Anyone have the “opportunity” to watch the live coverage of the NVGP that just finished? Pretty anti climatic. The only thing that really bothered me was the UHC guys riding the inside of the course the whole day setting tempo. That is what makes it dangerous and is just plain lazy bike racing. I wasn’t too big on the UHC guys screwing with Ken Hansen the last half lap. And Jake Keough, UHC, didn’t need to come across Ken Hansen’s front wheel, when he was going by him like a rocket, in the final 100 meters. That was completely unnecessary. I watched the first 10 minutes, went to the store and caught the last 5 laps. So predictable. So uneventful. If only they had video of North Boulder Park or any of the Coor’s Classic Criteriums from back in the day. That was exciting criterium racing. These criteriums in stage races now are nonevents. Stage races decided on short TT’s and time bonuses. That is how it has been and how it is going to stay until someone addresses the problems.
Steve Tilford
Blog
The commentators were the worst I’ve ever seen anywhere ever. Pathetic.
I watched it. I liked it. Nice coverage. Not sure why you didn’t. It probably has something to do with you not having a spleen. Where are the other strong domestic teams that could challenge UHC?
Where is the excitement? The race leader goes up the road and his team organizes and chases the break down while he sits on and then takes the time bonus. Wow, now that is aggressive bicycle racing? Or being ball hogs? You decide.
Where are the strong domestic teams? Getting slammed and chopped from UHC riding the inside of the course the whole race. 8 riders of an 100 rider field. It isn’t that hard to control a race for an hour. Especially when you’re riding the “wrong lines” at the front at a sub maximal speed.
And Karl Menzies, UHC, still had to chop Ken Hansen, Jelly Belly on the next to the last straight just to make sure he was out in the wind and couldn’t contend for the win. Great racing from the front.
Steve,
Until there is regime change at USAC and if there ever was a regime change, there has to be more ‘distance’ from the UCI.
USAC is not interested in domestic racing. They are interested in feeding riders to Pat and Hein’s show.
Lame race. Best bit was when UHC train nearly got disrupted by all the crashed riders coming back in at 6 to go. They nearly had to ride hard.
I was at the ST. Paul crit on Wed. and watched them do the same thing. I was, hands down, the most boring race I have ever been at. The womens race was a lot better. Still not sure if it will be worth the hassle riding out to stillwater tomorrow
well, the universe is everything, and if it’s expanding, someday it will break apart and that would be the end of everything atmo.
5 or 6 riders max, u can still control a large field wih 6 riders but u have to really work and it is not a done deal. UHC should be ashamed of themselves, this is not the way to race. Is there any glory in dominating a field like this? If so maybe they should let juniors into the race so these guys can smack them around a little too. Let everyone get a taste of a good ol ass whoopin…
For the record i know some older masters who would school these guys fast. The first chop would be the teams last. Out in Cali years ago we had a couple of little dustups and the chief ref told us to go out to the parking lot on the backstretch and get things out of our system but he wasnt going to put up with crap anymore…
problem solved
You’d think Keough would learn something, anything about racing right after taking out Bahati and a bunch of others last year or year before. Sure Rahsaan was probably being overly aggressive, but the video of Keough attempting to shoulder slam but taking out his front wheel on youtube lives in infamy. Don’t know if he ever got sanctioned for that, though Bahati did for glasses throwing.
Maybe things would change if they ran US crits like they do in Holland that is they are 100-11okm long. Instead of 1 hr they last 2hrs 10-15mins. The last hour of a 2hr 15min race is differant than 1 hr events.
Both St. Paul and Mpls. crits were pathetic if you’re a racing fan, which most of the observers were not. It’s just a spectacle to them and race tactics are something they don’t really get into. They knew that Rory Sutherland was the defending champ at NVGP and that was good enough for them.
Too bad the women’s race at Mpls. ended the way it did. It was a much more exciting and interesting race than the men staged, as is usually the case.
On a positive note….
Way to go Joe Schmalz!