2016 Olympic Road Races and Time Trials *Spoilers*

[brommers]

GB should have a plan A, plan B, plan C, plan D and plan E.

 

[oldroadman]

They should have worked to stop it then

Too busy working against GB to stop a Cav win. Negative racing = negative result.

 

[rich p]

This is from Cycling Weekly...

...On the road, it is a maximum of five men and four women, with any rider taking part in the time trial usually also taking part in the road race.

That seems to suggest that it isn't compulsory but I accept others may know better

 

[Buddfox]

Which resulted in Vino getting the win. 99% of the pro peloton were ecstatic about that - not

You say that - and hard to think of a less popular winner - but if memory serves the breakaway group had a large number of riders (say 20+?), and it was only after Richmond Park that three riders got away? I remember Cancellara came off close to the end, despite being in good shape up to that point - the point being, it wasn't that obvious for most of the race that Vino would win, even if he was in the original break.

 

[oldroadman]

As ever, I could be wrong but I was given to understand that it was compulsory. Perhaps the rule is a limit on squad size for the two events combined, and so the TT rider usually does the road race?

It appears that squad size is limited by qualification, and if a country want to have a rider in TT then one of the squad has to ride. You can't have 5 men/ 4 women for the RR and other riders for the TT. Allegedly!

 

[SWSteve]

As ever, I could be wrong but I was given to understand that it was compulsory. Perhaps the rule is a limit on squad size for the two events combined, and so the TT rider usually does the road race?

It appears that squad size is limited by qualification, and if a country want to have a rider in TT then one of the squad has to ride. You can't have 5 men/ 4 women for the RR and other riders for the TT. Allegedly!

But you can manipulate the RR team to give you an extra track sprinter

 

[HF2300]

...He's arguably our best breakaway specialist, and it's the one thing we didn't have in 2012. Then the approach was always 'there's only plan A' ... but we saw how that worked out when no other country (including Germany for Greipel) was motivated to chase down the break..

Germany worked hard with GB to bring back the break in 2012, with Tony Martin riding well up to the front and the bulk of the German team mucking in to help, albeit a bit belatedly (just had a look back at my photos of the day to check!) Unfortunately a strong breakaway was allowed to get too good a lead (given its strength) which wasn't chased early enough, possibly because other teams didn't want to put Cav in the sprint.

I think the argument against a breakaway specialist is that you probably can't have both a breakaway specialist and a team attack / designated lead given your team is limited to 5 men; you just haven't got enough bodies, so you have to choose your approach. Breakaway specialist means you put your medal hopes on your breakaway specialist, you hope your breakaway man has the legs for it that day, you get him in the break, the break succeeds, it's your man who wins from the break, and your other 4 men can control the peloton or support the breakaway man adequately. Designated leader means all your team is needed to control the race, support the chosen leader and perhaps reel in any break, so you probably don't have the luxury of letting someone freelance as well.

I think the way a squad works and is managed also comes into play here; if you've got a designated leader and a breakaway specialist, at some point you have to tell one to sit up so they don't pinch the win from the other.

It seems to me it's difficult to leave both options open given team size and tactics and picking a particular option dictates the way you build your team. From that standpoint it's easier to see that current form as a breakaway attacker might not be the only consideration that applies.

 

[oldroadman]

But you can manipulate the RR team to give you an extra track sprinter

Correct. Ploy used at 2012 games by a neighbouring European country, who worked out they had zero chance in the RR.
Nearly 11.30, time to commence the older gents potter out in the sun for today!

 

[SWSteve]

Rui Costa was the first ever rainbow banded rider I encountered in cycling (I didn't follow, nor cycle, when Cavvo was emblazoned in the champions jersey), but he seems to have wilted somewhat to what I would have thought.

I know he was consistently in the breaks in the Tour, and the breaks were formed of strong riders, as opposed to doomed kids from a low French Team, but is he on the way down, as opposed to the way up?

Thanks

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Rui Costa ..is he on the way down, as opposed to the way up?

I have him in PTP as one of my picks for gold, make of that what you will...

 

[coffeejo]

Did anyone watch the interview with Lizzie Armistead yesterday evening? She's right - win or lose on Sunday, she'll get a negative reaction regardless.

 

[HF2300]

Though I still don't understand why Cummings wasn't in the squad in the first place. He's arguably our best breakaway specialist, and it's the one thing we didn't have in 2012. Then the approach was always 'there's only plan A' which was Cav, but we saw how that worked out when no other country (including Germany for Greipel) was motivated to chase down the break.

This time I hope Cummings is given instructions to get in the break (almost at any cost) as at least that will give us a back-up plan. If the break is caught, then Froome can see how he wants to launch any attack, if not I'd back Cummings to make the right move and get a medal.

Apparently Froome has just been reported on BBC radio as saying he doesn't think he'll win, and he hopes 'the right person' (read Cummings) will - so either sandbagging or they are flexible.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Did anyone watch the interview with Lizzie Armistead yesterday evening? She's right - win or lose on Sunday, she'll get a negative reaction regardless.

Even if she never rode a bike again she'd get a negative reaction as she made a monumental balls of missing her tests.

 

[rich p]

Rui Costa was the first ever rainbow banded rider I encountered in cycling (I didn't follow, nor cycle, when Cavvo was emblazoned in the champions jersey), but he seems to have wilted somewhat to what I would have thought.

I know he was consistently in the breaks in the Tour, and the breaks were formed of strong riders, as opposed to doomed kids from a low French Team, but is he on the way down, as opposed to the way up?

Thanks

I think he coasted for a year but is still capable of stage wins in GTs and podiums in shorter stage races.

 

[Buddfox]

Apparently Froome has just been reported on BBC radio as saying he doesn't think he'll win, and he hopes 'the right person' (read Cummings) will - so either sandbagging or they are flexible.

Starting now - let's find out...!