Olympic road cycle race

Anyone else watching this.

I am amazed what a tight unit Team GB are, fantastic to watch. Looking for a GB gold, silver?

Really disappointed with the Germans and Australians,they just sat back and left GB to do all the chasing.

Really dissapointed an unrepentant drug cheat who shouldn't even be in the race won it:x:x

Really dissapointed an unrepentant drug cheat who shouldn't even be in the race won it:x:x

Agree with this.

Really dissapointed an unrepentant drug cheat who shouldn't even be in the race won it:x:x

Oh you're kidding. Really? I was at the race today, and enjoyed it immensely - apart from the defeat of course. I couldn't believe it when the Ukrainian and Columbian tore past on Putney Bridge with no Brits in sight.

It was an excellent race, although obviously disappointing from a United Kingdom point of view. ( What is it with 'Team GB' ? The country is 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' ). However, the organisation of the race was appalling; Stuart O'Grady having to drop back from the first breakaway to talk to the race commissaires to find out the time gap, and this then setting the standard for the rest of the race, with this lack of 'live' information probably contributing to the failure of the home riders to fully control the race - but their tactical plan was also so obvious, pre-determined, and rigid that they resembled cycling's equivalent of George Osborne, no Plan 'B'.

Pleased for Vinokuorov, one of the oldest riders in the professional ranks proving he has the tactical awareness to spot the opportunity, and the stamina to maintain his form to the line.

The strangest image of the race - on the road out through the leafy suburbs of Surrey seeing the line of spectators standing outside their houses, watching a line of riders taking a pi ss into the hedge.

There has been plenty of talk of Team GB grabbing a record haul of medals in this Olympics; personally I fear todays road race may be a sign of things to come - too much expectation, plenty of prospects on paper, too little delivery. There have been plenty of rumblings in the press that our medal prospects are uncomfortable with favourite tags and so much attention at home, for example Ben Ainslie.

Track will be different, team Sky played a massive part in the success on the Tour. There was no way the 4 of them were going to close the gaps today with no one else prepared to help.

Thought the Germans may have done more as Greipel would have given Cav some competition. All the rest have done is ruin their own chances to ensure Cav wasn't at the finish as he would have destroyed them.

Typical GB, no plan B!

Surely we should have stuck somebody in the break?

When you look at some of the names in the break surely unrealistic that we could chase down a 6 minute break?

With hindsight it was never the course for Cavendish and no other teams seemed to be copying our 'team time trial' tactics, maybe Gerraint Thomas would have done better?

Bit galling to see Uran in silver, are we saying none of our boys can beat him in a head-to-head?

Missed opportunity, if we hadn't relied on Cav as plan A to Z, Wiggo and Froome could have taken this away from everybody else (possibly?).

Top crowds.

Please explain to me why this is a "team" issue when its the individual competing for a medal ?

I understand that members of the team can 'obstruct' others progress and assist their colleague, but wouldn't Cavendish, or an individual have been better off just going for it alone ?

Sorry to ask, not a cycling enthusiast or follower, but find the concept of "team" tactics in a race for individuals to be perplexing.

Please explain to me why this is a "team" issue when its the individual competing for a medal ?

 

I understand that members of the team can 'obstruct' others progress and assist their colleague, but wouldn't Cavendish, or an individual have been better off just going for it alone ?

 

Sorry to ask, not a cycling enthusiast or follower, but find the concept of "team" tactics in a race for individuals to be perplexing.

Tactical game cycling, team needed to conserve energy for sprinter in the last 1km. Having said that, there needs to be more than a plan A and Cav should have struck out on his own after Nibali on the last climb. This is because at that point the 'breakaway' ceased to be a 'breakaway' and became a second peloton by virtue of weight of numbers. I reckon Cav could have got there, just a tactical error imo.

The women's race could be interesting as a comparison, 'GB' have 2 potential #1 riders, who don't exactly like each other.

Track will be different, team Sky played a massive part in the success on the Tour. There was no way the 4 of them were going to close the gaps today with no one else prepared to help.

 

Thought the Germans may have done more as Greipel would have given Cav some competition. All the rest have done is ruin their own chances to ensure Cav wasn't at the finish as he would have destroyed them.

Cavendish is exceptionally p*ssed at the Australians today.

Does seem a bit un-Olympics like, to decide that if you cannot win you are going to prevent the best cyclist in the field winnig as well.

There has been plenty of talk of Team GB grabbing a record haul of medals in this Olympics; personally I fear todays road race may be a sign of things to come - too much expectation, plenty of prospects on paper, too little delivery. There have been plenty of rumblings in the press that our medal prospects are uncomfortable with favourite tags and so much attention at home, for example Ben Ainslie.

I'd be very surprised if Ainslie is uncomfortable with the tag of being favourite or the attention.

The women's race could be interesting as a comparison, 'GB' have 2 potential #1 riders, who don't exactly like each other.

Funnily enough I met Nicole Cookes grandad last week and he seemed quite annoyed about the younger one and how they have to work together.

I'd be very surprised if Ainslie is uncomfortable with the tag of being favourite or the attention.

I specifically named him because he has gone on-record about it.

Look how England football do better away from Wembley.

There has been plenty of talk of Team GB grabbing a record haul of medals in this Olympics; personally I fear todays road race may be a sign of things to come - too much expectation, plenty of prospects on paper, too little delivery. There have been plenty of rumblings in the press that our medal prospects are uncomfortable with favourite tags and so much attention at home, for example Ben Ainslie.

Wrong yet again. Oh so wrong.

Wrong yet again. Oh so wrong.

I love it when Alps writes us off. Almost always followed by unexpected success.