Road Cycling 2016 Discussion Thread

[heywoodu 16,474]

2 minutes ago, Federer91 said:

Yes he is the worst kind, sand-bagging till the last 50 metres and then glorifies like he is the king of the world. And it even has to be purely flat, because if its a little uphill he squerms like a worm and gas comes out of his ass... I hate, hate, hate this in modern cycling.

 

Is that any different than for example Valverde often waiting until the last meters of a climb and then sprinting and taking the win?

 

And what kind of argument is "it has to be purely flat" (which isn't true btw)? Come on, can someone only be talented if they're a good climber as well?  

 

And no, I don't like Cavendish, but I honestly can't see how anyone can say he isn't talented or something, unless you have an absolute hate for him that blinds your judgement or something  

 

I mean, I hate athlete Mekhissi-Benabbad almost more than any other athlete, but that doesn't take away the fact he's an fantastic athlete.. 

Edited July 16, 2016 by heywoodu

[Federer91 3,390]

8 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

 

Is that any different than for example Valverde often waiting until the last meters of a climb and then sprinting and taking the win?

 

And what kind of argument is "it has to be purely flat" (which isn't true btw)? Come on, can someone only be talented if they're a good climber as well?  

 

And no, I don't like Cavendish, but I honestly can't see how anyone can say he isn't talented or something, unless you have an absolute hate for him that blinds your judgement or something  

 

I mean, I hate athlete Mekhissi-Benabbad almost more than any other athlete, but that doesn't take away the fact he's an fantastic athlete.. 

I just hate sprinters and Cavendish is the worst kind of them. The glory and attention they get for "winning" stages, after doing nothing till the last 50 m. angers me so much, but that's just the way it is in modern times. At least i can tolerate cyclists like Kristoff, Degenkolb etc. that can ride on classic parkours too. They are not one-dimentional. Guys like Sagan and Boonen are also considered sprinters (at least in the begining of their careers), but evolved and the things they can do in different races is amazing. While the likes of Cavendish have one trick like i said, sand-bagging till the last 50 m and then bragging for it and people eating it up. You trying to say he has uphill sprint victories, when? How many of his 50 GT wins are on an uphill sprint, after an attack, in a breakaway, on a classic parkour? Should i use one hand, or one finger? One trick pony and its a damn shame for me that this guy is gonna break the record of the Great Eddy Merckx.

[heywoodu 16,474]

Just now, Federer91 said:

I just hate sprinters and Cavendish is the worst kind of them. The glory and attention they get for "winning" stages, after doing nothing till the last 50 m. angers me so much, but that's just the way it is in modern times. At least i can tolerate cyclists like Kristoff, Degenkolb etc. that can ride on classic parkours too. They are not one-dimentional. Guys like Sagan and Boonen are also considered sprinters (at least in the begining of their careers), but evolved and the things they can do in different races is amazing. While the likes of Cavendish have one trick like i said, sand-bagging till the last 50 m and then bragging for it and people eating it up. You trying to say he has uphill sprint victories, when? How many of his 50 GT wins are on an uphill sprint, after an attack, in a breakaway, on a classic parkour? Should i use one hand, or one finger? One trick pony and its a damn shame for me that this guy is gonna break the record of the Great Eddy Merckx.

 

So I guess time trial specialists are just as bad? People who only reach a top-3 in time trials? Or what about cyclists who can only win stages when there's mountains in them? Imagine, Froome/Quintana/Mollema/Contador waiting in the group forever only to attack in the last 3 kilometers and "win" the stage. 

 

Or how about someone like Francisco Ventoso or JJ Rojas who sucked monkeyballs in normal sprints, but where among the best when a sprint was slightly uphill? One trick ponies as well? 

 

How about people like Erik Zabel or Abdushaparov who couldn't really do much more than sprinting and taking the win? 

 

Cycling is simply not a sport where only people who climb a mountain are good. There are flat stages, where sprinters and their teams work their asses of to win, there are time trials where GC riders and ITT specialists work their asses of and the same goes for climbs.

 

It's a bit more complicated

[Federer91 3,390]

I don't want this to go all night, you won't change my mind, i won't change yours, so let it be there. 

[heywoodu 16,474]

16 minutes ago, Federer91 said:

I don't want this to go all night, you won't change my mind, i won't change yours, so let it be there. 

Smart decision  

 

And well, look at what we're gonna get tomorrow 

 

Edited July 16, 2016 by heywoodu

[Federer91 3,390]

5 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

Smart decision  

 

And well, look at what we're gonna get tomorrow 

 

A stage much more to my liking. I can't see though any big attacks happening that can shake the GC. I hope i'm wrong and someone surprises.

[heywoodu 16,474]

5 minutes ago, Federer91 said:

A stage much more to my liking. I can't see though any big attacks happening that can shake the GC. I hope i'm wrong and someone surprises.

My guess is a group of 10-15 riders breaking away (no GC names in it of course) and taking the win, maybe one or two small GC attacks on that last uphill  

 

Seems like a perfect stage for Rui Costa, Gallopin or Navardauskas or something 

Edited July 16, 2016 by heywoodu

[OlympicsFan 860]

Cavendish is just an a**hole, his post-race interview was just embarrassing. I hope this guy gets destroyed in Rio and then has to end his career. Its just disgusting that he is suddenly in the shape of his life at the age of 31, just in time for the olympics, not to mention the fact that this is his first year with Aldag (who admitted that he doped with EPO during his career). GB has been shit in cycling for ... always and then suddenly guys like Froome, Wiggins or Yates come out of nowhere.

[hckošice 16,645]

Tour de France 2016

Various Cities (FRA) - 02.07.2016 - 24.07.2016

 

 

Stage 15

  Bourg en Bresse  -  Culoz

(160km - Mountains)

 

 

 

 

 

[Federer91 3,390]

Nibali to win today, pictured for him.