What would happen IF.....

[dgodave]

You raced in one of these post - grand tour criteriums, and at the finish line on impulse you shot ahead of the star who was supposed to "win" the day?
.

 

[andy1234]

You raced in one of these post - grand tour criteriums, and at the finish line on impulse you shot ahead of the star who was supposed to "win" the day?
.

You wouldn't be riding the next one....

 

[VeloGirl]

Riders race for the money, not the win

 

[BrindSurch]

you wouldn't get paid so would have been a waste of time.....and probs wouldn't at any more

 

[theswordsman]

Was Robert Gesink meant to beat Schleck and Contador?

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=28855

 

[El Pistolero]

Was Robert Gesink meant to beat Schleck and Contador?

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=28855

Yes. He's Dutch, so it's only normal that they wanted him to win.

 

[hrotha]

I really, really don't understand criteriums.

 

[Steel4Ever]

I really, really don't understand criteriums.

Post Tour crits = Stars on Ice.

 

[JRTinMA]

Post Tour crits = Stars on Ice.

The best description ever of post tour crits.

 

[brianf7]

I really, really don't understand criteriums.

Them things that every one attacks on every corner and you go round and round until dizzy. most have a go at breaking away then someone who you have not seen all race sprints and wins.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Crits are bast*rd child of bike racing and hamster wheels.

 

[scribe]

Post Tour crits = Stars on Ice.

Contador will actually wear rhinestones

 

[Cooper]

Post Tour crits = Stars on Ice.

I get why the riders do it. But why do people go out of their way to watch and how do promoters make money? Seems odd to me.

 

[Oldman]

you wouldn't get paid so would have been a waste of time.....and probs wouldn't at any more

The locals might buy drinks and you could meet some eligible ladies. In the end; if you win big races-that's the payoff. Tomorrow everyone forgets...

 

[ultimobici]

Criteriums in France, Belgium & Holland are part of the rich tradition of the sport. They date back to when there was no TV coverage because there was no TV! So it was the only chance to see the stars of the Tour. Now that we can see the Tour live in colour they seem an anacronism. Enjoy them for what they are, a throwback to the days of Bobet, Anquetil, Merckx & to a degree Hinault.

 

[Square-pedaller]

Criteriums in France, Belgium & Holland are part of the rich tradition of the sport. They date back to when there was no TV coverage because there was no TV! So it was the only chance to see the stars of the Tour. Now that we can see the Tour live in colour they seem an anacronism.

If this was true, then nobody would go to watch the Tour by the side of the road - and there's an awful lot more people do that than go to watch crits. There's clearly more to 'being there' than you get from watching the TV - the chance to see riders 'in the flesh' and the spectacle of all those guys in lycra whizzing past at speed.

 

[Franklin]

It's not a crit! It's a kermiskoers!

That roughly translates to: Carnival-course. So it's beer, attractions for kids, maybe a local popstar/popband performing all around a spectacular cycling event. Because they are spectacular even if rigged

 

[craig1985]

They had a punishing schedule 'back in the day', I remember reading an article with Barry Hoban and he mentioned the post-Tour crits and the amount of driving he and a fellow rider would make as they drove around Northern France and Belgium, every single day. Plus doing track races as well as the crits (often on the same day). And did they ever take it easy? Not on your life, they didn't get that easy as they had to preform (or at least BS enough to make it look that way) or they didn't get paid. But they put up for it for a few weeks as that's where they made most of their money for the year.