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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@Gianni
....with no radio's.
Great to see the 'seniors' take the race to the end!
@sthilzy I Am not sure radios would have made much of a difference - unless they got ze Germans to start working to bring the bunch back. GB seemed like they were drilling it a long way from home. What else would they have done different with a radio? They were brought undone by a lack of numbers and no allies
Impressive to see Phinney finish 4th, and promising to see how disappointed he was to miss the podium. He has the hunger for victory and will hopefully unleash something special in the TT with Cancellara gone.
Been pondering this all day. I can't say I'm thrilled with the result. Veino is what Veino is. I no get to go to work monday and (once again) try to explain to a coworker how it is people that are convicted dopers can continue to participate in the sport.
While pondering the white line today, I once again really began to wonder about road cycling remaining an olympic sport. I'll one-up Phil Liggett who recently said mountain biking and BMX aren't olympic sports; maybe road cycling should be tossed too. No getting around the idea that road cycing is a team sport. And the national teams don't do anything other than the Olympics and the WOrlds. The Worlds comes around once a year and has it's own UCI created problems. But the most visible face of professional road cycling (or even amateur road cycling) are trade teams and sponsorship. Who wants to work for a fellow countryman so he can get a better deal than you come contract time? Having all those gold accents on a rival teams member's bike for 4 years; s/he gets the press, the interviews, and...the attention of sponsors. Money talks.
And when it comes down to it, isn't what sport is all about? Money? Especially...the Olympics.
And yes, this is another post from me that has no point. Where's the tylenol?
How are the bikes that everyone rides decided? Specialized's are all red? GB except Millar on what?
@eightzero
I'll agree on some points, but disagree on one; the optimist in me thinks that deep down, for any athlete, it's about the competition. Wether with yourself or against others. The will to win.
Yes, at the end of the day we all have to put a roof over our heads (some nicer than others), but when we started sport as kids, payday in 15 years wasn't on our mind. It was the love of the sport and wanting to excel at it. Figuring out that you can get paid comes later.
@G'rilla
I was impressed too. Phinney has put together a great year. It'll be cool seeing him going forward with the chance to be a really great classics rider.
@eightzero
I get what you're saying though. It almost seems like the race should be run as a team sport; either like le tour's team GC or the whole team of the podium riders are given medals (i.e. if a basketball team wins gold all members receive the medal, even if they rode the pine for the whole tournament). Obviously, this opens up some other issues....would all countries represented at the race have to field 5 riders vs the current system where Sagan rode alone or if doing a team GC would the race work better as week long stage race, etc. I don't know and frankly, what do I ever know. I do get what you're saying though.
@eightzero gotta agree with the last part of your comments, the sight of Eisel sitting in behind his Sky team mates with Cav in tow despite the Austrians having no sprinter to talk about was pretty ridiculous.
The poms are hilarious. They call themselves a dream team, tell everyone they are going to ride on the front and Cav will win and then when the plan fails Cav whinges that no one else would help him! Dickhead.
They still fail to realize after all these years that as long as the Poms don't win (and the yanks generally) the rest of the world is pretty happy with the result. I guarantee more Aussies were barracking for Vino than the Douche.
Any race Vino has been in has been a better race for his presence. He did his time for wrongdoings.
I knew the sprinters wouldn't make it, and for that I get..... ZERO