The New World Champion! Appreciation

[jordan5000]

Why has this post become country vs country? Yeesh acknowledge a rider who did a good job and leave the countries out of it, there is no need for it.

 

[hrotha]

Why has this post become country vs country? Yeesh acknowledge a rider who did a good job and leave the countries out of it, there is no need for it.

Actually the people who got Britain involved were those who think the course was alright. Nobody was criticizing Britain, and few people were criticizing Cavendish himself.

 

[ParfaitAmour]

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

Yay !

I'm a Brit, it IS nice that we have done well at cycling, which in turn gives those of us not able to attend a lot of races better media coverage. Good yes ?
Just don't understand how anyone can ***** about a rider based on their nationality or for being supported by their own home grown bunch...just nonsensical

 

[Mambo95]

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.

Amusingly, there used to be a Grand Prix at Zolder, but the Belgians, probably thinking that the course had to be more selective and have a hill in it, moved it to Spa. I'm surprised they haven't cobbled it yet.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If people are moaning about Cav winning just because of his nationality, then fair enough, that's stupid.

But there are plenty of reasons to be disappointed with the 2011 World Championships that have nothing whatsoever to do with the outcome, nationality or rider support.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yay !

I'm a Brit, it IS nice that we have done well at cycling, which in turn gives those of us not able to attend a lot of races better media coverage. Good yes ?
Just don't understand how anyone can ***** about a rider based on their nationality or for being supported by their own home grown bunch...just nonsensical

Actually, no one is hating on Cav because he's British, but they're p*ssed because a lot of people here don't like sprinters that do nothing until the final 150 meters. Why do you think people hate Brits here? That's silly.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Amusingly, there used to be a Grand Prix at Zolder, but the Belgians, probably thinking that the course had to be more selective and have a hill in it, moved it to Spa. I'm surprised they haven't cobbled it yet.

There used to be a cobbled hairpin at Nouveau Monde at Rouen-les-Essarts, one of the places that used to hold the French GP.

Does this make the flat low-downforce track that is Monza into Milan-San Remo, to continue the analogy? Does the flat and almost featureless former aerodrome that is Silverstone represent the Tour of Britain?

(And I know you were joking, and it was actually pretty funny, but Spa was the old host until the long version was too unsafe, so they had to build the new shorter version, Zolder was just the stopgap circuit).

 

[King Of The Wolds]

they're p*ssed because a lot of people here don't like sprinters that do nothing until the final 150 meters. .

You're one of them, so answer me why? What should Cav do? What would you ask him to do if you was he DS?

 

[El Pistolero]

You're one of them, so answer me why? What should Cav do? What would you ask him to do if you was he DS?

I'm not asking Cavendish to change his riding style. I'm asking for a better world championship where he at least has to work to stay in the peloton like in San Remo 2009. This was one big joke like in Zolder.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Why has this post become country vs country? Yeesh acknowledge a rider who did a good job and leave the countries out of it, there is no need for it.

Yes & no.
Its impossible not to discuss counties when they are the teams.
Why have Spain been brought in to this? That would be a better question.

Actually the people who got Britain involved were those who think the course was alright. Nobody was criticizing Britain, and few people were criticizing Cavendish himself.

Actually, it was innocently brought up by Python who made no mention of the course.

 

[hrotha]

He mentioned Britain, but he wasn't the one who started acting like people were attacking Britain.

 

[Ragerod]

Amusingly, there used to be a Grand Prix at Zolder, but the Belgians, probably thinking that the course had to be more selective and have a hill in it, moved it to Spa. I'm surprised they haven't cobbled it yet.

It was at Spa before Zolder but the Brits refused to race there because it was too hilly.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

He mentioned Britain, but he wasn't the one who started acting like people were attacking Britain.

Ok, you're on about the people who reacted to this post.....

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?

 

[hrotha]

Ok, you're on about the people who reacted to this post.....

What about it? Is it attacking Britain?

 

[Dr. Maserati]

What about it? Is it attacking Britain?

I'll tell you what it is - irrelevant.

But don't go bemoaning a situation that you started.

 

[ParfaitAmour]

We still doing this thread ?

 

[The Hitch]

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

Huh? 10 characters

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

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.

Fair enough. To me it seemed you were saying they were the best.

 

[rhubroma]

Who witnessed this Etna Incident? From video that people did take of him, he was riding alongside Eisel and others while they were emptying bottles over his head, not a car in sight.

My friend Eugenio Cappadocia, who is a cycling reporter for an Italian daily.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

Actually, no one is hating on Cav because he's British, but they're p*ssed because a lot of people here don't like sprinters that do nothing until the final 150 meters. Why do you think people hate Brits here? That's silly.

Because we don't have any of the type of cyclist that people on here like, Ardennes specialists such as Vinokourov, J Rodriguez, Gilbert etc. But we do produce a lot of top cyclists of a type that people on here don't like, TTers, climbers that can't attack, bunch sprinters etc.

Thomas Geraint is the closest thing the Brits have to a popular type of rider.

I'm not saying you hate Brits because of the above but there is a fairly consistent stream of negativity.

 

[rhubroma]

Thats a good point - Cancellara isn't fast

Come on Dr. Maserati Cancellara isn't a sprinter, at least let us agree on that. Et al.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

My friend Eugenio Cappadocia, who is a cycling reporter for an Italian daily.

And your cycling reporter friend didn't think to snap a few pictures or record this with their phone

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Because we don't have any of the type of cyclist that people on here like, Ardennes specialists such as Vinokourov, J Rodriguez, Gilbert etc. But we do produce a lot of top cyclists of a type that people on here don't like, TTers, climbers that can't attack, bunch sprinters etc.

Thomas Geraint is the closest thing the Brits have to a popular type of rider.

I'm not saying you hate Brits because of the above but there is a fairly consistent stream of negativity.

I think that's fair. A lot of the British riders aren't unpopular per se, but they aren't favourites because they aren't the type of riders that are popular. Their nationality doesn't come into it at all, it's just that people would rather watch another type of racing, and that type of racing doesn't suit many of the Britons in the péloton, probably because there isn't much in the British national calendar that allows them to develop many of the kind of riders that are popular unless they are supertalents who are shoehorned up to Team Sky very quickly.

And of course, it doesn't help that when they do create a rider who races in a style that is more popular, they spring out of absolutely nowhere and arouse suspicion from many quarters because of performances that are incredible in both senses of the word.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

There used to be a cobbled hairpin at Nouveau Monde at Rouen-les-Essarts, one of the places that used to hold the French GP.

Does this make the flat low-downforce track that is Monza into Milan-San Remo, to continue the analogy? Does the flat and almost featureless former aerodrome that is Silverstone represent the Tour of Britain?

(And I know you were joking, and it was actually pretty funny, but Spa was the old host until the long version was too unsafe, so they had to build the new shorter version, Zolder was just the stopgap circuit).

You're spot on with the Tour of Britain analogy. The British Grand Prix used to held at Brands Hatch, a rollercoaster of a track with every type of challenge for the driver. Likewise the old ToB used to challenge the best, thus having little in common with the current event.

 

[theyoungest]

I think that's fair. A lot of the British riders aren't unpopular per se, but they aren't favourites because they aren't the type of riders that are popular. Their nationality doesn't come into it at all, it's just that people would rather watch another type of racing, and that type of racing doesn't suit many of the Britons in the péloton, probably because there isn't much in the British national calendar that allows them to develop many of the kind of riders that are popular unless they are supertalents who are shoehorned up to Team Sky very quickly.

And of course, it doesn't help that when they do create a rider who races in a style that is more popular, they spring out of absolutely nowhere and arouse suspicion from many quarters because of performances that are incredible in both senses of the word.

Define "popular"... which signature session will more people show up to? The one with Mark Cavendish, or the one with Amets Txurruka?