and especially Degenkolb rode bad, or should I say stupid

Degenkolb rode honorably. Australia rode stupid. Riding smart would be pulling a Firenze a la Costa. Or winning in any way.

Well, if riding to your strengths is stupid, then Australia surely rode stupidly. All it took was Sagan not being extraordinary today and they had won. They didn't have particular much to offer apart from Matthews and Gerrans and honestly, their best shot (by a long shot....) was just to sit in the peloton and pray that it would come down to the wire. If Stybar, Degenkolb and those kinda guys werent able to get a decent gap at any point, then sure as hell Matthews or/and Gerrans wasnt able.

I dont like it either (as a matter of a fact, I despise Gerrans), but I honestly think you let your disliking of Australia's way of riding cloud your mind a bit. I dont see how they possibly could have done anything else.

 

[Eagle]

Re: Re:

They worked to ensure a boring sprint finale. They worked because they had the numbers. Sagan had a limited team, much like Costa in 2013, and still won by attacking, proving that gun size matters, not the amount of rounds one has.

Edit: I take that back about Germany, Degenkolb was in the mix of attacks by the end. I am yet to see people having a go at Germany, on the contrary. They should have been up there, deservingly.

So Degenkolb rode good, but Aussies rode poor, is that's what you're saying? Cause I would say Aussies rode smart, to their strengths, and Germany and especially Degenkolb rode bad, or should I say stupid

Degenkolb rode honorably. Australia rode stupid. Riding smart would be pulling a Firenze a la Costa. Or winning in any way.

er no. Australia rode smart. Only 1 rider beat them. You are confusing smart with entertaining - two different things.

Isn't the aim to win the race

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

They worked to ensure a boring sprint finale. They worked because they had the numbers. Sagan had a limited team, much like Costa in 2013, and still won by attacking, proving that gun size matters, not the amount of rounds one has.

Edit: I take that back about Germany, Degenkolb was in the mix of attacks by the end. I am yet to see people having a go at Germany, on the contrary. They should have been up there, deservingly.

So Degenkolb rode good, but Aussies rode poor, is that's what you're saying? Cause I would say Aussies rode smart, to their strengths, and Germany and especially Degenkolb rode bad, or should I say stupid

Degenkolb rode honorably. Australia rode stupid. Riding smart would be pulling a Firenze a la Costa. Or winning in any way.

er no. Australia rode smart. Only 1 rider beat them. You are confusing smart with entertaining - two different things.

Isn't the aim to win the race

Please explain to everyone what Australia could have done differently to give them a better chance of winning

 

[BigMac]

What they did was the equivalent of Costa staying on Nibali's wheel all the way to the line, without trying to bridge to Purito.

But yes, my dislike for Matthews may be clouding my mind. For the record, I got nothing against Australia or Australians.

 

[hrotha]

I have nothing against Australia or Australians either. Just against Gerrans and Albasini (and Mel Gibson, if he counts).

 

[Irondan]

Re:

I have nothing against Australia or Australians either. Just against Gerrans and Albasini (and Mel Gibson, if he counts).

Mel Gibson counts.. He's a douche

Matthews would have been a worthy winner if Sagan had been caught. Technically, anyone is worthy except Gerrans.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

What about Rogers? Surely the Bargain Bucket Klöden doesn't go on the likable list.

 

[Afrank]

Plenty of attacks and action, far out action, sagan put me on the edge of my seat and kept my eyes fixated on the screen. I give it a 10.

 

[mb2612]

8, the best possible race for a course where the bunch was always going to be together with 2km to go

 

[Red Rick]

Can we have a seperate thead about the organization, parcours/coverage etc?

 

[hrotha]

Re:

What about Rogers? Surely the Bargain Bucket Klöden doesn't go on the likable list.

Dodgers is baaad but he's never been involved in sexist or racist incidents as far as I know.

 

[ice&fire]

I don't care about the winner or the racing. I just saw 24 men arriving to the finish in the same time. This is not worthy of being called World Championship of anything.

 

[SeriousSam]

They've also got a time trial where none of that pesky drafting is allowed, might be more to your liking.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

No one has said specifically, but the idea that groupo compacto = bad is silly. A lot of complaints that it was together with 3k to go... so what? If it was together for 256 of the 259 kms, I would understand, but the last 80k were nothing but attacks or attempted bridges to the attackers. That's good racing, and it doesn't go away because it was brought back at some point (especially because it only exploded again right after.)

And its possible to understand the Australians tactics but not like them. They did everything right, but I'm glad they didn't win. What would make me like them? Only things that would diminish their advantage. Bummer. They're not losing sleep over my opinions.

Voted 9. I think the only way it could have been better if it were a little tighter at the line.

Also, Sagans reaction/celebration earns it a 9. Really like the "were you not entertained?" attitude. He was never a screamer, flexing, strike-a-pose type, and I'm glad the drama, expectations and hype didn't make him one today.