You can all wave “goodbye” to your Post GT Depression Syndrome, because the Men’s Olympic Road Race is only three days yonder. I don’t typically give two shits about this particular event; while contested by national teams, unlike the Worlds it appears as just another one-day race on a calendar filled with events that carry much more historical and nostalgic significance. What’s worse, it seems the brilliance has faded from the flame of Olympic Spirit – after all, what is an international sports rivalry without the associated political Boggie Dance of Political Superiority? Merckx, I miss the Cold War.
But this time is different. Contested in London over a route that may or may not favor the squat little speed demon Mark Cavendish, the Cycling world has been abuzz about whether his presence on Team Sky alongside Pippi Longstockings implies his impending doom or his certain success – because everyone knows those are the only two possibilities. Be that as it may, the route boasts to be lumpy enough for breakaways or small field sprints, which makes this particular Velominatus, for once, really excited to see what happens. Oh, and as a special request to the riders, if we could keep everyone off the juice this time round, that would be peaches and creame.
With that, check the start list and pretend like that is going to help you make your predictions. Then look at the route and do the same before making a wild guess and hoping you come up good. One-Day VSP rules apply; get your picks in by the time the countdown timer goes to zero and pray for daylight.
Good luck.
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@Marcus
Probably not. Vino's doping episode, coming when it did in the tour, just hurt so much more. Such a black day that I remember too well.
Sounds like Cav is whining about sour grapes.
"We did everything we could. The crowd was tremendous the whole way around, but the Aussies just raced negatively."
Of course they're not gonna chase with Stuey in the break!
@MJ Moquin
isnt that why you put a guy in the break? i dont see that as being negative. maybe GB should done the same thing.
That was a brutal pace, hurt just watching it. Cav and his boys have gotta be pissed, but they knew they weren't going to get any help.
Really interesting how it seemed no race radios played into the race. Felt like a good old fashioned road race that caused communication issues the modern peloton isin't used to dealing with.
Props to Veino for a great move, although I cringe anytime a convicted doper wins a global race like this, but what can you do? He earned it by making Duran Duran and his mullet look all of the 15 years less experienced than he is.
The old guy ruled today.
Duran Duran decides that 250m from the is the right time to try communing with butterflies. Fabian's crash actually made my blood run cold - I hope he's OK mostly, but massively his own fault.
Three way tie on a top five that features a few names I've rarely seen before. While Vino wasn't the rider I'd prefer to see take gold given his history and the durres the sport is under from a doping perspective, he rode a spectacularly wonderful race. Here's hoping that chat he was having on the phone on his way to the pissing booth contained some good advice.
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Uran committing the fatal tactical mistake of looking over one shoulder without closing the door on the other. Veino's crafty and will take that every time. I wonder how much a rider like Uran would have expected to be there in a two up sprint in the finale. He seemed unprepared for the moment.
I'm in a 134 way tie for 8th place on this event with 0 points. Best result yet!
w00t! All my picks were losers! SUCK IT BITCHES!
I shall now proceed to go cry like a little girl, then finish my Raleigh rebuild....
whew, that was a hell of a race. Fucking Vieno, tough smart monkey. It didn't matter what Uran did, he was riding for silver. Taylor Phinney will be second guessing missing out on that break. I'm glad Sky couldn't keep it together, it could have gone either way. Usually those breaks can't cooperate well.
And Fabooooo might have injured his clavicle again. Him, of all people to screw up a corner.
So that's it for Vino -he is gonna take the TT easy then retire. What a rider he has been. Never afraid to attack - always looking to win. His daredevil moves in the early 2000s were great - who could forget his team "cooperation" with Ulle and the other Germans?
I guess there is only Jens and Kloedy left as the last of the iron curtain racers?