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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@frank
UCI. FIFA. IOC. Common themes? Anyone? Anyone?
You can all forget about the young Aussies for a little while and concentrate on the old ones. Robbie McEwen into the lead at the TDU.
Looking forward to watching COTHO acting in his capacity as Robbie's Little Bitch tomorrow.
@SupermanSam
"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."
++1 2 frikin funny!
Yes, totally agree about McEwen. He's been a little overlooked of late but glad to see him in the lead. Can be temperamental but not unusual for a sprinter
@SupermanSam
Hehe; imagined my first post would be agreeing with someone's choice of seat and bar tape colour, not defending Simon Gerrans from douche allegations.
Great guy, imo, based on a few words here and there at Tours, both Down Under and de France.
Also interested in what makes Frank think so.
@Marcus
Great timing or did you see today's results? McEwen into leader's jersey while Cav face planted in first of two bad crashes in last km. Cav brought down Farrar too. Cav's crash was a familiar one (what is it with Cav and bends?). The aerial footage was damning, riders in the centre of the road and at speed, suddenly sitting up?!
@Blah
Lleyton Hewitt, now there's a total douchebag Aussie sportsman!
Picture this - v early morning at Heathrow post check-in. Myself & wife mooching around filling in time, spot Lleyton & Kim Clisters doing same. Walk up to Lleyton "G'day mate! Would you mind if..." errr, no chance to finish speaking or grab for camera as Lleyton scowls "nah, no way!" and darts off, leaving Kim standing embarrassed, me feeling stupid.
Hack.
@G'phant
All corrupt, boys' clubs, that see the sport as last in their priority. But... The UCI is a unique body, where it doesn't run the 'event' yet sits there like some moronic Pop Idol judge making stupid decisions (radios, bike licensing?) out of nowhere, that blows everyone away because of their massive irrelevancy and being more out of touch than Bjarne Riis at a barbie at Stuey O's place.
Has cycling ever considered a draft system, and an expansion of the UCI points system? Established 'franchise' teams that won't fall over trying to do that circus trick of spinning plates that the UCI demands. We all know ASO runs the sport.
Great post and chats fellas... My thoughts on bits...
JackyBobby is a solid gold legend!
It was great to see him post the big win and get to ride in the Aussie jersey for 2011! He's a genuine freak - I know the track is not for comparisons, but his IP time is awesome: only a couple of seconds slower than Boardman on a superman bike (since banned) carrying (allegedly) the dirtiest blood since good old Bjarne in Pyjamas had to wake up nightly during his '96 TdF win to ensure he didn't develop a clot from carrying a haematocrit of 63.
But I digress. He's a complete freak, loves riding for non profit motivated causes like his country, and complete competitive animal. Hard not to love him!
As for Pegasus: to paraphrase the bald captain on the aircraft carrier at the start of Top Gun: "Son, your mouth is writing cheques your body can't cash." They built a house of cards of promises to sponsors, riders and races, relying on promises of races and sponsors to get riders; promises of races and riders to get sponsors; and riders and sponsors to get races. Unsurprisingly it didn't work.
As for judging Stevo for the teams he was in, was there anyone who rode a bike pre the Slipstream (Garmin) and Highroad (HTC post T-Mobile) clean trains who you can't ask the question about? Vaughters himself is a former Lance rider.
As for Gerro: top bloke. Very serious, but a genuine good man.
And GreenEdge? Weird name! I hope they get it together and the Aussies get the Pro Tour team they deserve.
@Marcus, @SupermanSam
I was wondering if you blokes would ask the question; what you say about Gerrans definitely strikes the "undouche" chord.
We've spent several summers vacationing in Aspet, in the French Pyrenees. Awesome place. O'Grady lived in Toulouse at the time, Voigt in the next time over, and Gerrans in Aspet or nearby as well. They were all riding for CA at the time and the Gerrans fan club was based out of the bakery in town. Very cool; his picture was always up in store windows, posing with the locals. Instant fan.
Then his alleged lie to trick his breakaway companions into towing him to the line in the Tour was narrowly neutralized by (a) the stupidity of a rider believing a line like that and (b) his awesome Giro stage win.
What bothered me was his attitude towards CTT. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but in my book, you publicly treat the people paying your salary with respect. I can understand he was pissed that he wasn't chosen for the Tour team, but that attitude of entitlement always kills me - whether in cyclist or anyone else (Sastre has the same problem). CTT made a decision, and Gerrans was more than welcome to argue it behind closed doors, but no need to bitch about it publicly.
Unfortunately, no matter how cool you are, entitlement (or arrogance) puts you in the douche book.
I might forget, though, if he does some cool shit. I only remember about one or two incidents back, so once he's done a few cool things (that I notice), we'll be right as rain.