I watched on the computer in disbelief regarding the GB tactics. What on earth were they doing? Then Chris Boardman came up with the answer, “They are lost without their radios.” The truth is that no one could make any sort of decision, even when about 30 riders broke away. Some of the reader comments on the BBC web page sum it up really:
“I cannot believe my eyes reading Team GB’s lame excuses and blaming other teams for their spectacular failure. You race what is in front of you and they NEVER reacted to OVER THIRTY riders who pulled at least a minute on them throughout the race. Only themselves to blame. It isn’t as if they didn’t have enough in their favour. Such a pathetic attitude to blame those BEHIND them.”
“Wow. Way to go with the sense of entitlement Mark. If GB knew what other teams would do where was their plan to counter it? Seems to me they were so arrogant in their belief in how superior they were that they just expected everyone else to lay down and let them win. Rather than blame the other countries, they should be asking serious questions of the GB cycling coach and his tactics.”
They give a free ride to the bunch all the way to Box Hill and wonder why the attacks go. Can someone tell them that it is call tactics. They wonder why no one helped them chase, well maybe it is because all the teams except GB and Germany had a rider (or riders) in the break! Another worrying thing that the GB riders did not pick up on is that those teams who had riders in the break were so confident that the GB tactics were wrong that they did not even bother to send riders up to break up GB riding their “tempo” at the front! If they did catch the break they would have just attacked again out of the bunch!
And the lesson is? Don’t believe your own publicity.
Yep a big disappointment but no team can be that good. Quite similar to the way they rode the finish of Paris-Roubaix when Boonen was still going away. Still that’s road racing and sport. I thought it was a very good race with a good winner. Smaller teams and no radios and it turns out that 30 blokes doing brisk bit and bit go faster than 4 blokes doing long turns. The atmosphere on the course was excellent and The Spitfire in front of the TV screen in the Running Horse in Leatherhead that hosted the exciting last 40 kms was very acceptable too. Thanks LOGOC and to hell with the winge-ers. Mick
Well, the women showed the men how it is supposed to be done!