The New World Champion! Appreciation

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

yes but there were not any valid points.

Just sour grapes. oh so sour

funny, because most people are saying how bad of a course it was.

I guess your non-relevant points are much more useful. Loser, can't handle a opinion.

 

[Four Winds]

Thanks everyone for a fantastically entertaining thread. Funny how the parcours is considered crappy when you don't get the result you want! And as for worst ever perhaps we should have it at Zolder next year. All sorts of riders should have a chance to win it in their career and the fact that this is possibly Cav's only chance makes it even more impressive with the pressure on him.

Some have accused him of being a wheelsucker. Apart from Grabsch the Germans only appeared with 3k to go as did the entire Aussie team. GB were the team of the race.

Well done Cav, great to see an Englishman on the podium.





Hugh

I'm sure he'd be the first to point out that he's Manx rather than English

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Still trying to work out why Cav wasn't favourite, and you could get 7-1 on him winning this morning.

Presumably the whining 'it was predictable' crowd all made a fortune piling their savings on Cav?

And I bet none of them voted for someone else in the predictions thread. Or said he would get dropped?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

So it was a worthy course? So Cavendish did a great job of policing?

No. It was a total flat race in which nothing happened, and on the rare occasions someone did, the British team shut it down.

Ruthless? Yes. Efficient? Yes. Effective? Hell yes.

Entertaining? No way.

So, just like Evans winning the Tour, congratulations to Cavendish for winning. But that doesn't mean I liked the race or the course, and feel they should be criticised for being found wanting in several aspects.

apparently we can't critisize the course.

For the record I agree that cav is a worthy champion, emotions can run high and I was disappointed in the course cav won, which imo doesn't really represent what a world champion is about.

 

[ParfaitAmour]

Still trying to work out why Cav wasn't favourite, and you could get 7-1 on him winning this morning.

Presumably the whining 'it was predictable' crowd all made a fortune piling their savings on Cav?

And I bet none of them voted for someone else in the predictions thread. Or said he would get dropped?

I am so disappointed I didn't back him
Didn't occur to me

 

[FignonLeGrand]

funny, because most people are saying how bad of a course it was.

I guess your non-relevant points are much more useful. Loser, can't handle a opinion.

hhmm you don't see any irony in this post?

Consider it. . . .

And the course doesnt matter for this thread. No matter how bad it was (and it was awful) Cav won and a GB fan that's great.

 

[hatcher]

omg, learn to read.

The more reasonable tactic on this course was to wait for the end, like i just said. No way anyone stays away on this fast simple course. Canc almost got a bronze medal for waiting. He would have not come close if he attacked. The course forced riders to wait. That was my point.

Like I said, Cav used what was giving to him, not at all trying to justify my hate for cav. I said in the other thread I'm not a big fan, and there wont be much logic to my disappointment, but this course was poor.. Not against cav. The race feels like it devalues the stripes. But whatever, you cav fanboys can't obvious handle a different opinion.

Maybe you shouldn't join in the middle of a discussion without reading the original posts. The point made was that at least half the riders had plenty left in the tank after the race; my reply was asking if something was stopping them using it.

And incidentally, your point about Cance nearly getting third on this course doesn't help the anti-course argument. Neither does: 1) MSR winner. 2) MSR winner. 4) Cancellara. That's a damn good top 4.

 

[El Pistolero]

Still trying to work out why Cav wasn't favourite, and you could get 7-1 on him winning this morning.

Presumably the whining 'it was predictable' crowd all made a fortune piling their savings on Cav?

And I bet none of them voted for someone else in the predictions thread. Or said he would get dropped?

It was pretty obvious he wouldn't get dropped in a race that's even easier than Milan-San Remo. As for the reason why he wasn't favorite it's because of the final uphill sprint. In all the other races we saw people struggle on it, but the elite man just flew over it. This race would have been bad no matter who won. Unless someone did a 10km solo, but that's impossible in modern cycling.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Maybe you shouldn't join in the middle of a discussion without reading the original posts. The point made was that at least half the riders had plenty left in the tank after the race; my reply was asking if something was stopping them using it.

And incidentally, your point about Cance nearly getting third on this course doesn't help the anti-course argument. Neither does: 1) MSR winner. 2) MSR winner. 4) Cancellara. That's a damn good top 4.

My point was on this course, the only viable option for riders wanting to win was to wait and hope cav couldn't do it on the slightly uphill finish. But apparently you still don't understand the simplicity in that argument.

There was little point of attacking when Gb were on front and gonna keep their pace and thus eliminating the chance of a break staying away. The riders knew this, thus they didn't attack.

Whatever, if you wanna believe this was a good course you do that. PS: I mean this genuine, on this course he deserved to win. My posts were in regards to a disappointing result not cav. And again he is probably a worthy WC seeing as he is by far the best sprinter in the peloton.

Kudos to cav for delivering on what was giving to him.

 

[El Pistolero]

Even Sagan got 12th haha.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Thanks everyone for a fantastically entertaining thread. Funny how the parcours is considered crappy when you don't get the result you want!

Regardless of who won, it was a crappy parcours.

Amets Txurruka could have won and I'd still have called it a crappy parcours. Because it was.

Cavendish was the best sprinter on the day. Not the best rider (the best riders were probably Froome and Wiggins for their work on the front) but the best sprinter of a race that was absolutely certain to go to a sprint.

It may have escaped your attention, but I don't like stages and races that are absolutely certain to go to a sprint. I like a bit of variety. I don't mind a sprint if the race does enough to throw the trains off their game, encourage some attacking, make things a bit interesting. This course did none of that, and ticked absolutely none of the boxes for entertainment.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

It was pretty obvious he wouldn't get dropped in a race that's even easier than Milan-San Remo. As for the reason why he wasn't favorite it's because of the final uphill sprint. In all the other races we saw people struggle on it, but the elite man just flew over it. This race would have been bad no matter who won. Unless someone did a 10km solo, but that's impossible in modern cycling.

If it's pretty obvious, why did ~50% of people write him off in the prediction thread.

As for your 10km solo, Wiggins went 15km today

 

[El Pistolero]

If it's pretty obvious, why did ~50% of people write him off in the prediction thread.

As for your 10km solo, Wiggins went 15km today

Like I said people overrated the final uphill sprint. I thought Gilbert could get bronze in this sprint, but it really was just too easy.

If the finish was flat everyone would be saying Cav. And not many people expected Thor to get stuck behind a crash.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=689255&postcount=239

As you see, I already knew Cav would win after the Women elite joke race.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Regardless of who won, it was a crappy parcours.

Amets Txurruka could have won and I'd still have called it a crappy parcours. Because it was.

Cavendish was the best sprinter on the day. Not the best rider (the best riders were probably Froome and Wiggins for their work on the front) but the best sprinter of a race that was absolutely certain to go to a sprint.

It may have escaped your attention, but I don't like stages and races that are absolutely certain to go to a sprint. I like a bit of variety. I don't mind a sprint if the race does enough to throw the trains off their game, encourage some attacking, make things a bit interesting. This course did none of that, and ticked absolutely none of the boxes for entertainment.

Still not sure I understand why you need to go in to post overload after a race you knew was going to be rubbish. Are you concerned someone might foolishly enjoy what you KNOW to be a rubbish race? That would be awful, I'll grant you.

I would have far more respect for all this *****ing if it -

a) Was not from the usual suspects.
b) Was not based on a position in direction contradiction of the one I'm reading in the original prediction thread right now.

When people write off Cavendish in advance, then complain about how predictable it was and claim it was tailor made (clearly nonsense, I could design something much much nicer for Cavendish if you asked me nicely) after the event, the only conclusion is that they're determined to be bitter haters.

(That last Para was for broader consumption rather than aimed just at you, lovely Libby).

 

[gurumuka]

A day for the sprinters. Goss closed fast and was still closing on the line. I don't like Cav (never have; never will) but still he is now a World Champion and on that type of course was always going to be hard to beat. Be interesting to see how he copes with the new attention - will it be with grace or the arrogance that we have seen over the years?
Hopefully Sky announce his signing and not GreenEdge. Yep you guessed it.......... I'm an Aussie!!!!!!!

 

[Ferminal]

If it's pretty obvious, why did ~50% of people write him off in the prediction thread.

As for your 10km solo, Wiggins went 15km today

I don't think it was obvious Cav was going to win, but as the week progressed it certainly became more and more likely that he might just do that. I think it was obvious from the middle of the week that we were going to have a very large group all entering the final bend together.

You would hope the complaints about the course and excitement of the race would have been equal had Gilbert, Hushovd or Sagan won the sprint.

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't think it was obvious Cav was going to win, but as the week progressed it certainly became more and more likely that he might just do that. I think it was obvious from the middle of the week that we were going to have a very large group all entering the final bend together.

You would hope the complaints about the course and excitement of the race would have been equal had Gilbert, Hushovd or Sagan won the sprint.

People are always complaining when Gilbert wins. Why do people think it would be different if he won?

It's just when Phil wins he usually did more than sucking wheel till the last 200 meters and it often is more entertaining like in the GP Québec this year. Or in the Amstel Gold Race where he had to bring back Andy Schleck back him self and still won on the Cauberg sprint. Sprinters like Cav don't do that.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

You would hope the complaints about the course and excitement of the race would have been equal had Gilbert, Hushovd or Sagan won the sprint.

Sadly, I think we all know that would not have been the case, at least from some quarters.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I don't think it was obvious Cav was going to win, but as the week progressed it certainly became more and more likely that he might just do that. I think it was obvious from the middle of the week that we were going to have a very large group all entering the final bend together.

You would hope the complaints about the course and excitement of the race would have been equal had Gilbert, Hushovd or Sagan won the sprint.

In comparison to how much attention women cycling gets in general and the complaints there, it has been pretty consistent in regards to being labelled a bad course. It isn't a jab against cav. Myself and others are just using cav winning as a prime example why the course was bad.

I would have complained regardless of the result. Tho Cav winning illustrates the type of course it is, and thus gets a reaction as such.

but again, the guy and more particular his team deserve the rewards for owning on such a course.

 

[sublimit]

A day for the sprinters. Goss closed fast and was still closing on the line. I don't like Cav (never have; never will) but still he is now a World Champion and on that type of course was always going to be hard to beat. Be interesting to see how he copes with the new attention - will it be with grace or the arrogance that we have seen over the years?
Hopefully Sky announce his signing and not GreenEdge. Yep you guessed it.......... I'm an Aussie!!!!!!!

His team were perfect, Cav lost his leadout but still won.
Goss was OK and congratulations to him for coming second.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

People are always complaining when Gilbert wins. Why do people think it would be different if he won?

Because you would be celebrating right now, directly removing ~30% of the negative posts in the last hour.

 

[El Pistolero]

Sadly, I think we all know that would not have been the case, at least from some quarters.

Go read a recent race thread when Gilbert won a race

Enough complainers.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

(That last Para was for broader consumption rather than aimed just at you, lovely Libby).

I was going to say, I don't recall posting in the prediction thread?

FWIW, I, like Pistolet, overrated the difficulty of the finish. Once I'd actually seen it in the women's race yesterday I thought that Cav came back into the list of favourites.

Well, I thought that only once I'd finished moaning about how awful the women's race was and how disappointed I was seeing as I like women's racing and try to push it for much of the year, but when we do see them on the biggest stage, the race is awful. That took most of my evening away.

It was an awful course. Cavendish was a worthy winner, but the course should never have been approved in the first place. Simply not challenging enough to make the World Championship feel like an achievement, like it has some sense of occasion. Instead it was just another sprint stage, just one that happened to be a bit longer than usual.

 

[El Pistolero]

Because you would be celebrating right now, directly removing ~30% of the negative posts in the last hour.

I still would have found it a boring race. In fact I fell asleep during the race and only woke up in the last 5km.

 

[roundabout]

If Cavendish wasn't rated by the bookies who was the favorite? I am just curious.