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View Full Version : Oscar Frier again...

shinomaster
10-03-2004, 11:37 AM
The one
thing you can say about him is that he is really really good at winning the worlds!
Rich_W
10-03-2004, 12:17 PM
He certainly is the master of late-season form
Andreu
10-03-2004, 12:19 PM
He rode a great race. I was glad to see Zabel on the podium too. And Freire joins the "Three times winner" club. I can think of Merckx ...who else as won this three times?
A :beer:
BdaGhisallo
10-03-2004, 02:10 PM
Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Rik Van Looy also won three. I's say that Freire has an awesome chance of becoming the first four time winner. He has become one of the grands with this win. The World Road Race is my absolute favourite race of the year with all the unusual team tactics, tension, and hidden alliances! It's always great when a big name wins a really big race like this. The first 200km sounded like they were a little lame but the final definitely made up for it!!!

I really wanted Zabel to win though. I can't think of any rider who has been so successful and dedicated to the sport, and is still riding, that deserves a world title more. I fear that he will end up with Kelly and Bartoli as great classics riders who didn't manage to win either a world championship or olympic title.

Oh well!
Climb01742
10-03-2004, 02:57 PM
how the h*ll does he do it? nothing all year, for five years basically, yet 3 world titles?!?! like a pitcher losing every game for 5 years yet winning game seven in 3 world series. that's a head scratcher.
shinomaster
10-03-2004, 03:10 PM
He seems to have a fickle body, injury and back problems..
BdaGhisallo
10-03-2004, 04:30 PM
If recent logic holds, then the cycling world will start coming down really hard on him and criticise him because he only focuses on one race each year. He's dishonoring the history of the sport and picking his battles. Yada Yada Yada!!
Dr. Doofus
10-04-2004, 06:31 AM
Friere? One of the greats? When he wins six more classics, maybe....

Look, the big kids either go home in September or they are just hanging on and don't have the motivation to really race at the worlds.... The first October Worlds yielded a great race. The second one flattered to deceive by virtue of the Flandrian God who won the thing (not by virtue of the second-strngers he beat for it)...but since 1997 the Worlds has been like a "who's the biggest sissy on the block" contest....

They're all junkies anyway.

Mu dog kicks *** and she's clean, except for when she rolls around in poop.
BdaGhisallo
10-04-2004, 07:09 AM
In my comment about him becoming one of the grands I was certainly referring to his position in the history of the worlds, much the same as Eric Leman is one of the greats in the history of the Tour of Flanders for having won it three times yet he won precious little else.

Yes the worlds is a bit devalued these days but it is still one of the prestigious titles to win each year along with the Tour, Giro, Milan San Remo, Roubaix and Liege. In absolute prestige I would rank it below the Tour and tied with the Giro.