The New World Champion! Appreciation

[goggalor]

Wasn't easy enough for Greipel or Farrar or EBH or Feillu or Gilbert or Bennati to win.

Cavendish undeniably is the best sprinter of this generation and when he retires could easily be viewed as the best one ever. He will be a worthy wearer of the rainbow jersey next year and his name looks excellent in the list of winners of this race.

It was easy enough that 95 riders finished with the same time of the winner. Of these, how many do you think were truly spent? I reckon at least half must've had more left in the tank, but the course didn't let them prove it.

 

[hatcher]

It was easy enough that 95 riders finished with the same time of the winner. Of these, how many do you think were truly spent? I reckon at least half must've had more left in the tank, but the course didn't let them prove it.

Something stopping them attacking when all those other riders attacked?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Something stopping them attacking when all those other riders attacked?

the course was not made for attacks.

 

[Ferminal]

Something stopping them attacking when all those other riders attacked?

Bradley Wiggins

 

[hatcher]

the course was not made for attacks.

Yet over 10 riders managed to get a decent gap. Add a Gilbert and a Cancellara to that front group and it's a different race. But they didn't even bother to try.

 

[ingsve]

Cavendish undeniably is the best sprinter of this generation and when he retires could easily be viewed as the best day ever.

Fixed your post.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Wasn't easy enough for Greipel or Farrar or EBH or Feillu or Gilbert or Bennati to win.

Cavendish undeniably is the best sprinter of this generation and when he retires could easily be viewed as the best one ever. He will be a worthy wearer of the rainbow jersey next year and his name looks excellent in the list of winners of this race.

If this was a GT flat stage half those guys that were dropped would have still been in the group.

Cavendish is undeniably the best sprinter of this generation, and could easily be the best ever.

He may even be a worthy rainbow jersey wearer.

But the race that let him win it was farcically bad. Almost a parade. Cavendish has won better races. His San Remo win, for example, was masterful. That is a relatively easy classic, but he did a brilliant job to win. Today he needed to do pretty much sweet FA, because the parcours didn't allow for it to be made difficult.

Compared to today's Worlds race, Milan-San Remo is as mountainous as a Crostis-Zoncolán double with Giau, Fedaia, Mortirolo and Gavia as a warmup.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Yet over 10 riders managed to get a decent gap. Add a Gilbert and a Cancellara to that front group and it's a different race. But they didn't even bother to try.

yep because gilbert and canc would have got so much freedom.
it was a race designed to wait for the last 500m. They knew this. Their best chance - which apparently was little - was to wait.

lol @ anyone who defends this spectacular course.

 

[Moondance]

Respect for Cav.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

The race was crappy but Cav is still world champion. HAHA. All the haters should just suck it up and get on with it. Cavs sprint was awesome, the GB team were totally dominant. All the moaners need to ask why their countries didnt do more. Italy and Netherlands were rubbish. On the road Aussies are just a second class GB team. I normally stay out of all the petty nationalist rubbish on here but today I am going to enjoy it.

This is a GREAT day for UK cycling, capping of a great year.

As for the Aussies, really strop moaning, go back and relearn how to play cricket, how to play Rugby and how to Swim. If it wasnt for Cuddles Aussie sport would really suck.

(Although I do think ull clean up on the track at Olympics )

 

[saganftw]

Wasn't easy enough for Greipel or Farrar or EBH or Feillu or Gilbert or Bennati to win.

Cavendish undeniably is the best sprinter of this generation and when he retires could easily be viewed as the best one ever. He will be a worthy wearer of the rainbow jersey next year and his name looks excellent in the list of winners of this race.

i disagree,when i look at the list of winners,just couple of them

armstrong - oh great one,tough wheater,nobody expected him to win

olano - epic,riding on flat tyre

freire 1st title - i remember that attack well,it was hilarious

cav - oh i didnt know you can win WC hiding in peloton for 266 km

now dont get me wrong,i dont blame cav for winning,he did his job well on very crappy course...but it wasnt epic,it wasnt even entertaining,it was just another cav win,it wasnt outstanding,it was nothing WC supposed to be like and while its not his fault i still cant consider him (or any other sprinter winning same way) to be worthy WC

 

[FignonLeGrand]

If the team is your argument, GB deserved it. Cav just finished of their hard work.

This is my problem really. A world champion should include some degree of personal effort. And yes I understand huge training and planning and position went into this. But it is really lame when the world champion had wind in his face for 50m of the race.

I have no problem with a flat course, but it needs to be more versatile then this. Geelong was a sprinters course done well. This course allowed a one dimensional rider take the spoils. WC should be more epic then this.

Still cav delivered on what was giving to him. oh well.

Seriously stop whining

 

[El Pistolero]

And the sad part is when people will look at his palmares in 30 years they'll think he was one of the best one day racers ever.

We already know the Olympic champion as well, why even hold the race. I'm glad these flat WC are finally over for at least 2015.

 

[spalco]

lol @ anyone who defends this spectacular course.

I felt entertained, I enjoyed the race. Although not as much as the aftermath on cn forums I have to admit.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

It was easy enough that 95 riders finished with the same time of the winner. Of these, how many do you think were truly spent? I reckon at least half must've had more left in the tank, but the course didn't let them prove it.

Rubbish. If they had so much gas why didnt they burn it attacking. Dont blame GB they didnt have to make the race. Blame all the other 'big nations' who didnt do anything to change or make the race.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Seriously stop whining

hey man thanks. I will stop posting an opinion on a forum.

feel free to ignore me if you dislike it. Otherwise don't bother posting your pointless reply - which did not address any of points - princess.

get real chump.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I felt entertained, I enjoyed the race. Although not as much as the aftermath on cn forums I have to admit.

Amen brother.

 

[PhiberAwptik]

If you want to direct your hate. Direct it at GB's choice of a skinsuit. Just awful.

Gotta give it to Cav, in the end he did it without a leadout.

 

[hatcher]

yep because gilbert and canc would have got so much freedom.
it was a race designed to wait for the last 500m. They knew this. Their best chance - which apparently was little - was to wait.

lol @ anyone who defends this spectacular course.

Why would it take being given freedom? Riders were consistently gapping the bunch on the finishing straight. No reason at all why Gilbert and others couldn't have at least tried to make it harder on GB.

lol @ people trying to justify their Cav-hate.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

The level of Australian moaning on here is unbelievable.

Much worse than when Cadel won the Tour. And at least in this race the best rider won.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

hey man thanks. I will stop posting an opinion on a forum.

feel free to ignore me if you dislike it. Otherwise don't bother posting your pointless reply - which did not address any of points - princess.

get real chump.

yes but there were not any valid points.

Just sour grapes. oh so sour

 

[Anonymous]

Interesting to see that even those with a dislike of Evans such as myself were happy to congratulate him, say it was deserved etc.

Yet when Cavendish wins everyone is whining about how bad the course was, how it was just a sprint etc etc etc.

The only thing worse than a bad winner, is a bad loser.

 

[hatcher]

2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze.

Acceptable.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Why would it take being given freedom? Riders were consistently gapping the bunch on the finishing straight. No reason at all why Gilbert and others couldn't have at least tried to make it harder on GB.

lol @ people trying to justify their Cav-hate.

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.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Interesting to see that even those with a dislike of Evans such as myself were happy to congratulate him, say it was deserved etc.

Yet when Cavendish wins everyone is whining about how bad the course was, how it was just a sprint etc etc etc.

The only thing worse than a bad winner, is a bad loser.

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.