S*** Small Races Thread - 2021

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Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Fairly sure blocking happens in pretty much any race with teams up and down the ranks from amateur to WT, no?
    _
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    Yeah for sure, the break is policed in every race to some extent.

    From what Alex said, the issue here was not that the rider wouldn't have been allowed into the break, but that he went about it in a twattish way.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    Shoving riders out the way seems well out of order. I've no problem with the culprit being mercilessly chased down for the rest of the race. More satisfying outcome than the commissaires getting involved, no?

    On the other hand, probably not smart for Dowsett to imply he hammered the brakes on...
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    If you deliberately block someone, I don't see how you can complain much if they give you a shove back...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,982
    In my book if you deliberately block someone you have to expect to meet with some resistance to being blocked. There's no reason why the blocked rider should just accept it.
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    r0bh said:

    shirley_basso said:

    If someone gives you a shove - you've earned it, so take it with some grace.

    But shoving someone with your hand in a bike race is against the rules (as well as being dangerous), so I'm not sure why you should take that in good grace
    I'm not a stickler for the rules, so I don't mind.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    If this is deemed worthy of pulling a rider out of a stage race, then I am quite sure physically shoving riders in the back should be too.



    Worth remembering that two riders were disqualified from the Tour of Flanders for a bit of argy bargy.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    edited April 2021
    That brick surface was dodge ...non of them looked safe sprinting on it .
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    Philipsen takes it from Greipel. Cavendish hampered by Aniolkowski moving directly across him.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    r0bh said:

    shirley_basso said:

    If someone gives you a shove - you've earned it, so take it with some grace.

    But shoving someone with your hand in a bike race is against the rules (as well as being dangerous), so I'm not sure why you should take that in good grace
    I have been saved from crashing in crits by someone shoving me .
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    If you didn't have blocking it wouldn't take long for the peloton to find a way to police the break, probably with more insidious methods. I doubt there's many riders that want to spend 60km every stage chasing down potential escapees. We see it sometimes, and everyone agrees it's a hard day when the break isn't sorted early. Without blocking you'd soon see other minor retaliations to disincentivise late escapes.

    Similarly, if the peloton disagrees with a particular block then I'm fairly sure they'll find ways to make it known to the team responsible for it.

    It's really quite remarkable what a self organising beast the peloton is.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • davieb78
    davieb78 Posts: 99
    Lanterne_Rogue said:

    Philipsen takes it from Greipel. Cavendish hampered by Aniolkowski moving directly across him.

    Cav is finished... ;)
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    "He proudly confessed to bully cyclists in a fully mafioso way"

    No he didn't, he explained the tactics involved in ensuring they get the break they want. People should learn to read things before going on Twitter and should probably try to consider the difference between race tactics and physical contact. Had Dowsett been barging riders off the road to stop them passing he would have a point.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Pross said:

    "He proudly confessed to bully cyclists in a fully mafioso way"

    No he didn't, he explained the tactics involved in ensuring they get the break they want. People should learn to read things before going on Twitter and should probably try to consider the difference between race tactics and physical contact. Had Dowsett been barging riders off the road to stop them passing he would have a point.

    I have no issue with describing it as mafioso bullying, but that's just the mechanics of how the peloton enforces etiquette - "f*** around and find out". Nothing wrong with it at all, I'm sure the Astana rider learnt a lesson. If he, his team or the rest of the peloton have an issue with it I'm sure they'll find a way of communicating it.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Exacty. Much ado about nothing.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    edited April 2021
    The blocking usually comes about via a peloton consensus. The GC/Sprinter teams are happy with the composition of the break, the breakaway teams have either made it or have lost interest in chasing and there is a natural lull in proceedings. The blocking is just the teams that are going to be riding on the front formalising this and putting their hand up to chase. As Dowsett says, if a loan rider wants to go on a potato hunt then he'll probably be allowed to pass if he asks.

    But some that don't understand this think it is the big teams bullying the little teams. In fact the smaller the teams in the break the better. They're easier to chase.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    Jay Vine, who came second on stage 5 of the Tour of Turkey, got there by winning the Zwift Academy
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,501
    RichN95. said:

    In fact the smaller the teams in the break the better. They're easier to chase.

    That's the issue. They'll let riders go that they know that they can catch and then hold the peloton up so that the gap is not easily reconcilable for individuals/small groups.

    Ban race radio I say. Ban power meters whilst we're at it.


    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    pinno said:

    RichN95. said:

    In fact the smaller the teams in the break the better. They're easier to chase.

    That's the issue. They'll let riders go that they know that they can catch and then hold the peloton up so that the gap is not easily reconcilable for individuals/small groups.

    Ban race radio I say. Ban power meters whilst we're at it.



    No, they'll chase anyone they don't want in the break. It's once everything dies down and there's a decent and no-one is chasing anymore that the block goes up. They can do this without radios - it's their job.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    edited April 2021
    Anyway, across the Atlantic the Prologue of the Tour of Colombia was won by Oscar Sevilla. He's 44. When he won his first pro race Mrs Pidcock was seven months pregnant.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    RichN95. said:

    Anyway, across the Atlantic the Prologue of the Tour of Colombia was won by Oscar Sevilla. He's 44. When he won his first pro race Mrs Pidcock was seven months pregnant.

    Team Medellin are the Colombian Deceuninck - Quick Step.
    Even Fabio Duarte has found his long lost legs with them.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Anybody who has watched Valencia both yesterday and today will have witnessed another Movistar masterclass in comedy tactics.
    Win a stage but lose the GC. (an unfortunate puncture, but I still think Mas wouldn't have got home in time.)
    Kung now leads the GC by 6 seconds from Movistar's Nelson Olivera, who did all the work yesterday, but still put time into Kung.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Here's a live feed to the 6th race and 3rd women's race of the day.
    If anyone fancies and early trip to the Alps.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RDZYriOijY
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183
    Tour of Turkey, too sh** small to merit mention #4 win for Cav.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,228
    Mad_Malx said:

    Tour of Turkey, too sh** small to merit mention #4 win for Cav.

    That's stopped being news now.
  • bm5
    bm5 Posts: 601
    edited April 2021
    Deleted

  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    All you need to know about today's first stage of the Tour of the Alps.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Oh dear, cue the moaning.
    Gianni Moscon wins stage 1
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Sprint?
    _
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    rick_chasey said:

    Sprint?


    No, he attacked on a small rise with 4km to go. In the last 1.5km Andersen bridged across and peloton didn't quite catch them on the line. Moscon easily outsprinted Andersen
    Twitter: @RichN95

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