Olympics All Format Spoiler Thread
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Also to yesterday’s chat about domestiques in triathlon… In 2012 Stuart Hayes was team GB 3rd wheel. Strong swimmer, strong bike.. mediocre runner.
He was chosen purely to be able to ride next to the Brownlees and provide a bike if either had a mechanical.
As mentioned yesterday, this caused a massive Sh 1t storm and legal action with the highly rated 2008 Olympian Will Clarke being left out of the squad despite frequently beating Hayes. CLarke then went on to IronMan events regularly getting podium finishes including 3 silvers in 2019 season.0 -
Surfing quarter finals in progress. Waves are bigger and cleaner, though it's still a bit blowy. Doesn't seem possible to get above 7 without going to the air, I guess they want the most dramatic shots for the highlights reel, which is fair enough for a new to the Olympics sport.
Brazilians are pretty much nailed on for gold and probably silver too - each has put up scores of 9 and above for their airsWarning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Ladies having trouble in the wet mud but the mtb ramp is back.BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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Leaders are launching well clear of it too!davidof said:Ladies having trouble in the wet mud but the mtb ramp is back.
2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner0 -
Fantastic Gold, Tom Dean & Silver, Duncan Scott in the 200 freestyle.0
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Yes. PFP well down after a fall.carbonclem said:
Leaders are launching well clear of it too!davidof said:Ladies having trouble in the wet mud but the mtb ramp is back.
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This is looking less of a race and more a coronation. Very impressive.
What happened to Evie Richards? Was in 2nd when I went to sort some breakfast out and then had vanished when I came back0 -
That didn't weather well!alan_a said:
Just like CX there is a wheel pit every lap. But that is it. You are responsible for your own mechanicals. No team cars or service bikes. Puncture and you are out.RichN95. said:Those triathlon outfits look cold. I realise it's probably 30 degrees despite the rain
I know they don't have team cars, but are there any neutral service facilities.
The GB silver medallist punctured 2 kms from the end of the bike leg and lost 20+ seconds to the leaders by transition!0 -
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Pidcock Glory Supporters (
) may not appreciate that Jolanda has been the queen of XCO for the last 5 years. Neff has clearly gone all in on this one day and if it comes off will be a super performance.
Perhaps the French have suffered from having to qualify and extra rider early on this year.
COME ON EVIE!!!We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Lots of images of girls in tears... I guess a Swiss tidal wave hit themBASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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Which makes the mvdp fall all the more puzzling.carbonclem said:
Leaders are launching well clear of it too!davidof said:Ladies having trouble in the wet mud but the mtb ramp is back.
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On about the 2nd lap I saw PFP hit it mid ramp, she'd risk an off without the ramp. The pressure seems to have got to her like at LND.Mad_Malx said:
Which makes the mvdp fall all the more puzzling.carbonclem said:
Leaders are launching well clear of it too!davidof said:Ladies having trouble in the wet mud but the mtb ramp is back.
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Can't understand why you're all talking about cycling while there's been surfing on...
Italo Ferreira (Brazil) took gold,
Kanoa Igarishi (Japan) silver and Owen Wright (Australia) bronze
Italo celebrates in typical bubbling buzz of energy style with a back flip off the podium.
The feel good story here is Wright's bronze. In 2015 he had a severe head injury while surfing the notorious Pipeline in Hawaii and had to learn how to walk and talk again, let alone surf.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Piddock in one interview said he knew MVP was going to fall. He said he was already falling before he went over the edge.Mad_Malx said:
Which makes the mvdp fall all the more puzzling.carbonclem said:
Leaders are launching well clear of it too!davidof said:Ladies having trouble in the wet mud but the mtb ramp is back.
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MVDP was never going to win the Olympic RR on that course (it was the race with the most vertical ascent so far in 2021 - hence why Carapaz won his first 1 day).m.r.m. said:Really well done by Pidcock. As mentioned before showed great control of the race and just managed it like a seasoned vet.
Regarding MvdP, I really think it's a shame he doesn't dedicate himself to one discipline more. I think Pogacar and MvdP are the best cyclists in the world followed by WVA in third. WVA has dedicated himself entirely to the road and we can see what the results are when a superior talent does that.
Obviously MvdP (and Pidcock as well in regards to mountain biking) should do what makes him happy, but if you have all the attributes and all the talent in the world as a fan of his, I'd love for him to be truly great. You don't get to be truly great though or have a truly great, all time palmares by splitting your time and training. Winning is just so hard and the competition is just so fierce that you need sufficient attempts in order to build an amazing palmares.
Amstel Gold broke his way once, but you could argue he could just as well have 3 Flanders titles instead of one. World's as well.
Considering how much he beats WVA it seems he is making the wrong career choices in terms of what he is targeting.
Obviously, if he just wants to enjoy riding whatever races and being paid to do so, that is well within his rights. As a fan I simply want him to be great. WVA has made the better career choices in my mind and thus is building the better palmares, despite MvdP being (slightly) better in my humble opinion.
VDP had a very good chance (up until his ramp faux pas) of becoming OG Gold medallist in the XC MB. That would be a big deal in Netherlands and with his sponsors.
Also, he had planned for this OG to be in 2020, when he wouldn't have been doing the tour. COVID did for that.
I would imagine he will go full on Road now with a bit of CX.1 -
If he'd won yesterday, I'd agree.
He'll be 30 in Paris and as yet there is no obvious contender (aside from Pidcock obvs). Will depend what the French dream up for a road course I suspect (though I'd assume he'd do both)We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
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a few laps around the Champs with a climb up to Montmartre via "Crack Mountain" (la colline du crack) to show off the best of Paris?ddraver said:Will depend what the French dream up for a road course
I mean, it's not going to be Mont Fuji so will firmly be "flanderian" style.
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Doesn't have to finish (or start...) in Paris of course.davidof said:
a few laps around the Champs with a climb up to Montmartre?ddraver said:Will depend what the French dream up for a road course
I mean, it's not going to be Mont Fuji so will firmly be "flanderian" style.
I hear Roubaix has a put on the occasional bike race before......0 -
*29* in 2024ddraver said:If he'd won yesterday, I'd agree.
He'll be 30 in Paris and as yet there is no obvious contender (aside from Pidcock obvs). Will depend what the French dream up for a road course I suspect (though I'd assume he'd do both)
With the “doing it for grandad” stuff in the tour I thought he was younger, although I knew he’d been dominant in CX for a few years.1 -
Roubaix to Paris perhaps...yorkshireraw said:
Doesn't have to finish (or start...) in Paris of course.davidof said:
a few laps around the Champs with a climb up to Montmartre?ddraver said:Will depend what the French dream up for a road course
I mean, it's not going to be Mont Fuji so will firmly be "flanderian" style.
I hear Roubaix has a put on the occasional bike race before......
(Can't see it not finishing on the Champs really..)We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Had to go out this morning and had the women's MTB on record so just played it back.davidof said:
On about the 2nd lap I saw PFP hit it mid ramp, she'd risk an off without the ramp. The pressure seems to have got to her like at LND.Mad_Malx said:
Which makes the mvdp fall all the more puzzling.carbonclem said:
Leaders are launching well clear of it too!davidof said:Ladies having trouble in the wet mud but the mtb ramp is back.
What a great sporting atmosphere there was between all of the competitors at the finish. Really nice to see.
“You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”
Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut1 -
Seems an obvious choice, which is why I hope they do something different. Especially as they'll have (presumably) done that finish only a week (if same timetable as this year) earlier in the Tour.ddraver said:
Roubaix to Paris perhaps...yorkshireraw said:
Doesn't have to finish (or start...) in Paris of course.davidof said:
a few laps around the Champs with a climb up to Montmartre?ddraver said:Will depend what the French dream up for a road course
I mean, it's not going to be Mont Fuji so will firmly be "flanderian" style.
I hear Roubaix has a put on the occasional bike race before......
(Can't see it not finishing on the Champs really..)
Also, If they fancy designing a course to try and engineer a French (Allaphilippe?) win, the Champs finish isn't going to be the best option.0 -
Pretty much what Tony Hawks was saying post the men's final. he said hopefully now national associations will be able to pump money into the sport.above_the_cows said:
Agreed, but being the good friend of someone who was quite instrumental in getting skateboaring recognised by the Olympics, recognition comes with lots additional money that can then be used to do the more free spirit stuff that is at the core of skateboarding. This is how my friend rationalises their support for Olympic status anyway, in that it allows them to do more of the outreach and diverse community based stuff all over the world that they love.Pross said:
Doesn't feel right to me, an event that puts kids of that age under the world spotlight. The Olympics and 'free spirit' sports like skateboarding and snowboarding don't feel like natural bedfellows either.RichN95. said:I've just been watching the skateboarding. It's nice to see they have an event for children, maybe they should have more them.
(The ages of the podium - 13,13,16)
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In most previous Olympics, it has been possible to ride road race, ITT, then the MTB race on the last weekend. Which is what Pidcock is hoping to do in Paris.ddraver said:If he'd won yesterday, I'd agree.
He'll be 30 in Paris and as yet there is no obvious contender (aside from Pidcock obvs). Will depend what the French dream up for a road course I suspect (though I'd assume he'd do both)
It will likely be most of the same opponents, unless there is another rider from leftfield; like Pidcock who nobody would have had down this time last year.
As for MvdP, if he's serious about winning MTB gold, then it might help doing more than just 2 World Cups in nearly two years. And going to the test event. We know Covid affected his plans, but his preparations haven't been as good as they could have been.All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0
