US Olympic Cycling team Sucks

[bostondrunk]

Well, am I wrong??

I can really see the logic in their selection process.....
Lets pick a bunch of guys who hardly ever do well in one day races, could not possibly win on this course, and send them instead of our more specialized riders. Wow, Levi really tore up that course. And George really made a lot happen too....
However, Tyler did launch a vicious attack, but later admitted that he wasn't 100%. How nice of him to take the trip to Greece and the spot on the team when he still plans on whining about his back. No more EPO = no more wins for Tyler. Oh, and thats just a rumor I heard among cycling buddies, not a fact.......you know....for the record and all....

[Climb01742]

but not as bad as u.s. men's hoops team. the all-star team approach just doesn't work.

[Roy E. Munson]

The US basketball team is embarrassing, and not because of how they played either.

[bostondrunk]

haha, yeah, they got their asses handed to them!!!
Maybe Tyler will have a decent showing in the TT...

[jerk]

the canadian tem did pretty well though huh? who should the united states have sent? no one is going to beat bettini on a course like that this time of year given his form and his head for tactics....jerk

[bostondrunk]

The Canadian team sucked too! MB just hung out at the back and did nothing. At least George stayed near the front and did nothing.
But I don't have your europro insites, so you probably know what deals were made for that race through your contacts.

[jerk]

no insites on that one buddy. the jerk just thinks bettini was the best that day...as he is most days.

[bostondrunk]

I lost $500 betting on Levi to win. Man I hate alcohol....

[Roy E. Munson]

The Olympics is a downer for most Euro pro's. The US would have been better served sending Horner - attacking rider who can climb and is a solid all-rounder.

[caffeine power]

Fred Rodriguez should have been given the chance.

[Bruce H.]

Must keep in mind that most of the elite pros that were selected chose not to go. I suppose they did not want to get a boo boo and lose any of their lucrative income! (Really pisses me off by the way).

Another thing is that no body is going to any of the events. The seats are empty so far for everything and tickets are as low as $11.00.

The world is changing I guess
Bruce H.

[bostondrunk]

MAtt Dicano for President!!!! :crap:

[e-RICHIE]

"MAtt Dicano for President!!!!"

hittin' the sauce early?!
ask vanna for another vowel, eh?!
e-RICHIE

ps

:cool: :cool: :)
:p :p :cool:
:D :D :rolleyes:

arrange disorder

[bostondrunk]

I meant Matts Dicinyoe, the self proclaimed savior of cycling, and head of the stolenunderground, who has secret links to the FBI, CIA, PetsAreUs, and Olive Garden.


:beer: :beer:

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . from this race. It's a lot like the world champinoships--a number of riders from the same country who may never have worked together before and with minimum preparation time together. If I were riding in this race (yeah, right! :rolleyes: ) I would not be expecting much help from my national "teammates"--I would be more likely to get together with guys from my trade team. That's exactly what happened in Sydney, BTW. Jan, Kloden, and Vino off the front working together in a breakaway.

I was not surprised that Bettini won. He is a superb individual rider in one-off races, with great fitness and race smarts. The only US rider I would have pegged for anything was Georgie . . . Julich, Tyler, and Levi are all more of stage racers, IMHO. And McCartney? Who knows . . . For all of Chris Horner's whining lately, he IS a strong one-day rider. I also agree that Freddie probably had a much better chance if he had been there than any of the guys who WERE there. Both here and in women's MTB, the US has really shot themselves in the foot with their selections . . .

BBDave

[weisan]

This is strictly my biased opinion. Two things happened during the Olympic men's and women's road race that I am not quite happy with.

1) Long list of DNF, including some big names like LEIPHEIMER Levi, FREIRE Oscar, EKIMOV Viatcheslav, MOREAU Christophe, KLODEN Andreas etc...
Even VOECKLER Thomas finished for crying out loud.

Olympics. Every child's dream. An honor. Your country. Your people.
==> that means, "You jolly well finish the darn race!"
I don't care how hot it is, or how far back you are, or how little is your chance of winning....you shall finish the race.

Look over at the gymnastics floor... a couple of folks fell off the bar or the horse, the coach makes a few gestures, they went back and finished the routine. Low points, yes, but at least you retain the honor and the integrity.

That's what Olympics is about. The human spirit.
This is not TDF, or the World Championship, or the Paris Roubaix. Throw the Pro Peloton out the window...I say if you got pick to represent your country and you put on your country's colors, you finish the race. That simple.

2) What the heck is this?
Can someone please explain to the six-year-old sitting on top of her daddy's shoulder by the barricades what she just saw?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2004/olympics04/women_rr/OLY70.jpg
The official byline explains..."Judith Arndt expresses her frustration at the German federation's decision not to bring friend and sprinter Petra Rossner."

What kind of excuse is that???!!!!!

This type of behavior does not belong in the Olympics....heck, it does not belong in any professional race, period.

Maybe that's why there's a big yawn whenever the Peloton moves into the Olympic games. Not for money, for what am I working my arse off ???!!!

Am I being harsh?
It's just my two cents. What do I know.

:p

weisan

[Roy E. Munson]

Weisan,

Training 101: For a pro racer with racing still left in the season, there is little to no sense in finishing that race if you're not still left in it at the end. Sure, kill yourself racing for 6 hours in that heat for 100th place, and the rest of your season is shot to schit.

[weisan]

Roy, I got that.

But sometimes, sacrifice have to be made...for a price, yes. But in this instance, I think it's called for.

You don't quit in the Olympics. You just don't. Any other race, okay by me.

Again, my very very opinionated voice speaking here. :D

This reminded me of the first few race that Lance did when he first got back to racing after the cancer treatment. He came in last, more than an hour behind the peloton, people are packing up, he rode in traffic.

Well, to me, he was a champion that day.

Sometimes, not quitting a race is a win.

[bostondrunk]

I agree with Weisenbaucher, who cares if they have more races left in the season, they have the capability to ride to the finish, even if its slow. They took up a spot on the olympic team, they should finish the race, otherwise it just makes it look like a complete waste.
As for the german female rider......lol, I dunno. I wonder what would have happend if thorpedo gave the crowd the finger....ahhaha

[Tom]

Oh, I forgot. It was dislocated at the first knuckle. Man, that had to hurt. Goes over and the coach pops it back in. That had to really hurt. Some of these people just boggle my mind. If I did that to my hand I'm not ashamed to admit that I'd just sit down and start crying.

I agree with Weisan. If these guys aren't going to finish the race, give the spot to somebody who is. Like me. I'm getting to a stage in my life where I'd sell my soul for twenty years and some talent. I bet I'm not alone.

[Roy E. Munson]

I like how the female gymnasts are a little older these days, most over the age of 18. I feel less guilty watching.

Why finish if you're not even near in it for the win at the end - they are there to win. Who cares about 58th place?

[weisan]

I guess for me, the heart of the issue is this:

My SELF-INTERESTS over EVERYTHING else.

And that translates into behavior and performance on the field.

[bostondrunk]

Because they wasted a spot on the olympic team that other athletes would have killed for (or at very least, taken vast quantities of steroids for!!!:)).
If they were gonna drop out unless they had a chance to win, then they shouldn't have gone in the first place. :bike:

[Climb01742]

one thing i think we can all agree on: more women's beach volleyball!!! my S.O. keeps slugging me for my rapt attention. :banana:

[Roy E. Munson]

And I'm sure we'd all be overjoyed watching Polish, Slovakian, Russian, and Japanese amateur cyclists duke it out for the gold! :D

[Ozz]

the canadian tem did pretty well though huh? ....jerk


You mean the Canadian women?

That was not a bad race to watch...

[Tom]

And I'm sure we'd all be overjoyed watching Polish, Slovakian, Russian, and Japanese amateur cyclists duke it out for the gold! :D

Because they'd be duking it out, not mewling like sick kittens to their mommies and slinking away with their tail between their legs.

na rasie, przesylac komus pozdrowienia ty zona.

[Ozz]

This discussion just emphasizes why pro athletes should not be at the olympics. It is their livelyhood, and won't go full out unless it is for a paycheck. Look to USA Mens basketball as evidence...but they have other problems too.

Weren't the Olympics pretty strict about this once? Wasn't Jim Thorpe stripped of his medals cuz he was paid $6 for some minor league baseball game?

Anyway, send the pros home since they don't really care anyway.

[weisan]

To the last two finishers, I salute YOU!

Rank Tag # Name Country Time
74 127 BODROGI Laszlo HUNGARY 5:56:45 +15:01
75 63 KRUPA Dawid POLAND 6:00:25 +18:41

[Climb01742]

for certain sports, the olympics are the pinnacle. track and field. swimming. gymnastics. rowing. track cycling. wrestling. so the athletes give it everything. for other sports, the olympics aren't so important. b-ball. road cycling. so some athletes don't give it their all. track and field athletes are pros, yet they'd kill for gold. so i'm not sure if its professionalism that messes with the games. its whther your sport values a gold or not. like in soccer or tennis. who cares about gold?

[oracle]

one thing i think we can all agree on: more women's beach volleyball!!! my S.O. keeps slugging me for my rapt attention.
__________________

no kidding, dude. the way those swimsuits ride on up? yeeow.

[bcm119]

US swimmers are getting their asses handed to them too... nice lead out on the 400 fr relay Crocker. Looks like we don't have a chance in the 100 free.

[Climb01742]

the way those swimsuits ride on up? yeeow.

television at its finest. :banana:

[Bruce K]

It appears that NBC has finally "gotten it".

More event coverage both with and without US athletes and less up close and personal BS.

I would much rather watch 3 heats of a (you pick it) event than find out that the competitor from who-knows-where trains in a mud hole and milks cows on a farm in the mountains to pay for his/her coaching.

I also like seeing more of the "fringe" sports on MSNBC, USA, etc. The competitors in fencing, judo, handball, etc. deserve a little recognition for their years of training and dedication. Besides, they're fun to watch too.

BK

[alembical]

Todays TT results for the men and women speak volumes about the riders the US selected. While not medaling in the road race is less than ideal, they weren't really expected to. Then comes the TT and the men and women both kick butt. Great to see. Shows that US cycling has progressed a long way.

Alembical

[weisan]

Tyler and Bobby did not quit because of the 100 degree heat during the road race or because their chances of winning is fading. They finished at 18th and 28th positions respectively.

Move over to the Time Trial, they came in first and third.

There's a very good reason why champions are champions. Their mental attitude is different from most...and especially those who quit or hold on to a myopic view of immediate payoff, taking shortcuts, or refusal to suffer and pay the price for success. Was it accidental that they got medals in the time trial? I don't think so.