Tokyo Olympics 2020 - Cycling

[Chris_]

I hope its been discussed at length already, but as a sports fan, let alone cycling fan, I feel I need to add to the melee.

That was ... without doubt ... the worst commentary ... in the history of sport.

Its like those two had no names on hand, they'd never seen nor heard nor recognized these riders (except that ballbag Yates), its like they had no timing - which nor did we for most of the time, its like they had no history, no data, no f*ing idea at all.

[Jewbacca]

I enjoyed the commentary. I mean, the name butchering was cringy, but if you turned that into 12th man mode you could start appreciating how animated and excited the dude got every time anyone did anything. 

I'm looking forward to the skateboarding and surfing if he is commentating on that.... 'OOhh, look at that! A wee spin thingymabob followed by a heaps exciting kicked flop!' 

[Vetplant]

Wout can be happy with silver, he really gave it his all. But, being so good in the Sprint means nobody wants to help you to the line. 

Carapaz winning gold is great for Equador, so I'm happy for him. At least he didn't feign fatigue like a week ago He went ahead and raced away from them. 

TT is going to be good. Hope Wout can convert to take the gold. Less stress about the tactics of others, just lay it all down and reap the rewards. Filippo Ganna will obviously bring everything he has to deny Wout. 

[dsw]

1 hour ago, Plentipotential said:

Standard kit issue for that lad. ????

Yeah, as per usual he went down. As did Tao G Hart, who has clearly taken lessons in the art of crashing from G..

I wonder if Ineos will even offer G a new contract as has just become too much of a risk.

 

[Jewbacca]

3 minutes ago, Vetplant said:

Wout can be happy with silver, he really gave it his all. But, being so good in the Sprint means nobody wants to help you to the line. 

Carapaz winning gold is great for Equador, so I'm happy for him. At least he didn't feign fatigue like a week ago He went ahead and raced away from them. 

TT is going to be good. Hope Wout can convert to take the gold. Less stress about the tactics of others, just lay it all down and reap the rewards. Filippo Ganna will obviously bring everything he has to deny Wout. 

Where now? ????

Jokes aside, it's an awesome result for Carapaz and Ecuador... He rode a fantastic race and his timing to attack and drop McNulty was perfect. 

I'm always astounded how the chasing group just sits up and lets the attack go up the road and win like they did today. It just seems so negative. Like they are happy to see Carapaz (insert another name here) win rather than chase super hard and get beaten by Wout (insert another name here) in the sprint. I say this every time it happens. It seems dumb

[Vetplant]

10 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

Where now? ????

Jokes aside, it's an awesome result for Carapaz and Ecuador...

Didn't even for a second consider writing it like that. My reference is the equator, so ja, lesson learnt for the day, thanks.

[splat]

41 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

Where now? ????

Jokes aside, it's an awesome result for Carapaz and Ecuador... He rode a fantastic race and his timing to attack and drop McNulty was perfect. 

I'm always astounded how the chasing group just sits up and lets the attack go up the road and win like they did today. It just seems so negative. Like they are happy to see Carapaz (insert another name here) win rather than chase super hard and get beaten by Wout (insert another name here) in the sprint. I say this every time it happens. It seems dumb

For some reason that I can't quite fathom, Wiggo rubs me up the wrong way. Maybe I don't like him because I don't understand him.
But his opinion, for what its worth: 

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bradley-wiggins-olympic-games-was-like-a-junior-race-in-the-final/

[dsw]

13 minutes ago, splat said:

For some reason that I can't quite fathom, Wiggo rubs me up the wrong way. Maybe I don't like him because I don't understand him.
But his opinion, for what its worth: 

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bradley-wiggins-olympic-games-was-like-a-junior-race-in-the-final/

I think Brad has a very good point this time. 

The fact that it was man on man with no team radios etc probably played into the hands of a streetwise rider like Carapaz.

Race radios obviously has its place in the sport but I found it quite refreshing today to see the riders having to do a bit more thinking for themselves.

A few even seem totally lost   

[Wayne pudding Mol]

Carapaz rode a blinder but I think had Wout not been in the group behind, they would have done a better job - I mean they had him down to 14 seconds but no one wanted to work with Wout 

silly really because instead of fighting for 2 medals, the group were fighting for bronze 

I feel a bit for Wout as he is so marked - but I’m not crying for him, he seems to be doing ok with the cycling thing 

['Dale]

8 hours ago, Patchelicious said:

Come now, while it’s fun to play up fairy tale stories, he didn’t crash out, he got dropped. He got lots of coverage and support after he did. Waaaaaaaaay more than other riders who missed time cuts, so I doubt it was a case of having to pull himself up from a bad place mentally. He was one of the public’s heros of the Tour.

The spirit of my post was to honour his resolve - getting to the Tour de France with the barriers he continues to overcome is well reflected in how well he rolled today. @Patchelicious

Just got home after a LSD. Watching the final 100 kms.????

Edited July 24, 2021 by 'Dale

['Dale]

I am imagining what that gold Pina is gonna look like. ????

[DieselnDust]

8 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

Ecuador's 3rd gold medal ever.... That's rad

What a race! Time to go run now. 

I did my mast trip. What a road race season we're having

[DieselnDust]

3 hours ago, Wayne pudding Mol said:

Carapaz rode a blinder but I think had Wout not been in the group behind, they would have done a better job - I mean they had him down to 14 seconds but no one wanted to work with Wout 

silly really because instead of fighting for 2 medals, the group were fighting for bronze 

I feel a bit for Wout as he is so marked - but I’m not crying for him, he seems to be doing ok with the cycling thing 

Fully agree. The cycling racer mentality of being tactical for first of the losers is really quite unique. It's not like the winner is crowned over a series of races. This is a one off winner take all, yet so many okes are willing to hang on the back just to claim they came in 10th. Carapaz deserved the spoils today. Wout did too but he found himself in disadvantageous circumstances but still laid it out there to try and get the win. Silver is a great constellation prize but he doesn't strike as the type who gets out of bed for 2nd place. Some of the others though....

[Jewbacca]

25 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

I did my mast trip. What a road race season we're having

Yeah.. It has been a season where the copy book has been thrown out the window. I am really excited for the rest of the racing. The XCO track looks brutal and the women always bring flat out racing which is great to watch.

I ran with the dog... A quick Muizenberg Peak, Steenberg peak and St James peak loop from home. 

[WR 1.0]

3 hours ago, 'Dale said:

I am imagining what that gold Pina is gonna look like. ????

The winning paint job also looked very nice. IMHO 

[WR 1.0]

9 hours ago, Dirt Tracker said:

He's a kiwi, he's about the only commentator that is about for them. No idea  how he scored the olympic job and we're having to listen to it! Man had to keep turning the sound off. He's like the manager in Flight of the Concordes. Unreal. He was the same for the Cricket World Cup for Kiwis vs the english just buthchers everything. 

"Rich'ard Carapaz... or as they say on the continent Richard Carapaz" - Pure Gold. Loved how he missed that Carapaz came 3rd in the Tour this year and has won the Giro and kept reeling off his giro stage wins and his Tour Du Swiss result this year. 

He kept on saying Rick Shard Carapaz ????????