How interested are you in the Olympic cycling?

rick_chasey

amd-sco wrote:

Road zero
Track 3

Really annoyed that great riders are wasting their seasons (cav / G ) on nothing races

Road zero. Really?

How come?

ms_tree

Road - 3 - I still think they should have gone up Highgate and Hampstead like I read they were going to do in the first place. Not down in Surrey (London Olympics anyone?) and then a long boring ride back.
Track - 0 (yawn)
I hope to catch up on all the stuff I've been recording during the Tour.

amd-sco

Rick - Zero interest as road cycling isn't a 'real' Olympic sport.
The Olympic RR is like Olympic tennis.
I'd rather watch a proper classic RR

Track is but I'm not really into it, although I like the points, madison & best of all - devil - is that in Olympics?

Daz555

5
5

Hoping to see Cav get the gold he wants so badly and for Sir Chris to surpass Sir Steve in the gold medal stakes.

TheStone

R-3
T-4

I'll enjoy all of it, but I'd be more interested in Flanders or Roubaix over the road race.
Went to the test event at the velodrome and it's awesome.

Daz555

amd-sco wrote:

Rick - Zero interest as road cycling isn't a 'real' Olympic sport.
The Olympic RR is like Olympic tennis.
I'd rather watch a proper classic RR

Track is but I'm not really into it, although I like the points, madison & best of all - devil - is that in Olympics?

Devil forms part of the Omnium.

GB have got the superb Laura Trott going in the Omnium (got to be the fav for gold). Here is her incredible performance in the devil at the World Cup in London this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD61O5_DM6Q

rick_chasey

amd-sco wrote:

Rick - Zero interest as road cycling isn't a 'real' Olympic sport.
The Olympic RR is like Olympic tennis.
I'd rather watch a proper classic RR

Track is but I'm not really into it, although I like the points, madison & best of all - devil - is that in Olympics?

No, but it's basically a glorified worlds on your doorstep, which must be fun surely?

All the big one day racers are peaking for it - so for that alone it should be worth a bit of interest. If you're a cycling fan anyway.

Monty Zoncolan

Road - 4 - not quite up there with a memorable grand tour or a good Classic but a nice post-le Tour bonus.

Track - 2 - no great sense of anticipation, but I'll surely tune in when it's on and find myself getting drawn in. Then forget it all for another 4 years, probably.

greasedscotsman

Rick Chasey wrote:

No, but it's basically a glorified worlds on your doorstep, which must be fun surely?

We don't all live in London...

mroli

Olympics generally 5.

I'm so excited about the road race that I'm a volunteer Games Maker. Have the purple uniform and everything.

Training on Sat.

prawny

I came to the conclusion this morning that the RR isn't really in the spirit of the olympics, too many variables. I'll still watch it though, but probably on the Beeb, for extra not proper racing status points.

The TT is more Olympicy, but still dull.

Track, well, I'll probably watch it this time, got into it a bit more over the winter, but I can't say I'm massively excited by any of it.

2/1.5?

Pross

Love the Olympic track racing, I'm not sure why so many on this forum dislike track so much especially considering most people complain about the lack of action for the bulk of a road race. Track racing is condensing all the main action of a road race into a series of short, sharp races I'd rather the UCI hadn't messed with the format but I have to admit the omnium is growing on me, especially the devil when Laura Trott rides it. I wouldn't rate the road race as a must watch event normally but I'll enjoy it this year getting to see it live. It will be interesting to see who takes it seriously.

Daz555

It is stupid that the UCI have ditched classic events like the kilo and individual pursuit but the track events have so much to offer - blistering pace, tension, crazy moves, crashes, world records.......and hopefully Team GB smashing up the world.

Lichtblick

Why does the Womens' road race only go up Box Hill twice, when the Mens' goes up nine times?

They're not exactly silly girlies, are they?

Coriander

Lichtblick wrote:

Why does the Womens' road race only go up Box Hill twice, when the Mens' goes up nine times?

They're not exactly silly girlies, are they?

That drives me nuts, I find it so patronising. As you say, you can almost hear the (probably all male) organising committee saying, "oh, we mustn't tire out the poor little girlies.".

Now, I am more than happy to concede that women won't manage the same distance as the men in the same time, but I think these finely honed athletes are probably capable of more than a couple of hours on their bike. What were the last ORRs - wasn't it something like 260km for the men and 110km for the women? Why not make the wonen's race of a length that will be raced in about the same time as the men's?

Making the women's races so unnecessarily short does nothing to promote women's racing and encourage fans to take it seriously. Hell, even I could ride 110km, but I doubt many of you believe you could do 260km in one session, which surely is part of the fascination and respect we have for the sport?

Oooh, it was good to get that off my chest. Now, if someone would just help me off my soapbox, I'd be terribly grateful.

Lichtblick

"They're not exactly silly girlies" was an attempt at countering patronising male cyclists, of whom there are probably thousands. I can only assume that womens' cycling gets nowhere near the attention of men's cycling is because there isn't the interest = less sponsorship = less media attention.

What is ORR?

I couldn't ride 110km but that doesn't make me a bad person.

amd-sco

Rick Chasey wrote:

amd-sco wrote:

No, but it's basically a glorified worlds on your doorstep, which must be fun surely?

All the big one day racers are peaking for it - so for that alone it should be worth a bit of interest. If you're a cycling fan anyway.

Box hill isn't on my doorstep.... we don't all live in London / South East, that attitude is why Wee 'Eck is doing so well up in Holyrood.

My house to box hill is 390 miles, Its 580 from my wee brothers. Its 'on my doorstep' in the same way L-B-L is on my Dad's doorstep (he lives way down in Northant's) it's on my wee brothers doorstep in the same way that Stage 10 of this years Tour is on London's doorstep!

For all that, it is an ok parcours but it really isn't a classic, is it... really - would you be as hyped if this was happening in Atlanta GA?

rick_chasey

Still easier to get to than Belgium I'd imagine .

Anyway, my point still remains - it's a glorified worlds with smaller teams (which is always fun) and all the big one day racers are peaking for it.

How is that not interesting?

amd-sco

Rick Chasey wrote:

Still easier to get to than Belgium I'd imagine .

Anyway, my point still remains - it's a glorified worlds with smaller teams (which is always fun) and all the big one day racers are peaking for it.

How is that not interesting?

definitely easier and nicer to get to Belgium, I concede it's (RR) interesting in a way but it's got zero meaning unlike a 'real' classic or even a semi. At least the worlds mean something other than a shed load of endorsements for the winner.

blazing_saddles

Pross wrote:

Love the Olympic track racing, I'm not sure why so many on this forum dislike track so much especially considering most people complain about the lack of action for the bulk of a road race. Track racing is condensing all the main action of a road race into a series of short, sharp races I'd rather the UCI hadn't messed with the format but I have to admit the omnium is growing on me, especially the devil when Laura Trott rides it. I wouldn't rate the road race as a must watch event normally but I'll enjoy it this year getting to see it live. It will be interesting to see who takes it seriously.

+1
I would have been very excited with the track cycling, but for the friggin UCI and it's stupid one rider per nation rule.
At least as reserve, she got the kit.