Mountain Bike Cycling at the Summer Olympic Games 2016

[heywoodu 16,476]

1 minute ago, dcro said:

 

Yes, but climbing is a most significant part.

 

And race tactics is completely different than road cycling, with cyclists often going full power from the start... Definitely not something that Sagan is used to.

Though on the other hand, if there's one person in the road peloton that might pull it off, it's Sagan  

[hckošice 16,645]

1 hour ago, heywoodu said:

Dutch media are reporting Peter Sagan will get the only Slovak ticket for the MTB in Rio...hckosice, any truth to that or will he, as planned, be the second Slovak in the MTB race?

 

It'd be quite horrible if he would indeed be the only one.. 

 

27 minutes ago, dcro said:

 

Is google translate messing with me or what?

 

According to this article on Slovak Olympic Committee website, Sagan will compete ONLY in mountain bike. While their mountain bike athlete Martin Haring will compete on road.

 

17 minutes ago, Agger said:

 

That's at least what the danish sports news say.

Apparently he decided already in january not to start, as he thought there was too much climbing. 
If that is so, I guess I've really underestimated the route.

 

 

exact thats the final statement, Peter will compete in MTB and Martin Haring (MTB specialist) will start in road race.

[heywoodu 16,476]

Just now, hckosice said:

 

 

 

 

exact thats the final statement, Peter will compete in MTB and Martin Haring (MTB specialist) will start in road race.

That is so incredibly unfair and such a huge "fuck you" in Haring's face.. 

[dcro 10,211]

Just now, heywoodu said:

Though on the other hand, if there's one person in the road peloton that might pull it off, it's Sagan  

 

Also keep in mind that we are talking about men's sport here. Successfully combining two different events is not unheard of in women's sports, but men's sports are always that more competitive and professional.

[heywoodu 16,476]

Just now, dcro said:

 

Also keep in mind that we are talking about men's sport here. Successfully combining two different events is not unheard of in women's sports, but men's sports are always that more competitive and professional.

Absolutely  

 

But if you look at it from Sagan's perspective: he normally wouldn't have a chance in the road race, it's way too much climbing for him. Obviously the MTB doesn't feature climbs that are that long and we know short steep climbs are less of a problem for him. So why not try it as long as it doesn't kick a MTB specialist out of the MTB race, which it unfortunately does now. 

[hckošice 16,645]

ok, well...

 

to understand a bit the things, at first UCI answered that they will not give a wild card for Sagan. Fantastic job UCI to not allow the biggest sportperson of your sport nowadays to compete at olympics. because SVK doesn´t deserve it, Sagan was litterally knockouted by a moto bike at Vuelta in a stage where he was going for a very probable podium, to not say win, and by this winning the missing points in the world ranking...

Thank you UCI to not counting the points for the olympic ranking even if you won a world champion title, but great to count points for clubs Team Trial in this olympic ranking.

absolutely great to not give a wild card to a country wich finished 1st under the line for world ranking and first under the line in the european ranking !!!

Thank you UCI to allow 3 riders from such fantastic cycling countries like Turkey or Morocco ut not giving a single wild card for such meaningless athlete as Peter Sagan is. Long live to UCI for all those fantastic helps of this sport.......sarcasm ofc

 

now, after all those things let see a look about Peter Sagan, he was so much disappointed that SVK will not have a second rider in the road race, but he still tried and he went to Rio in January, he studied the whole track, but after the trip he fairly said, that alone he´ll not have any chance in this kind of track ... so he started to think about MTB, he alsways said that he love MTB, this is his prefered cycling event, after the season he usually train and make some videos in MTB. He won some points for the ranking to be eligible to ask for this favor to get a wild card, but UCI decided like they decided.

 

now the results, at first this is not Sagan who decided, but the slovak cycling federation !!! and it´s maybe a bit unfair to Haring, but don´t forget that Sagan has a much higher chance to reach a better result than Haring. ofc none think about medal (although Sagan is a former junior world champion in MTB Cross-Country and he achieved it in his only careers international cross-country race ever untill the 2 this years races, when he won the points for eligibility) but it´s still great to have such athlete to compete at OG.

[heywoodu 16,476]

I still don't get why UCI should have given him a wildcard. Slovakia isn't one of the tripartite nations..

 

And come on, don't start by accusing the UCI of deliberately knocking Sagan off his bike by a motorbike, that's nonsense (no offense)

 

Besides, it's not like they didn't allow him to participate in the Olympics. They did, in the road race. It's not UCI's problem that Sagan doesn't want to race on that course.

 

That all doesn't change my opinion on Sagan by the way, I still think he's awesome. I just think the Slovak federation seriously screwed up the years of work of an athlete like Haring.

[hckošice 16,645]

18 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

I still don't get why UCI should have given him a wildcard. Slovakia isn't one of the tripartite nations..

 

And come on, don't start by accusing the UCI of deliberately knocking Sagan off his bike by a motorbike, that's nonsense (no offense)

 

Besides, it's not like they didn't allow him to participate in the Olympics. They did, in the road race. It's not UCI's problem that Sagan doesn't want to race on that course.

 

That all doesn't change my opinion on Sagan by the way, I still think he's awesome. I just think the Slovak federation seriously screwed up the years of work of an athlete like Haring.

 

 

I´m not accusing UCI to deliberately knock out Sagan, I´m just saying that he was knocked and in a very important moment, because withouth those points he was for sure going for we missed the place among the qualified nations via world ranking, you can´t deny that. and cmon he said nothing, our federation didn´t say nothing, Peter recovered from all those wounds and won the world championships, just please explain me why SVK didn´t get any point in the ranking ??? just because he is a world tour rider, so why a country won points thanks a team winning team trial at those same world champs ? all this is just unfair and this is why we are all still mad about the whole thing, ofc trust me everyone of us and Sagan himself too would be very happy to see Sagan in road race and trying to write our history winning a medal, but alone he just can not do anything. thats what I wrote and I´m pissed about UCI because I think yes they should absolutely completely at ease give to Sagan a single wild card. but well didn´t happen, so let it be as it is...

 

now our Cycling federation decided this way. Haring will compete alone in road race, which he will for 99,999999% DNF and Sagan will compete in MTB which he has a solid chance to finish in very good place beating many MTB specialists (the true is that Haring would have for sure finished around last place but yes I understand your view here that´s not he question)

[heywoodu 16,476]

I'm going to stop discussing on this matter before I'm getting my head bashed in  

 

Apart from: I think the Slovak federation f*cked up Haring's career highlight which he had deserved and which is really sad to see and I'm curious to see what Sagan will be able to do. 

[hckošice 16,645]

23 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

I'm going to stop discussing on this matter before I'm getting my head bashed in  

 

Apart from: I think the Slovak federation f*cked up Haring's career highlight which he had deserved and which is really sad to see and I'm curious to see what Sagan will be able to do. 

 

no surely no, we just discussing, in fact i absolutely understant your point and I understand that it´s not fair to Haring.

 

I just explained it from SVK view, all this case is very weird, everythink would be fine if Sagan got this invitation...but well.. and yes I´m curious what he´ll do. just read that he will start the absolute MTB preparations right after the tour de france, so 4 weeks before the Rio competition. also he is now able to be our flag bearer, since in London he competed the next day after the ceremony. but not sure he will be in Rio the all 2 olympics weeks, I have serious doubts about