There is only the TT. This "chess game" analogy of bike racing just confuses me. Strengths and weaknesses? Luck, strategy, and timing? Teammates?? WTF!?

TT the STRONGEST MAN WINS RAWRRR.


ETA - errr...or strongest woman. but yea!

I think critizing pro men for equipment choices is more acceptable because they tend to have access to what ever equipement there sponsor tends to make. The women tend not to have the same access, so they have less of a choice.

Campagnolo EPS. To be fair, James Haycraft said electronic shifting, didn't mention brand

---

Brian

Gonna buy a fast car, put on my lead boots, take a long, long drive
I may end up spending all my money, but I'll still be alive

Out the weekend doing a bunch of training before some big stage races and just watched the mens and womens races. A few thoughts in no particular order:

1. The descent was not dangerous at all, some people just used poor judgement and it cost them the race. I see no negligence or issue at all.
2. Why the 10k run in to the finish? Sort or negates the climb to an extent, but also adds a different dynamic, so who knows.
3. I personally find GVA's performance one of the most "questionable" performances of recent time. When your own country suggested you be banned for doping a few yeas ago you know the guy is not clean. I mean come on people look at the list of premium climbers who were dropped and yet he was able to hang on? Still an exciting race in the end.
4. Cancellara was ripping things up again, very impressive.
5. Froome is quickly exposed without his sky entourage
6. Thomas was incredibly impressive for hanging in the front group.
7. Porte once again cannot catch a break
8. I don't think Sagan would have been a factor, people keep saying he would have been fine if GVA could make it, but i doubt that. Top 10 possibly, but GVA produced a 1/1,000,000 performance.

i guess Majka and Abbot could have practiced doing IAB. Last 5k of Majka's solo ride was particularly painful to watch. probably would still have been caught, but you never know

indeed, some of the men went further still and used non-sponsor product as they can afford it personally or through other arrangements that the higher profile men can get. non-team sponsor wheels were common - aru and kwiatkowski on lightweights, froome on enve to name a few that i'm aware of. interesting that is 2 of 3 from sky - shimano are their wheel sponsors with new dura ace wheels just launched...

women probably don't get much in the way of advice on the best equipment to use either - a combination of that they don't get so many options and the lack of support to educate even within what options they have

regardless, it is always interesting to second guess these things after the fact. as a climber, maybe she focussed on lightweight to get away on the climb rather than thinking about how she would then stay away after that

some thoughts on your thoughts, several of them interrelated,:
- i can't comment on whether the descent was dangerous without seeing/riding it myself but there sure were a lot of crashes and many of them resulted in serious injuries thanks to the unforgiving road edge
- the flat run to the finish is what made the race exciting rather than a W/Kg test, just everyone seemed to miss this in the leadup. the flat and cobbles earlier also helped the less climbing oriented riders, there was even a bit of cross-wind action. a race that can be won different ways by different riders. i think it would be really interesting to see how that course would play out if used regularly for top races
- plenty of people in that race have actually been banned before, for some logic i don't fully understand only the russians were barred on the basis of past sins
- cancellara being relatively high up shows that it wasn't all about climbing. he sure is impressive though, will be interesting to see what he can do in a TT that doesn't suit him
- it just wasn't froome's sort of race in either terrain or tactics. can expect him to show well on his own in the TT
- thomas is perhaps the ideal rider for that sort of race - classics man but can climb with the gc guys when hes at his best like last year but not this year. last years thomas might have won this.
- porte unfortunately did catch a break, just an unlucky one
- who knows what sagan could have done, probably better than i expect he will in the mtb but that will be interesting to see too

even with the campy eps, damn, there is a lot of brake cable showing. a cleaner front setup would be nice.

i understand all the politics and funding behind the womans team. it's just sad. you figured their sponsors would give them the best equipment for race day.

-just checked colnago's site. not a single frame has a clean brake cable setup... i guess they gave her the best she had. i don't understand why more american teams don't go and try to sponsor american riders.

I don't need to be in a race to comment on a stretch of road that clearly 98% of people had no problem navigating but a small few struggled because they were pushing the limits and or poor handling. Dangerous is something over the top or clearly posing posing a risk to riders, this was neither.

Alright lets give the predictions one last crack, who does everyone have for the TTs? I'm going full homer mode, AvdB and Dumoulin. Minor medals for Stevens, Moolman, and Froome, Kiriyenka on the mens.

Oef, heavy wind and rain. All bets are off. Could see some big surprises in the TT today. Just hope no serious crashes.

Happy that Armstrong knocked Zabelinskaya off the top step. But van Dijk! Wtf... She went off road uphill, dismounted and got back, that was AT LEAST 15s lost. Would have been a medal for sure, at the cost of van der Breggen prob.

Some early observations for the mens tt: craven haha, just road bike, nothing fancy. Looks like a tourist commmercial in some closeup shots ;) Vuillermoz...wtf? Focus road bike with clip ons. France /ag2r on hard times?

Roads have dried up a little bit, thankfully. Wind still blowing.

I'll come and give you some company :-)

Fantastic even as a non-American to see Armstrong winning 3 in a row. That's a hell of an achievement and gives hope to me that I'm not completely past it at only 41 years of age!

Men's TT going to be fascinating. Think the winds could give the heavier riders like Cancellara and Martin a chance? Think that Dumoulin might struggle with his wrist given a fairly technical course. Always thought Froome seemed like a very GC TTer not an Olympic or World champion TTer, but with this course and the form of his rivals he's got a very good shot.

Haha thanks ;) yeah with Froome I'm wondering if he is better or worse at longer TTs, like these at 50k with some elevation. We've all seen the TdF TT's, but they were almost tailormade for him. I can't recall what the course was like in London.. Of course Froome has come quite a way since then.

Agree on the Armstrong performance, looked like she was dying at second time check but reeled it in in the last section.

London course went within 50m of my house so I remember it well! Pretty flat course, some rollers but nothing that would really class as a hill, even in the UK. Would have been perfect for Martin/Cancellara, but from memory the former was nursing a broken wrist from the TdF, and the latter crashed in the Olympic Road Race. So Froome's medal was probably a little bit flattering, and even at the time I remember being surprised that he'd beaten Phinney.

I'm not sure how much Froome has come along since then, at least in terms of raw speed. Obviously has stepped up in terms of responsibility, and his tactical and race awareness has improved hugely, but not sure he's any faster on a TT now than he was 4 years ago. Maybe a better bike handler now which could help him on this course.

Watching on cycling Hub, stupid xfinity/comcast account wont let me sign in on my work computer.
Same commentators for me as the road race watching online.

Rain should make things intertesting

she turns 43 tomorrow, actually.

I'm sure she'll be having an awesome birthday celebration then! I've still got nearly 9 months of being 41 to enjoy, but suspect by the next Olympics the only athletes older than me will be the equestrian riders and fencers :(

Dumoulin, Froome, Coppel

The damn thing is long, like 1hr 20 min. Contador would have done well here

How do they decide the start order? Saw somewhere that Froome goes last based on GB (Wiggins) winning the last Olympics, but on that basis how come Dumoulin gets to go later than Martin who finished second in London? Is there some sort of pecking order between reigning Olympic champion, winner of TdF ITT (Dumoulin), World TT Champion (Kiryienka)?

Did the lady announcer just say they were rung a 55/36 upfront? Wonder how that shifting is....

Cancellara fastest through first check so far, Martin already well down

Martin also has some rain hitting him that Fabian didn't have. Some of the roads are noticeably wetter now than they were, will be interesting to see how it affects the riders at the end.