Olympic RR: Dropping Out

emadden

What do people feel about riders dropping out left right and center?

Granted in pro races the riders have different objectives - once the team leader is set up, there is no need to really worry about finishing/finishing high up...

But this is the Olympics and most teams do really have a clearly defined leader head and shoulders above the rest (i.e. for most teams the country picks the top two or three riders and its everyman for himself).... It just seems that dropping out somehow cheapens the race..

Just my two cents

top_bhoy

maybe the humidity and smog are killing them and they have still part of the season still to cycle with their team - the Vuelta, only a few weeks away, being one such race!!! Providing they have done all they can to help their teammates, I can't say I blame them if they have nothing left.

emadden

Top_Bhoy wrote:

maybe the humidity and smog are killing them ...

that aint smog... thats pure haze . I lived there for a number of years. The foreign media keep calling it smog in the midst of all the hype about the pollution.. bit of a pity :-(

top_bhoy

ok....maybe the humidity and haze are killing them ...

top_bhoy

I see the lead rider dropped his drink bottle at the service station - perhaps they should have allowed neutral motorcycle outriders to supply bottles given the humidity and conditions. The service station seemed a lottery.

method

emadden wrote:

Top_Bhoy wrote:

maybe the humidity and smog are killing them ...

that aint smog... thats pure haze . I lived there for a number of years. The foreign media keep calling it smog in the midst of all the hype about the pollution.. bit of a pity :-(

True, but having visited about 10 years ago all of the people I was with developed a cough within a couple of days, maybe its better now, maybe living there you were used to it. But as a visitor it was noticeable as an athlete it must be worse.

mididoctors

its not that unusual for this style of race

emadden

method wrote:

True, but having visited about 10 years ago all of the people I was with developed a cough within a couple of days, maybe its better now, maybe living there you were used to it. But as a visitor it was noticeable as an athlete it must be worse.

I know what you mean... But having said all that, the humidity in these places can also give rise to a serious cough/shortness of breath - in the form of "climatic asthma" - Its same sort of feeling some cyclists get in the summer evenings when there is a drop in temperature and air saturation increases. When I was racing in my youth that would affect me, and when I cycled in China and South East Asia I really suffered...

Great race though! ... As an aside, Im glad rebellin didnt get gold, there is something just not right about that mans performances

hammerite

emadden wrote:

I know what you mean... But having said all that, the humidity in these places can also give rise to a serious cough/shortness of breath - in the form of "climatic asthma" - Its same sort of feeling some cyclists get in the summer evenings when there is a drop in temperature and air saturation increases. When I was racing in my youth that would affect me, and when I cycled in China and South East Asia I really suffered...

Great race though! ... As an aside, Im glad rebellin didnt get gold, there is something just not right about that mans performances

I get this in the UK in August anyway, so I'd hate to think what it's like in more humid countries. According to the asthma clinic there are a lot of mould spores flying about (not being medically minded not sure how whether this is right).

The other thing that can't help are illnesses. I know when I've been on holiay before where you have 1,000s of people mingling from all sorts of places and backgrounds, loads of germs fly about, and people go down with different bugs left right and centre.

None of the GB team finished though, I know that none of them stood a good chance, but I thought the idea of including Bellis and Swift was for experience. Would they have gained more experience had they finished the race? :?

top_bhoy

hammerite wrote:

emadden wrote:

None of the GB team finished though, I know that none of them stood a good chance, but I thought the idea of including Bellis and Swift was for experience. Would they have gained more experience had they finished the race? :?

They sure would - they'd have found out what its like to ride 248Km in a top race. I can't think they'd have had too much exposure to that sort of distance and in that sort of company!!

I jest a little though - no point in having them continue if they are physically spent to the point their future health may be endangered.

Moomaloid

All the health talk is all well and good, but i still think it was a completely pointless exercise. Our whole team pulled out. I'd rather they'd have saved on the cost of sending them. Yes its the biggest sporting event on the planet but jeez what a waste. You can't even give the old 'experience' line, they could get better experience by completing races in europe. Shame. Thought old Roger H would've finished. I can only assume it was very tough coz hammond is a bit of a war horse isn't he.

combat_wombat

anyone lapped was going to be stopped
so if your legs go, you might as well stop

also lots of the riders were probably pulling out coz they knew they weren't gonna get a medal so they just saved themselves for their next race

sing_for_absolution

Moomaloid wrote:

All the health talk is all well and good, but i still think it was a completely pointless exercise. Our whole team pulled out. I'd rather they'd have saved on the cost of sending them. Yes its the biggest sporting event on the planet but jeez what a waste. You can't even give the old 'experience' line, they could get better experience by completing races in europe. Shame. Thought old Roger H would've finished. I can only assume it was very tough coz hammond is a bit of a war horse isn't he.

But it happens all the time in one-day races. why the rage/surprise?

Salsiccia

And especially as the course was laps of the same circuit. You're five minutes behind and you come past the finish, where your team cars and soigneurs are, with one/two laps left - what are you going to do? Especially wIth another 2-3 months left in the season?