Where does the Olympic Road Race rank in prestige?

[karlboss]

Nope, it started with this post. Cav being the favorite to win the Olympics as opposed to a favorite. Nice try though.

And as a simple post to my original claim that Cav is the Favourite over Boonen,

Best odds I can find right now on Cav 9:4 or 2.25, Boonen 16.

Edit: or even the next best rider Gilbert (on this course in his current form I can't believe he has this number over Boonen and Cancellara) at 7

These are the current books, so the bookies have included current form and as you can see, Cavendish is the big favourite.

EDIT on the edit: Back to prestige, no one starts their career targeting the worlds or the Olympics, it will be in the back of a riders mind until the course is announced, as soon as it is I imagine everything changes and I think many would sacrifice their chances at their favourite monument for a shot. I think the Olympics have to be regarded in amongst the monuments for this reason. Probably above MSR and Lombardia, below PR and Liege

 

[greenedge]

In reality, Cav had no excuse for sucking at Milan-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem. They were his spring season goals and he failed to win both of them. This whole peaking debate is nonsense anyway. Sometimes you just got to admit a better rider won on the day and not use excuses like "he didn't peak".

I think Cav might even have over-peaked at M-SR.

 

[El Pistolero]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV9AwlFoezs&feature=related

This is why Roubaix > Olympics.

 

[El Pistolero]

And as a simple post to my original claim that Cav is the Favourite over Boonen,

Best odds I can find right now on Cav 9:4 or 2.25, Boonen 16.

Edit: or even the next best rider Gilbert (on this course in his current form I can't believe he has this number over Boonen and Cancellara) at 7

These are the current books, so the bookies have included current form and as you can see, Cavendish is the big favourite.

EDIT on the edit: Back to prestige, no one starts their career targeting the worlds or the Olympics, it will be in the back of a riders mind until the course is announced, as soon as it is I imagine everything changes and I think many would sacrifice their chances at their favourite monument for a shot. I think the Olympics have to be regarded in amongst the monuments for this reason. Probably above MSR and Lombardia, below PR and Liege

Yeah, Cav was also favorite with the bookies for Milan-San Remo this year.

A lot of people who know sh*t about cycling would bet on Cavendish and that's why the bookies keep the odds low. Because there's a decent chance that he can win indeed, but to call him the big favorite and the rest outsiders is totally ridiculous.

It's not because you're the big favorite with the bookies that you actually have the best shot at winning the race you know.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV9AwlFoezs&feature=related

This is why Roubaix > Olympics.

Who first showed you this video?

 

[karlboss]

Yeah, Cav was also favorite with the bookies for Milan-San Remo this year.

A lot of people who know sh*t about cycling would bet on Cavendish and that's why the bookies keep the odds low. Because there's a decent chance that he can win indeed, but to call him the big favorite and the rest outsiders is totally ridiculous.

It's not because you're the big favorite with the bookies that you actually have the best shot at winning the race you know.

Well I guess we can now split hairs about what is meant by favourite, if we talk about who most people think will win, the bookies have it. If we now argue that some people know more than others, and the favourite is the rider with the most chance to win...well he may not be.
Cavendish failed at MSR, still doesn't make him any less a favourite before it, as in most people thought he would win.
I'll admit to call Boonen an outsider was unfair, he is in the top few with Gilbert, Cancellara, Sagan, and assorted sprinters. However I still hold that Cav is "the" favourite, and clearly is, by looking at where the money is going. If you take the other definition...well you can take a survey of the real fans and give me "the" favourite.
Personally as an educated cycling fan, I'd say this has about a 70% chance of being at least a reduced bunch (60 rider) bunch sprint. I think Cav will make it and is favourite, followed by Goss, and Sagan, depending on just how hard the circuit is pushed. On the 30% chance an attack makes it, i think the right combination will be more important than strength, and would tip surprise Iglinsky type win, someone with loads of talent, but not quite a favourite.

 

[boomcie]

Oh and im sure, Valverde will get one of these when he wins Liege twice.

Oh wait

That's incredibly ugly Hitch.

As for the question at hand:

I can't believe anyone thinks a monument is more prestigious than the Olympics. The Olympics are held once every 4 years. 1 time. Then there's the monuments: 5 of those, every year, for different types of riders.

Let's see. What does Vansummeren's win mean outside of cycling. Jacksh!t.

What does an Olympic title mean? Everything. It's the biggest thing in sports. Cycling might lack some Olympic pedigree, but the Olympics itself are so much bigger than our beloved sport.

As an athlete, an Olympic title is the biggest thing you can ever achieve and it darn well should be. There are some exceptions, like football an boxing for obvious reasons. I will admit that the Tour (and possibly the worlds) is still bigger than the Olympic title, but this might still shift in the future and I really hope it does.

 

[Caruut]

That's incredibly ugly Hitch.

As for the question at hand:

I can't believe anyone thinks a monument is more prestigious than the Olympics. The Olympics are held once every 4 years. 1 time. Then there's the monuments: 5 of those, every year, for different types of riders.

Let's see. What does Vansummeren's win mean outside of cycling. Jacksh!t.

What does an Olympic title mean? Everything. It's the biggest thing in sports. Cycling might lack some Olympic pedigree, but the Olympics itself are so much bigger than our beloved sport.

As an athlete, an Olympic title is the biggest thing you can ever achieve and it darn well should be. There are some exceptions, like football an boxing for obvious reasons. I will admit that the Tour (and possibly the worlds) is still bigger than the Olympic title, but this might still shift in the future and I really hope it does.

Why should it be? Sport centred around the Olympics isn't good. Most real entertaining sports can survive without the Olympics, and I hope that cycling doesn't become too obsessed with it. Our sport has history and glory quite separate from the history and glory of the Olympics.

 

[boomcie]

Why should it be? Sport centred around the Olympics isn't good. Most real entertaining sports can survive without the Olympics, and I hope that cycling doesn't become too obsessed with it. Our sport has history and glory quite separate from the history and glory of the Olympics.

Cycling will never be centered around the Olympics. There are many important events and it will never be a sport where we have to wait four long years for this one event.