While the The V Moment of the Year is the moment during the season when the sport demonstrated the most pure example of spirit of The V, the Anti-V Moment of the Year similarly acknowledges the moment in which all those things that make The V great were ignored. This is more than just cheating or climbing into the broom wagon; this is reserved for under-handed tactics, or wheel-sucking to the win, complaining about dangerous descents, canceling races for bad weather.
The Anti-V is a virus. It starts small, as a nagging doubt perhaps about form or willingness to suffer that day. It replicates and feeds on itself; giving in to doubt is easier when you’ve done it before, and the more you do it, the easier it gets. It manifests itself in an absence of those things we love most about cycling: a combination of guts, class, and panache.
Before I go any further, I’d like to point out that we had even more trouble deciding on the Anti-V moment than we did the V Moment. Bretto made the case for les Fréres Grimpeur, but couldn’t dial in on a specific incident of Anti-V and kept repeating, “Every time they looked around, or when they mounted their TT bikes!” We did the only thing we could do, and had CERN crunch the data for us. They confirmed the Schlecks spent the equivalent of three full weeks rubbernecking and nearly a quarter as much working on their time trialing – too much to mathematically isolate a single moment. Sometimes the best decision in the midst of indecision is simply to make one, and that’s exactly what I did.
At the very instant when Johan Van Summeren was doing a reverse 270 cannon ball into the deep end of the V-Pool to bring us the V Moment of 2011, Jonathan Vaughters was clutching his shoulders as he gingerly waded into the kiddie pool – dragging a handful of race favorites with him.
The race was shaping up beautifully for Garmin-Cervélo. Van Summeren had read the race and left the favorites at the Trouée to join teammate Gabriel Rasch up the road in the day’s breakaway. The plan was to keep Johan in reserve at the front while the Garmin team worked to bring the break back, giving Thor Hushovd an armchair ride to the finish with the considerable advantage of having teammates in the finale. A beautiful plan, and I love it when a plan comes together.
But Garmin’s firepower wasn’t quite enough to bridge up in time, and Faboo wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of riding into Roubaix with Thor getting a leadout from three teammates. In typical style, he took the race into his own hands and left the others to their own devices. Hushovd, Flecha, and Ballan came along for the ride and the four made huge inroads on the gap with Cancellara doing the bulk of the work.
And here the sticky tentacles of the Anti-V set in. Faboo started doubting whether he should really be hauling such a fast finisher as Hushovd up to his teammates and sat up when the gap had gone down to within arm’s reach.
At this point, Garmin’s plan wasn’t as solid as it had been a few dozen kilometers before:
The plan was in need of some quick-thinking to maintain the upper hand, and everyone knows driving while strategizing is dangerous. So, for safety reasons, Vaughters called in Garmin’s pocket Timid Tactician: His Turtleneck Sweater. New plan:
Cancellara, Hushovd and Vaughters all had their hand in making this the Anit-V Moment of the year, but Vaughters takes the bulk of the blame not only because his was inflexible and unimaginative thinking, but because he was playing both sides: the rider up front can’t work if he’s got a rider coming up, or the rider coming up can’t work because he’s got a rider up front. Pick one.
But worst of all, there is nothing more Anti-V than two riders within a chance of winning riding along gesturing to each other as they both refuse to take a pull for fear of dragging the other to the win. Certainly, a rider must be sure not to do too much work and place themselves at a disadvantage, but this should never come at the risk of losing the opportunity to win the race in the first place; I’m sure we can all agree it is much more in the spirit of the V to fight and get beaten into second place than to never fight at all and throw your chance away. In this, Cancellara and Hushovd each had a hand in the pie, but Vaughters and his Sweater were were the masterminds behind the stalemate.
We truly love what Vaughters is trying to do with Garmin by making it their mission to race clean, but racing clean is no excuse for uncorking an entire case of Vintage 2011 Anti-V. Vaughters races his team like they are weak with nary a chance to win, when in fact they are one of the strongest teams in the sport. It is time to wrap the bars in white tape, set aside the underdog tactics, and start racing like leaders. And by all means, fire the Sweater.
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@frank
That may be the case but it still does not negate the fact that there was ABSOLUTELY NO REASON for Garmin to be at the front driving the pace and they were doing it on orders from the top. So let's see - I suck as a team tactician, I'm a trendy glasses/sweater wearing tosser, my team gets its assed kicked by HTC-Columbia on a regular basis so I'll rob a fellow 'Mericun and the nicest guy in the world of a Yellow Jersey. I think that far outweighs any transient transgressions of the Canons of V by a proven hard man.
@wiscot
Seems the whole culture of the team is centered around letting others do the work. Whitey took the same approach when he was DS.
Of course, you want to be clever and be careful not to do too much work, but do your time in the wind. And, when you start saying "we'll just race for third"...well...that's just pure Anti-V. There is nothing but racing to win. End of.
@Cyclops
Wasn't Hushovd in green, or close to it? Didn't he need the points? Can't remember for sure.
Don't get me wrong, I'm in the same camp when it comes to both individuals. My point is just that Hinckie would have spent less time looking to others and more time on the front, he'd have probably taken the jersey anyway. It is a race, after all.
Bollocks! Someone has drunk so deep from the Schleck coolaid that they are making up reasons not to name the real Anti-V moment of the year.
Really...Liege Bastogne Liege, two brothers Schleck and Gilbert are alone with a few kilometers left in the race. I'm giggling like a teenager at the unbelievable opportunity for the Bros, they are going to work Gilbert over and win this thing! Any second now, any second now, one will bolt and force Gilbert to chase while the other sits on his wheel, any second now, this will be beautiful. They at least have to try it a few times, they still have first and second losers all locked up.
But no, nothing. I know the argument is they were baked but it would be better to fall to the curb with both legs cramping than simply ride along to let Gilbert ride away to the finish line.
Vaughters is the director and his team won. I'd say he was the best director that Paris Roubaix. His job is not to make sure Thor won, his job is to make sure his team won. Why would he let Thor bring Faboo up? Fabian has ridden away from stronger riders than Thor.
@frank
Hushovd was in green but he only had to finish ahead of Cav who was in the same group as Thor.
I agree in principle but George is awesome and Vaughters is dick so I win the argument.
Also, I'll defend Garmin's tactics for denying George Hincapie's yellow jersey opportunity too. Screw him, I like George but why should he be handed a jersey he didn't earn? He could have ridden into it but was mad when another team denied him? Up to then HTC had nothing but great press and victories with Cav and Whitey didn't need another huge HTC press jolt by having them in the yellow jersey too. I think he did the right thing personally. That's his job, represent his sponsor and manage his team. Hand outs, what's the point?
@Gianni
+1... The Schlecks personify Anti-V, and Leige demonstrated that perfectly. Plus every time they swivelled in Le Tour, or threw a leg over a TT bike, V was diluted to almost non-existant levels.
As far as I remember, Garmin won Roubaix. Gianni and I will have to administer a V-bath to Frank in April and cleanse his dirty Schleck love.
@frank
I hear ya. After watching the video I'm in agreement. It's been a long while since I've seen any footage or thought about it.
@frank
The other two Burgundy bottles are Chateau Rayas and Chateau Fonsalette, which is owned by Rayas. Note the matching triangular small labels on the shoulders. Not sure if the Fonsalette is CdP or Cotes du Rhone or some other southern Rhone. I doubt the Bordeaux bottle is actually that as the black backlabel and purple foil are most un-Bordelais.
@Gianni, @brett
You guys are so full of shit! The Schlecks were the only two who ever took the fight to the race at all - either at Liege or Le Tour. For Liege, Gilbert was super strong and everyone rolled over. The Schlecks attacked from a long way out and just got bested in the end. At the Tour, they were the only ones attacking in the finals...and Fränk even took 30 seconds at Luz Ardiden and Andy two minutes at the Galibier...and went up the road again the next day. They were the only favorites to take time. Cuddles' great riding notwithstanding. Name one other favorite in either race who tried anything...