2012 Olympic - just after the TDF

[BarryTas]

So it is one year out from the Olympics.

Will doing the TDF so soon before the Olympics hinder the riders' performance???????

imagine if Cadel took it out...but he will be a marked man. he would then have won 2 x MTB world champs, road world champs, the TDF and the Olympics

also will Cadel contest the TDF again or will he focus on the classics?

[Luke Brown]

I think a lot of it will depend on the type of rider and which event they are doing in the olympics.

I've heard people like Cav saying he comes out of the tour in awesome form, especially after slogging through multiple mountain stages which he doesn't tend to do at any other time of the year.

Others riders, especially those contesting for GC, seem to come out of the tour needing a bit of a break, so it'll be interesting to see what they do with the Olympics.

I think it'll also depend on whether they are doing road racing, or on the track, in the olympics. I would guess that the track riders would need to spend the weeks beforehand doing specific track training, rather than a jolly around the roads of france. For those doing the road race, I guess the tour would be ideal prep.

So in conclusion, it depends!

[CommuRider]

Not sure if the GC will take much notice of the Olympics. Isn't the Olympics really much for the sprinters like Cav? Depends how much he wants to defend the green jersey next year. Cadel said he was keen to defend next year.

[ni78ck]

tdf would be cadels main priority i would think.
now that he has won one he will be hard to stop i believe.

[DavidS]

I read something the other day where they asked Cadel about this. He said something to the effect that, if the course suited him he would like to try for the olymics, if not then he would probably not be the best person to pick for the team anyway. Bit like the world championship, the course has a very big effect upon who wins.

DS

[daveywastaken]

Not sure if the GC will take much notice of the Olympics. Isn't the Olympics really much for the sprinters like Cav? Depends how much he wants to defend the green jersey next year. Cadel said he was keen to defend next year.

the current defending Olympic champ is Samuel Sanchez. terrible sprinter.

I agree that most would rather go to the TdF and teams would b pushing riders to do that due to sponsors etc...i did hear that wiggins may target the olympics, because he is soft and scared.

anyone know if/when the course will b released?

[jules21]

i heard that the course is flat for Cav. if so, cadel would be wasting his time.

[skull]

he would then have won 2 x MTB world champs?

Just to be picky but I don't think he was ever titled mtn bike wold champ. He did win the mtn bike world cup twice but I don't think that gives him the world champ title for that sport.

[jules21]

Just to be picky but I don't think he was ever titled mtn bike wold champ. He did win the mtn bike world cup twice but I don't think that gives him the world champ title for that sport.

yeah, i think winning the MTB world cup is like winning the UCI World Tour, which incidentally he is leading and has won previously i think.

[Mulger bill]

Just to be picky but I don't think he was ever titled mtn bike wold champ. He did win the mtn bike world cup twice but I don't think that gives him the world champ title for that sport.

yeah, i think winning the MTB world cup is like winning the UCI World Tour, which incidentally he is leading and has won previously i think.

S'right. World champ jersey means a winning performance on one day, World cup jersey needs good performances over a season.