The world championship road race stands out among all other one-day races as the one where the winner is awarded both a curse and a jersey to carry for the next 12 months. It also inspires way too many riders to wear white bibs, which is an alarming trend in itself and one which I hope Brian Cookston, the new UCI President, prioritizes over the doping problem – let’s face facts: white shorts on rainy days does more damage to Cycling’s image than any doping scandal ever could.
Be that as it may, I often find myself wondering if its easier to win a Grand Tour or a one-day race. Certainly, winning a Grand Tour requires focus, discipline, and performance across a wide range of terrain and over a long period of time, but it also offers the opportunity to recover from a bad moment and to take advantage of the days where the terrain or discipline suits the qualities of the rider. A one-day race, on the other hand, is shorter but also less controllable. All in, no net; a moment’s inattention could be disastrous and in an instant your chances could disappear up the road.
The World Championships are also the only race which has brought Mary V to tears after narrowly losing the title. The Dutch don’t cry easily, especially not the ones who bleed pure V.
The Worlds are always a live wire of a race; the national teams mean the riders are riding for and against their usual teammates. Team unity is always a question, and loyalties are hard to predict. All for one and one for all, until a mate goes up the road and suddenly things start looking blurry. Throw in a circuit race, a big climb you ride 17 times, a steep ramp about V km from finish, and you’ve got yourself a race Nostradamus would have a chore predicting.
The Men set out in what is predicted to be horrendous weather on Sunday, September 29. Check the start list, rattle the bones, and put your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero. Good luck.
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Before anyone gets else slagged for a DNF...
@Harminator Yes, crashing out is definitely one thing and legit but climbing off b/c it is too wet or cold or you just do not have it, that is another.
I give you another race from youtube history:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm34WAjIDsA
@Harminator That's a cool little video. Italy certainly has thrown it's worst weather at the races this year; MSR, Giro and WCRR all in awful conditions. I hate to think what Lombardy is going to be like.
@Buck Rogers I think there were a few DNF's that day too, Buck.
I didn't see the first 150k but it looks diabolical. I'm surprised there's such condemnation for the guys who stepped off in this era of racing. On a day like that there's any number of reasons why good riders miss the front group. If there's no chance of seeing the front of the race again it makes good sense to rest to fight another day. Why flog yourself for 67th place and 10 minutes back? Risk getting sick, crashing, injury. I can understand.
What I really can't understand is Valverde. That bloke seems to have no idea what's going on except in his own, slow mind.
@Harminator
Yes. Absolutely. Tons of DNF's that day and I also completely agree about Malmerde. Maybe he really did not have the legs but that Ass is so seemingly (what the fuck do I know) all about #1 that I would not doubt that he did not want to ride up with Costa and then help J Rod possibly win. But, that is me with my "I REALLY do not like Malmerde" glasses on.
But I REALLY, in my arm chair (although I raced for years in every condition imaginable in Northern VT and New England in the late '80's-early '90's--down pours, early season snow, you name it and I never stepped off my bike secondary to conditions), cannot support anyone pulling over and throwing in the towel b/c of the conditions or what not.
I know that they make millions and if they are not on a good day why risk the injury but that just so does not hold water in my fantasy world of the Hardman and Hardwomen. They just lost soo much honour in my book (which they could not give a fuck about). But I care and do give a fuck about it!!! Them racing in that shit inspires me to ride and race in shit. They have to be bigger in life, don't they?
Say it ain't so, Joe!
And for fuck's sake, Man: You have a pic of Good Cadel for your avatar ruling the Rule IX conditions! You know that you agree with me!
I think that for many of the riders who abandoned, it was really a sound business decision and I don't hold it against them. A bad crash could end a career. Riders and their professional teams obviously have their own goals for the remainder of this season and for next season, and the rainbow jersey isn't a realistic goal for the vast majority of the riders. Crashing badly in those conditions is a very real possibility.
I don't think that "just finishing" as a point of pride is very important to the high profile riders. They're riding to win and they balance the chances of winning with the chances of injury. Pulling a rider like Froome on a miserable day seems similar to riding your rain bike when the weather is bad. You don't want to fuck up your race bike on a dirty, wet ride when you really need it for a race. You don't want to risk injuring Froome when you need him to win the Tour next year.
That said, to all the guys who suffered the entire ride and finished regardless of their motivation for doing so, chapeau!
I can't imagine riding that entire race, those early conditions compared to the sun at the end. Imagine how well the finishers slept that night?
The only person I'll ever slag off for DNFing is a guy I ride with who pulled out of a cross race last year because his legs didn't feel good. He wasn't ill or injured, just not feeling it. He spent six hours in the car, plus entry and petrol money...and pulled out because he wasn't going to finish highly. I still shake my head at that.
Also, hmm, was it page 1 or page 2...I think I said something ever so slightly apropos about Valverde...
The winners also rode in those conditions, fannies!
I will also add, pulling the pin is like me saying "fuck it, it's too wet/hot/dry/cold to produce food today, even though its my fuckin job". They obviously aren't motivated enough. Overpaid primadonnas.
I realize its a totally different race, but I watched Cadel win Stage 4 of the Tour of Alberta this year in some ugly weather. The VMH and I sat out with our 2 and 4 year old pedalwans in the rain and chased the race around the course to catch glimpses of them.
After the race we waited for Cuddles to get through doping and the press conference. When asked how he felt about the day, he said it couldn't compete with a tour mountain stage for difficulty, but the cold and rain caught him completely off guard, and made it a much harder race than it otherwise would have been. As he waited outside the anti-doping bus, the volunteers kept bringing him jackets while he shivered from the cold.
After all that he still stopped to chat with my kids and get a picture of them with him. Considering the additional length and even heavier rain of the worlds compared to that day, I can understand how even our heroes can reach their limit before the finish line, regardless of how much they're paid.