Olympic road race

[paulh]

I'm watching this live streaming. I'm not getting any commentary by anyone. Is that the way it's supposed to be? There's the motorcycles and crowd noise but no one is talking. Phil? Paul? Hello?

[texbike]

Plenty of commentary currently on NBC...

Texbike

[jr59]

I got it on the stream with plenty of talk!

[mike p]

Any link to stream?

Thanks
Mike

[jr59]

Any link to stream?

Thanks
Mike


PM sent

[mike p]

Thanks much

Mike

[harryblack]

No physical tv where I am but I was able to get on Belgian stream... thank you Belgium!!

I think I'll stick with my original predicitions: Cav, Greipel, Sagan...

The Brits (+ Sky helpers) look too damn good even if Box Hill is hard on Cav, the finish is too flat for the classics guys to blast it out in a break unless there are some insane crosswinds I'm unaware of.

Credit to Duggan for making the break and riding scrappy but... forget it. Be interesting to see Tejay go with the (doomed) finishing break anyway.

***

EDIT: go for a half-hour run and my whole cyclng world blows up!! I don't even know if Tejay is in the break or not tho' I've not heard the Belgian commentators say his name.

[rice rocket]

Cycling is hard to watch w/o a ticker. No idea who's where.

Cancellara misjudged traction on whatever paint that those Brits have laid down.

[rice rocket]

Gutsy Vino, loved it.


Race radios should go the way of the dodo, that was much cooler than any UCI sprint finish.

[FlashUNC]

Gutsy Vino, loved it.


Race radios should go the way of the dodo, that was much cooler than any UCI sprint finish.

Ridiculous how badly Uran botched that sprint.

[Futchgator]

Good finish but I wish it had been someone other that Vino, he's just not a good patron for the sport... Seems like Phinney should have been more of a factor, IMO. Good ride by Tejay though!

[rice rocket]

Ridiculous how badly Uran botched that sprint.

Kid's a climber. And Vino is wily like that.

[jr59]

Cav should be upset. GB sure missed the break in this one!

[rice rocket]

No one in the peleton knows how to ride w/o radios.

Also, Vino keeps getting younger and younger in their coverage. First he was 40, then he was almost 40, then he was 39...and now he's 38?

Nice NBC.:p

[mike p]

Who picked Vino? Sure the hell wasn't on my radar screen! Congrats! You could tell after the final time up box hill no one willing help the Brits and they had to do to much work. Congrats to the americans too, we've got some great new blood on the way!

Mike

[chromopromo]

GB got no help. Cav can't complain about the team effort. Germany and everyone else seemed content to let GB win or lose -- it was a bad bet. Got to hand it to Vino he is the definition of "wily."

[LegendRider]

Exciting race, but I can't say that I'm pleased with the result.

A tweet from Richard Moore (author): Vino's form is something to behold. A 38-year old who retired last year with a broken leg is the Olympic champion.

[FlashUNC]

Kid's a climber. And Vino is wily like that.

Yeah, but its not exactly rocket science either. Keep your eye on Vino. Don't just assume because you can't see him he's not doing anything.

[jpw]

I was shocked to see Cancellara crash like that.

[Bob Loblaw]

It was The World against GB and Germany. Those guys rode themselves into the ground for Cav and Greipel. No one could have done more than they did.

Yeah the new crop of Americans did themselves proud. There will be plenty of chances for those guys in the future.

I also agree that because of race radios, few of these guys younger than 35 have learned how to think on their feet tactically. It had to be a wily older guy like Vino. I lost my faith in him though, and the way he has handled himself since his comeback hasn't changed my mind.

I hope Fabian is okay for the TT.

BL

[jpw]

The GB mistake was that as a team they didn't accept a willingness to lose the race and demonstrate that to the other teams from the off.

[tv_vt]

Un-f_cking-believable. No one saw that coming. Can't say I'm too crazy about the result, either. Vino isn't the most loved rider out there these days. I was rooting for Cancellara once they got away.

Great ride for Phinney.

[chromopromo]

The GB mistake was that as a team they didn't accept a willingness to lose the race and demonstrate that to the other teams from the off.

+1 -- GB treated the race like a team time trail.

[harlond]

The GB mistake was that as a team they didn't accept a willingness to lose the race and demonstrate that to the other teams from the off.+1. Four guys can't control a race from 150-175k out.

[harryblack]

Props to Vino-- guy knows how to win or make a REAL effort trying...

Would things have been different if Cav was stronger on Box Hill and GB could set higher pace? Going in I thought it wouldn't be such an issue but...

I'm not a Phinney cultist but congrats to him too for being position to sneak a bronze; opportunism is very important quality lacking in the older (and soon gone, good riddance) generation save Horner.

+1. Four guys can't control a race from 150-175k out.

[Climb01742]

racing for their trade teams, there is money, a career, even a degree of fame in burying yourself to help a teammate win. not in the olympics. a medal means something. helping a countryman win a medal means too little.

[jpw]

racing for their trade teams, there is money, a career, even a degree of fame in burying yourself to help a teammate win. not in the olympics. a medal means something. helping a countryman win a medal means too little.

Then the rules should change. First over the line wins and his entire team each get a gold medal.

[Rueda Tropical]

Kudo's to Uran and Vino. I thought Cancellara or Gilbert would be at the finish with the break succeeding. Still not to late to get your Vino Forever jersey.

http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/vino2.jpg

[earlfoss]

His past aside, Vino knows how to read a race. That move he made was done at the right moment and he caught everyone looking at one another. Smart dude. Uran really blew the finish... It looked like he wasn't paying attention in the last 500m and when I saw him look back and then take a drink.... woah. He might have been totally cooked and resigned himself mentally to second at that point but it seemed like a pretty amateur way to handle the last half K of the Olympic RR.

[Jason E]

opportunism is very important quality lacking in the older (and soon gone, good riddance) generation save Horner.

I would reckon this ^ is exactly what the winner did. I think there has been a lot of opportunistic wins in the last... forever...

[gpl916]

Then the rules should change. First over the line wins and his entire team each get a gold medal.

+1

Anyone else think that road racing doesn't quite fit the mold for an Olympic sport in it's current form?

It's a team sport but only one medalist

Course designer almost decides who is going to win (sprinter/ climber) Didn't work out here though.

Medalist supported by other riders and CARS!

[harryblack]

oh, without question-- Vino is a very very smart bike racer; doped or not he knows how to read a race, knows how and when to attack, and has GUTS...

No current U.S. 'elder statesman' rider comes or ever came close with the exception of Horner (one Vino >>>>><< a team of Zabriskie, Leipheimer, Vandevelde drones), who's had hard luck in other ways.

I would reckon this ^ is exactly what the winner did. I think there has been a lot of opportunistic wins in the last... forever...

[acorn_user]

Have to say that Switzerland did a really great ride. Very impressive. Eisel was smart to chip in a bit; Austria's best bet was to ride Cav's coat tails.

[bikinchris]

I was shocked to see Cancellara crash like that.

I really think that Cancellara was crashed by the TV motorcycle. He was on the front and trying to attack out of the corner when the motorcycle tried to get a front shot of the pack. You can see Fabian's face when he saw the motorcycle was too close and he locked up his brakes.
I hope it doesn't screw up his chances in the TT.

[choke]

+1

Anyone else think that road racing doesn't quite fit the mold for an Olympic sport in it's current form?

It's a team sport but only one medalist

Course designer almost decides who is going to win (sprinter/ climber) Didn't work out here though.

Medalist supported by other riders and CARS!How is that different from any other single day pro road race?

[weiwentg]

Un-f_cking-believable. No one saw that coming. Can't say I'm too crazy about the result, either. Vino isn't the most loved rider out there these days. I was rooting for Cancellara once they got away.

Great ride for Phinney.

+1.

E-Richie said in the locked thread that if Cav had won, Millar would have pulled him to the line, and wasn't Millar one of the doped up old crowd? Yes, but Millar confessed and came clean. He's very likely to be racing clean. Vino merely said his past is behind him.

[PQJ]

+1.

E-Richie said in the locked thread that if Cav had won, Millar would have pulled him to the line, and wasn't Millar one of the doped up old crowd? Yes, but Millar confessed and came clean. He's very likely to be racing clean. Vino merely said his past is behind him.

Would miller have confessed if he wasn't caught with his hands in the cookie jar?

[Fivethumbs]

What I find troubling is Cav's (and some other UK riders) complaining that no one helped them. It's like saying, "Help me win, you might even get a silver or bronze out of it!"

[dd74]

Yeah, well, the Brits talked up such a game after the TDF, saying each one of them on the British team had won a stage, making them the favorites in the Olympic road race, no wonder no one was willing to help them.

They may as well paint a big bulls eye on their backs. Or maybe the Union Jack was the bulls eye.

[e-RICHIE]

Would miller have confessed if he wasn't caught with his hands in the cookie jar?
Uh - is that a multiple choice question atmo?

[roydyates]

What I find troubling is Cav's (and some other UK riders) complaining that no one helped them. It's like saying, "Help me win, you might even get a silver or bronze out of it!"

Team members definitely lacked the incentive, or contractual obligation, to function as a team.

I kept thinking that today's race could be called the individual road race and that there could/should be a team road race. In this case, everyone on the team would get the medal of the best finisher on the team. This would reflect the team aspects of road racing. Of course this would give the peloton a lot of incentive for a sprint finish, and that may be viewed as good or bad since it reduces the chances of the sort of interesting finish we had today.

[gpl916]

How is that different from any other single day pro road race?

It's not any different from a road race.

It's quite different from any other Olympic event, especially where the whole team does not medal.

[Jason E]

Team members definitely lacked the incentive, or contractual obligation, to function as a team.

I kept thinking that today's race could be called the individual road race and that there could/should be a team road race. In this case, everyone on the team would get the medal of the best finisher on the team. This would reflect the team aspects of road racing. Of course this would give the peloton a lot of incentive for a sprint finish, and that may be viewed as good or bad since it reduces the chances of the sort of interesting finish we had today.

This is not the case. Everyone of these athletes sees it as a tremendous honor to be in the Olympics representing their country. If they didn't care they would not be there. Every man that lines up knows their role is for the good of the team, but also that opportunities can arise, men can crash, plans change.

Everyone has a chance, albeit small should the original 'plan' work. You have to make plans and go with your ideal. Anything else is gravy.

To say there is no incentive is not realistic. Currently there is no medal, but that is different than saying there is no incentive.

[e-RICHIE]

It's not any different from a road race.

It's quite different from any other Olympic event, especially where the whole team does not medal.

Ya' know - I never thought about it from that angle. It always bothered me that team mates from the same country (USA, for instance) were in events as rivals rather than allies. Today's swimming news is just one example. Track and field and gymnastics are another, though I think there's an overall award in the latter for accumulated points. I'm happy for a correction on that one. It is a bit perverse for folks who normally earn a check written by the same team owner to switch allegiances in the World's and Olympic events. I never really believed that folks in the same National jersey would choose to serve that master over the one worn every other race day. All the Brits except Millar were from Sky so that is unusual. I read that Uran was from Sky too. Hmm. Was he in the break for a reason?

ps

arrange disorder

:cool::rolleyes:;)
;):rolleyes::cool:
:cool:;):rolleyes:

[roydyates]

This is not the case. Everyone of these athletes sees it as a tremendous honor to be in the Olympics representing their country. If they didn't care they would not be there. Every man that lines up knows their role is for the good of the team, but also that opportunities can arise, men can crash, plans change.

Everyone has a chance, albeit small should the original 'plan' work. You have to make plans and go with your ideal. Anything else is gravy.

To say there is no incentive is not realistic. Currently there is no medal, but that is different than saying there is no incentive.

You're right to say that there is "no incentive" is an overstatement on my part. However, a gold medal for non-sprinter in the peloton is a huge increase in the incentive to help pull back a breakaway.

[jlwdm]

It was an excellent race and I have no problem with Vino winning. He has always been a rider who makes things happen. Not enough riders like him.

Phinney rested in the break while Tejay made big efforts, but when the winning move started he was in a perfect position and just sat and watched the move go away.

A five man team is too small to control an entire race. Too bad Froome wasn't allowed to cover the breakaways. He could have sat on and ruined the moves.

With a 32 man break there weren't many teams left that should have worked to bring back the break.

Good race and a worthy winner.

Jeff

[Grant McLean]

I never really believed that folks in the same National jersey would choose to serve that master over the one worn every other race day. All the Brits except Millar were from Sky so that is unusual. I read that Uran was from Sky too. Hmm. Was he in the break for a reason?


It's a mixed bag, depending on the context I suppose.

Bernhard Eisel was taking plenty of pulls in the final 30 km right in
the midst of the GB train, despite the fact he was in his Team Austria
jersey and not a SKY one. It was pretty obvious what he was doing there.

-g

[Fixed]

It's a mixed bag, depending on the context I suppose.

Bernhard Eisel was taking plenty of pulls in the final 30 km right in
the midst of the GB train, despite the fact he was in his Team Austria
jersey and not a SKY one. It was pretty obvious what he was doing there.

-g

+1 obvious it was
Cheers :)

[MattTuck]

The GB mistake was that as a team they didn't accept a willingness to lose the race and demonstrate that to the other teams from the off.

I am in pretty much total agreement. The other mistake was telling the rest of the world what their strategy was going to be. I think they should go back and read GB's great strategist Lidell Hart on the strategy of the indirect.

They should have been telling everyone that Cav wouldn't be able to get over box hill, and the rest of the team would race an opportunistic race. They were full of themselves and had delusions of grandeur on home soil.


I don't think this result is at all a surprise. It is certainly not a surprise that the breakaway stayed away, and even the winner wasn't THAT surprising. Vino won this way on the Champs one year. Of course, he was doping then... :rolleyes:

[ultraman6970]

Well IMO even if they don't say a thing, it as clear that the plan was to get a bunch sprint yes or yes for GB team. They have the fastest man in the world and the sucker wanted this win badly. I bet he cried. So their strategy even if they dont say anything it was quite clear.

I believe that they did not count with the fact that many were really well for this race, they trust that nobody as in the tour, nobody was going to be able to stand the pace and this time they did. Olympics and worlds are 2 different races because the guy will go full gas and more, in the Tour they know they have to survive next day do they wont go full gas and risk it all.

Now we know sky team is human, the problem is that team insterests are 1st in other type of races and in those conditions sky might be unbeatable.

Good for vino I'm happy for him, now he will retire for good and with probably a better win than the Tdf. wonder if he will come back :D

[LouDeeter]

Good for vino I'm happy for him, now he will retire for good and with probably a better win than the Tdf. wonder if he will come back :D


If this was indeed Vino's last race, last "professional" race according to the commentators, then what a way to go out. His experience won it for him as much as his guts. Vino made a career of getting into breaks. Then, to outwit the inexperienced Columbian, who must have just zeroed his memory cells that last 500m, was classic racing. Given that no US or GB rider was going to win it, I'd rather have Vino than many of the other possibilities.

I was also surprised that Phinney got caught up in the cat and mouse game in the last kilometer, then missed the move. He was the strongest sprinter of the group, just let someone jump him, negating that power advantage. You could see his frustration as he crossed the line.

[Bruce K]

Actually, the guy who nosed out Taylor is a pure sprinter according to the race reports. I am not sure if any of the others were.

I was a little surpirsed that taylor never seemed to want to try and "TT" his way across the gap before it got too big and he never tried to power away from the group either.

It's probably part of his frustration and disappointment.

BK

[soulspinner]

actually, the guy who nosed out taylor is a pure sprinter according to the race reports. I am not sure if any of the others were.

I was a little surpirsed that taylor never seemed to want to try and "tt" his way across the gap before it got too big and he never tried to power away from the group either.

It's probably part of his frustration and disappointment.

Bk

+1

[Fixed]

The womens race looks like fun with different weather conditions
Cheers
:)

[ultraman6970]

Agree, I was waiting for team USA to attack in pairs, they had 2 or 3 guys in the break, the spanish team had everybody in the break, same with swiss.

USA had the best 2 ITT in the break, was waiting for the to jump to the front solo to catch. Vino and the colombian played their cards and they were full gas and emptied. The colombian was saying he was just dead and probably even with him paying attention to vino he was not going to be able to respond.

Cancellara jumped to the break to get everybody smoked with a 5 or 10 km solo efford, sad he crashed because to me he was one of the few I would have been happy to see won the Olympics RR. Sagan picked the wrong wheel (the most obvious one, wait for cav... cancellara did what he always does... catch the break and smoke everybody as he did in the previous Olympics when he cut everybody from his wheel going down hill...

Wiggo for the ITT.

[MattTuck]

Actually, the guy who nosed out Taylor is a pure sprinter according to the race reports. I am not sure if any of the others were.

I was a little surpirsed that taylor never seemed to want to try and "TT" his way across the gap before it got too big and he never tried to power away from the group either.

It's probably part of his frustration and disappointment.

BK

Phinney was on the limit until pretty close to the end according to the reports. I think that was a pretty long race for him considering his age. At one point, he was just barely hanging on the back while TVG was crushing it on the front.

[Bruce K]

I guess he cramped pretty badly on the last climb of box hill. TeJay went back and got him, did a little cheerleading (said something like you have to get through this - it's the Olympics - You're the guy who can do this, etc.), and they then went after the break.

If true, it just elevates TeJay in my mind as a potential team leader as well as future grand tour GC guy.

BK

[uno-speedo]

Amazing day yesterday, and so strange this all happened in my old stomping grounds. Sad to see Cancellara crash out, but glad he's going to race on Wednesday despite him being a serious threat to Wiggins.

A few select photos, more to come:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/7668501658_971d45f7ea_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7668505084_81493d4a90_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7668503862_cb8b9e07af_b.jpg

[Hawker]

Disappointed not to see Phinney do better. He is very strong and I wish he would have taken a shot. Perhaps he over-thought the end of the race?

[MattTuck]

Disappointed not to see Phinney do better. He is very strong and I wish he would have taken a shot. Perhaps he over-thought the end of the race?

I think 4th is pretty good given the situation. Expectations were too high, in my opinion, for a 22 year old in a 155 mi race. That he got 4th is pretty great all things considered. He even said in the interview after the race that he was pleased with how well he did given how poor he was feeling with 1 lap of box hill to go.

I think he'll hit his prime in two years for long races like this and the one day classics.

[acorn_user]

They may as well paint a big bulls eye on their backs. Or maybe the Union Jack was the bulls eye.

What Union Jack? All I saw was some pale green and blue stripes :/

[weiwentg]

Would miller have confessed if he wasn't caught with his hands in the cookie jar?

no, but he still confessed, which is much better than you can say for a lot of people.

[bheight1]

Anyone have a link of the finish?