tour of California SPOILER

[rich p]

I believe that he said it was the second most important race FOR HIS TEAM.

p.s. I'm not a Lance fanboy.

Quite possibly - my story was second hand but I'm always willing to believe the worst about Sir Lancelot

 

[iLB]

ooh dear, cavendish doesn't look happy standing on the 3rd step of the podium!

 

[trustysteed]

wow, what a beautiful place, i want to live in santa cruz! the run-in looked amazing.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

It is a boring race though, isn't it?

 

[johnr]

It is a boring race though, isn't it?

+1

Is it just that the Giro is so exciting? I've not managed more than 15-20 minutes watching so far.

 

[trustysteed]

It is a boring race though, isn't it?

there's a race? i was too busy looking at the waves, the beaches, the amusement park and the lovely houses to spot a race!

 

[psmiffy]

It is a boring race though, isn't it?

Yes - but is that not true of most cycle races - whilst the endeavor and ability of the riders is fantastic and the race tactics are interesting for a while I find the way the teams are organised plus the power of the pelaton strangles the events

 

[Flying_Monkey]

is that not true of most cycle races

Doesn't have to be - contrast the Giro going on siumtaneously: the drama, the upsets, the mud, the pain, the tears...

 

[psmiffy]

Doesn't have to be - contrast the Giro going on siumtaneously: the drama, the upsets, the mud, the pain, the tears...

One stage with some mud and a winner that managed to show that there was something beyond team tactics - but so far all the excitement seems to have come from crashes and I really do not want to see that happen - looking at the couse it would seem that maybe the designers had done it on purpose to inject some excitement?

I watched the Hamburg Pro Tour event last year from the barriers - the only people in the race that seemed to be interested were the two guys who made the breakaway - the pelaton were not interested - pick up the pay check and move onto the next one - good thing there was several laps or there would just have been nothing to see for 5 hours

 

[Flying_Monkey]

so far all the excitement seems to have come from crashes

eh? Have you been watching the same race as the rest of us? Just yesterday, the entire GC was turned on its head by a monster attack and we haven't even got to the mountains yet...

 

[psmiffy]

Yes yesterday they seemed to be serious and I am hoping that when they get to the mountains it will get better - have not had it on today so will have to read about it later - have to reserve judgement

 

[iLB]

at least the commentators will have something to talk about tonight...

 

[rich p]

Armstrong's pulled out and off to hospital for x-rays. I wonder if he'll have Frankie Andreu in the room with him?

 

[iLB]

Armstrong's pulled out and off to hospital for x-rays. I wonder if he'll have Frankie Andreu in the room with him?

are you kidding? talk about an admission of guilt!

o hang on, just realised he did actually crash, thought this was before the stage had started...

 

[mangaman]

Yes - but is that not true of most cycle races - whilst the endeavor and ability of the riders is fantastic and the race tactics are interesting for a while I find the way the teams are organised plus the power of the pelaton strangles the events

Sorry to disagree again psmiffy, but I love all cycle racing.

It reminds me of cricket (which I love, but a lot of people find boring)

Both take place over a long period. Both are a strange mix of individual and team effort. Both can seem to be meandering to a predictable end, when something happens out of the blue and everything changes.

The combination of having the time for the drama to play out and the sudden and unpredictable nature makes for something unique in sport.

You can sit and watch a stage or a classic all day and go to the toilet to come back to the fact the leader's just crashed or there's a sudden crosswind and echelons have formed and the leader's losing time. (or cricket wise, England are going along nicely and when you get back from the loo they've lost 2 wickets).


I think cycling wins on aesthetics, especially the Giro and mountainous TDF stages. There is something beautiful about watching the peleton, espaecially from above. It's almost like a living creature.