World Championship - ***SPOILERS***

powerbookboy

Let's be blunt. It was an extremely disappointing performance. But the issue isn't the fact that British riders withdrew. the issue is that they got themselves in a position where that was the only sensible course of action.

One issue seems to be the complete inability to dump the plan when the plan isn't working. Not sure if this is just a lack of an innate racing brain because so many come from the track, fear of punishment for not following "the plan"? No race radio seems to equal little clue on occasion.

But the real problem was the riders got in the wrong position. Wiggins obviously has a serious case of the "yips" when it gets wet. I didn't see enough of the early race to understand why he was so far back, so soon, but a rider of his class and current form should not put himself in that situation. If he crashed, fair enough, but if he just didn't have his heart in it, he and any other riders with the same issues shouldn't have been there.

Froome was utterly pragmatic, but if he really thought he had a chance he should have easily been able to wheel-suck the peloton and be in with a shout until the last lap when anything goes.

Really really pleased that the bravest riders made the selection, disappointed for JRod and Nibs, its harsh. Glad in a way Valve din't win it, as he didn't work as hard as the other 3 (although that may simply be because he couldn't work against his team mate, hence it looked like he as wheel sucking). Nibs was immense getting back on, "magic spanner" or no...

above_the_cows

amaferanga wrote:

Does anyone actually know what led to each of the British team abandoning? Did any of them just sit up cos they couldn't be ar$ed or were they caught out by various crashes, punctures, etc. so ended up behind the main bunch with no hope of getting back?

Cummings had a puncture. I think G said a lot of them were held up by crashes (hence why there was lots of jostling for position on the way into the first circuit because everyone wanted to be at the front, fearing crashes). Cav I think was always going to climb off when it hit the circuit.

frenchfighter

Some really amazing photos of the race yesterday!

--

I think it is a very likely possibility that Wiggins climbed off solely because he did not want to help Froome. A statement. He very clearly had form. He cant ride the rain and descends like a granny when it gets wet, so that clinched it.

Froome said he trained so hard and this was a major goal but got off his bike because he had no teammates. That speaks of major mental fragility and a total lack of desire. Definitely not a role model attitude.

And an FYI re AUS - most got smoked on crashes not because it was raining.

frenchfighter

I’d like to thank Brad for his valiant effort today. Outstanding.

— NOT Chris Froome (@FuckingFroome) September 29, 2013

Sorry Chris, I got fucking bored.

— NOT Bradley Wiggins (@NOTSirWiggo) September 29, 2013

ddraver

I think "ride hard on the Front" is to Brailsford is what "keep it in the forwards" was to Martin Johnson or "defend, defend, defend" is to Roy Hodgson.

On the one hand you can win all the races Rich posted, reach the WC Final or qualify for Brazil doing it but when you come up against a situation where it does nt work, it falls apart spectacularly...

Froome has not shown himself to be very good at making the crucial splits this year...

frenchfighter

"I should have been there, but I couldn’t do it," said Valverde. "The corner was complicated when Costa attacked. Nibali slowed, and when we left the corner, Costa had a gap, and after 270km, I simply couldn’t follow. Honestly, I just couldn’t follow."

blazing_saddles

Salsiccia1 wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

I'm not critiquing Froome for pulling out when he was already a minute off the pace on the circuits etc., I totally understand that, but I am wondering about the commitment of some members of the team. I don't want to be one of those people who questions Wiggins' ability to ride for Froome, but you do start to wonder. You wonder as to the atmosphere that sort of thing does to a team. The weather is horrible, you're cold and then slowly your team mates disappear, the first one, barely 30k into the race, someone who is known to be a bit 'difficult' etc. etc. I'm pretty sure the 'team morale' was not exactly the same as it was for Copenhagen 2011. They could have done with fewer Sky boys perhaps and chucked Millar in to bang some heads together.

All great points.

Post the ITT, I did think to ask....

viewtopic.php?f=40002&t=12940969&p=18550126&hilit=wiggins+motivation#p18550126

frenchfighter

above_the_cows

powerbookboy wrote:

Froome was utterly pragmatic, but if he really thought he had a chance he should have easily been able to wheel-suck the peloton and be in with a shout until the last lap when anything goes.

I agree with a lot of what you said, but this "he should have easily" in those conditions, it wasn't easy. Nothing was easy. There was a fair amount of luck involved. Lots of people had their race effectively finished by being in the wrong place at the wrong time and having a pile up in front of them meaning they immediately lost 30 seconds. The answer to that of course is 'ride at the front' which was what the Brits seemed to be trying to do on the first circuit, but as soon as it hit the climb to Fiesole, the Italians put the hammer down and the British team minus Froome (Froome was up near the front at this point) evaporated. Not everyone can ride on the front.

Some times sh*t happens. Bicycle racing is also about luck some of the time. You can try and minimise the variables but you can't control for everything.

davidof

frenchfighter wrote:

", I simply couldn’t follow. Honestly, I just couldn’t follow."

a team mate.

frenchfighter

Mohric`s aero tuck and pedal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... wV3YUlZSxI

davidof

Anyway the Team GB evaporation in the rain has given the Euros a lot to laugh about today.

ddraver

davidof wrote:

Anyway the Team GB evaporation in the rain has given the Euros a lot to laugh about today.

The Dutch are thoroughly uninterested in us...

salsiccia1

frenchfighter wrote:

I am still properly gutted for Purito. That photo is heartbreaking

gsvbagpuss

Has anyone seen what happened in the bunch? I'm assuming Sagan runied it for everyone as no-one wants to drag him the line?

For all the complaints on the race being boring (which I don't think it wasn't), the course was setup well but the rain just made it too hard so no Canc charge on the last lap for example. Plus some very hard Italian pace making early on relaly hurt a lot of people. So sorry for Purito too, anyone lip read what he said with 500m to go?

ddraver

Salsiccia1 wrote:

I am still properly gutted for Purito. That photo is heartbreaking

+1

above_the_cows

Salsiccia1 wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

I am still properly gutted for Purito. That photo is heartbreaking

Ditto.

Richmond Racer

*wails*

Poor Purito


bet the Spanish team dinner was fun last night. Almost as much fun as GB's.

frenchfighter

frenchfighter

above_the_cows

frenchfighter wrote:

Ah, so Wiggo had the GB rain jacket on. Did he bagsy the only one GB had?

frenchfighter

frenchfighter

Super photos from all the races here:
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2013/09/memor ... pionships/

tailwindhome

If it was the Olympics would GB have folded so quickly?

greasedscotsman

Above The Cows wrote:

Ah, so Wiggo had the GB rain jacket on. Did he bagsy the only one GB had?

Nope!



(Unless they shared it...)

frenchfighter

If you were wondering about Purito`s helmet:

davidof

ddraver wrote:

davidof wrote:

Anyway the Team GB evaporation in the rain has given the Euros a lot to laugh about today.

The Dutch are thoroughly uninterested in us...

Really?

Kom laten we met z'n allen op kop rijden!

Ja? Zijn we in beeld geweest?

Okay, goodbye!!
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Apart volk die Britten.
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Ja wat is dat toch met die Britten op de olympische spelen was het ook al hommeles.
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Gek want het regent toch altijd in Engeland ?
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Als we nu eerlijk zijn ook, wat kwam Cav hier doen? Na juist wat op kop rijden zoals hij gedaan heeft maar wat ben je daar mee??
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Dat Cav opgaf vind ik niet zo erg hoor. Die heeft veel werk opgeknapt. Maar daarom vind ik het zo zonde dat de rest van de ploeg zo makkelijk opgaf. De misschien wel beste sprinter ter wereld (EN voormalig wereldkampioen) komt speciaal hierheen om knecht te spelen (en voert dat perfect uit). Wat doe je vervolgens? Bij de eerste tegenslag geef je op.

Iedere renner heeft gisteren een tegenslag gehad. Maar het was alsof Team GB bij de eerste tegenslag omviel. Teleurstellend
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Anglosaksen gisteren niet zo goed uit de verf gekomen. Team USA zat immers ook al snel collectief in de ploegbus op twee knechtjes na. Het is wel onzinnig dat de Britten zo op kop sleurden terwijl op voorhand al duidelijk was dat ze absoluut geen topfavorieten in hun selectie hadden.
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Dit soort koersen is dan ook absoluut niet waar Sky in uitblinkt. 200 km op kop rijden en dan je kopman afzetten op 2 km van de finish bergop, dat is meer hun ding. Bij voorkeur met een zonnetje.
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Costa zat ook hele wedstrijd alleen, die gaf ook niet op
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Zo slecht was de mentaliteit toch niet? Nooit gehoord van 'samen uit samen thuis'?

Maar serieus, dit was echt een schande voor GB.
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Cav heeft gedaan wat er van hem verwacht werd en ik zag Stannard er alles aan doen om bij Froome te blijven. Froome kwam alleen te zitten en dat is hij niet gewend. Ze hadden geen favoriet in hun team, maar Froome had in ieder geval de eer hoog te houden. Jammer GB, volgende keer beter.

Coach H

greasedscotsman wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

Ah, so Wiggo had the GB rain jacket on. Did he bagsy the only one GB had?

Nope!



(Unless they shared it...)

Ever the loyal team mate Wiggo handed it on to G when he was finished with it. Originally held it out to Froome but pulled it out of the way just as he tried to grab it!

ddraver

Wow cutting, I bet the team are totally devastated :roll: Being involved in a 20 second discussion about the teams that did nt turn up must burn like mad...

I suppose after 10 years of Rabbobank though the Dutch are well practice at actually watching the ffffffflipping race rather than giving a monkeys about riders that never had any hope of winning in the first place

majormantra

TheEnglishman wrote:

Speaking as an outsider who doesn't fully understand cycling races I have to say there needs to be a fair amount of PR/explanation as to why riders dropped out. It doesn't happen in many sports where people quit half way through.

It just doesn't look good. Sorry, but there it is.

From a few pages back, I think that there's a point here. Regardless of the reality of the race, the man on the street won't understand why a rider would drop out of the race before the finish if he is capable of finishing. Indeed the BBC Radio 4 news described the GB riders as "failing to complete the race" which completely misses the point. I mean, obviously they could complete it after being dropped if given sufficient time, but as we've explored there's really no point.

I'm not sure this attitude will change in the UK until the general public takes a more active interest in cycling and learns more about it, but currently there is what media types might call a presentational problem. :roll: