Bobby does it again !

Who are these guys you mentioned? Dekker and Vino? Aren't they some
guys who finished back in the pack?

"Dan Connelly" <d_j_c_o_n_n_e_l@i_e_e_e.o_r_g> wrote in message
news:avgPf.68984$>

Quoted message said:

Personally, I find ear-pieces preferable to rider-driver conferences,
from the standpoint of safety.

Tell that to Freddy and his problem in SF

Dan Connelly said:

Quoted message said:

Personally, I find ear-pieces preferable to rider-driver conferences,
from the standpoint of safety.

Brian S said:

Sure it's safer to scream at the riders from inside the team car on a
microphone, but rather them just tell the domestiques that are hanging
out in the back to send up news if the leaders are sleeping at the
wheel. It's slower that the current method, only netting maybe a minute
or two on a flat stage before people 'wake up', unless everyone is
really, really flaky.

Set all the team cars up with loudspeakers a la venga venga saiz and then
let the managers loose on the quiet french countryside.

Davey Crockett said:

Davey has a buddy riding the current little training race, and whilst
Davey's Buddy finished way back in the bunch yesterday, at least he
didn't put his foot down like a certain [censored] who's got name like a
Beetle and rides for some Yankee Doodle Squad

And further more, it sure looks like Davey's Buddy's team-mate
copped the stage yesterday and started in the Jersey this morning

That reads like an episode of Seinfeld, the one where Jimmy talks about
himself in the third person.

"Jimmy's been watching Elaine. Jimmy really likes Elaine."

You may want to seek help as such speech patterns often point to
personality and ego issues.

R

Keith said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

+1 - these ear pieces are ridiculous.

Davey Crockett said:

Quoted message said:

You sure got that right

RonSonic said:

I like watching every break get rolled up in the last kilometer.

You must be a sprinter or the end of the world is nigh.

Brian S said:

Sure it's safer to scream at the riders from inside the team car on a
microphone, but rather them just tell the domestiques that are hanging
out in the back to send up news if the leaders are sleeping at the
wheel. It's slower that the current method, only netting maybe a minute
or two on a flat stage before people 'wake up', unless everyone is
really, really flaky.

Predicability is bad for TV. While Lance formed a winning strategy that
worked supremely well, it was a drag to watch IMO. We all knew what he
was doing and the guess work came down to when. That's why guys like
Vino and Dekker are a hoot to watch. They take chances FTW. Race radios
ruin that. I love it when I see guys pop them out when they're gunning
it solo to the finish line. They're either hearing Tesh, or seeing Elvis.

If you want lack of predictability, ban all communication. If you want safety,
allow radios. I don't see the middle ground of the early '90's being any sort
of preferred state.

Dan

Dans le message de news:440DB875.9050309@i_e_e_e.o_r_g,
Dan Connelly <d_j_c_o_n_n_e_l@i_e_e_e.o_r_g> a réfléchi, et puis a déclaré :

Quoted message said:

Brian S said:

Sure it's safer to scream at the riders from inside the team car on a
microphone, but rather them just tell the domestiques that are
hanging out in the back to send up news if the leaders are sleeping
at the wheel. It's slower that the current method, only netting
maybe a minute or two on a flat stage before people 'wake up',
unless everyone is really, really flaky.

Predicability is bad for TV. While Lance formed a winning strategy
that worked supremely well, it was a drag to watch IMO. We all knew
what he was doing and the guess work came down to when. That's why
guys like Vino and Dekker are a hoot to watch. They take chances
FTW. Race radios ruin that. I love it when I see guys pop them out
when they're gunning it solo to the finish line. They're either
hearing Tesh, or seeing Elvis.

If you want lack of predictability, ban all communication. If you
want safety, allow radios. I don't see the middle ground of the
early '90's being any sort of preferred state.

Dan

Your choices are too wide apart.

1 - ban radios
2 - ban team cars behind a break (only neutral support and yummy stuff in
them)
3 - force the riders to ride on their own total talents

UCI already regulates bike weight, drugs, wheels, frames, helmets, uniforms,
all said to be in the interest of having the best rider, not equipment win a
race. Same with radios.

But let the grupetto pick up MP3 players to be jolly while trekking home.
--
Bonne route !

Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine FR

Tom Kunich schreef: (about Boonen)

Quoted message said:

Another Kelly I expect. I could be wrong but I don't think that he'll be
able to develop into a Grand Tour contender.

Those two sentences contradict each other. Do you or do you not believe
that Boonen will win the Vuelta?

Sandy said:

Your choices are too wide apart.

1 - ban radios
2 - ban team cars behind a break (only neutral support and yummy stuff in
them)
3 - force the riders to ride on their own total talents

4. Strategically placed semaphores along the route. Job openings for
chainsmoking ex-bike racers.
5. Random frequency shifts with the teams unsure to whom they are
giving advice. We'll find out if Boonen can win with Hincapies' info
and vice versa.
6. Periodic strategy sessions where the race comes to a stop and
everyone sits around, drinks wine and discusses what to do in the next
section. Restarts in order of stop, but with arcane UCI time split
rules to keep any one team from dominating an entire race, structured
after their highly successful team time trial rules for the Tour. All
results given within the week. More or less.

The extra for number 6 is the resulting mass sprint after four stops
and the consumption of a couple of bottles of wine each per racer. The
races with a bend in the road 300 meters from the line should have
special media appeal.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

Sandy said:

Your choices are too wide apart.

1 - ban radios
2 - ban team cars behind a break (only neutral support and yummy stuff in
them)
3 - force the riders to ride on their own total talents

UCI already regulates bike weight, drugs, wheels, frames, helmets, uniforms,
all said to be in the interest of having the best rider, not equipment win a
race. Same with radios.

But let the grupetto pick up MP3 players to be jolly while trekking home.

Radios don't win races, don't be absurd.

Only allow riders within 5 meters of their team car if they are both at rest,
with an exception for dynamic passing situations. Simple as that.

I don't advocate this, however. I have no issue with wireless communications.

Dan

Bob Schwartz said:

Should they get rid of the guy on the motor with the
chalkboard? Maybe they already have, replaced by the
radios.

Maybe they shouldn't allow conferences with team cars.

If someone wants to make the case that radios should
be banned because they look dorky, I can accept that.
But riders haven't gone by feel like those of us at
the East Buttstick Road Race do for decades. The radios
just make it easier.

You mean the Masters Fatties and Cat 3 teams at your
East Buttstick Road Race _don't_ have radios???
Man, get with the program!

BTW, they still have the guy with the chalkboard. That's
the great thing about European trade unions - the economy
may be less efficient, but they can't outsource the guy with
the chalkboard to a telephone bank halfway around the world.

Dan Connelly said:

Sandy said:

Your choices are too wide apart.

1 - ban radios
2 - ban team cars behind a break (only neutral support and yummy stuff in
them)
3 - force the riders to ride on their own total talents

UCI already regulates bike weight, drugs, wheels, frames, helmets, uniforms,
all said to be in the interest of having the best rider, not equipment win a
race. Same with radios.

But let the grupetto pick up MP3 players to be jolly while trekking home.

Radios don't win races, don't be absurd.

Only allow riders within 5 meters of their team car if they are both at rest,
with an exception for dynamic passing situations. Simple as that.

I don't advocate this, however. I have no issue with wireless communications.

Good thing, as the wired radios didn't work out so well.

R

....the killer Belgians, I like that !

"Geraard Spergen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tom Kunich schreef: (about Boonen)

Quoted message said:

Another Kelly I expect. I could be wrong but I don't think that he'll be
able to develop into a Grand Tour contender.

Those two sentences contradict each other. Do you or do you not believe
that Boonen will win the Vuelta?

Kelly for all of his power and speed and grace just wasn't a man for grand
tours. When Kelly won the Vuelta it was NOTHING like it is today. Since
about '85 the Vuelta and the Giro have been getting progressively harder
until now they're only one step below the Tour in difficulty. And they
probably have at least one stage in each that are HARDER than any Tour stage
save for distance.

Do you really believe that Tom Boonen could win a Grand Tour against real
contenders? It's always possible I suppose but I don't think that he will be
able to climb with the climbers consistently enough.

Tom Kunich said:

Kelly for all of his power and speed and grace just wasn't a man for grand
tours. When Kelly won the Vuelta it was NOTHING like it is today. Since
about '85 the Vuelta and the Giro have been getting progressively harder
until now they're only one step below the Tour in difficulty. And they
probably have at least one stage in each that are HARDER than any Tour stage
save for distance.

How many steps below the Tour were they before, just above Paris-Nice?

Gabe Brovedani
the hardest Giro was the one Moser won.

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 02:16:15 GMT, Gabe Brovedani <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Tom Kunich said:

Kelly for all of his power and speed and grace just wasn't a man for grand
tours. When Kelly won the Vuelta it was NOTHING like it is today. Since
about '85 the Vuelta and the Giro have been getting progressively harder
until now they're only one step below the Tour in difficulty. And they
probably have at least one stage in each that are HARDER than any Tour stage
save for distance.

How many steps below the Tour were they before, just above Paris-Nice?

Also, Kelly was a contender in the Tour of France -- he was fourth
overall I think. He didn't win it, but he was a threat.

JT

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"Gabe Brovedani" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tom Kunich said:

Kelly for all of his power and speed and grace just wasn't a man for
grand tours. When Kelly won the Vuelta it was NOTHING like it is today.
Since about '85 the Vuelta and the Giro have been getting progressively
harder until now they're only one step below the Tour in difficulty. And
they probably have at least one stage in each that are HARDER than any
Tour stage save for distance.

How many steps below the Tour were they before, just above Paris-Nice?

The Giro was already in the 1970's as hard or almost as hard as the Tour.
See for instance 1972: Tour 3846 km with five climbs higher than 2000m and
the Giro 3725 km with six climbs higher than 2000m. The Vuelta is quite
another matter, especially because its status was much lower than the Giro
or the Tour and the direction was usually prepared to go to great lenght to
persuade one or two topriders to participate. But but from the moment he had
become a star, they couldn't even convince Induráin.

Benjo

Err Kelly finished fourth and so he was a contender? Last year
Francisco Mancebo finished fourth. Do you consider him a contender?

The Giro COURSE was certainly first rate. But the pace was MUCH slower
with riders saying that for most of the race they were riding at a
touring pace and not a racing pace.

Even the Paris-Roubaix is only hard because of the competition.

"We'll find out if Boonen can win with Hincapies' info"

I'll get you for that Curtis. I just spit coffee all over my screen.