u.s. olympic team

[Climb01742]

velonews reported that the men's team for athens will be, and i quote...

"Armstrong, who will be competing in his fourth Olympics, has a bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games. He will be accompanied in Athens by Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Bobby Julich and Jason McCartney."

hey, i'll take that team. granted, lance and tyler may be fried from the tour, but if both come out flying, and can hold their form, it would be sweet to see such a powerhouse line-up working together.

[weisan]

These men are showing extraordinary form this year. Let's hope that they maintain it all the way to Athens. I am excited to see the firework spark off by such a talented group of men.

[e-RICHIE]

the selection process is doofus-like.
leaving out f-rod is a joke.
e-RICHIE

ps

:confused: :confused: :confused:
:D :D :D
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[JohnS]

Wasn't Freddie quoted as saying that the US is sending a stage race team to what is a one day classic style race?

[Dr. Doofus]

just for that, he and i are getting a kirk! :butt: :p :butt: :p

[Bill Bove]

Ah, Armstrong and Hincapie? Let's see George has trouble being the first one in on a solo ride and Lance's priorities have never been the Olympics. Last time around he hemmed and hawed at weather or not he would do the road race, decides to do it at the last minute, says he's going for gold, everybody else changes their race stratagy to help him and he never comes up from the back of the pack. I give him a pass for Atlanta but other than that and his one medal he has been a major disapointment at the Olympics.

Tyler Hamilton? If there is a crash on a Monday night club ride somewhere in Iowa Tyler tips over in France. He's sitting in a cafe and PLOP! He's down, can't figure it out.

Why isn't our national champion going?

e-RICHIE is right on that the selection process is doofus-like. Who chooses? Jean Marie LeBlanc?

[bcm119]

The olympic selection process is silly in lots of sports. Take swimming, which I used to be involved at at a high level. There is one trials meet, and that decides it. So you have to hit your peak to make the team, and if you make the team, you have to hit an additional and theoretically higher peak in a month. Thats really hard to do in swimming. I think the selection process should be more subjective, to allow the swimmers to train for the Games, rather than the trials. In cycling its hard to avoid showing up at the Games at your second peak of the season if you rode the TdF. Its funny how the Olympics are a second-priority competition in some sports.

[Dr. Doofus]

bcm -- remember that jackassed u.s. international meet they held in austin in december in the 80s...we had to taper two-three times (u.s. intl, conference, ncaa) one year, with our best guys adding long course nats and pan-ams to the mix...just stupid....


as long as the selection process is based on uci points, we need one thing...u.s. guys placing in classics...until then, we'll have stage racers on sprinter courses at the olys

[gt6267a]

Its funny how the Olympics are a second-priority competition in some sports.

you make the case that essentially swimming does this as well and i could not agree more. t is as though making the team is more important than performing at the olympics. these people kill me.

-k

[gt6267a]

as long as the selection process is based on uci points, we need one thing...u.s. guys placing in classics...until then, we'll have stage racers on sprinter courses at the olys

why is there a system based upon points and not a coach or team of coaches making the decision? is a points system more fair? i would think whoever is riding well at the moment is the right person to go? no?

for example, fast freddy will be riding the tour. will he not be spent at the olympics? wouldn't someone like chris horner who could train specifically for the olympics be a better choice, maybe even better the f-rod?

[Climb01742]

you guys might be a bit harsh. tyler is a pretty fair one-day racer...L-B-L isn't exactly a club ride. george certainly has the engine, and SOMEDAY the stars will align for him...maybe. and if lance wins #6, i can see him being happy to be super domestique for george or tyler...both of whom have suffered for him in the past. agree on chris horner as very good candidate. fast freddie is talented but his batting average is just as bad as george's. the last olympic gold wasn't so much won by germany and jan as it was won by telekom. lance, tyler and george is basically vintage postal. may not be perfect but they aren't chopped liver.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . for a moment what happened in Sydney. Ulrich's two trade team teammates helped him on a breakaway to a win, though one of them was not on the German team.

To fully comprehend what might happen and make reasonable predictions you need to also consider the US team in the context of who else from Lance's trade team has been chosen to represent their respective countries. Is anyone else from Postal going to be there? Will anyone else from Phonak be there? Tyler has gained renown as a team leader who is respected and liked and inspires teammates to work for him. Will that loyalty carry through to the Olympic race if any of his teammates are there?

And what about any of Lance's teammates? Given HIS reputation vs. Tyler's, will any of HIS teammates, if there, support him if they are not being paid to do so?

The Olympics is a different arena than anything else during the season--somewhat the same situation as World's, but with considerable added prestige. Despite whatever the coach might tell team members, what rider wouldn't grab at a chance for a gold medal?

BBDave

[J.M. White]

why is there a system based upon points and not a coach or team of coaches making the decision? is a points system more fair? i would think whoever is riding well at the moment is the right person to go? no?

for example, fast freddy will be riding the tour. will he not be spent at the olympics? wouldn't someone like chris horner who could train specifically for the olympics be a better choice, maybe even better the f-rod?


I agree that Horner should be there--I think he'd be highly motivated, and a one-stage race would seem to suit him well. If one or more of the TdF participants withdraws, let's hope he'll be the first one called upon to represent the U.S.