Racing: an honorable sporting event, or a back-alley knife fight?
#1
ride lots be safe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,224
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Racing: an honorable sporting event, or a back-alley knife fight?
Events of the weekend have prompted discussion about the "right" way to view a race.
To wit: are there more honorable ways to win than others? Or is it simply, first wheel across the line and as long as you stay within the rules, a win is a win?
Example: is a rider who sits in and sprints, less of a deserving winner than one who attacks and attacks and bridges and chases then wins? Or is the concept of "deserving" entirely irrelevant?
To wit: are there more honorable ways to win than others? Or is it simply, first wheel across the line and as long as you stay within the rules, a win is a win?
Example: is a rider who sits in and sprints, less of a deserving winner than one who attacks and attacks and bridges and chases then wins? Or is the concept of "deserving" entirely irrelevant?
#2
Carpe Diem
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: MABRA
Posts: 13,149
Bikes: 2007 CAAD9; 2014 CAADX; PedalForce CG1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
__________________
"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!
"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!
#4
half man - half sheep
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Big Mineral arm - Lake Texoma (Pottsboro, Tx)
Posts: 2,469
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I want to know what all this drama in the Cat4 race is all about (Andy's TXBRA) comments. What happened once I was shown the back door?
#5
Cat 4
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Gaithersburg MD
Posts: 570
Bikes: Blue RC6AL - Rival Build
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Its irrelevant in my option. I dont think anyone in the field really cares if a guy that pulls the whole race deserves to win. Yeah it would be nice to see him win cause he did a lot of the work up front, but he decided to do that, and its not going to stop anyone else in the field from chasing him on the final sprint. It was his decision to do the work and he should know theres someone right on his wheel along for the ride. Its a race, first one that cross's the lines within the rules wins.
Last edited by J.Lockdown; 06-22-09 at 09:45 AM.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,917
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#8
One speed: FAST !
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL
Posts: 3,375
Bikes: Ebay Bikes... =)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#9
Wheelsuck
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 6,158
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#10
ride lots be safe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,224
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
the top 4 guys were pretty close, maybe he got excited about that.
Last edited by Creakyknees; 06-22-09 at 09:58 AM.
#11
Senior Member
Events of the weekend have prompted discussion about the "right" way to view a race.
To wit: are there more honorable ways to win than others? Or is it simply, first wheel across the line and as long as you stay within the rules, a win is a win?
Example: is a rider who sits in and sprints, less of a deserving winner than one who attacks and attacks and bridges and chases then wins? Or is the concept of "deserving" entirely irrelevant?
To wit: are there more honorable ways to win than others? Or is it simply, first wheel across the line and as long as you stay within the rules, a win is a win?
Example: is a rider who sits in and sprints, less of a deserving winner than one who attacks and attacks and bridges and chases then wins? Or is the concept of "deserving" entirely irrelevant?
By the way, this goes both ways - sprinters who think that breakaways and riders who have the strength to win solo shouldn't be allowed are jerks. But how often does this happen? Mostly, the anger seems to come from riders who think that having a bigger aerobic engine and working like a dog entitles them to a win or high placing. But cycling is beautiful because you are not entitled to anything. You win by crossing the line first. If you can't do that, then that's it. That's cycling. Hey, maybe I'm biased - I'm a criterium and circuit racer by disposition - but I recognize that bias.
And for what it's worth, that doesn't mean that I support boring races. Races won in field sprints or from breaks can both be incredibly boring, or they can be active and exciting, depending upon how they are raced, what tactics are used, etc. I would rather my races be exciting, but when you come right down to it, that's secondary. People want to win, and they're going to do whatever they think gives them the best chance of winning. They might guess wrong, especially if they are inexperienced, but that's how it goes.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,840
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 31 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
bike racing is an interesting sport. while maybe no one cares who took 2nd, I can think of several examples of races where no one can remember (interpret to no one cares) who won, but everyone remembers who was off the front for a big % of the race or who "turned the screws" and animiated the race.
#18
starting pistol means war
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 3,150
Bikes: Cervelo R3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#20
Banned.
Join Date: May 2006
Location: ATX, Ex So Cal
Posts: 11,058
Bikes: Ridley Noah-Scott Addict-Orbea Ordu
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I think it was more about the conditions and how they really fought it out till the end...at leat that's what I took away from Andy's comments...
#21
Sensible shoes.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: St. Paul,MN
Posts: 8,798
Bikes: A few.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Meh, it's just drama.
If you win without cheating, you won. One method is tactically superior, the other is brute strength.
If you win without cheating, you won. One method is tactically superior, the other is brute strength.
#22
.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 40,375
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 27 Times
in
12 Posts
whatever. while the following is more about mortals, such as ourselves, it pretty much covers my opinion about racers in general:
i will always have more respect for the racer who got away in a break and won.
i will never have respect for the anonymous racers, who you never see on the front until the final 200 meters.
i will always have more respect for the racer who got away in a break and won.
i will never have respect for the anonymous racers, who you never see on the front until the final 200 meters.
#23
Carpe Diem
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: MABRA
Posts: 13,149
Bikes: 2007 CAAD9; 2014 CAADX; PedalForce CG1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
whatever. while the following is more about mortals, such as ourselves, it pretty much covers my opinion about racers in general:
i will always have more respect for the racer who got away in a break and won.
i will never have respect for the anonymous racers, who you never see on the front until the final 200 meters.
i will always have more respect for the racer who got away in a break and won.
i will never have respect for the anonymous racers, who you never see on the front until the final 200 meters.
__________________
"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!
"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!
#25
starting pistol means war
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 3,150
Bikes: Cervelo R3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I've got no issue with anyone that can win the field sprint, that sat in all day.
I've got issues with all those guys that follow incessantly hoping for a top10 in a field sprint.
It's like, who cares.