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Olympic Cycling - Road Race

BlackForestReds
BlackForestReds Posts: 17,952
edited July 2012 in Other Football and Sports
The serious stuff starts, a 156m course with nine laps of Box Hill. The British team: Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, Chris Froome and Ian Stannard will all be cycling for one reason - to set up Mark Cavendish for a sprint finish.

The key will be policing any breakaways and that is why Stannard is in the team, he'll do the engine room work in pacing the British team back to the front, then you can expect Froome, Wiggins and Millar to take over and making sure that Mark Cavendish is not only there or there abouts but gets a good lead out.
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Comments

  • JohnBoyUK
    JohnBoyUK Posts: 9,021
    The gap between the breakaway and the peloton is getting bigger. Not panicing just yet but even so, a gap is a gap!
  • BlackForestReds
    BlackForestReds Posts: 17,952
    I expected an attack on Box Hill - the road is quite narrow and the gradiant not all that steep (for pro-riders that is) and a small breakaway could succeed there.

    Sky don't panic over breakaways though and other than Millar this is a Sky team. I'd expect them to up the tempo and drag the peloton back.
  • Blinkant
    Blinkant Posts: 598
    Was flicking between the events but now I'm hooked on this. Come on gb
  • JohnBoyUK
    JohnBoyUK Posts: 9,021
    Box Hill isnt all that steep for us amateurs either tbh.
  • JohnBoyUK
    JohnBoyUK Posts: 9,021
    Did they just say Cancellera and Greipel are in the breakaway???
  • superclive
    superclive Posts: 1,809
    Don't think they're in the break. hmm 5 mins. sure the guys know what theare doing
  • JohnBoyUK
    JohnBoyUK Posts: 9,021
    Ignore me, just seen Greipel, locked on Cav's back wheel
  • BlackForestReds
    BlackForestReds Posts: 17,952

    Don't think they're in the break. hmm 5 mins. sure the guys know what theare doing

    With 190 km to go...yes.

    Realistically there are only several riders who can win unless someone in the breakaway gets away and the peloton fail to chase him down. As the Germans will want to get Greipel up there it's in their interest to help pace the peloton back and there are several other sprinters and their teams will send someone forward to help out.

  • BlackForestReds
    BlackForestReds Posts: 17,952
    The breakaway group: Lieuwe Vestra (Netherlands), Stuart O'Grady (Australia), Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia), Denis Menchov (Russia), Jurgen Roelandts (Belgium), Marco Pinotti (Italy), Jonathan Castroviejo (Spain), Samuel Sanchez (Spain), Fumiyuki Beppu (Japan), Alexander Kristoff (Norway), Timothy Duggan (USA) and Michael Schar (Switzerland).

    Good to see Sammy Sanchez back - he broke his collar bone in the TdeF.
  • Blucher
    Blucher Posts: 4,137
    I saw the race shortly after the start at Strawberry Hill and the riders were going like the clappers, creating in effect a wind rush. Will catch up with it again at Richmond Park. A tremendous spectacle
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  • cafcpolo
    cafcpolo Posts: 3,813
    I don't cycle or usually give it the time of day but I am absolutely glued to this. Fascinating stuff! Come on GB.
  • BlackForestReds
    BlackForestReds Posts: 17,952
    Team GB upping the tempo a bit and looks like the German Tony Marti is helping. I suppose the reluctance of other teams to dig in is because they remember the World Championships last season and are simply wary of setting it up for Cavendish.
  • carly burn
    carly burn Posts: 19,465
    Wiggins gonna get ya!
  • Valley11
    Valley11 Posts: 12,001
    cafcpolo said:

    I don't cycle or usually give it the time of day but I am absolutely glued to this. Fascinating stuff! Come on GB.

    Likewise. Great way to start the Olympics. Come on Cav!!
  • colthe3rd
    colthe3rd Posts: 8,486
    Just got back in, went down to Fulham to watch them fly by. Looks like the peloton are reeling the leaders in here. Come on GB
  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 69,874
    The cliche "it's a marathon not a sprint" really applies in events like this, keeping calm and working together is the key, rather than solo bursts for glory (or panic bursts to catch up a gap)
  • PeanutsMolloy
    PeanutsMolloy Posts: 6,718
    What a brilliant race by GB. Going to be an amazing finish.
  • cafcpolo
    cafcpolo Posts: 3,813
    edited July 2012
    Is there any risk of the others burning out too early seeing as they've been at the front of the peloton all race? By others I mean the rest of Team GB apart from Cav?
  • BlackForestReds
    BlackForestReds Posts: 17,952
    Real hare and tortoise tactics - the British team let the breakaway go and have concentrated on doing their job and kept together as a unit.
  • Hastingsaddick
    Hastingsaddick Posts: 4,079
    Looking forward to the ride into London...getting a bit bored of this box hill circuit.
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  • PeanutsMolloy
    PeanutsMolloy Posts: 6,718
    cafcpolo said:

    Is there any risk of the others burning out too early seeing as they've been at the front of the peloton all race? By others I mean the rest of Team GB apart from Cav?

    Germans have been pretty canny.
  • carly burn
    carly burn Posts: 19,465
    Wiggins gonna get ya!
    cafcpolo said:

    Is there any risk of the others burning out too early seeing as they've been at the front of the peloton all race? By others I mean the rest of Team GB apart from Cav?

    Froome and wiggins top two time trialists @ tdf.
    Unlikely
  • BlackForestReds
    BlackForestReds Posts: 17,952
    The Germans are playing the same tactics as Britain - seeting up Greipel for the sprint finish. Will the British team burn out? No, these guys are supremely fit and strong Millar, Wiggins and Froome all won stages in the TdeF and Stannard didn't race and besides their job is not to compete at the finish, just set things up for Cavendish and he's in superb form. All he has to do is be placed around 100/200 metres out behind one or two of his colleagues. They'll give him the tow and then he'll dart out of the slipstream and it'll be down to who is the faster out of three/four riders. I haven't seen much of Peter Sagan, he'll be there or there abouts at the end, but he has no team.
  • colthe3rd
    colthe3rd Posts: 8,486
    Just an observation but why have the GB riders have no vents on their helmets? I get that it helps aerodynamics but everyone else seems to have vents
  • AFKABartram
    AFKABartram Posts: 57,829
    Starting to.look dicey, lead group getting away again
  • ShootersHillGuru
    ShootersHillGuru Posts: 50,626
    colthe3rd said:

    Just an observation but why have the GB riders have no vents on their helmets? I get that it helps aerodynamics but everyone else seems to have vents

    Foreigners are all hotheads. British folk are just calm and carry on.

  • Valley11
    Valley11 Posts: 12,001
    Slipping away here
  • Boom
    Boom Posts: 1,680
    Yep gonna struggle I think.
  • Atletico Addick
    Atletico Addick Posts: 5,843
    Cancellera looks good for the win here. Slipping away from TGB
  • Need the others to give us a hand. Come on!