Summer Games Paris 2024

[Netserk]

Mamma di Pasta uniting everyone!

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Let's try not to have a forked discussion: Men's Olympic RR thread

 

[awavey]

I see from the entry list Team GB are down to 3 riders already for the women's road race. Morris seemed an odd pick to begin with in that 4th spot as having been always more of a team pursuit track rider and hadnt even ridden road nationals this year, but even more so when youve literally got a rider on the Track team, who rides for a proteam on the road, but theyve opted not to take the spot.

as its the usual lack of focus when it comes to the road, with Track always taking preference.

 

[RedheadDane]

I also think UK or Demark or someone of the bigger countries should have put someone in the break..make Belgium work for it....and hopefully Denmar will stop helping them

Just a heads-up; we're discussing the men's RR in the race-specific thread.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I hear France got first, second and third in the 'racing on bikes that they seem to have borrowed from their little brothers' event.

Julien, Alain and Philippe?

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Road race will be won by break. I suspect a small group where MvdP, WvA, Mads P and such riders.

As long as Remco is not winning I am okay with every result. Remco not winning. Such a small dog.

Woof woof woof!

 

[meat puppet]

Given today's race, will kopecky just stomp it or can the others fight back? Netherlands should have the numbers, and I'll be goddamned if they drop the ball as badly as the last ORR, but with rabofail you never know.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I see from the entry list Team GB are down to 3 riders already for the women's road race. Morris seemed an odd pick to begin with in that 4th spot as having been always more of a team pursuit track rider and hadnt even ridden road nationals this year, but even more so when youve literally got a rider on the Track team, who rides for a proteam on the road, but theyve opted not to take the spot.

as its the usual lack of focus when it comes to the road, with Track always taking preference.

British Cycling make some very confusing decisions when it comes to selections for major races, it has to be said. The only thing you can guarantee is that regardless of parcours, conditions or form, they will be riding for Lizzie Deignan even if she isn't there.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Wow. What a race.
(Ok, so exhillerating that I consequently hit the wrong thread)

 

[ManicJack]

British Cycling make some very confusing decisions when it comes to selections for major races, it has to be said. The only thing you can guarantee is that regardless of parcours, conditions or form, they will be riding for Lizzie Deignan even if she isn't there.

Let your hatred shine. 🙄

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Let your hatred shine. 🙄

I may dislike Deignan, but that was more a comment on the tactical intransigence of BC. Check some of Nicole Cooke's statements about the treatment of the women back in 2010-11 kind of time. And how they wrote Nicole and Emma Pooley out of history to claim Deignan's 2015 triumph as some kind of breakthrough for women's cycling in the UK as though they hadn't already had the reigning Olympic and World champion simultaneously only a few years earlier. And how when Pooley announced her comeback ahead of 2016, it was hailed by Shane Sutton as "more legs to work for Lizzie" - in those words.

BC play politics and play favourites, and even though she hasn't always had a great deal of positive to say about them, Deignan is very much one of those favourites. No matter what the parcours, no matter what the form, Lizzie is leader, no questions asked, and save for the time she took out for motherhood it's been that way for fifteen years.

 

[awavey]

I may dislike Deignan, but that was more a comment on the tactical intransigence of BC. Check some of Nicole Cooke's statements about the treatment of the women back in 2010-11 kind of time. And how they wrote Nicole and Emma Pooley out of history to claim Deignan's 2015 triumph as some kind of breakthrough for women's cycling in the UK as though they hadn't already had the reigning Olympic and World champion simultaneously only a few years earlier. And how when Pooley announced her comeback ahead of 2016, it was hailed by Shane Sutton as "more legs to work for Lizzie" - in those words.

BC play politics and play favourites, and even though she hasn't always had a great deal of positive to say about them, Deignan is very much one of those favourites. No matter what the parcours, no matter what the form, Lizzie is leader, no questions asked, and save for the time she took out for motherhood it's been that way for fifteen years.

Nicole has always been clear her success was her own, and inspite of BC, instead of because of their help as they were more often a hindrance to her, which is probably why they like to forget her. Pooley probably feels the same but has tended not to be as openly public about it.

2015 was funny because it was Danny Stam who helped Lizzie focus on the WC race because BC werent even thinking about it as an achievable target, as theyd picked a very junior level team (half the riders didnt even have teams to ride for at the time let alone pro team level contracts) as largely one of those well the experience will do them good picks, and oh ok we won, now what kind of thing

it was back to situation normal by 2016 though

and yeah its not even a question that gets posed thesedays, unlike the period between 2008/2013 which seems ridiculous looking back now, but Lizzie gets made leader regardless, as I assume she is today, and the only reason Im less bothered about it this time, is well what can you do with only 3 riders on your team, because of another classic BC lets pick a 4th rider we have no intention of ever considering for the race, who has never ridden in a race at this level or even did nationals, and pretend she's only now joining up with the track team, even though Ive a feeling she's been with them the whole time.

again people will say but there are stronger nations and other teams and GB have no chance anyway, which is fine, but its this attitude the whole BC setup has towards road racing, we are never likely to stand a chance.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

So the 4 races have been won by a footballer, a runner, and a rower/venture capitalist. Last time, a footballer, a ski jumper and a duathlete/Gran Fondo rider/mathematician struck gold. Road cycling at the Olympics is like a Decathlon-AG2R for people from all the other sports.

 

[RedheadDane]

Road cycling at the Olympics is like a Decathlon-AG2R for people from all the other sports.

No Decathlon-AG2R riders have been anywhere near the top.

 

[RedheadDane]

So, now we're discussing track cycling here.
And down in the non-cycling thread... for some reason.
But not in the thread in the track-subforum, coz that one got locked.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

So, now we're discussing track cycling here.
And down in the non-cycling thread... for some reason.
But not in the thread in the track-subforum, coz that one got locked.

No, because I have moved them after my error.

 

[red_flanders]

Quite a good analysis of the Men's RR I think.

https://velo.outsideonline.com/olympics/key-takeaways-2024-olympic-mens-road-race/

By attacking and attempting to bridge across to the first two groups, which didn’t include a single Belgian, Van der Poel essentially bailed out Belgium, as it left him vulnerable to a counter-attack and softened up the group for an eventual Evenepoel winning move.

 

[joe_papp]

Too lazy to try to make a poll (if you can even do that), but which men's or women's Olympic RR champ do you guys think had the best post-win bike or uniform bedazzlement*?

(* - has to have been ridden in competition, so for example Vino's all-gold Dubai Tour bike wouldn't count)

...

Bonus points (of appreciation) if you include photos.

So here it is:



Hmm. Torn between a meh and the paint-seems-like-it-could-be-cool-if-seen-up-close:



I'll never not hate the appearance of compact rear triangles:



Hope his Olympic champ trade team jersey is unambiguously cool.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Hope his Olympic champ trade team jersey is unambiguously cool.

I don't think there ever is such a thing, just an armband. As recently discussed hereabouts, Olympic rings are too heavily protected. I think we have seen some gold highlighting in lettering, but that's about it.

 

[joe_papp]

I don't think there ever is such a thing, just an armband. As recently discussed hereabouts, Olympic rings are too heavily protected. I think we have seen some gold highlighting in lettering, but that's about it.

Ahh, right. Forgot about that. Lame.



Amusing that in their official JERSEYS VISUAL GUIDELINES document, the UCI introduces the "OTHER JERSEY SPECIFICATIONS" section with a photo that includes the Olympic rings lol:



Remco should do a vanity jersey like Vino's but Olympic Champ version:



Oh wait, Vino did that too (for the one race he rode lol!):





(If you can't tell, I like Vino even though most hate him.)

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

But I believe he was made to change the jersey before that race began.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I was a big fan of the jersey MCipollini-Giordana made for Nicole Cooke in 2011, but again she was never allowed to race in it. Just a full white kit with the Olympic rings and then gold trim where rainbow or national champion bands would be and at the waist.

Sadly, as it was at the tail end of the 'racing in the dark' era and now 13 years ago, I'm struggling to find a good photo that shows it, the best I can manage quickly is this way too small pic from a team shot.

 

[awavey]

Not that he ever raced it on the road, or track for that matter, but Vulpine created this gold medal kit for Chris Hoy,each band represented a medal he'd won, 6 gold 1 silver. Sure they could add a gold band onto a kit somewhere for Remco. Or do that name thing but have his in gold writing or with a 🏅 next to it.

Sky created that jersey with riders names and flags and lengths of lines to represent wins didn't they ?

 

[RedheadDane]

(Like with the non-cycling sports, I'm too lazy to make a paralympic specific thread)

Time Trials are in full swing, currently it's the various "C-classes" - riders who use regular bikes.

 

[rallybanana]

Is that Chris Froome piloting the Kenyan tandem?



Edit: It's not Chris Froome. It's former Kenya Rugby Sevens' star Oscar Dennis who was flown in as a late replacement after original pilot Benson Mwaniki was struck by a car last week while training in Compiegne.