Voigt is insulting..anyone who watches the sport , has over 25 years can see how tightly controlled it makes it and the precision with which breaks are reeled in for another boring bunch finish. They take away rider judgement as well-an important advantage for some of the weaker riders. As for the crash stuff-give over Voigt..you treat us total fools with such scienarios. Racing was as safe in the 80s as today. I've lost all interest in Voigt and his season
Race Radio ban
- Thread starter Dave_1
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lukesdad
Guest
Its just a point of view like any other. Maybe you re the fool for feeling insulted ?
Ghost Donkey
Guest
Part of me thinks Jens Voight was used to voice
Not quite sure why you think a bunch finish is boring? I reckon a massed sprint comprising the best sprinters of the moment is one of, if not the, most exciting spectacles in bike racing.
I know what you mean about the peloton reeling in a break though - it can be heart breaking to see, but I watched the GP Samyn on wednesday with Leukemans on a solo break for 60 kilometres and I thought, ahhh, without radios he'll make it to the end, but no, the main bunch still pulled him in with about three ks to go, so I don't think the absence of radios will change much there.
iAmiAdam
New Member
In terms of the bunch being reeled in, it's simple maths and can be done by the riders, if they don't want to, the team cars are only 100 or so meters behind. It's not like the same tactics arn't going to be used.
without radios the riders will not have those time gaps delivered in real time and they can't number crunch in a cross wind or a climb so it leaves the really agressive lone attackers a chance to exploit that lack of info and riders will have go by their own instincts.
I love seeing long small or lone breaks make it and outdo the sprinters..so exciting and that was the 80s-early 90s
oldroadman
Veteran
- Location
- Ubique
Back in the day the info came from the blackboard or a team car talking to one rider in a team who updated the others. All the difference was that some info was a bit later - after all with radio links the sport directors just relay what's from radio tour anyway. What you had to learn without radios was to watch the pattern of time gaps on the board, and to think what to do without someone babbling in your ear all the time. I'd hate to be riding at that level now, it must feel like remote control.
Breaks still got reled in as well, just the same as today. J Voight's open letter was interesting but if safety is the argument, all that's needed is a receive link to radio tour and everyone could hear everything. Vaughters just wants to control things, and as for making the rules, the same rules are for everyone, could you imagine football managers from the prenmier saying they should ne making the rules and they should be different fro them than the lower leagues. Power games is what vaughters is up to, he may be much respected as a former rider and sport director, but the old "American so I must know best, controlling tendency" is showing. Rein it in and get on with winning races!
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
That's not strictly true. Yes, they can relay what is on radio tour, but they can also relay what they have spotted on the live TV coverage which they monitor in the team cars.
oldroadman
Veteran
- Location
- Ubique
Which is a good reason for not having radio links to the DS. If the riders can't work out what's going on at top level, what are they doing there? Without the need to think all you would need for a good team are morons with big engines who do what they are told.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I totally agree! How can you have a surprise attack when the DS is screaming at his riders that a rider 40 feet back in the bunch has just moved out and is about to launch it?
Smokin Joe
Squire
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
Some of the drama of racing has disappeared from racing because of radios. Barry Hoban won his fist TdF stage because Vin Denson managed to convince the chasing Spaniards that he had been caught with the rest of the break when he was still up the road. Denson got pelted with food for that when they found out, too late to catch Hoban. In a later tour Fignon's team car was trying to get up to him on a mountain stage to tell him that Lemond was cooked and he should attack. Lemonds DS wouldn't let it through, swerving across the road in front of it and colliding several times in the process. It worked against the Brits too, Millar would have won the Vuelta with the benefit of real time radio communication, but those are the sort of things which make racing as fascinating as it is rather than a sterile procession.
Eduardo Chozas, Jacky Durand, Thierry Marie gave us the best exploits....the break by Konychev, Clalveyrolat at 89 worlds..these great and famous escapes would never have happened with radios, 1988 Paris Roubaix, Demol and Wegmueller,, yates and Solleveld Ghent Wevelgem 89, 1989 Paris Roubaix won by Jean Marie Wampers being other brilliant races won by small groups through long distance break aways where the chasers got it wrong or acted too late..all the likes of which will never happen if vaughters gets his way. JV hates being a car driver..of course all the DS/car drivers are against it..they are just car drivers regardless of the grand title of DS they have been given
