The New World Champion! Appreciation

[Andy99]

What's so ridiculous about it, and why does it offend you so much you feel you might not bother returning? Does it have anything to do with your location being Britain?

Nothing to do with being British at all.

I found the post (one amongst many, I must add) needlessly derogotary towards the race organisation.

Having been there, personally I thought the experience was fantastic, and the warmth of the Danish people particularly endearing.

 

[El Pistolero]

Even if you're being sarcastic, I don't think anybody actually says "Great" Britain, that's the island and not the country.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Of course I'm being sarcastic.

 

[ramjambunath]

GREAT Britain

Mate GBR is more used in sport than anywhere else. More often it is called the United Kingdom and even then the member nations consider themselves an independent entity.

Finally, Indians like myself (citizens not expats) are not irked by the name Great Britain so really not many Belgians or Dutch should be irritated by it.

On topic though, he has to show himself more often than he did this year. He is far too most dominant in his speciality to go missing.

Sorry for the outburst pistolero, writing on touchscreen is a hassle

 

[ParfaitAmour]

Nothing to do with being British at all.

I found the post (one amongst many, I must add) needlessly derogotary towards the race organisation.

Having been there, personally I thought the experience was fantastic, and the warmth of the Danish people particularly endearing.

Lordy don't go, it's always the most level headed who drop a forum when people throw their toys out of the pram. Making the forum increasingly more stupid and dull.

 

[python]

i once went on record - in the appropriate thread - that cav is one of the only two riders who irritate me 'just because'...but attempting to minimize him and his teams efforts in the wc road race seem pure silliness to me.
the 'continentals' (and beyond) involved in the sports of cycling professionally know that the brits and the aussies are light years ahead of them scientifically speaking...

no magic here.

their governments (the brits and the aussies i mean), in the best traditions of their east-european predecessors a generation earlier) have invested heavily the tax payers money into the success. good on them !

if you ask me, it's smart and is worth a following

as for their anglo brothers from across the ocean, well, american cycling is worth any support one can gather.

the post-texas period in america is exciting and taunting to look forward to.

america will deliver, i know

 

[Ragerod]

Because some of these cyclists you mention actually do more than sitting in the peloton all day and that is a lot more demanding on your body thus they can't race as much as some other people. Andy Schleck is the epitome of epic fail though.

Plus you mention guys in their thirties versus a 26 year old...

Ps: cqranking only counts amount of km ridden in races they finished. If someone drops out right before the final stage of the Tour their 3000+ km won't be counted. And since when is Greipel not a pure sprinter?

So all the kilometres done in the first two weeks of the Giro aren't counted?

Besides having Cavendish ride in the peloton all day in lots of races is much better for race organisers than having him ride on the front in fewer races.

 

[El Pistolero]

i once went on record - in the appropriate thread - that cav is one of the only two riders who irritate me 'just because'...but attempting to minimize him and his teams efforts in the wc road race seem pure silliness to me.
the 'continentals' (and beyond) involved in the sports of cycling professionally know that the brits and the aussies are light years ahead of them scientifically speaking...

no magic here.

their governments (the brits and the aussies i mean), in the best traditions of their east-european predecessors a generation earlier) have invested heavily the tax payers money into the success. good on them !

if you ask me, it's smart and is worth a following

as for their anglo brothers from across the ocean, well, american cycling is worth any support one can gather.

the post-texas period in america is exciting and taunting to look forward to.

america will deliver, i know

Then why is Spain so much better in most sports than Great Britain?

 

[Ragerod]

the 'continentals' (and beyond) involved in the sports of cycling professionally know that the brits and the aussies are light years ahead of them scientifically speaking...

Renato di Rocco acknowledged that Italian cycling is in a "remodelling phase" here in an attempt to copy the approach of the Brits & Aussies.

 

[Ragerod]

Then why is Spain so much better in most sports than Great Britain?

Simply because they're not. Britain is a far more diverse sporting nation than Spain so simply being better at a few big ones doesn't make up for the mediocrity in so many others.

 

[El Pistolero]

Simply because they're not. Britain is a far more diverse sporting nation than Spain so simply being better at a few big ones doesn't make up for the mediocrity in so many others.

Erm, Spain is far more diverse. Actually I don't see GB as a great sport nation at all.

They pretty much are on top of every big sport out there. Basketball, cycling, tennis, F1 racing, football, Handball, etc

 

[spalco]

Erm, Spain is far more diverse. Actually I don't see GB as a great sport nation at all.

They pretty much are on top of every big sport out there. Basketball, cycling, tennis, F1 racing, football, Handball, etc

Only 3 1/2 of those are actually big sports, and that's being generous even considering F1 a sport.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Then why is Spain so much better in most sports than Great Britain?

 

[Escarabajo]

Then why is Spain so much better in most sports than Great Britain?

Because they speak Spanish.

 

[El Pistolero]

Only 3 1/2 of those are actually big sports, and that's being generous even considering F1 a sport.

Because Great Britain never gets gold medals at the Olympics from small obscure sports

How much medals do track cycling give you guys every 4 years?

 

[El Pistolero]

Well then, if GB is miles ahead that shouldn't pose any problems at all

 

[spalco]

Because Great Britain never gets gold medals at the Olympics from small obscure sports

I don't give a **** about UK vs Spain **** measuring contests but making a list of "big sports" that puts handball, cycling and tennis before track&field, volleyball, boxing, swimming and probably even baseball and ice hockey just makes you look biased. Even rugby and skiing are probably far more popular worldwide than handball.

 

[Andy99]

Lordy don't go, it's always the most level headed who drop a forum when people throw their toys out of the pram. Making the forum increasingly more stupid and dull.

Ok, you've convinced me.

I just find this whole petty nationalism/hating really pathetic.

I don't understand why an international forum can't reflect the internationalism and inherent freindliness of the sport that exists in reality.

When at a bike race, everyone has fun together, with no snide remarks. This is one of the beautiful aspects of the sport, and explains why the atmosphere is so much better than, say at a football match.

Generally, everyone will celebrate together no matter who wins. Why should a forum be any different?

On Sunday, we celebrated in the Belgian Beer tent, with no animosity whatsoever.

There is nothing wrong with debate, though I am fed up of the constant hatred that seems to underpin a certain number of peoples posts.

Maybe, some of the people on here just need to have a beer and chill out.

Sorry if I'm a bit mardy. Still hungover

 

[hrotha]

Errr, Britain is always miles ahead of Spain in the medal rankings at the Olympics and athletics championships. For good and ill, for the purposes of ****-measuring contests and Clinic stuff.

edit: wow, the filter is truly ***. Ding ****? Hmm, wang? Schlong?

 

[Mambo95]

Erm, Spain is far more diverse. Actually I don't see GB as a great sport nation at all.

They pretty much are on top of every big sport out there. Basketball, cycling, tennis, F1 racing, football, Handball, etc

If you think Spain is superior to GB at Formula 1, then you're living in a dream world.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

If you think Spain is superior to GB at Formula 1, then you're living in a dream world.

That depends - if you take out certain courses that don't produce a "worthy" winner (ie if you don't like the person/nation) then it could be that Spain is better.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

They pretty much are on top of every big sport out there. Basketball, cycling, tennis, F1 racing, football, Handball, etc

How do you figure? I'm sure the US would have something to say that.

 

[El Pistolero]

Errr, Britain is always miles ahead of Spain in the medal rankings at the Olympics and athletics championships. For good and ill, for the purposes of ****-measuring contests and Clinic stuff.

edit: wow, the filter is truly ***. Ding ****? Hmm, wang? Schlong?

Most of British medals come from track cycling though. A sport mostly done by Anglophone countries. Though track cycling does deliver good talent to road cycling.

 

[El Pistolero]

How do you figure that?

Second at the Olympics in 2008 and won the European championship. How else would I figure it? Mind you, didn't say they were the best in Basketball: USA obviously is.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If that's your opinion surely it proves it wasn't a pure sprint. Although he did pretty well in Paris for a non-sprinter too.

Yes, witnesses with a vested interest who were then photographed doing exactly what Cav was accused of I seem to remember. Very believable...

There is no evidence of Francisco Ventoso holding on to a team car. He finished in groups ahead of Cav on all those days. Then Cav issued a "threat" to him to come and ride in the grupetto "to see what I have to go through". Possibly the worst threat I've ever heard - "I dare you to ride slower than normal so you can see my pain!" - unless he was aiming for Renshaw to dole out some justice in his usual overly physical fashion at the next sprint.

Nothing to do with being British at all.

I found the post (one amongst many, I must add) needlessly derogotary towards the race organisation.

Having been there, personally I thought the experience was fantastic, and the warmth of the Danish people particularly endearing.

The atmosphere was great, so say all that I know who were there. But the atmosphere is also great at many an important football match that then ends up a 0-0 draw with no chances that goes to penalties. The great atmosphere does not change that this was a woefully un-selective course that didn't provide very good racing.

Erm, Spain is far more diverse. Actually I don't see GB as a great sport nation at all.

They pretty much are on top of every big sport out there. Basketball, cycling, tennis, F1 racing, football, Handball, etc

You realise that there are 2 British drivers' champions to 1 Spanish one, a Briton above any Spaniard in the current title race, and Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, Force India, Williams, Virgin, Lotus and Renault (the team that took that Spaniard to the top) are based in the UK? That's over half the grid.

 

[El Pistolero]

There is no evidence of Francisco Ventoso holding on to a team car. He finished in groups ahead of Cav on all those days. Then Cav issued a "threat" to him to come and ride in the grupetto "to see what I have to go through". Possibly the worst threat I've ever heard - "I dare you to ride slower than normal so you can see my pain!" - unless he was aiming for Renshaw to dole out some justice in his usual overly physical fashion at the next sprint.

The atmosphere was great, so say all that I know who were there. But the atmosphere is also great at many an important football match that then ends up a 0-0 draw with no chances that goes to penalties. The great atmosphere does not change that this was a woefully un-selective course that didn't provide very good racing.

You realise that there are 2 British drivers' champions to 1 Spanish one, a Briton above any Spaniard in the current title race, and Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, Force India, Williams, Virgin, Lotus and Renault (the team that took that Spaniard to the top) are based in the UK? That's over half the grid.

I was just naming some sports were they compete on world level. For a country that's not that big, it's pretty impressive how well they do in some of the biggest sports in the world.