For anything but an individual time trial it seems to me that road cycling is a team sport. So shouldn’t the team of the winning rider get the gold. It just seems stupid to me that you have guys who may be pulling and covering breaks for his teammates and then only the “winner” gets the medal.
It’s due to that dang European mentality, you know, one for all and all for one. I think the Musketeers started it.
For anything but an individual time trial it seems to me that road cycling is a team sport. So shouldn’t the team of the winning rider get the gold. It just seems stupid to me that you have guys who may be pulling and covering breaks for his teammates and then only the “winner” gets the medal.
Only the winner of Le Tour or Giro or Vuelta or any other pro race gets the winners jersey or trophy, So what’s different? Nothing because the teams distribute bonuses to all the team members if one wins.
For anything but an individual time trial it seems to me that road cycling is a team sport. So shouldn’t the team of the winning rider get the gold. It just seems stupid to me that you have guys who may be pulling and covering breaks for his teammates and then only the “winner” gets the medal.
Only the winner of Le Tour or Giro or Vuelta or any other pro race gets the winners jersey or trophy, So what’s different? Nothing because the teams distribute bonuses to all the team members if one wins.
Yeah, they’ve got the gold medal under the metal cutters right now as I’m typing this.
That makes no sense to me. Only the winner in the Olympics gets the actual gold medal, whereas in other races teams do distribute money to the entire team. By your own reasoning, you would expect then that the entire team of the winner should get the gold.
That makes no sense to me. Only the winner in the Olympics gets the actual gold medal, whereas in other races teams do distribute money to the entire team. By your own reasoning, you would expect then that the entire team of the winner should get the gold.
Clearly you and the person ahead of you misunderstood me. In the Olympics they get bonuses if someone wins, the whole team not just the winner, the winner keeps his bonus and his medal. In Le Tour the the whole team gets a bonus, not just the winner, the winner keeps his bonus and the winners jersey. The only difference is what they call the bonuses.
I understand that, but the bonuses in the Olympics are so low it really is about the medal. I feel that each member of the team should get a medal.
I understand that, but the bonuses in the Olympics are so low it really is about the medal. I feel that each member of the team should get a medal.
Yes it is about the medal…just like it is about the trophy or jersey in a pro race.
I would hardly call $100,000 or $50,000 bonuses low.
So you agree it is a team sport. So I think everyone on the team should get the medal.
So you agree it is a team sport. So I think everyone on the team should get the medal.
Nice try. It’s a team sport that produces an individual winner, just like pro races and the rewards are just like pro races.
I’m sorry…I couldn’t disagree with this notion more. Its an individual race…albeit with team setup… Maybe they should give cobblestones to every rider on the PR winner’s team? Or let everyone on a country’s team wear the World Champion’s rainbow stripes?
The “team” riders know the score…only one guy gets the prize. Everyone else has their jobs to do. Sometimes that’s all a rider might ever have to hang their hat on is that they rode their team’s winner into the win. Even deep teams like Spain and Italy know only one of the guys gets the prize.
You only think it is an individual race because that is what you are accustomed to not because it reflects how team road cycling is actually.
Unlike other true ‘team’ events in the Olympics, the teams in cycling are not of equal size - they vary form five members to lone cyclists. The glory of the Olympics goes to the country (at least in principle) and therefore riders are more than happy to have one of their team mates take the win. Those who can’t deal with it won’t win - simple as that.
Ummm…thanks for educating me on cycling…not that I’ve been watching it since the early 80’s or anything…
I’m well aware of the team aspect…but the prize goes to the guy who crosses the line first. Name a major cycling race that awards differently (other than Team Time Trials or track events like Madison or Team Pursuit, obviously). Spring Classics? Nope. Grand Tours? Nope. 1-week tours? Nope. National Championships? Nope. World Championships? Nope.
Hmmmm…seems individual to me.
I think they should review the tapes and every person the eventual winner drafted or paced from should get a gold. A slightly smaller, less shiny medal of course.
Unless they couldn’t hack the heat and smog and quit after pulling the peloton a mere fraction of the 150 total miles. Then they get jack.
Just because that is the way it has always been done doesnt mean it is the correct or appropriate way of doing things. The prizes and “individua” winners of these events were set up before the rise of the team aspect of the sport. Now with the rise of the team cmponent I think the team should be rewarded.
I TOTALLY agree with you, and I know come of the cyclists do to. CYCLING IS A TEAM SPORT.
Let’s look at this way… So tonight we have the women on the road race, for the USA, it’s Amber, Kristin, and Christine. All 3 of them are very strong and maybe Kristin is the acknowledged leader because she’s a better climber. So that leaves Amber and Christine to “work” for her, and thereby sacrificing their chances of a medal by chasing down breaks, setting tempo on climbs and trying to put Kristin into a position to win. And let’s say she gets a medal… what they heck do Amber and Christine get other than a THANKS! Nothing. Bupkiss. NADA! No bonus, no shared money, and Kristin gets the glory of the medal and the bonus from USAC, Cervelo - Lifeforce, etc.
Why would you even have more than one rider in the field if this is NOT a team sport.
Comparing the Olympic Road Race to the UCI / Tour’s / Classics does not make sense. In these events, the ENTIRE team is compensated in some form if one of their riders wins overall, usually with bonuses from the winner’s.
What does Valverde get since Sanchez won for Spain last night? If they were on a trade team together, you bet he’s be compensated.
Sure. Everyone can be super. And when everyone’s super…no one will be…
Seriously…I don’t know whether to take you seriously or just shake my head. I’m betting neither Valverde, Sastre nor the rest of the NON-winning Spaniards agree with you…
Calling the national squads a “team” may be somewhat of a stretch in many cases. What does Valverde get for Sanchez’s win?.. nothing. But I don’t recall him doing any work for Sanchez either, or Bettini working for Rebellin, or Kirchen for A.Schleck. And while they may not be working against each other, they aren’t necessarily helping each other out either.
As for the question of to what a team member “gets” for being on a winner’s team, they get a chance to compete at the Olympics!!! I think that’s a pretty good “get”. With the limited team sizes (esp for women) just getting to ride is an opportunity of a lifetime. There are no finishers medals at the Olympics, but you do forever become an Olympian.
Maybe a compelling reason why everyone on the winner’s (or 2nd, 3rd placers) team doesn’t deserve a medal is that having a team is not actually necessary. Fabian Cancellara was the only Swiss rider in the race and he earned his bronze without the help of any teammates.
With all due respect, you should read exactly what Sanchez said about the race, and how the Spanish, Sastre, Sanchez, Contador even, were trying to set it up for Valverde (Sanchez comments are on Velonews), or perhaps how McCartney and Dave Z went to the front and buried themselves to bring back the Sastre break for Levi and Christian.
True story, you never know how it’s gonna play out in the end. It’s a total crap shoot on the RR, and who has the legs to go at the end and who doesn’t, no one knows. Valverde couldn’t handle Schleck’s attack, and Sanchex got the benefit. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t function as a team pror to that.
http://www.velonews.com/article/81485/sanchez-takes-olympic-gold-in-beijing
http://www.velonews.com/article/81480/armstrong-says-olympic-road-racing-would-benefit-from
If the RIDERS admit its a TEAM effort, why would we not recognize that?