UCI Road World Championships

Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
I have done a few calculations -

Of the 208 riders who started the race, 61 finished it.
Of the 51 nations that entered a team, 26 had at least one rider that finished it.

So -

Less than 1 in three riders who started the race finished it.
Only very marginally more than half of all the national teams that entered the race had at least one rider representing that nation that finished it.

 
monkey bidness

monkey bidness

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Been away from base for a few days so, apart from results, hadn't got any detail of how the race unfolded. Seems that Froome, the man who was supposed to be given a lead out by the rest of the team thinks that the only 2 GB riders who really put their bodies on the line were Cavendish & Lowe. Do you know where I can read a comprehensive report on the race that covers all the British riders. What happened to Sir Bradley?

P.s. good to see that Cookson has taken over at the helm of UCI. I hope that he stays true to his promise and makes his first priority rooting out the drug cheats, past & present, including UCI jobsworths who are still clinging on to the wreckage of mcQuaids discredited ship.
 
Withnail

Withnail

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monkey bidness said:
Do you know where I can read a comprehensive report on the race that covers all the British riders.
Click to expand...

Have a read through this - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/24306085 - is probably your best bet.

Sir Bradley of Wiggo basically got dropped after the first descent (cf. the Giro, where he descended "like a bit of a girl") and couldn't (or wouldn't?) get back to front of the by then split peloton.

Froome gave up when he realised he hadn't a chance of winning - tbf to them all it was a proper stinker out there, see the vid from Shimano above for a good flavour.
 
monkey bidness

monkey bidness

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Thanks W, read it now and it tells a fairly depressing story. Bit like the England Soccer team. Lots of stars but no common purpose. Compare this with the Italian team, every one of whom, it seems, put their reputations, and more importantly their bodies on the line for Niboli. Perhaps it was not the individuals, but the management/direction of the team that should be challenged? Sometimes heart,passion & even bloody-minded nationalism beats science @ dispassionate organisation. At least we have 2 years to get it right for the 2016 worlds.
 
Withnail

Withnail

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monkey bidness said:
Thanks W, read it now and it tells a fairly depressing story. Bit like the England Soccer team. Lots of stars but no common purpose.
Click to expand...
Soccer?

Personally i think there have been some harsh words uttered - talking about elsewhere rather than your ones here but including them - and am willing to give a little bit more leeway. I will tell you why.

The conditions were absolutely stinking for starters, and people really were putting their bodies on the line - seeing crash after crash and the pile up of those bodies on the way probably made that particular reality all too real. The way the peloton had split meant those in the rear couldn't realistically have hoped to bridge even to be in the second tier of non-contenders so they must've realised the game was up for the day. Bit disappointed with Froome, who perhaps could have grabbed a bit of dignity by at least finishing the race (Rui Costa wasn't over-encumbered by team mates after all), but again the sight of so many spills must have made everyone wonder what point there was in staying the course with the risk of injury being so undeniably high.

Compare this with the Italian team, every one of whom, it seems, put their reputations, and more importantly their bodies on the line for Nibali...
Click to expand...
Paolini, Vanotti, Ulissi, Nocentini and Santaromita DNF - of the ITA team4 did, 5 didn't...

Sometimes heart,passion & even bloody-minded nationalism beats science @ dispassionate organisation.
Click to expand...
In this respect i am surprised at both Froome and Thomas - to at least have stayed the course would surely have been the better part of valour - but i can't find it within me to berate them for it.
 
Moley

Moley

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It is easy to ridicule what has not been achieved. Perhaps better to praise what has been. The Italian course was not suited to the GB team or the individual riders so what would be the motivation to perform. It's the end of the season so why would the vast majority of riders complete the course when there is nothing to ride for and attendance is merely symbolic or for other motives
 
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