Sky know each potential threat's threshold power output for a given time/grade/day/temperature - whatever. They plug in the data, give the word to up the output to such and such watts, and know that the attack will be neutralized. The public, in general, want the racing to be from the heart: attack because you are pissed off/ happy/ sad/ like attacking, not because the numbers dictate a response measured in watts and HR. Marginal gains are the buzzword because they are effective tools to generate results, the same way corporate plunderers purchase a company and strip away its assets, liquidating them and making a fortune - also effective at being profitable. The humanity is lost, because the heart and soul of our sport is being stripped away, piece by piece. No more desperate attacks that may or may not succeed, no more daring, dashing racers wearing their emotions on their sleeves, ready to repay insults with stage wins, no more guts, no more glory - just a steady beat of a measured cadence at a measured output for a defined period. i love watching road cycling, but the predictability of it all, especially the TdF, is wearing me down. I desperately want Froome to win, but I hope he does so with some panache and guts and daring, and that the Skyborg's tactics don't cause him to be painted with the same brush as has been used to colour Wiggins. Marginal gains? Since when has the winner of the Tour de France received such "marginal" respect from the cycling community at large? The last time was surely the Pole who won, but didn't win a stage. The pantheon of greats remains, be they tainted or not: Merckxx, Hinault, Anquetil, indurain, Coppi, Bartali, Fignon and many more, founded on a legacy of individual brilliance. The Giro had a bit of the magic this year, as did the Vuelta last year. There is hope, but it may be fading. Let's hope it does not fade away altogether, leaving us with no heroes and no excitement come every July's Grand Depart. Enough of the rambling rant, I'm sure I have bored everyone to tears. At least it's Friday!
