SwissVan Posted May 20, 2011 Share Is it fair that sprinters win prize money and receive recognition for stage wins / podium finishes and then once the stages that suit them are over they are allowed to “retire” from the race for no reason other than they cannot (do not want to) ride in the mountains?For example this year’s Giro: (Quote from Airbenders post on the Giro in the international cycling thread) “With no more sprint stages left between here to Milano, all the top sprinters are stepping out of the Giro and heading home. “I will go home tonight,” said Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad), just moments after winning his second stage. “The last week there are no more sprint stages. We’re professionals, not cyclo-tourists. I will go home and prepare for the Tour de France.” Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) also hinted that he would be heading home despite holding the lead in the red points jersey. “Tonight I will decide if I stay. I come to this Giro in good shape and I am looking ahead to the Tour as well,” he said. “The team will be fighting for the pink jersey and I want to be able to help, but there are so many mountains and there are no more sprints, so it will be difficult to make it to Milan. We’ll see.” Cycling legend Eddy Merckx appeared on the post-stage show on RAI TV and implored Cavendish to stay in the race a few more days to improve his climbing skills. Cavendish just shook his head and said he’s heading home.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNT1 Posted May 20, 2011 Share FFS! This is worse than doping. The bloody cheats. Lock em in a cell with that pervert from the IMF. That'll teach em. FFS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissVan Posted May 20, 2011 Share No they should not! No retirement unless a medical reason is obtained from the race (not teams) Doctor. The cutoff should be extended on mountain stages to "encourage" sprinters to finish the entire tour. No recognition and prize money for stage wins if a rider bails the tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4u2nv Posted May 20, 2011 Share agree 100%. that will be the only way that all will be equal. What about the climbers that have to ride on the flat stages?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoBigBen Posted May 20, 2011 Share No recognition and prize money for stage wins if a rider bails the tour. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesey Posted May 20, 2011 Share They are professional riders, with a whole season (and career) to consider. It has been shown again in this Giro what risks are run by all riders every day they compete. As a sprinter in the team your role is not to get high up in the GC, it is to win stages. As a team manager I would be pulling my sprinters out now too, to ensure that they stand the best chance of winning further stages (and money) for the team in the next race. The domestiques need to stay in and last the course to support the team's GC contenders - not the sprinters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted May 20, 2011 Share They should have teams of 20 riders. Eight must always be on the route. So depending on the stage, they can put in who they want. Hilly stage, they can have 8 climbers and so on. Each rider must do at least two stages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissVan Posted May 20, 2011 Share They are professional riders, with a whole season (and career) to consider. It has been shown again in this Giro what risks are run by all riders every day they compete. As a sprinter in the team your role is not to get high up in the GC, it is to win stages. As a team manager I would be pulling my sprinters out now too, to ensure that they stand the best chance of winning further stages (and money) for the team in the next race. The domestiques need to stay in and last the course to support the team's GC contenders - not the sprinters. Dude we know how it works, but you got to admit it is kind of stupid that it is allowed to be like that. Why dont they apply the same theory to one day races, win a few sprint primes and then bail before the finish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myra Posted May 20, 2011 Share I think its great that in SA's funrider culture finishing is important and encouraged. Everyone should be out on their bikes having fun and, if they're enjoying themselves, completing a race even if it takes them all day.Its not the same with pro's. If domestiques have done their work and have dropped on a one day race, no-one cares if they don't finish. It makes more sense for them to pull out and recover for their next race.With tours its obviously different. What I don't understand is why certain sprinters are prioritising stage wins over the overall sprinters jersey. Surely a couple of stage wins AND the overall sprinters jersey should be everyone's goal and pulling out now is a cop out? In fact, its almost disrespectful to the tour and its organisers.How long can they get away with it in any case? Wasn't Mario Cipolini's team specifically not invited to the Tour de France one year because he had made it a habit of winning the early stages and then going home.If I was the organiser of the Giro, I'd be sorely tempted to tell HTC to jump in the lake next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willehond Posted May 20, 2011 Share Cipo famously never finished a Tour de France and never had any intention of doing so, but can you imagine the Tour without the victories of the famous Saeco train? No, it's part and parcel of the whole show. The organisers want to torture GC contenders with brutal routes, but want the sprinters to liven up the flat stages so they have to expect some of them to leave early. Cav is recovering so that he can peak in the Tour and that sounds logical, so good on him. Do you think it would be better for the Giro that he skips the Giro completely (if he can't finish) in order to rid ethe Tour and go for green? No, I think if you ask the Giro guys they would rather have Cav for 50% of the Giro than see him go to the Tour of California becuase that is doable in 8 days. If you want to nail Cav on anything, nail him for hanging on to a vehicle on a climb! That's just nasty cheating. Edited May 20, 2011 by Willehond Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted May 20, 2011 Share They are professional riders, with a whole season (and career) to consider. It has been shown again in this Giro what risks are run by all riders every day they compete. As a sprinter in the team your role is not to get high up in the GC, it is to win stages. As a team manager I would be pulling my sprinters out now too, to ensure that they stand the best chance of winning further stages (and money) for the team in the next race. The domestiques need to stay in and last the course to support the team's GC contenders - not the sprinters. But the climbers have no chance of winning a sprint so why can't they be kept out of the race untill you get to the mountains. Maybe they should have the sprint stages in the last week of the tours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javadude Posted May 20, 2011 Share No, I think sprinters should dope so they can actually make it to the finish. Showing us that they're human is weak and disgusting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myra Posted May 20, 2011 Share As a sprinter in the team your role is not to get high up in the GC, it is to win stages. As a team manager I would be pulling my sprinters out now too, to ensure that they stand the best chance of winning further stages (and money) for the team in the next race. As a sprinter in the team your role is not to get high up in the GC, it is to win stages AND THE OVERALL SPRINTERS JERSEY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor Posted May 20, 2011 Share Not only the sprinters look at the Vuelta, the guys go race for a week and then pull out to rest for the world champs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNT1 Posted May 20, 2011 Share But the climbers have no chance of winning a sprint so why can't they be kept out of the race untill you get to the mountains. Maybe they should have the sprint stages in the last week of the tours. Have the first two weeks all mountains, but like brutal, vertical stuff, then a TTT that all nine riders in a team have to complete, then a week of flat stages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesey Posted May 20, 2011 Share @mampara It entirely depends on the rider - you are a climber and <just> want a moutain-top stage win - go all out and get the win - you will probably bury yourself in the process and not sign on the following dayYou are a climber and want the King of the Mountains - then you are going to have to process with the peloton on the sprinters' days.You are sprinter, your focus is the Giro and don't care about the Tour this year, and fancy the points jersey? You're going to have to suck it up in the mountains. the hard-nosed realities of professional riding. The Tour is the foremost race - the Giro organisers know that and know that teams will make calls accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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