Is it just me or are the Worlds boring?

Anonymous

As last year I watched again the World Championship Road Race at the weekend, and I must say that it pretty bored me, not that I dont appreciate team tactics, fantastic shows of strength and endurance etc...its just that I simply cant handle watching people going round the same lap again and again....even in my own runs that I do I always do loops and never over the same piece of road in the same day....I also cant watch track racing either...not to say I dont respect the talent and years of dedication endured by the atheletes...its just not my cup of tea...

I LOVE watching the classics and Tours...different scenery and terrain each time...and the Mountain stages are the daddies of them all.....

Everyones different, and i know there will be tons out there who love the worlds...Im just not one of them.

iainf72

I'm with you on track cycling, what a pile of rubbish. I'd rather watch cricket or something.

Anyway, you need to look at the Worlds / Olympics differently. Nothing much will happen until the final 2-3 laps. That's when the weaker riders are exposed and the challengers come to the front. Next year, try and watch an early lap OR the u23 / womans race to get a feel for the circuit. Then you can start knowing where attacks might come etc etc.

I loath the fact it's done as national teams, but the worlds is a fabulous race.

Ste_S

iainf72 wrote:

I'm with you on track cycling, what a pile of rubbish. I'd rather watch cricket or something.

Anyway, you need to look at the Worlds / Olympics differently. Nothing much will happen until the final 2-3 laps. That's when the weaker riders are exposed and the challengers come to the front. Next year, try and watch an early lap OR the u23 / womans race to get a feel for the circuit. Then you can start knowing where attacks might come etc etc.

I loath the fact it's done as national teams, but the worlds is a fabulous race.

Eh ? Track racing is fantastic to watch. What part bores you ? I've heard the Keirin and Madison called many things, but never boring.

As for the worlds, a large part of why the final five or so laps are so exciting is the endurance sapping previous laps. I recommend going out for a long ride on the Sunday morning, get back and nod off in front of the tele for the early laps and then wake up for the final five

OffTheBackAdam

Each to their own.
Track racing boring? Pop over to Ghent for the last night of the 6-Day there, then come back and plead boredom!

Bronzie

Ste_S wrote:

I've heard the Keirin and Madison called many things, but never boring.

Iain, go up to the next Revolution at Manchester if they have a madison - there is no way you can watch it and be bored.....................very confused, possibly, but bored, never.

andyp

It's just you. I love the Worlds.

It's the best one day race of the year as not only is it winner takes all but you also have skullduggery between national and trade team mates. It's great.

Sunday was a case in point - Robert Gesink gets in the main break of the day and continues to work whilst behind his national (and many trade) team mates chase. :roll:

The 1996 Worlds in Lugano remains one of my favourites though - the Italians that day were in full pantomime mode! Guidi and Ferrigato in the break working their arses off whilst behind the rest of the team chase them down. Just as they get the break in sight, Andrea Tafi attacks to try and bridge across alone. What's left of the Italian team is in disarray and are not sure what to do. Tafi blows on the climb, Bartoli launches his attack but is too late to catch Museeuw and GIanetti. The repercussions went on for months afterwards!

andyp

Track racing on TV is usually boring. Track racing in the flesh is rarely boring. (Although I'm not sure a trip to the Ghent 6 is the best introduction to it!)

iainf72

All the live football matches I've seen have been really good but it's not made me interested in football.

I've tried watching the other branches of the sport over the years but can't get interested.

Ste_S

andyp wrote:

Track racing on TV is usually boring. Track racing in the flesh is rarely boring. (Although I'm not sure a trip to the Ghent 6 is the best introduction to it!)

BBC's coverage is usually excellent, and I think it translates well to TV. I agree it is much better to watch in the flesh though.

vermooten

Track cycling is for me boring to both watch and to do - living in Manchester, I felt it criminal that I was not using the Velodrome. Gave it a good go several times this year, cheap good quality training for anyone who wants it... but man o man what a bore.

OTOH I used to find watching TTs boring and now that I've done a few I find them compelling. And let's not ignore the fact that until about 2-3 years ago the thought of watching the Tour De France would have sent me into an instant coma.

Anyhoo, I agree with Richyboy... the fact that it was a loop wasn't a big plus - but I could sense how hard they were riding, and I did like the fact that I knew that they still had to do the big climb 2 more times etc... Hell I was screaming at the TV towards the end so I must have enjoyed it.

craigenty

vermooten wrote:

Track cycling is for me boring to both watch and to do - living in Manchester, I felt it criminal that I was not using the Velodrome. Gave it a good go several times this year, cheap good quality training for anyone who wants it... but man o man what a bore.

How many Devil races did you do?

Craig

timoid.

I love the world championsips. I just think that it sucks that smaller nations are so handicapped against powerhouses like Spain and Italy.

For me it was one of the most enjoyable races of the year.

Ste_S

vermooten wrote:

Track cycling is for me boring to both watch and to do - living in Manchester, I felt it criminal that I was not using the Velodrome. I've it a good go several times this year, cheap good quality training for anyone who wants it... but man o man what a bore.

OTOH I used to find watching TTs boring and now that I've done a few I find them compelling. And let's not ignore the fact that until about 2-3 years ago the thought of watching the Tour De France would have sent me into an instant coma.

Anyhoo, I agree with Richyboy... the fact that it was a loop wasn't a big plus - but I could sense how hard they were riding, and I did like the fact that I knew that they still had to do the big climb 2 more times etc... Hell I was screaming at the TV towards the end so I must have enjoyed it.

I love riding on the track, most fun I've had in years is a freewheel track training session that I do. What did you do at Manchester ?

Anonymous

One lap in the Devil?

drenkrom

I love the Worlds! Like andyp said, there is no other race where the tactics and alliances are more convoluted. I also like to watch track races. Being there beats watching on TV, but that only happens when I go to Europe. Track cycling isn't that big in Canada, though we do produce so decent riders for it.

But I'm not a reference. If it happens on machines with two wheels and no engine, I love watching it and, above all doing it. That goes from road racing of any kind right through to downhill MTBing.

andrewgturnbull

HI there.

Of all the different races I've done, grass track is straight up the most fun. Especially the push and shove of the devil. Or De'il as we call it up here.

Out and back 10 mile TTs are by far the worst. Although some TT's are more fun - I've got a hilly one coming up on Sunday with some scary corners on the descent.

Cheers, Andy

ps Re: watching track - at least the races are mostly short. If you found one boring, then hang on another 5 minutes and watch the next.

pps Watching the last 2 laps of this year's worlds was a belter!

afx237vi

With regards to track racing, I think it's not helped by the fact that you only see it once or twice per year. My other main gripe is there seems to be no real continuity in the season. The riders aren't aiming for anything other than the Olympics. Nobody cares about the track world cup, do they?

I don't mind stuff like the keirin or the scratch races, but the time trials and pursuits don't hold my attention at all, sorry.

What I would like to see more of on tv is cyclocross!

SteveR_100Milers

afx237vi wrote:

With regards to track racing, I think it's not helped by the fact that you only see it once or twice per year. My other main gripe is there seems to be no real continuity in the season. The riders aren't aiming for anything other than the Olympics. Nobody cares about the track world cup, do they?

I don't mind stuff like the keirin or the scratch races, but the time trials and pursuits don't hold my attention at all, sorry.

What I would like to see more of on tv is cyclocross!

Spot on there. I cant recall seeing anything....

andrewgturnbull

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

With regards to track racing, I think it's not helped by the fact that you only see it once or twice per year. My other main gripe is there seems to be no real continuity in the season. The riders aren't aiming for anything other than the Olympics. Nobody cares about the track world cup, do they?

I don't mind stuff like the keirin or the scratch races, but the time trials and pursuits don't hold my attention at all, sorry.

What I would like to see more of on tv is cyclocross!

Spot on there. I cant recall seeing anything....

Get yersel' onto the uci channel of cycling.tv - I spent all last winter watching track and cx on there.

Cheers, Andy

LangerDan

Anyone remember the track racing from the Trexlertown velodrome they used to show on Eurosport 18 - 20 years ago? Keirins with a narrow angle lens camera facing backwards from the pillion of the derny and Nelson Vails wearing a video camera while riding in the bunch of the womens races.