Can someone explain team cycling to me?

[brightn'ove]

i dont understand, why, with like 50km to go, did GB not just put their 'foot down' so to speak?

 

[ifuhatepalacestandup]

brilliant the guy who rode fastest won

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

It seems cycling is bullshit gamesmanship pffft.

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

Indeed, you can moan about Mr Murdochs bunch but they know how to present top quality sport!

It a second country providing the pictures (official IOC contract) not the BBC

 

[Birdie Boy]

The commentator is a twat!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Got it in one Sir!

There's no shame in it, the whole world is doing the same. I was watching the swimming earlier on. It's amazing how much you're relying on the commentators knowing what they're talking about in order to gain some sort of understanding about the relevance of what you're watching.

I gave up for a while and watched the tennis, I don't need information about that being spoonfed to me.

I was about to ask why he was calling in some geezer into 4th when we'd already seen a massive bunch finish for 3rd! But he's explained it.

 

[Frutos]

So we didn't win?

 

[Birdie Boy]

There's no shame in it, the whole world is doing the same. I was watching the swimming earlier on. It's amazing how much you're relying on the commentators knowing what they're talking about in order to gain some sort of understanding about the relevance of what you're watching.

I gave up for a while and watched the tennis, I don't need information about that being spoonfed to me.

I was about to ask why he was calling in some geezer into 4th when we'd already seen a massive bunch finish for 3rd! But he's explained it.

By saying it was the excitement! No, he was clueless.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

So we didn't win?

I might be wrong, but it seems to me like we tried to be extremely clever and hide in the midfield for the entire race with the hope that the riders in the leading pack realised that they weren't meant to get the Gold, that Cavendish was. Unfortunately, they never decided to yield and Team GB were too knackered because the cheeky Germans didn't help us to win, which meant they didn't stand a chance either. In other news, some Italian guy seemed to drift off into a world of his own and went straight into a barrier, which looked a tad painful.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

GB and Germany had nobody in the break.
They each have the best sprint, Griepel and Cav.

Germany did nothing to help GB, ie riding fast on the front, saving 20-30% energy of the GB riders.
As 'one' team they could have brought the group back.

I feel like crying for Cav. Like you said If the Germans had helped the Brits out BOTH teams could have got a medal!

 

[ifuhatepalacestandup]

that totally confirms to me cycling is not worth watching

 

[METALMICKY]

And that will teach us all for thinking it was nailed on after our superb showing in the Tour De France.

I just hope after the eurphoria of last night and now this early set back that as hosts we seriously don't go and under perform with all our big medal hopes choking!

 

[One Love]

What was that Colombian guy doing?

I could have taken advantage of that on my chopper!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

By saying it was the excitement! No, he was clueless.

Bit harsh, I enjoyed his commentary all afternoon. He wasn't trying to sugarcoat the fact that he wasn't being given the information he shoukd have been regarding the timings, and he was keeping abreast of the things that seemed to matter. As always, I might be wrong, but I thought he was quite good and I enjoyed listening to him, and the co-commentator chap. It all seemed to just suddenly stop though, nothing was said, they just stopped talking and now there's a "coming up" screen. Not brilliantly cut together overall I don't think, but it's been exciting.

 

[leigull]

GB suffered from their own high reputation. Got left to do ALL the peloton work and the guys who free wheeled all day surged clear at the end.

Much respect to the GB team still

 

[brightn'ove]

it does seem like team GB tried to be all clever and tactical... and in the end some bloke who rode fast won the race

 

[Stat Brother]

Now you see it's precisely statements like that that make me not understand. Simplistic I know, but if GB are not going to win it, it's not the Germans fault, it is because they didn't ride fast enough!

It's really hard to explain.
My first time of riding in a peloton, of sorts, was about 40 strong.

I was genuinely excited at the prospect of my term on the front, and couldn't understand why people were bailing out just before their tuen.

That is until I was left at the front.
As the fella in front pulled off, it genuinely felt like I'd ridden into a wall.

The effort Ian Stannard put in was amazing, but he was never going to pull back a working unit, with very few breaks off the front.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Does that put Kazakhstan top of the medal table?

 

[DumLum]

that totally confirms to me cycling is not worth watching

This. Wasted five hours of my life.

 

[Stat Brother]

it does seem like team GB tried to be all clever and tactical... and in the end some bloke who rode fast won the race

Blimey, if that's your conclusion you've wasted a few hours.