TOC, Is this pejorative?

[J.Greene]

Quote from Robert Forster wrt TOC stage 1.

"We saw the jury's total chaos about the crash. Lots of lapped and crashed riders all mixed up together. Nobody knew any more who had been in what group. And then that the little American got the time of the first group wasn't really a good action. But we are here in America..."

"That little American", that's funny.
JG

[coylifut]

what's funny is the chief official is an Italian. It's also funny that Levi was on Gerolsteiner last year and Forster refers to him as the little American instead of by name.

It does make sense that giving everyone the same time was the "easiest," not to be confused with the best, solution. What you have is a crit course at the end of long road stage with riders on different laps mixed in with the group. What they should have done is pulled everyone off the course that wasn't in that lead group, given everyone the same time and then let the sprint go down. That way you avoid someone getting a leadout from a lapped rider. The officials have a really tough job. Maybe that's why they are always fat and grumpy.

[saab2000]

Criterium/circus side show races have no place in a serious race. I don't know how long the circuit was, but this kind of absurdity existed in the Coors Classic 20 years ago and it seems that they may not have learned from the past.

[coylifut]

Criterium/circus side show races have no place in a serious race. I don't know how long the circuit was, but this kind of absurdity existed in the Coors Classic 20 years ago and it seems that they may not have learned from the past.

considering some of the organizers are indeed from the Coors Classic you are indeed correct.

[J.Greene]

Criterium/circus side show races have no place in a serious race. I don't know how long the circuit was, but this kind of absurdity existed in the Coors Classic 20 years ago and it seems that they may not have learned from the past.

without the spectacle of the show, we'd have no serious races.

JG

[shinomaster]

Criterium/circus side show races have no place in a serious race. I don't know how long the circuit was, but this kind of absurdity existed in the Coors Classic 20 years ago and it seems that they may not have learned from the past.

WHat about the last day of the Tour?

[atmo]

without the spectacle of the show, we'd have no serious races.

JG
there's always sarah silveman atmo.

[shinomaster]

there's always sarah silveman atmo.
She is one naughty princess atmo. :no:

[J.Greene]

there's always sarah silveman atmo.

my podium girl

JG

[saab2000]

WHat about the last day of the Tour?

The last day of the Tour is not a crit. That loop is pretty long. Nobody gets lapped.

Nobody even gets dropped. ;) ;) ;) ;)

Also, the race should be the spectacle/circus act.

Yeah, the Tour and Giro have their bad moments. But a real race should not have fiascos at the finish. Just my $.02.

I am not familiar with the circuit there, but I think that a finishing circuit of less than 5 km is probably too short and will lead to confusion in the cases of dropped riders. I understand the desire of the race promotor to include some spectator friendly racing, but that can't come the cost of a fair race.