Velominati Super Prestige: Fléche Wallonne Femmes 2012

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• @eightzero
  If we are talking about amateur athletes, then I agree with your comment too. (nothing like riding the fence, huh?) But these women, and Evelyn Stevens, are pros.

• @niksch

  @eightzero
  If we are talking about amateur athletes, then I agree with your comment too. (nothing like riding the fence, huh?) But these women, and Evelyn Stevens, are pros.

  And it is important to me how they got to be pros. I'm just not a fan of spoiled little rich kids. Unless there are circumstances where they clearly overcame that - and fairly, there are associated burdens.

  Root for who you want. I can be a fan of good play, athletic prowess, keenly honed skill, superior tactics, plain 'ol perseverence. But when the sprint opens up, someone wins, someone loses. I know who I root for. That's sport.

  Or, as Sean Connery said in _The Rock_: "Your 'best'? Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen."

• @eightzero

  @Vin'cenza

  @frank
  \\ Agree. There's no buying a way into sport and assuming that exceptional performance begins. I train and race with a mixed bag and money does not roll out with us "” only work. The group(s) member(s) that I train with are measured by work alone. And I would give esteem when it is due "” by work alone.
  @eightzero
  Being on the bike and individual determination levels the playing field.

  Respectfully disagree. The athlete freed from all the mundane everyday distractions will find it easier to get on the bike and find more determination. Exceptions? Sure. But when it comes to competition, wining and losing, *money talks*. Professional Sport is *all about money*. I choose to root for the underdog, the common (wo)man, the person that overcomes the same kinds of things I never could.

  My coach's coach one said something that always stuck with me: "it isn't what you are willing to do to achive success - it is what you are willing to give up to assure success." Sacrifice, suffereing, perserverence - all these things, even off the bike, off the playing field, are important. I want to see amateur athletes succeed - those who sacrifice *everything* for their passion. I will root for them over those who have fewer obsticles.

  \\ A grey area. Determination, where does it come from ?? DNA or extra time to spare. Which comes first the bike or the cyclist. From my personal experience I have had entire (Campagnolo) gruppos sponsored, but only after I found my own frame (Basso for 70.00). Really, then is when I felt that I must ride because equipment was thrown at my feet (not a good feeling). When I mustered my own deal to buy a Pinarello Montello in the 90s and build it with my own time and money -- it meant more. I crashed that bike in 2010. Started all over within 3 months, but had much more determination. Experience brings determination, not training alone. Perfect DNA helps tremendously and those are the types that end up on teams. Where they should be. But a grey area still.

• Gasparotto is a Playboy -- what is his story ?? Did you uphold his victory ?? We don't care how he got there, but he sure does. And he is fighting for it (at the moment).

• I would love to be able to train more, but I don't even have the money for a proper bicycle and I do not have the time to. Even when I do have time it is often already 10 o'clock or even later. You can't do a 6 hour ride when that means you go to bed at 4.

  Money would help me to become a serious cyclist, as opposed to a dreamer who is less talented than he thinks. (or more talented, I don't even know where my limits are.)

• @Fausto

  Bah. Didn't notice my iPhone had autocorrected Vos to Via. Had her down for the win though, so it only cost me a point.

  Dispute your pick and we'll correct it.

  @Buck Rogers

  @Fausto

  Bah. Didn't notice my iPhone had autocorrected Vos to Via. Had her down for the win though, so it only cost me a point.

  Damn, Man, you're pulling down the Launterne Rouge on this race, that's cooler than one point, right? (and bloody i-Product's "autocorrect" function has screwed me up sooo many times. Is there anyway to turn that crap off?)

  Yes, go into your settings and turn it off!

• @eightzero

  Respectfully disagree. The athlete freed from all the mundane everyday distractions will find it easier to get on the bike and find more determination. Exceptions?

  Every Pro is no more distracted by these things than you or I are by them in doing our own jobs. It is their job to train and race, just as it is your job to do whatever you do from 9-5.

  There are very few who are free from worry about bills and mortgages, and in all likelihood, many of the male stars you admire make way more money than she does and have much less to worry about financially. Better scrap the top 15% of the elite field, including people like Merckx who made a very healthy living from Cycling!

• @frank
  Ahhh, thanks Frank, my complete stone age computer knowledge is showing. Now how much do I owe you for the tech support? You guys make around $100 bucks an hour, right?

• @frank

  @eightzero

  Respectfully disagree. The athlete freed from all the mundane everyday distractions will find it easier to get on the bike and find more determination. Exceptions?

  Every Pro is no more distracted by these things than you or I are by them in doing our own jobs. It is their job to train and race, just as it is your job to do whatever you do from 9-5.

  There are very few who are free from worry about bills and mortgages, and in all likelihood, many of the male stars you admire make way more money than she does and have much less to worry about financially. Better scrap the top 15% of the elite field, including people like Merckx who made a very healthy living from Cycling!

  Not my point at all. The other stars, male or female, in any sport rightfully wear the laurels of the success they have achieved as competitors. My only point is that how they got to be pros is important to me. That they win prize money, or pro contracts is all fine and good. I am glad for them, as more reward is good for us all. It means more opportunity to see more races, more incentive for hardworking but disadvantaged athletes to dream and compete, and fairly, for companies (like the Prophet's) to see opportunity to bring us great products for our own use. But I want to see competition, and fairness is important to me. Money corrupts everything. That the money comes in as a reward for succeeding in a fair competition is a different issue. To me. My. Opinion. Only.

  To paraphrase another, "I like sport. I'm friends with some guys that own some expensive teams."

• @Buck Rogers
  It took me about 1000 hours to figure it out for you...

  @eightzero
  Fundamentally continue to not understand what you're after. She didn't buy her way into a contract, she started as a Cat 5, then became a Cat 4, then 3, 2, 1 and earned a Pro contract and is now fighting it out with the likes of Vos who started as a Cat 5, then became a Cat 4, then 3, 2, 1 and earned a Pro contract.

  But it doesn't matter, I've been known to have the odd flawed opinion on why to dis/like a rider, and thats the beauty of Sport, we get to like who we want for whatever reasons. And I'm also with you on being after the underdog. Its just in this case I've got no idea what you're on about.