Close the polls. Shut the books. No need to tally the votes. It’s only three weeks into the new year, but folks, we may have already witnessed the V Ride of the Year.
While the Euros are trying to escape the bitter chills of winter, the Aussies and Kiwis were turning up the heat with their National Championships being contested last weekend. And both races threw up some true hard racing, and produced two outstanding rides for the titles. Here in NZ, it was a hardass masterclass from HTC’s Hayden Roulston, but the ride that has everyone gushing came from Garmin’s young gun Jack Bobridge.
We know this kid’s got talent, already a World Champion on the track plus a road U23 time trial gold, but the way he decimated a ProTour rider-laden field in the hills of regional Victoria was the stuff of legend. To wait for the ‘right’ break to form, and then leave it to the last minute to attack or sprint from the group is one thing, but to bridge across solo to the early break, drive it for hours to breaking point, then decide to go it alone for the last 30km, well that’s a whole other deal; Merckxian, if you will.
“Just… sometimes, things click”
We received an impassioned email this week from one of our Aussie contingent, Matt, imploring us to dedicate a post to Jacky Bobby’s win. Well Matt, we’ll gladly doff our caps to young Bo Bridges, but leave the final words to you…
“I believe there may be a new champion of The V Cause. Jack Bobridge won the Australian Open Road Cycling Championships last week with what can only be described as a true ‘hardman’s’ ride.
Although it wasn’t mud, sleet and cobbles, 160km around Buninyong (featuring 16 laps up a 2.2km, 6% climb) off the front of a bunch featuring half of the Sky and HTC teams (among others) is harder than most riders will ever be.
Hopefully in a generation they will describe Jacky Bobby by some nickname like ‘The Animal’ (as ‘The Cannibal’ has already been taken!)
Until then, I’ll be enjoying him attacking everybody all the time.”
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@viva les cinq
F*** yeah... I've said it before and I'll say it again. In a mini-pump death match between O'Grady and Voigt my money's on Stuey.
And @SupermanSam, yes I wasn't trying to sum up the demise of Pegasus in 6 words. Poetic licence old chap. I focused on the application as that saga seemed to sum it all up in a "Have they, haven't they, what the f**k are they doing ?" sort of way.
@ChrisO
Don't forget that Avanti is sponsoring a New Zealand team, Pure Black Racing, that wants to compete in the TDF by 2015, that's their stated goal. So if your Aussies can't organise a team soon, I'm sure they'll be welcome over ere...
@ChrisO
right you are Chris O, wasn't having as go, damn the lack of an irony font... I'm peeved at the UCI's licensing system and the fact that good blokes were shafted in that saga (mainly the boys who were signed up by Pegasus, but to some degree the Pegasus outfit who after all were just trying to get a team up and who look like they were undermined by Cycling Australia and the UCI).
If you want to know how mentally tough a rider can be, look at Darren Lapthorne (was with Rapha, then signed for Pegasus..). Anyone who has met him will tell you he's a great bloke, and we all know what knocks he's taken in life..He's one who deserves a look on the new Green Edge team.
As much as we all love Der Jens, I heard a great story from a guy in the bunch a couple of years ago about drinking with Stuey on a stage of the Sun Tour. The stage finished with a sumnmit finish to Mt.Buller, 'A' has a few beers after the stage with Stu, which continues until about 6am with 'A' falling in bed and Stu falling onto the bikes in the mechanics' room (who had just woken up to start their day). Stu is put to bed for a couple of hours, then gets back on his bike for the 180km stage to Melbourne. Boony like...
Jens is awesome, though. Any guy that can time trial Alp d'Huez with his countrymen yelling 'Judas' the entire way because of the lion-like ride the day before to drag back Ullrich, and finish 60th (Stuey 63rd that day), is a whole other level of awesome, not to mention hard.
Pretty sure a Jens v Stuy MPDM would result in the universe imploding. Thank Christ they're team mates.
Jacky Bobby's ride was pure V.
The "Freckle" is another hardman with plenty to support the arguement.
The reference to Boonie @Marcus & his drinking abilities, was he a hard man or just a piss-head?
I completely missed this since I was traveling so thanks for the heads up on a Hardman Ride I missed.
Just about to watch the video that was linked right off the bat. Can't wait.
I've spend a fair amount of time in Australia. Next time I need to make sure I have a road bike with me.
@Gianni
I'm with you; Gerrans seems like a douche. O'Grady is obviously aces, and Haussler is just a repeat away from being one of my favorites.
@all
Missed this whole thread; what a great ride, what a great article, and what a great thread.
@SupermanSam, @Marcus
Great stuff; @Marko - great question to start with. I personally stand with @SupermanSam on the claim that the UCI is a cancer. The problem with having an organization like the UCI involved in the determination of both the calendar and and anti-doping program is that they are much too invested in the short-term success of the sport (i.e. making the calendar predictable for sponsors and getting just the "right" number of positive tests to make us think the sport is clean. (Same problem with the race organizers being involved in either activity, BTW) For them, it's a business like everything else and businesses are very much focussed on profitability from quarter to quarter, rather than making moves that will improve the landscape in 2 or 5 years down the road, especially if it means short-term loss in profitability.
The UCI model was more effective when the sport was smaller and less well organized. The UCI is, at this point, a relic of those times and hasn't managed to grow with the sport. The UCI should become focused on enforcing rules rather than setting them; on judging the races and ensuring that they are being conducted fairly, etc. I think having a third-party (non-profit?) or with no investment in either the races or success of marque names in the sport would be a more effective group to set the rules and calendar themselves.
Despite all that, it's cool to see the countries and teams who "stand" for clean racing (who knows what that means in execution, but hopefully they are at least "more" clean) come to the front; it's a good sign for the sport that maybe it is cleaning up. Good on Aussie and NZ, and here's to the season!
Forget the potential early identification of the V-Ride of the Year (great ride, but keep dreaming!) this is probably the most important and useful bit of information that will come from this site in 2011. So you can all stop reading now.
@mightyninja
booney was a hardman, a star and a world class boozer - in no particular order.
@frank
where on God's green earth did you get the idea that Gerro was a douche? He is a ripping fellow - was it because he confirmed he rides with a pump and a saddlebag? If so, shame on you.
Quote from Gerrans coach, Dave Sanders, "If there's ever a nuclear explosion, the first thing to crawl out of the rocks will be the cockroaches, closely followed by Simon Gerrans.
"Because he's such a survivor, he's indestructible. He never knows when he's down."
And if you aren't familiar with the story, the way he got into cycling was pretty cool - he lived in a small Victorian country town called Mansfield and was into snow sports and motorbiking. He hurt his knee and a fellow who lived "up the road" suggested he get into cycling to help with the rehabilitation. This neighbour lent him a bike and the rest is history. The neighbour's name? Phil Anderson!
@frank
Gerro is certainly not a doucheb. Couldn't be further from the truth.
Comes down to local club crits when he's in town and talks to the younger guys racing. He's not off the Institute of Sport production line either, he lived on a farm next to a retired Phil Anderson. Hurt his leg riding motorbikes and asked Phil about rehabilitation, seems bike riding was his answer. It all went from there.
On the bike, he is a gutsy little bloke who can get the sniff for a breakaway better than a customs beagle on a hippie coming back from India. When he's in that group, he has a great skill of 'getting along' with those guys to stay away too (remember Cadel's effort spot in one and Spartacus' response in the Tour last year?). A stage win in each of the Grand Tours and a Classic win is pretty handy palmares.
Stage 3 of last year's Tour: "Not long after that sector of pave I dropped back to the car to get some bidons for the guys. After handing out the bidons, the bunch slowed down to squeeze through a one lane roundabout. I didn't notice this immediately and once I did I had to hit the brakes really hard to slow down. I went up on my front wheel...I think someone came across in front of me, as the next thing I knew I was going straight over the bars. I hit the deck landing on my face. The only way I can describe this would be to dive off a diving board into an empty swimming pool."
http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Gerro1.jpg
http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/gerro2.jpg
Later on stage 10 he crashed again and broke his arm. Continued on to finish the stage 70km's + later though. Enough V for you?
Recently he signed up as an ambassador for a kids' charity (free of course) run by a mate of mine. He can't stop offering ways he can help them, signed Sky kit to auction, sending them a video blog while on the Tour, etc.
Dunno where you got the idea he's anything other than a good bloke?