tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post7149384852779610646..comments2023-09-08T06:31:18.925-05:00Comments on Belgium Knee Warmers™: Amore di GiroRadio Freddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419506761098758178noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-58339396073705583622009-05-26T20:32:47.925-05:002009-05-26T20:32:47.925-05:00Well, and colorfully said, Robot!Well, and colorfully said, Robot!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-82427545879005567982009-05-26T14:25:04.507-05:002009-05-26T14:25:04.507-05:00My first reaction to the Milan boycott was that th...My first reaction to the Milan boycott was that the riders were being prima donnas. Then I saw some pictures of the course, and I thought, "that's ridiculous." Parked cars, etc. is just amateur crap.<br /><br />If you enter Paris-Roubaix you know that Arenberg is coming. If you're racing a crit, dead tired already from 8 previous stages of pounding, you do NOT expect a Fiat to materialize out of the ass of the rider in front of you.<br /><br />I'm all for tough stages, steep climbs, technical descents, etc. But some danger is gratuitous.<br /><br />I recall reading a TdF history that said that Henri Desgrange's plan for that race was to have it be so hard that only one rider finished. Even DesGrange, sadist that he was, never proposed turning fire hoses on the riders or dropping 1 ton anvils on their heads.Da Robothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00726631064230013191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-24626268330375847522009-05-26T12:52:22.410-05:002009-05-26T12:52:22.410-05:00Yes, the Giro makes the other Tours look totally b...Yes, the Giro makes the other Tours look totally boring. <br /><br />The press coverage has definitely been in overdrive. I think Cav's Slipstream comments and Cancellara's TT comments were blown way out of proportion.<br /><br />Yes,if the TT had suited Cancellara, he probably would have rode it, and then dropped out. Did it resemble a cycle-sportif route rather than a typical TT in a modern Grand Tour? Absolutely. But there's no way he was going to finish the Giro with the season he's had thus far.<br /><br />The Milan course sounded like a joke. Giro organizers have been known to half-ass logistics. Organizers need to have some foresight, neutralize the race and enjoy a couple of sprints. The 'protest' was a bit over the top, but could have been avoided.<br /><br />Entertaining races are hard on the racers, but it's a hell of a lot more fun than watching cookie-cutter TdF stages. <br /><br />Next stop,BLOCKHAUS!!!jzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17727179613380197538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-84116074819681675732009-05-24T16:28:12.367-05:002009-05-24T16:28:12.367-05:00+1 on Sean's comment. That guy is very lucky to b...+1 on Sean's comment. That guy is very lucky to be alive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-9347832033125779002009-05-24T12:04:02.168-05:002009-05-24T12:04:02.168-05:00While I don't sympathize with Cancellara, we shoul...While I don't sympathize with Cancellara, we should listen to riders when they complain about unsafe conditions. Racers, even at the lower levels, risk life and limp every time they pin on a number. We, grand tour riders and cat 4's alike, shouldn't face extra hazards due to organizers' negligence or inconsideration. If you enter Paris-Roubaix, you expect potholes and cobbles, when you enter a grand tour, you expect wide roads with no oncoming traffic.RMMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02586927082756267932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-90836295429066272652009-05-24T10:09:53.323-05:002009-05-24T10:09:53.323-05:00What I find incomprehensible are the untowed cars ...What I find incomprehensible are the untowed cars and lax road closures. When you consider the incredible expertise and competence required to organize a Grand tour, one would think that organizers would have a team of guys towing cars out of the way the morning of the race. And there should be carabinieri enough to keep drivers from rolling headlong into the peloton.Padraighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14806791547912750107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-73278366165911073482009-05-24T08:24:21.145-05:002009-05-24T08:24:21.145-05:00Keep in mind the Milan protest was the day followi...Keep in mind the Milan protest was the day following Horillo's horrible crash. That spooked me, and I am all the way in Seattle!Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11513028602539111338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-39458408517064025502009-05-24T04:34:24.459-05:002009-05-24T04:34:24.459-05:00The problem with Milano is that is was a "normal C...The problem with Milano is that is was a "normal Crit" in the middle of a Grand Tour. It is one thing to take the risks inherent in a one-and-done crit, or even a one-day cobbled classic-- but those risk become enhanced exponentially when you've got a dozen more stages to go. You just don't stick the Arenberg Trench in the middle of a Grand Tour and justify yourself by saying the the riders have done it before!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-32194146068485353032009-05-23T18:45:08.573-05:002009-05-23T18:45:08.573-05:00To quote John Eustice (former PRO and director of ...To quote John Eustice (former PRO and director of the Univest Grand Prix), "No Mercy for the Riders". <br /><br />The Milano stage didn't look any worse than De Panne. Maybe this is out of context in a Grand Tour. Sure, a few more cars should have been towed, but from what I am told, that isn't too uncommon in Italian races. If you want precision, you need to go North of the Alps...<br /><br />In the Milano stage, they could have kept it safe and still put on a show riding at 40 KPH, then racing the last few laps. They do this all the time in post-Tour Crits. Instead, the deprived the fans the show they deserved, and embarrassed themselves and the sponsors. <br /><br />I thought Race Director Angelo Zomegnan's comments quite pointed and accurate. <br /><br />I typically find TTs the most boring thing to watch, but last year's mountain TT had me captivated. This Year's long TT wasn't quite as interesting, but at least it wasn't formulaic and predictable. <br /><br />They are pros, and while they shouldn't be unnecessarily be put in harm's way, in general I believe there needs to be more of a "Accept All Challenges" mentality. Or as amateurs are told all the time, "Shut Up and Race".Touriste-Routierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00259672669676155538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-83898675730613775302009-05-23T11:08:01.139-05:002009-05-23T11:08:01.139-05:00I cut Cancellara some slack. He had a season for ...I cut Cancellara some slack. He had a season for the ages last year, and has nothing but a hard time this year. <br /><br />FWIW, I didn't hear any complaints about the road conditions or the Milan stage out of Quickstep or any Belgians. Maybe they did and I missed it... but maybe not. Is there a contrast in racing outlook between the aesthete racers of Italy, and the curbs, cobblestones and frites crew from Flanders? Given the nice weather, the course probably compared favorably to a lot of Kermess courses...Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10461836999036966262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-39359367156977606482009-05-23T08:42:54.257-05:002009-05-23T08:42:54.257-05:00I do think the organizers in Milano blew it by not...I do think the organizers in Milano blew it by not taking car of a few simple safety measures -- tow the parked cars, block on-coming traffic, cover/mark vicious tram lines.<br /><br />But otherwise, the fact that the riders are bitching and moaning, but still riding, shows that the overall plan of the Giro is perfect. If the riders didn't complain, then you'd know the course is too easy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com