Originally Posted by
DrIsotope
Not just too long, but absolutely obsessed with going up hills. Going up hills is boring, unless some guy is flying up them in a 900hp race car made out of insanity. Also why "uphill mountain biking" isn't a sport.
5 hours is too long for any TV (it still exists) network to show - end to end. So they cut the footage and show us the end.
What would have been different at the UCI World RR if the race were - say 80 miles/3 hours?
-They would have been faster than juniors.
-Overall less concern about conserving. I mean, what pro can't go all out 3 hours?
-Cav might have shown up.
-A network might have picked it up.
-There might have been other sprinters.
-A nature break might not be required.
In the end we likely would have the same winner, but might have seen the whole race.
Outside of streaming or buying Olympic channel - they don't sell enough beer get any TV network interested, as recording 5 hours of racing so they can to edit to 1 hour also costs.