This thread seems now to be 'which sprinter is least favourite' because the top of the list is all sprinters.
I think this is misguided, and don't understand why one kind of specialist is singled out for hate. No-one runs down climbers, descenders, TT specialists or indeed any other kind. I'm sure it's because people think that being a sprinter is somehow a soft option or unfair on everyone else, which again I believe to be misguided.
Zabel hasn't got the top end: 4 Milan-San Remo, 6 TdF points. Can get up hills which defeat other sprinters, sprints clean -- seems OK to me.
Sprinters leave stage races early: why not? Cipo once won 4 TdF stages in a row - why then spend 2 weeks in the gruppetto for the chance of glory in Paris? He wouldn't earn any more money. And in his home Giro he *does* stay in - his Italian sponsers may have something to say! And the same reasoning applies to all the fast boys. Do your job, go home.
It's true that sprinting isn't fair. The difference between Lombardi and Zabel is a couple of lengths in San Remo -- after Lombardi has done all the work! But cycling is not fair, it's far from fair, and that's just too bad.
Sprinters are hard, brave athletes just like all professional cyclists and don't deserve special condemnation. The other riders don't run them down, why should we?
I think this is misguided, and don't understand why one kind of specialist is singled out for hate. No-one runs down climbers, descenders, TT specialists or indeed any other kind. I'm sure it's because people think that being a sprinter is somehow a soft option or unfair on everyone else, which again I believe to be misguided.
Zabel hasn't got the top end: 4 Milan-San Remo, 6 TdF points. Can get up hills which defeat other sprinters, sprints clean -- seems OK to me.
Sprinters leave stage races early: why not? Cipo once won 4 TdF stages in a row - why then spend 2 weeks in the gruppetto for the chance of glory in Paris? He wouldn't earn any more money. And in his home Giro he *does* stay in - his Italian sponsers may have something to say! And the same reasoning applies to all the fast boys. Do your job, go home.
It's true that sprinting isn't fair. The difference between Lombardi and Zabel is a couple of lengths in San Remo -- after Lombardi has done all the work! But cycling is not fair, it's far from fair, and that's just too bad.
Sprinters are hard, brave athletes just like all professional cyclists and don't deserve special condemnation. The other riders don't run them down, why should we?