The 2012 London Olympic Games

[superheavyrhun]

Everyone talked about Cavendish being an overwhelming favourite when it came to the race today, but I wonder if it would have been wiser to allow Wiggins and Froome free reign to try and attack and join the breakaways. I know Cavendish is an amazing sprinter, and yes he's won a lot of stages, but even in the tour de france when he is in a sprint he loses more than he wins. The tactic depended on GB dominating and being able to give him the same lead out he got on the Champs Elysses.

Giving Froome the freedom to attack around Box Hill would have been very interesting, especially as he had been a workhorse for Wiggins for the majority of the last month. The plan was all about gold, while if Froome broke it down into a group of four or five then he'd have been in a good position for a medal.

Take your point but putting Froome in a breakaway would have made it a complete lottery. In hindsight it woud have been better to have had a ticket in the lottery than the no ticket situation we ended up with but thats hindsight. Our tactics were right but you need more than just the right personel and tactics in road racing.
Also, when it finishes in a pure bunch sprint on in the Tour de France Cav actually wins the vast majority of the time.

I'd have to disagree that he wins the majority of the sprints, there's just too many other riders and bunch finishes aren't simply a case of the fastest guy wins.
They tried to use their Team Sky approach on a stage that was subtly different, namely that it didn't have team radios, and it was five rather than ten riders per team. Yes, I'm talking in retrospect, so it's much easier now, but today shows that a team of five isn't enough to dominate a peloton unless you have the co-operation of another team.

As for the beach volleyball Miles...giggedy.

[Gandalf]

Underdog of the day? To celebrate pathetic losers who fail worse than 'Team GB'? I guess that is a way to make a nation feel better about itself than others. Cynical if you ask me.

[ryanman]

At the end of these Olympics we will be in 4th in the medal table as in Beijing. Above Germany, Australia, France etc etc etc.
We will not finish lower. There is an outside chance of 3rd if we can overhaul Russia.

[ryanman]

Everyone talked about Cavendish being an overwhelming favourite when it came to the race today, but I wonder if it would have been wiser to allow Wiggins and Froome free reign to try and attack and join the breakaways. I know Cavendish is an amazing sprinter, and yes he's won a lot of stages, but even in the tour de france when he is in a sprint he loses more than he wins. The tactic depended on GB dominating and being able to give him the same lead out he got on the Champs Elysses.

Giving Froome the freedom to attack around Box Hill would have been very interesting, especially as he had been a workhorse for Wiggins for the majority of the last month. The plan was all about gold, while if Froome broke it down into a group of four or five then he'd have been in a good position for a medal.

Take your point but putting Froome in a breakaway would have made it a complete lottery. In hindsight it woud have been better to have had a ticket in the lottery than the no ticket situation we ended up with but thats hindsight. Our tactics were right but you need more than just the right personel and tactics in road racing.
Also, when it finishes in a pure bunch sprint on in the Tour de France Cav actually wins the vast majority of the time.

I'd have to disagree that he wins the majority of the sprints, there's just too many other riders and bunch finishes aren't simply a case of the fastest guy wins.
They tried to use their Team Sky approach on a stage that was subtly different, namely that it didn't have team radios, and it was five rather than ten riders per team. Yes, I'm talking in retrospect, so it's much easier now, but today shows that a team of five isn't enough to dominate a peloton unless you have the co-operation of another team.

As for the beach volleyball Miles...giggedy.

Totally agree with the bold. But I just think they didn't really have a more viable other option.

Did you happen to see the god awful ten o'clock news report on the race? David Bond (BBC sports editor) should be shot. Cav was right to react like that. The blog by David Bond on the BBC website is equally bad and is attracting a lot of complaints.

[superheavyrhun]

I'd have to disagree that he wins the majority of the sprints, there's just too many other riders and bunch finishes aren't simply a case of the fastest guy wins.
They tried to use their Team Sky approach on a stage that was subtly different, namely that it didn't have team radios, and it was five rather than ten riders per team. Yes, I'm talking in retrospect, so it's much easier now, but today shows that a team of five isn't enough to dominate a peloton unless you have the co-operation of another team.

As for the beach volleyball Miles...giggedy.

Totally agree with the bold. But I just think they didn't really have a more viable other option.

Did you happen to see the god awful ten o'clock news report on the race? David Bond (BBC sports editor) should be shot. Cav was right to react like that. The blog by David Bond on the BBC website is equally bad and is attracting a lot of complaints.

Guess I'm pleased I missed Bond's report, I'm sure the BBC has a bunch of guys who are covering sports they aren't really familiar with during the Olympics.

As a Welshman, I hope that my favourite horse-faced Welsh lady Nicole Cooke can pick up a medal tomorrow.

[ryanman]

I'd have to disagree that he wins the majority of the sprints, there's just too many other riders and bunch finishes aren't simply a case of the fastest guy wins.
They tried to use their Team Sky approach on a stage that was subtly different, namely that it didn't have team radios, and it was five rather than ten riders per team. Yes, I'm talking in retrospect, so it's much easier now, but today shows that a team of five isn't enough to dominate a peloton unless you have the co-operation of another team.

As for the beach volleyball Miles...giggedy.

Totally agree with the bold. But I just think they didn't really have a more viable other option.

Did you happen to see the god awful ten o'clock news report on the race? David Bond (BBC sports editor) should be shot. Cav was right to react like that. The blog by David Bond on the BBC website is equally bad and is attracting a lot of complaints.

Guess I'm pleased I missed Bond's report, I'm sure the BBC has a bunch of guys who are covering sports they aren't really familiar with during the Olympics.

As a Welshman, I hope that my favourite horse-faced Welsh lady Nicole Cooke can pick up a medal tomorrow.

Cav ended up saying to him 'stop asking me stupid questions. Do you know anything about cycling?!'.

Yeah I hope Cooke can do it. Although it may be Lizzie A that is team leader. Not that Nicole Cooke tends to pay attention to such things! You can be sure if she sniffs a chance for herself she will go for it. Looking forward to it.

[Diane]

I'm happy that the local guy Terrell Gausha got his first round win in dramatic fashion. First knock out of the Olympics this year. He was down by 1 point going into the 3rd round, and dropped the guy twice in the last 30 seconds, with the ref stopping the fight. Good start for him, I hope he keeps it up.

[Gandalf]

I think I will just read the Observer and watch the Olympics quietly today.

[superheavyrhun]

Lizzie Armistead looking as though she's going to go one better than Cav did....will it be gold though? She's looking stronger than the Russian, but Voss is the threat.

Once again the peloton doesn't really look too interested in bringing back the medallists.