The New World Champion! Appreciation

[El Pistolero]

Erm, Cavendish has already won a monument, Stannard came close in KBK (and will quite probably win a semi classic in the future), Geraint Thomas coming very close in Flanders and possibly would have won had he not been riding for Flecha (and will almost certainly win Flanders or Roubaix in the future), and would have made a real threat in Roubaix had he not crashed (and remember he podiumed on the Roubaix stage of the Tour)

and its very convenient to say they havent had a run at winning the Tour or the Giro when they have just put two riders on the podium in Spain (and one of those was riding the Tour in arguably better condition before he crashed).

You need to open you eyes..

You are letting your hate cloud your judgement

Is this post serious? Geraint Thomas will never win a Monument unless he's massively lucky.

As for Cav, well MSR is the only classic he can win.

 

[Anonymous]

How many female cyclists can make a living of their job? How many of them still have a job besides cycling?

I remember Marianne Vos saying on Vive le Vélo that she barely makes enough to focus on her cycling. If the best in the world barely makes enough to focus on her job then I don't want to know what the average female cyclist earns... Definitely not enough to live of it and thus they can't completely focus on their sport.

As such, I find it hard to call it a professional sport just yet. Only the top female cyclists can live of cycling.

what does that have to do with it.

You said that only the mens tt and road race count for anything. In other words, the Junior races, the u23 races, and the womens races are worthless.

That is idiotic.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Stannard's KBK is a bit of an anomaly though, with the weather at that edition. He's a good bet, but will always be a peripheral guy. Maybe a semi-classic but not sure. He's definitely a good guy to have around for them though.

I don't know which Britons are going to compete in the hilly classics either, unless Chris Froome's going to add them to his repertoire after his performance on Peña Cabarga. Certainly the British duo were somewhat at sea on the Vuelta stages Rodríguez won.

 

[Anonymous]

Is this post serious? Geraint Thomas will never win a Monument unless he's massively lucky.

As for Cav, well MSR is the only classic he can win.

my point being Cyclechic said what british riders have ever come close to winning a classic.

Cavendish - has won a classic
Stannard - has come close
Geraint - has come close

So that makes her "no british riders have come close to winning a classic" line look really stupid.

 

[Richeypen]

Has nothing to do with racism. It's just that in a sport like track and field I find black athletes to be genetically superior in a lot of events. As you had a lot of colonies there are a lot of people in these ex-colonies that naturalize them self and become Brit. Where's the racism?

Oh dear. Making a fool of yourself tonight

 

[Skip Madness]

Has nothing to do with racism. It's just that in a sport like track and field I find black athletes to be genetically superior in a lot of events. As you had a lot of colonies there are a lot of people in these ex-colonies that naturalize them self and become Brit. Where's the racism?

You didn't say you wondered how many people from ex-colonies who had naturalised themselves to represent Britain won medals, you said

I wonder how many white Brits got your medals there

with the logical implication being that only white British medallists are really British.

The stuff about only the elite men's races counting is also nonsensical. The winners of the women's races are the best female cyclists in the world, of course they count.

 

[El Pistolero]

what does that have to do with it.

You said that only the mens tt and road race count for anything. In other words, the Junior races, the u23 races, and the womens races are worthless.

That is idiotic.

Not worthless. They just aren't nearly as prestigious. How many Junior world champions made it to the pro levels?

U23 races are a good indication for the future, but in any sport only the elite races count.

 

[Anonymous]

Not worthless. They just aren't nearly as prestigious. How many Junior world champions made it to the pro levels?

U23 races are a good indication for the future, but in any sport only the elite races count.

So are we only to count the mens events at the olympics?

 

[Midnightfright]

I didn't say we were better than Spain. Spain are the best cycling nation in the world. I said we've had more than a little success, in response to a post that said just that.

In reponse to another point, I'd say that Thomas should be considered a contender at the cobbled monuments (and Hammond is still around), Cavendish at GW and Wiggins is likely to be considered a threat at any GT. Maybe Froome will prove to be too. I take your point on the hilly classics.

Hilly classics what about Dan Lloyd?

 

[El Pistolero]

You didn't say you wondered how many people from ex-colonies who had naturalised themselves to represent Britain won medals, you said


with the logical implication being that only white British medallists are really British.

The stuff about only the elite men's races counting is also nonsensical. The winners of the women's races are the best female cyclists in the world, of course they count.

Or I'm dubious when a professional athlete changes their nationality in any professional sport? I don't like it when professional athletes like Tchmil kept changing their nationalities for example. Why did Tchmil become Belgian? I don't know, but perhaps to get a better team for the Worlds

 

[hrotha]

Geraint Thomas coming very close in Flanders and possibly would have won had he not been riding for Flecha (and will almost certainly win Flanders or Roubaix in the future)

Is this post serious? Geraint Thomas will never win a Monument unless he's massively lucky.

I LOL'ed at the opposing but equally silly bias in these posts.

 

[El Pistolero]

So are we only to count the mens events at the olympics?

There are a lot of female sports that are well developed and have a high professional level. Cycling sadly isn't one of them.

If female cycling can be an Olympic sport than why can't cyclocross for example become one?

 

[Dr. Maserati]

How many female cyclists can make a living of their job? How many of them still have a job besides cycling?

I remember Marianne Vos saying on Vive le Vélo that she barely makes enough to focus on her cycling. If the best in the world barely makes enough to focus on her job then I don't want to know what the average female cyclist earns... Definitely not enough to live of it and thus they can't completely focus on their sport.

As such, I find it hard to call it a professional sport just yet. Only the top female cyclists can live of cycling.

What has 'making a living' got to do with racing being prestigious enough?
It is a World title.

 

[jordan5000]

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.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Or I'm dubious when a professional athlete changes their nationality in any professional sport? I don't like it when professional athletes like Tchmil kept changing their nationalities for example. Why did Tchmil become Belgian? I don't know, but perhaps to get a better team for the Worlds

Which British medallists from the recent athletics WC's have changed their nationality? Please enlighten me.

 

[Skip Madness]

Or I'm dubious when a professional athlete changes their nationality in any professional sport? I don't like it when professional athletes like Tchmil kept changing their nationalities for example. Why did Tchmil become Belgian? I don't know, but perhaps to get a better team for the Worlds

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

I wonder how many white Brits got your medals there

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

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If female cycling can be an Olympic sport than why can't cyclocross for example become one?

Because CX is a winter sport, and because it does not require snow they're reluctant to include it in the Winter Olympics. Not to mention that most of the places that host the Winter Olympics have little to no interest in CX...

 

[El Pistolero]

What has 'making a living' got to do with racing being prestigious enough?
It is a World title.

"Tell me who was second to you and I will tell you the value of your victory."

Of course, in the case of Bronsini she won against a strong athlete. But for me the value of a victory is determined by the competition. And in a sport that's yet in it's baby shoes that competition is less fierce. But hey, your entitled to your own opinion of course.

 

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of female sports that are well developed and have a high professional level. Cycling sadly isn't one of them.

If female cycling can be an Olympic sport than why can't cyclocross for example become one?

I fully agree with Cyclocross being at the Olympics. It would need to be the Winter Olympics though.

 

[ultimobici]

A cycling backwater has just finished top of the medal standings at the World Championships. How embarrassing.

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.

 

[Richeypen]

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

Exactly. Disgusting post. Sexist and racist posts in the the same thread, guess someone is showing their true colours.

 

[ultimobici]

Because CX is a winter sport, and because it does not require snow they're reluctant to include it in the Winter Olympics. Not to mention that most of the places that host the Winter Olympics have little to no interest in CX...

Massively popular in Czech Republic though!

 

[El Pistolero]

Because CX is a winter sport, and because it does not require snow they're reluctant to include it in the Winter Olympics. Not to mention that most of the places that host the Winter Olympics have little to no interest in CX...

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.

The cyclocross race yesterday was held in sunny weather. Sven Nys won. There should be no problem of including cyclocross in the summer olympics even if it is a sport mostly held during the winter. There's a historical reason for that, not so much because it has to be hold during the winter...

 

[Anonymous]

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.

The cyclocross race yesterday was held in sunny weather. Sven Nys won. There should be no problem of including cyclocross in the summer olympics even if it is a sport mostly held during the winter. There's a historical reason for that, not so much because it has to be hold during the winter...

wouldnt work, their training schedules would be all over the shop, riders like Boom, Stybar that ride both would be in road form. Would be far better as part of the winter games.

as for crowds, they were probably all at the archery, or skeet shooting, the walking race, or those other big crowd pullers.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

"Tell me who was second to you and I will tell you the value of your victory."

Of course, in the case of Bronsini she won against a strong athlete. But for me the value of a victory is determined by the competition. And in a sport that's yet in it's baby shoes that competition is less fierce. But hey, your entitled to your own opinion of course.

What does "competition is less fierce" actually mean?