wombatK wrote:I'm astounded so many above are happy for Vinokourov to win. The guy is a convicted unrepentant and unapologetic drug cheat. That's just the kind of image cycling needs...
+1
Drug cheats should get a life ban...
but under the current system they don't
the guy has served his time so let's move on
I love his attacking style and am happy that he's ending his career on a high. Much nicer to see someone reform and come back and win rather than just fade away into oblivion under bad circumstances.
Much nicer to see someone reform and come back and win rather than just fade away into oblivion under bad circumstances.
Unlike Millar, Vinokourov has not reformed - he has never admitted to the offense he was found guilty of committing. He may have served his sentence, but he remains unrepentant, as has been previously stated.
Last edited by RonK on Tue Jul 31, 2012 5:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.
This is lifted from another forum, but I thought it was rather good. Memos from the road race
Team GB
Memo 1: Equation: [4 riders plus the occasional German riding fast tempo for 240+ km unequal to 11 riders in breakaway, then 20, then 35 riders in breakaway]. Tactic: epic fail
Memo 2: Mmmm: So this isn’t a stage tour? Right, Olympic Road race is one day race every 4 years. There is no tomorrow.
Memo 3: Mmmm: So riding Tempo for 200km to keep Cav with us up Zig Zag hill also meant the rest of the Peloton were riding tempo. Not too tired to attack. Mmmm.
Memo 4: Cav should have lost 2 more kilos. That would have helped.
Memo 5: Perhaps we were a bit arrogant not to chase that last attack down?
Memo 6: Rio 2016. Remember, not a stage race, not a stage race. No tomorrow. Different tactic required.
Vino:
Vino not tired riding tempo, Vino Smash!
Cancellara:
Memo: Must learn to turn my wheel when cornering. (Bad luck that - would have been really nice to see Cancellara go with 10k left).
35 Riders in last Break:
Memo 1: Cancellara’s crashed. OK so no attack 10k from the finish. That should make it easier.
Memo 2: Wait, Vino’s still here. He always goes 2-3k from the finish. Hold Vino’s wheel. Hold his wheel.
Vino: OK, same tactic. Worked before. Vino go 2-3k from finish. Dumbass riders won’t follow Vino. Vino smash.
Team Oz (with Race Radios):
Stuey: To Matty (White). Matty I’m f**ked. Maybe I can finish top 10, but no chance to win or place.
Matty: To Mick, Cadel. Gerro and Gossy. Stuey’s f**ked. We gotta get on the front and help Team GB. We have to get a sprint finish.
Matty: Sh*t: We don’t have race radio!
35 Riders in last Break:
Memo 1: Vino’s gone, Vino’s gone. Why wasn’t I on his wheel like I said I would be?
Memo 2: OK someone else will chase him down. If I go now I’ll knacker myself and I won’t be in a position to win a medal.
Memo 3: Hang on, no-one’s chasing him down. I’m definitely not going to win a medal.
Vino: Dumbass riders. Vino smash.
Uran: I must write 100 times……with 200-300m to go the race is forward, don’t look back, with 200-300m to go the race is forward, don’t look back, with 200-300m to go the race is forward, don’t look back……………………..
Vino: Vino SMASHED. Vino smart. Vino winner. Vino now retire. Vino go into politics. Dumbass politicians better beware of Vino.
vander wrote:Rogers effort was before the the second break went away which had the eventual winner in it, not exactly sure what his effort was for. Also dont know what Gerrans was there to do if he didnt go with the Nibali group I thought that would of been his job.
I think he was looking to get another small group going to have some reserves up the road for later in the race, but no-one wanted to do that quite so early so he was left to fry for a while. The big (non-GB) guns were being more patient.
Right Vander, thanks. What a mixup of coverage. It was difficult to fathom. As Alex points out, it was a move, and my point was another Aussie up front, may have changed things.
On the coverage
I notice that the BBC have been quick to distance themselves from coverage of a road race that was uninformative, bordering on contemptuous. Jake Humphries was on earlier pointing out that everyone at BBC HQ was just as fed up as their viewers at the lack of information being provided to them about which riders were in what groups, how far they had left to travel and what the time gaps were, but that they had to make do with the same feed as everyone else.
Vinokourov was not even mentioned in any groups, and only mentioned with 10 kilometers to go
Some good points- Video coverage was pretty pathetic.
The video was either at the front of, or behind, the peleton and break most of the time, and then so far away (presumably to avoid allowing drafting) as to make identification nearly impossible.
Perhaps the issue was that the race organizers didn’t want video assisting the team cars in identifying riders and time gaps, so as to make the race radio ban more effective.
A questionable rule supposedly to make the race more interesting dictating that the viewing of the race becomes muddled and unengaging.
Afterwards they got good coverage of sook quotes.
Lone Rider- I rode on the long, dark road... before I danced under the lights.
The tours coverage made this look pretty ordinary, the motorbikes appeared to be a hinderance to the riders occasionally, I like how the tour coverage keeps the distance to go and the splits in the top corner, still watched it all though and watched the womens race which i thought was a better race
find_bruce wrote:But the current leader is the virtuoso hour and a half performance crying performance from South Korean fencer refusing to leave the arena
Re not leaving, I read it was because an appeal was in progress, and if she left the pitch, that would mean she was conceding defeat and the appeal would be cancelled. It was something along the lines of she was winning, the clock had hit 0, but they then added 1 second which was enough for the opponent to then win. I don't know how that all works exactly but hey.
ratter wrote:The tours coverage made this look pretty ordinary
Not sure if Olympic Broadcasting Services are responsible for the motorbikes (they probably are) but the BBC were also not impressed with the coverage provided by OBS (who in turn blamed LOCOG for problems with timing graphics).
find_bruce wrote:But the current leader is the virtuoso hour and a half performance crying performance from South Korean fencer refusing to leave the arena
Re not leaving, I read it was because an appeal was in progress, and if she left the pitch, that would mean she was conceding defeat and the appeal would be cancelled. It was something along the lines of she was winning, the clock had hit 0, but they then added 1 second which was enough for the opponent to then win. I don't know how that all works exactly but hey.
Agreed. It was no petulence, although it does make it hard for an appellant to then perform later with composure. I find the rules quite odd.
Apparently time is normally set back a second on any scoring touch. So I read anyway. The appellant accepted the appeal decision against her with good grace.
