Originally Posted by
EventServices
Seriously, after watching the USPro road races, it seems silly that only one person gets the spoils when it takes a team effort to make it all possible. UHC's Katie Hall buried herself so that Alison Powers could win. And the SmartStop guys worked as one to put Marcotte in position to win. Marcotte and Powers will wear the stars and stripes (in one form or another) for the rest of their career. Their teammates have nothing to show for it.
I've always said this about the Olympic Road Race. In rowing, it would be like awarding the medal to the
#1 seat in the 8-man crew since he's the one who crosses the line first. Heck, the
#8 seat can finish in 30th place in a tight race.
Because it's not a team sport.
At the end of the day, you can always have some super strong solo artist steal the thunder. If one of the solo ProTour guys had won, you wouldn't make this post, right?
Happens all the time where a strong rider whens despite a weaker team. Opportunistic riders do it often, even sprinters.