Anatomy of a Photo: Thor Personifies The V

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• I'm a big fan of the Bull from Grimstad, but I'm going to miss that big Norwegian flag next year. Watching the World Champion compete in the Spring Classics with a super-team around him in 2011 is going to be an awful lot of fun...

• I watched the whole race, start to finish.

  Big congratulations to Thor, he really kicked ass.

  However, kudos to Good Cadelephant for working hard to defend his title, and chasing down gaps like a rabid dog.

  Kinda sad that Fabulous Enchilada couldn't hack it this year, though I had a feeling that the hills wouldn't work out well for him. They were just a little too long and steep for him to power over.

• Totally missed the VSP, which is gutting... But what a race, what a worlds... If only it was at the right time of year rather than in the backwater of fucken October. Frank, your article opening up the vsp was hilarious.. Good work. And a fab worlds for this little island... Pooley, Miller... Hell, even Cooke had a helluva ride. Chapeau to Thor for the road race, and to Spartacus for TT

  @Omar - good shout on Cadel respecting the hoops, was nice to see

• What a monster - and what a deserving winner. Seems like everyone is praising him. Potato and Nibbles were both full of praise. Nibbles:

  The fact that a fast-finishing rouleur won shows that the race was hard.

  This also pretty much confirms his transformation away from sprinting. What a stud.

  We watched it from start to finish as well; loved the way the racing played out. Loads of respect to Gilbert for the way he rode; taking the race by the scruff and going for it, and same to the chasers - especially Good Cadelephant - racing for the finish with no passengers. That's bike racing. Awesome!

  By the way, there is no mention of the race in the NYTimes. None.

• More than 'personifying the V', I see this result as showing that Thor is an intelligent racer who plays to his considerable strengths.

  He knew that there was a good chance it would come down to a sprint, (confirmed by the outcome of the women's race). And, he knows that after a demanding 260km with an uphill finish, if he's in the bunch, he's got a better than 50/50 chance of outsprinting the others in the group.

  So, not for him heroic but ultimately doomed efforts (of the likes of Gilbert or Cadelephant). Instead he works hard to ensure he is in the final group. Then he shelters in the group, working no harder than he has to, allowing others to chase down the breakaways, hoping and trusting in his instinct that it will come down to a sprint. Which it does of course.

  Personifying the V? Yes, but others did as much or more in that respect.

  Intelligent racing? Definitely.

• Gilbert on Rule 5:

  After my first attack, when a group came across to ours, I saw from their faces that Thor Hushovd and Oscar Freire were very fresh, that's why I decided to attack again. I didn't feel myself fast enough to beat a sprinter like Hushovd. I put it in the big ring, it allowed me to re-start strongly at the top of the hill

• @ken
  Don't forget the teammate aspect, too: after the peloton split, Thor was in the second group, but didn't feel compelled to pull to regain contact, since EBH was in the first group. That leaves him smart, fresh, and loyal.

  @frank
  Love it! There've been some terrific, heroic efforts this year and some real warriors have separated themselves from the pack in my books.

• Frank, the picture of him on the podium had even more "v". True Viking pose

• Now owner of the best-looking jersey in the peloton:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EoD2wbZ4wE

  @Jarvis
  Should Vikings really wear rainbows, though?

• @Jarvis
  Which one? This one?
  http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/uci-road-world-championships-cm/elite-men-road-race/photos/143992

  @Steampunk
  The more I think about it the more feel like that was just the greatest race; that's the kind of racing I love, attacking and taking chances. No robots there. Awesome.

  Oh, and hellyeahs a Viking can wear rainbows. He'll make them his bitch!

  Good on Garmin for picking up the World Champ! And I think it's the first time Cervelo won the road race. Nice all around!