Men's Olympic RR (SPOILER!)
 

What the heck was GB thinking yesterday?

I watched most of the race live (split screen with other events) and they tried the same tactic as if it was a tour stage for a 1 day race. Seriously?

First mistake was to be all cocky and basically tell everyone it was Cav's race to lose; All the other teams to GB, "Thanks for the heads up..."

The second mistake was to ride the race like a tour stage. At the tour they could let guys go up the road and only had to mark 2 or three riders. In the Olympic RR they let guys like Menchov, Vino, Cancellara, Niboli go up the road WITH TEAM MATES. Then they thought they could just bring it back after riding all day on the front with just 4 guys working?

That had to be the dumbest overall tactic I've seen in a long time!!!

GB was WAY over confident and I, for one, am glad to see it bite them in the ass. That was some seriously stupid racing. And where did CAV finish in the bunch sprint without his train? Third?

Jeebus H Keyrist!

Mods, could you fix the typo in the title, please?

I was disappointed to see Cancellara crash. He would have made the last 3k a little more interesting. I wanted to see who was going to get his wheel and come around him for the win :)

Taylor in 4th! In a few months he might get a nice medal in the mail...

Yeah, that crash changed the entire dynamic of the finish. Then Vino stole Cancellara's move to win.

I couldn't see how well the US riders organised for Taylor. I know TJ was working to keep the move away in the last 20km but did Taylor get a wheel? Or did he get there on his own?

many people screwed up in that race, tactically.
GB's squad thought they deserved to win and all others would just lay down. Even if they made the leadout their legs would have been shot! Maybe they thought they had 9 instead of 5 on the team. Every other team had someone in the lead group so of course nobody really offered to help bring back the leaders.
Poor Fabian, I was waiting for him to make a move- but he misjudged the corner. At least x-rays are neg.
The 3 Americans should have been grouped together and not have Tejay pulling at the front. He is too good to just waste his legs like that. They could have tried a leadout and see what might have happened.
When Alexander Vinokourov made his move only one person chased---that was a huge F-up! Huge.
What the heck was that Columbian rider thinking?!? Turing your back on an experienced rider that close to the finish!
Easier to talk sitting here and not on the bike for such a distance, but errors were made by some great riders.

It all seems so simple, doesn't it?

Did Cancellara get interviewed anywhere after the race? Looking at the coverage I wonder if the camera moto somewhat contributed to his crash by either obstructing his view of the turn or causing him to take a different line.

Sure! I always know exactly what I did wrong after a race. Applying that to someone else or their team is a breeze.

i say 50:50 chance that Vino gets caught

Looked to me like there was a decent gap to the motorcycle.

where's our very own Vinokurtov to give his take on things?

Hopefully you folks have emailed the teams in question so they will know to come to this thread for advice.

I forgot that only those with a Pro-Tour license can have an opinion...

I couldn't believe it when the Colombian looked back (on the inside!) at just over 200m. I'm wondering what GB should have done as the break was getting established... Sacrificed someone to get Cav across?

Yeah, the kid totally blew that one. I also wondered what Vino said to him just before that?

I think GB could have started the chase in earnest long before they did. They had to react as guys jumped out of the group instead of just setting tempo at the front and letting the break swell with so many strong riders.

If they'd have had 1 guy marking the break a lot earlier I don't think it would have stuck.

Really, I think they lost the race before it even started. They just talked it up too much and all the other teams just hung them out to dry. I think it was Lemond who said that if the peloton doesn't want you to win, you won't. I think this was a perfect example. There may have not been anything GB could have done as everyone else was racing against them.

But what do I know? I'm not a professional rider...

jeesh, bdop - of all the folks in this thread, you have as much leeway to talk as you want.
Anyone with your experience & foxiness gets a pass from me.

On your left. :)

:lol:

"do you want to fight for a gold medal, or do you want a silver medal and €100k?"

;)

or better yet: kid, you know, i'm doped to the gills right now. Just give me the limelight and the actual medal will be yours in a year.

:thumb:

ROFL!! Funniest thing I have read all week. Kudos to you.

Funny.

my thoughts on the olympic men's rr:

strange race. love the way vino rides, always have, but gee whiz one cant help but be skeptical about this result.

uran, i cant understand what he was thinking. maybe his mind was on how he'd spend the money vino agreed to give him.

cancellara has been spending too much time with the schlecks. that crash was amateur at best and directly the result of him not paying attention to what he was doing. big WTF on that.

sky, er i mean, great britain, nice race. you too germany. and belgium. and australia.

foot note: worst opening ceremonies ever. that would have been bad if it was ice capades, for the olympic opening ceremonies, it was an embarrassment. back in the good old days, someone would get their head chopped off. only good part of the opening ceremonies was camera shots of princess kate. she's got it going on.

please god, don't let me become the 2010's version of andres escobar!