The New World Champion! Appreciation

[El Pistolero]

Your initial quote said nothing about changing nationalities, all it mentioned was race. I'll requote your own remark for you:



Like I said, this logically implies that non-white Brits aren't really Brits. Stop trying to pretend it wasn't about race.

It's actually about people who were for example were Kenyan all their life and all of a sudden become British purely for sportive reasons. Has little to do with race. Everyone who is born in Great-Britain is British. Everyone who is born from British parents outside Great-Britain is British as well.

 

[Richeypen]

It's actually about people who were for example were Kenyan all their life and all of a sudden become British purely for sportive reasons. Has little to do with race. Everyone who is born in Great-Britain is British. Everyone who is born from British parents outside Great-Britain is British as well.

What does colour have to do with that?

 

[Anonymous]

What does "competition is less fierce" actually mean?

they are really friendly, help each other along, wait for people if they cant keep up, and give each other plenty of space at the finish.

 

[Skip Madness]

It's actually about people who were for example were Kenyan all their life and all of a sudden become British purely for sportive reasons. Has little to do with race. Everyone who is born in Great-Britain is British. Everyone who is born from British parents outside Great-Britain is British as well.

Then why did you wonder how many of Britain's medallists were white?

Edit: beaten to it.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

And the places that host the summer olympics care for female cycling? Or male cycling? I saw no crowd at the cycling events of the 2008 Olympics.

But that's an event that's already IN the Olympics. Harder to sell a new one with no audience than to just cram in another existing one.

 

[ultimobici]

It's actually about people who were for example were Kenyan all their life and all of a sudden become British purely for sportive reasons. Has little to do with race. Everyone who is born in Great-Britain is British. Everyone who is born from British parents outside Great-Britain is British as well.

I'd give up on this argument. You'll only succeed in making yourself look more bigoted.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

they are really friendly, help each other along, wait for people if they cant keep up, and give each other plenty of space at the finish.

Is it true that they don't race when it rains?

 

[pmcg76]

Everybody please stop complaining, the course is what it is and nobody can change that now, congratulations to Cav on a great race and a tip of the hat to team Great Britain who set him up nicely, honestly there are so many trolls and haters here, just give him props when they are due.

I think quite a few people were complaining well before the race today even happened.

The facts are simple, the average cycling fans find races controlled by teams that end in a sprint boring. How many people ever watch the full flat stages in the GTs?

This is magnified when the supposedly most prestigious one day race in the world is decided that way.

The Brits on here would be doing just as much complaining if Cav didnt exist, I remember plenty of whinging back when Cipo won in Zolder, especially from ProCycling and CycleSport magazines but just watch them glorify this one. Not to be unexpected of course and not criticising them just stating reality.

Whatever about the Aussies being jealous of the Brits I think the average cycling fan is entitled to feel short-changed by this years worlds race.

 

[El Pistolero]

But that's an event that's already IN the Olympics. Harder to sell a new one with no audience than to just cram in another existing one.

Still, there are some more obscure sports part of the Olympics.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Still, there are some more obscure sports part of the Olympics.

Definitely. But it's easier to justify keeping your status than to win it in the first place.

 

[El Pistolero]

Is it true that they don't race when it rains?

Bad choice of words on my part. The competition just isn't as big as in man's cycling. There for I find it not as prestigious. Like I said though, feel free to have your own opinion of the matter. Obviously the sport will keep growing and hopefully become more important for sponsors. As the sport keeps growing, so will the event keep growing. Although this year's elite race didn't do any good for female cycling. As the competition there was indeed everything except fierce!

 

[Echoes]

Thank God, Erik Zabel didn't win 5 Milan-Sanremo but 4.

And he admitted to using EPO. Hence his wins should be out of history books by now !! Not to mention that in 1998, after the Poggio descent he had no lead-out men and Gabriele Colombo had to do the chase for him, while not in the same team (probably corruption?), while Alberto Elli looked a certain winner. In 1999, it was Tchmil's trick ! So yeah, not until 2000, could the sprinters master it.


You can't understand how hard Milan-Sanremo is if you haven't seen it before 1997. Nothing changed in the route in 1997 and yet, bunch sprint. The youngsters can't understand what a shock it was to see Zabel winning it.


And of course, I do agree with Ultimo's conclusions, which he already posted on my thread.

 

[Anonymous]

It's actually about people who were for example were Kenyan all their life and all of a sudden become British purely for sportive reasons. Has little to do with race. Everyone who is born in Great-Britain is British. Everyone who is born from British parents outside Great-Britain is British as well.

I can only assume you are talking about the famous black athlete Chris Froome who switched nationalities because he couldnt get in the Kenyan team

 

[pmcg76]

Cycling backwater? Hardly. When Cadel won the Worlds it was the first time an Aussie won. When Cavendish won it was the second time a professional man won, but the umpteenth that a British cyclist won on the road.

It may have been a while since we had a professional WC but the success that Britain has had in the sport in the last decade is not indicative of a backwater.

Those who are disparaging about Cavendish's win should look at the UCI & the Danish organisers who set this up and the riders & teams that allowed the British team to take the race by the scruff of the neck and mould it to their needs. They are the culprits in this, not the British team, nor Cavendish.

The idea that a sprinter has an easy time is laughable too. People seem to have the idea that sitting in the bunch is akin to just freewheeling along being physically towed making no effort. It is not. It is easier than riding alone, but you still have to have the stamina in you to not only last distance but also be able to impose yourself to maintain position in the last 20km. Then, on top of that, you have to be able to accelerate to top speed and hold off your rivals.

Citing MSR as an easy race is ignorant of the race's course & its challenges. True it is a flat race to the 100km point, but then it climbs over the Turchino. Once the race has descended off of the pass it returns to sea level. The capi are not high but there's the wind coming off the Med that makes the descents barely worth calling descents.

No one calls Erik Zabel's 5 MSRs or other sprints into question. Yet Cavendish, who is still younger than Zabel was when he started his winning streak, is slagged off for being a one trick pony who needs a train to win. He had a team today that buried itself for him until a few km to go. He was then pretty much on his own until the last km and still won. That takes real talent. After his win his first words were in praise of not only the teammates on the day, but also those other riders who by winning throughout the year had earned Britain the necessary riders. That takes class.

I think you will find Zabel was a far better all round rider than Cavendish, Zabel won Amstel Gold for example and could climb decently as well as compete in some of the other classics. He never had the leadouts that Cav has or people pusing him up hills Cav is already a better sprinter but has a way to go before he matches Zabel in other areas.

A race finishing with almost 100 guys in the lead bunch is hardly indicitive of a hard race.

 

[Anonymous]

So, in summation. Worlds courses should only be suited to Roulers or climbers, and sprinters should never get an opportunity to be world champion.

And women world champions dont count.

And most british winners are just black people who are british out of sporting convenience because they couldnt get on the cycling team in Kenya so they changed nationality to a smaller nation to give them more of a chance of getting in the team.

 

[Richeypen]

So, in summation. Worlds courses should only be suited to Roulers or climbers, and sprinters should never get an opportunity to be world champion.

And women world champions dont count.

And most british winners are just black people who are british out of sporting convenience because they couldnt get on the cycling team in Kenya so they changed nationality to a smaller nation to give them more of a chance of getting in the team.

Yep, that about sums it up

 

[Swede1]

So, in summation. Worlds courses should only be suited to Roulers or climbers, and sprinters should never get an opportunity to be world champion.

And women world champions dont count.

And most british winners are just black people who are british out of sporting convenience because they couldnt get on the cycling team in Kenya so they changed nationality to a smaller nation to give them more of a chance of getting in the team.

Pretty much yeah thats about right.

I think that a sprinters worlds course is okay as long as it is like once every 12 years.

 

[pmcg76]

So, in summation. Worlds courses should only be suited to Roulers or climbers, and sprinters should never get an opportunity to be world champion.

And women world champions dont count.

And most british winners are just black people who are british out of sporting convenience because they couldnt get on the cycling team in Kenya so they changed nationality to a smaller nation to give them more of a chance of getting in the team.

No worlds courses should be selective enough that they provide an all-round rider and when are the worlds ever suited to climbers like Contador, Schleck etc.

 

[roundabout]

Eh, no. The world's course shouldn't in my opinion be made to suit only the sprinters. Note the word only.

Edit: echo

 

[Echoes]

So, in summation. [...] sprinters should never get an opportunity to be world champion.

Whatever the course, yes. I agree with that. And I would add, they should never get an opportunity to win any race whatsoever.

Unless they start making the pace themselves, chasing the breakaways themselves etc. like sprinters of old. Not likely to happen.

Worlds, Classics, etc. are for hard men. Not wheelsuckers.

 

[pmcg76]

I am sorry but asking why the worlds shouldnt be made to suit sprinters is a bit like asking why shouldnt the Tour de France be designed to suit sprinters.

If people want a Worlds for sprinters, then creat a seperate event like the TT Worlds.

 

[ultimobici]

I think you will find Zabel was a far better all round rider than Cavendish, Zabel won Amstel Gold for example and could climb decently as well as compete in some of the other classics. He never had the leadouts that Cav has or people pusing him up hills Cav is already a better sprinter but has a way to go before he matches Zabel in other areas.

A race finishing with almost 100 guys in the lead bunch is hardly indicitive of a hard race.

Oops! My bad - 6 Greens & 4 MSR starting at age 26 & 27 respectively. Zabel's palmares is very rich but if you look at his top victories you'll see that they didn't start to flow until his later 20's. Cavendish is only just 26 and has already won 1 MSR, 1 Green Jersey and more stages than Zabel did in his entire career. So I think that, as Cav has the potential to develop, he may eclipse Zabel by the close of his career.

 

[Irish2009]

Firstly a big congrats to our neighbours across the sea, well done GB a great ride by your team today and congrats on the Worlds Champions jersey (Sorry 2 jerseys actually).

As for Cav winning it was set up for him and he did the job, he's the worlds best "pure" road sprinter and today he won the worlds because of that. As for people here saying that the course should suit sprinters every now and then and not just roulers or climbers, I agree, but when are we going to see a course for the "pure" climbers??

As for who rides for what team thats a riders choice and if they want to ride for GB/Ireland/Australia its thier choice, even if its only for "sporting" reasons.

 

[pmcg76]

Oops! My bad - 6 Greens & 4 MSR starting at age 26 & 27 respectively. Zabel's palmares is very rich but if you look at his top victories you'll see that they didn't start to flow until his later 20's. Cavendish is only just 26 and has already won 1 MSR, 1 Green Jersey and more stages than Zabel did in his entire career. So I think that, as Cav has the potential to develop, he may eclipse Zabel by the close of his career.

Cavendish will never be the all-round rider that Zabel was, simple. Too often Cavendish relies on his team whilst Zabel was usually by himself.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Eh, no. The world's course shouldn't in my opinion be made to suit only the sprinters. Note the word only.

Edit: echo

Precisely. That "only" is the key operative word here, one that's sometimes overlooked.

Geelong was an example of how to do a flat worlds course well. Just enough obstacles to make other types of rider think they could do it, but not enough to prevent the sprinters from having their day - but they really had to work for it.

Cavendish, on his 2009 form, could easily have competed for the win in Geelong. The form that saw him to victory in Sanremo and Aubenas could have taken him over those obstacles. Cavendish, for all the derision he inspires, is not a complete fool when it comes to climbing, and has got over some decent sized lumps when in half decent form in the past.

A course like this year's, however, simply is not challenging enough to allow riders other than sprinters to feel like they had a chance. Half of the non-sprinter big names didn't even bother showing up. Last year, the puncheurs and classics hardmen felt like they had a chance to win, and made it hard for the sprinters. They took every opportunity, but ultimately the sprint was not to be denied. But it was exciting watching them try, because they believed that if things went right they could do it. Today, nobody other than a handful of sprinters and their domestiques really believed they had a chance.