Can someone explain team cycling to me?

[Ninja Elephant]

Its raced as a team to ensure a nominated person wins.

Do you agree with that though? I've come to understand that the most popular person wins in cycling, I watched enough of the Tour to get that impression. I really don't understand sacrificing your own ambition and your own hard work in order to let someone else win. Froome, for example, surely could have had a pop at winning the Tour, but he seemed perfectly happy to do the donkey work so that Bradley Wiggins could win. I just don't understand that in an individual sport.

Each rider helps out to be the one in front. Others slip stream and save energy. Then they go to the front. They rotate and BOOM! The sprinter doesn't lead. He just saves his energy more but still sits in the pack.

I don't get why Cavendish isn't expected to do any of the work, but they're setting it up for him to win it. It doesn't seem right.

 

[bhafc99]

They're starting to run out of time. That lead group could stay away unless things change dramatically in the next 5k.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

The GB team are tiring, the pack behind them won't catch the leaders if they just sit behind. It's a team event up till the last sprint, but you need to be in the sprint in the first place. The main pack aren't at this rate

What I don't understand is why they're happy enough to just let the leading pack go. Those people aren't random amateurs, they are Olympians. They're not going to tire, they're not going to let Team GB come back into, or anyone else. They're trying to win it, and that's the point for me. Maybe I'm missing something, but looking at it rationally, the sport seems overly scripted.

 

[Stat Brother]

Come on

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

Come on Team GB!!! The lead are getting anxious!

 

[Hugo Rune]

CRASH!! Come on GB!

 

[Smithy]

A crash!! That will help GB

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Yessssss crash!!!! Hahaha yes f***ing come on team GB!

 

[pasty]

Oops.

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

That must have hurt! ouch!!!

 

[pasty]

How weird was that? Looked like the guy just completely zoned out and rode into the barrier with no rhyme nor reason

 

[METALMICKY]

Please let me be wrong but on the back of the superb Tour it looks we all counted the chickens big time!

 

[Stat Brother]

What I don't understand is why they're happy enough to just let the leading pack go. Those people aren't random amateurs, they are Olympians. They're not going to tire, they're not going to let Team GB come back into, or anyone else. They're trying to win it, and that's the point for me. Maybe I'm missing something, but looking at it rationally, the sport seems overly scripted.

To a point it is.
This race has been scripted for a sprint finish.
Therefore only the sprinters are likely to win.

GB, Germany, Aus, USA, have good sprinters so it's in there best interests to make it a sprint.

Spain don't hence having 3 in the break.

 

[leigull]

What I don't understand is why they're happy enough to just let the leading pack go. Those people aren't random amateurs, they are Olympians. They're not going to tire, they're not going to let Team GB come back into, or anyone else. They're trying to win it, and that's the point for me. Maybe I'm missing something, but looking at it rationally, the sport seems overly scripted.

As you saw earlier, they let a group get 6mins ahead without panicking. You need to watch more bike races to understand how it works

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Blimey! The moral ... make no predictions.

 

[Stat Brother]

How weird was that? Looked like the guy just completely zoned out and rode into the barrier with no rhyme nor reason

It's so easily done.
Misjudge a corner at 30mph on 22 mm tyres, you just can't make the bend or stop. You run out of road, and down you go.

 

[Stat Brother]

f***

 

[Birdie Boy]

damn

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

As you saw earlier, they let a group get 6mins ahead without panicking. You need to watch more bike races to understand how it works

But at least he is interested and willing to ask honest questions which i respect greatly.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

f***

How the f*** can it be 56 secs even with that crash!