Tour of Oman 2022 (February 10-15)

[Zinoviev Letter]

A quick reminder that Cavendish has never been DSQ'ed in his career, despite far more reckless riding than that of Richeze. Other than the wrong relegation in 2009 in the Tour, I can't recall any other time he has been relegated either. On the other hand, I can easily recall many crashes he has caused.

The issue isn’t recklessness. He was in complete control of what he was doing. But what he was doing was a professional foul.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

In what universe is Affini Ganna's equal.

He was two or three years ago. Maybe Ganna was allowed to specialise more.

 

[Netserk]

The issue isn’t recklessness. He was in complete control of what he was doing. But what he was doing was a professional foul.

And by being in complete control of what he was doing, he minimised the danger of it. Well done.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Lol! Richeze doing what he does best, being a jerk

But the chav Cav kinda deserves it...
Richeze is one who's bending the rules a bit, but even at this point I struggle to name 5 better leadout men...

 

[Ilmaestro99]

But the chav Cav kinda deserves it...
Richeze is one who's bending the rules a bit, but even at this point I struggle to name 5 better leadout men...

I can't name 2.

 

[tobydawq]

I can't name 2.

Danish media can name ten. It's always Mørkøv, Mørkøv, Mørkøv, Mørkøv up here...

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

And by being in complete control of what he was doing, he minimised the danger of it. Well done.

? Nobody here has accused him of doing something enormously dangerous? It was a cynical, dirty, move, a professional foul. Part of the dark art of being a leadout man, like binding at an illegal angle on the far side of a rugby scrum from the ref, or knowing when to pull down a footballer who would otherwise be through on goal. QS are themselves masters of this stuff.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I can't name 2.

Kinda crazy that nobody had picked him up before UAE re-signed him for a few months at the last moment because of Hodeg's injury.
Why wouldn't Italian or Spanish pct teams try everything to sign someone like him?

 

[Lequack]

Last KM

https://twitter.com/x/status/1493589382254706695

View: https://twitter.com/tourofoman/status/1493589382254706695

 

[Blanco]

Yep, beautifully played by Richeze. It was a trap for Cav and he fall in it. Should've followed Gaviria...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Danish media can name ten. It's always Mørkøv, Mørkøv, Mørkøv, Mørkøv up here...

Who is this Mørkøv character you speak of? Is this the one often referred to as he who has more cow than other riders?

 

[RedheadDane]

Who is this Mørkøv character you speak of? Is this the one often referred to as he who has more cow than other riders?

Who claim that? I think I can name several riders with more cow(s)!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Who claim that? I think I can name several riders with more cow(s)!

Initially i thought they were talking about Lampaert, his family has a cow farm.

Whose name btw phonetically would translate to lame horse or lamb horse.

 

[carton]

A quick reminder that Cavendish has never been DSQ'ed in his career, despite far more reckless riding than that of Richeze. Other than the wrong relegation in 2009 in the Tour, I can't recall any other time he has been relegated either. On the other hand, I can easily recall many crashes he has caused.

I think Cav is the best sprinter of all time, and that his unshakable confidence is truly laudable, and the way he blames everyone for everything wrong that happens to him is an annoying but understandable side-effect of that bravado. The thing that really bugs me is that people fall still for his schtick. Yeah, he's a great quote and oozes charisma, and if I met him I'd buy him a beer, but good God has the "head boy bullied by the street urchins" routine gotten old.

Richeze does some shifty things, but this wasn't one of them. He didn't even deviate, he drifted up ever so slightly against the other sprinters opening up like any leadout man is supposed to do. In fact he was pretty much done drifting when Cav decided that since he was going to lose he might as well toss his toys out of the pram. That "bleating blighty" blowhards like Brian Smith parrot this nonsense is bad enough, but people I otherwise respect taking up the banners of the Marquis of Whinge really grinds my gears.

Anyway, nice win by Gaviria et alia, great show by Hirt & Co. Starting to get excited about this season.

 

[Red Rick]

They should just work with a strike system that lasts quite a while. There's currently 0 effective punishments for dirty leadouts and it makes dirty leadouts 50% of doing leadouts.

 

[carton]

And the truth will set you free. Well, only if there's incontrovertible video evidence. Otherwise, if you look guilty, you're screwed. C'est la vie.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1493642739631767560

He was still relegated because the public can't be trusted to find out that commissaires are actually human beings underneath.

 

[Red Rick]

Just look footballers chopping ankles all day, suddenly "they can't control where they're going" is the standard defense.

 

[tobydawq]

And the truth will set you free. Well, only if there's incontrovertible video evidence. Otherwise, if you look guilty, you're screwed. C'est la vie.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1493642739631767560

He was still relegated because the public can't be trusted to find out that commissaires are actually human beings underneath.

If he had sprinted to the line, no problem.

But this is just ridiculous behaviour.

Even if I am not a great Mørkøv fan I will say that to his credit he has said that his primary role is to deliver his sprinter and then find a way to not influence the outcome of the sprint after having done his job.

 

[carton]

If he had sprinted to the line, no problem.

But this is just ridiculous behaviour.

Even if I am not a great Mørkøv fan I will say that to his credit he has said that his primary role is to deliver his sprinter and then find a way to not influence the outcome of the sprint after having done his job.

Wait, what? I'm not sure I follow. He is a leadout man. He doesn't have the legs to go to the line. He goes around Groves and then he pops. Getting tired is not against the rules if that's what you're suggesting. What other people were suggesting -based on nothing but Cavs whinging- was that he swervedinto Cav, but as seen on the overhead, that's clearly not true.

 

[tobydawq]

Wait, what? I'm not sure I follow. He is a leadout man. He doesn't have the legs to go to the line. He goes around Groves and then he pops. Getting tired is not against the rules if that's what you're suggesting. What other people were suggesting -based on nothing but Cavs whinging- was that he swervedinto Cav, but as seen on the overhead, that's clearly not true.

This was not getting tired, he just stopped pedalling. I hate his style usually, but today was even worse because he didn't help Gaviria in any other way than blocking his biggest rival.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Yep, beautifully played by Richeze. It was a trap for Cav and he fall in it. Should've followed Gaviria...

I’m not sure if he could have passed Gaviria having to go further around to pass and the finish leading towards the right.

On the other hand, I can easily recall many crashes he has caused.

I think a younger Cav would have tried going through the small gap against the barriers.

 

[carton]

This was not getting tired, he just stopped pedalling. I hate his style usually, but today was even worse because he didn't help Gaviria in any other way than blocking his biggest rival.

I mean, sure, but there's no rule against freewheeling. It's hard to even conceive of an enforceable one: "all participants in a sprint must pedal as hard as they can to the line", is the best I can do. Still seems somewhat arbitrary. Maybe someone else can do better. In any case, it's just not against the rules as they stand. It was an unfathomably unfair DQ and again, I am truly stupefied by the backlash Richeze got. Sprints always divide opinions somewhat, I keep telling myself, but it's hard to shake a certain unease at the rules being bent to accommodate Cavendish's displeasure.

Also, I'm sure Maxi is not an angel in the sprints, but honestly, there was nothing else he could've done. He was going to slow down sooner or later. He opened up around Groves towards the barriers and kept a fairly steady line. Groves was going all out and Richeze was running out of juice. I'm sure he wasn't beaten up about the way it plaid out but there was really no way for him to have helped out Cav there even if he wanted to outside of swerving into Kaden. Which actually would seem to be somewhat against the rules -and perhaps even run counter to what I believe to be fairly universal ethical considerations- as well as most humans' primal tendency towards self-preservation.

I mean feel free to "hate" on Richeze for any stylistic considerations -it's part and parcel of being a sports fan- but it seems a bit much to accuse him of wrongdoing, particularly since it seems to be pretty clear that he broke no actual rules and he almost certainly didn't do what he was accused of doing.

 

[tobydawq]

I mean, sure, but there's no rule against freewheeling. It's hard to even conceive of an enforceable one: "all participants in a sprint must pedal as hard as they can to the line", is the best I can do. Still seems somewhat arbitrary. Maybe someone else can do better. In any case, it's just not against the rules as they stand. It was an unfathomably unfair DQ and again, I am truly stupefied by the backlash Richeze got. Sprints always divide opinions somewhat, I keep telling myself, but it's hard to shake a certain unease at the rules being bent to accommodate Cavendish's displeasure.

Also, I'm sure Maxi is not an angel in the sprints, but honestly, there was nothing else he could've done. He was going to slow down sooner or later. He opened up around Groves towards the barriers and kept a fairly steady line. Groves was going all out and Richeze was running out of juice. I'm sure he wasn't beaten up about the way it plaid out but there was really no way for him to have helped out Cav there even if he wanted to outside of swerving into Kaden. Which actually would seem to be somewhat against the rules -and perhaps even run counter to what I believe to be fairly universal ethical considerations- as well as most humans' primal tendency towards self-preservation.

I mean feel free to "hate" on Richeze for any stylistic considerations -it's part and parcel of being a sports fan- but it seems a bit much to accuse him of wrongdoing, particularly since it seems to be pretty clear that he broke no actual rules and he almost certainly didn't do what he was accused of doing.

Look, he didn't run out of any juice. He just stops pedalling as soon as he is blocking Cavendish fully, and then he immediately turns around and is all apologetic.

But yes, it's difficult to make a rule against, I agree on that.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Whether planned beforehand or thought up on the spot UAE knew what they were doing. Gaviria was positioned on the left side and longer path towards the finish. Cav started his sprint first by picking the fastest way to the finish with a clear opening and looked to be going the fastest. Richeze and Gaviria split both ways with Richeze starting to sprint and then slow down and drift towards the barriers making it harder-impossible for Cav to pass.

Is it illegal, no.
Has Quickstep done it previously, yes.
Has Cav benefited from this, yes.
Should Richeze have been regulated, no as once you regulate this then that opens the possibility even more. If the same thing happens to Gaviria or any other sprinter know there will be an uproar for regulation and even more when it isn't done by some. Whether that be fans, riders, or teams.


It is like any sport when they bend the rules as much as possible without breaking the rules. Like in American Football when they try moving the ball further then when they were down to gain more yards, football or NBA players flopping for penalties, a batter standing a certain way to try and get balls called, etc. it happens.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I hadn't seen the finish before now, but Richeze was DQ'ed for that? But he does nothing wrong? And nothing that all leadout riders do in every race. Wow, I'm really surprised by that.