Mendrisio elite road race

[swampy1970]

thunder... you don't even read my posts.. that's obvious... you are just talking past me.

No, he's talking at you but you're too busy doing one handed clapping...

Tom Boonen reads Dr Spocs post... The expression says it all.

 

[doctorSpoc]

Which they did - witness Cunego and Gilbert


Except - boom - they didn't go. They sat on. Race over.

If it was dumb to let Kolobnev and Evans go - and it was - even by your own reasoning it was monumentally stupid not to attack when Cunego and Gilbert went and then Cancellara towed them back up to that pair.

look at 8:43 of this video (below).. cancellara fills the gap to Evans, Kolobnev and Rodriguez and then it's actually cancellara himself that immediately lets go of the wheel, allowing the gap that he just finished filling to form again.. all cancellara had to do was to hold the wheel.. he's in the draft.. just frig'n sit there.. this is where the race was lost.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGeyDKxn6jo"]YouTube - WC Mendrisio 2009 Road Race Elite - Final lap (1/2)[/ame]

and no counter attack because..
a) this was not the opportune time to attack (on the flat).. the place for a decisive attack was near the top of the climb... either that or just wait it out for the bunch sprint..
b) Evans and Kolobnev were going full speed.. you don't attack until he or they slow down.. never happened.. cancellara didn't stay on the wheel long enough for then to even notice they were caught and have time to give up and slow down... when you race do you attack guys who are going full out? that's stupid!
c) they were not going to compromise rodriguez's chances for a medal after they day he had put in up the that point.. that was very plain from Sanchez's interview.. if they were going to get towed up fine.. but they were not going to do it..

even if you can get away cleanly bridging that gap, you still entice others to follow and if you make it, then others know it is possible to fill the gap.. the only reason that i personally will cross a gap like that is if i'm pretty sure the team mate is in over his head and will likely get dropped or i have to REALLY, REALLY sure that others aren't or can't follow.. don't think that was the case here. the others couldn't close down the gap themselves, but they could follow. and you can leave valverde out of the equation, he had nothing.. you can tell by his actions/inaction and sanchez said he heard that valv was not on good legs from valv himself on the road so they were not going to get any work out of him..

i still say that cancellara rode a terrible race and is the reason for things not ending up as they should or could have... for himself and for the spanish..

 

[VadarStrikesBack]

Oh mate seriously just shut the fcuk up. You are mind numbing. Relax. We all get things wrong a bit. Even me. Its bloody rare though!

Anyway for any would be course designers out there take note. IMO the course was a ball tearer and should get some credit for enabling good racing. It presented just enough opportunities for everyone without unduly favouring any specialist types.

I liked it anyway!

 

[doctorSpoc]

anyway for any would be course designers out there take note. Imo the course was a ball tearer and should get some credit for enabling good racing. It presented just enough opportunities for everyone without unduly favouring any specialist types.

+1