"The GB Team for the Manchester round of the Track World Cup has been announced with strong line-ups for both Team Pursuit and Team Sprint events.
The first name to really stand out is David Millar, who continues his Track education with a place in the Team Pursuit line-up. Millar has stated his aim to ride the Individual Pursuit in Athens later this year and a place in the Team Pursuit at the World Cup is a logical step on the road to mastering the Track. Millar's attendance at Manchester is of course dependent on a number of outside factors, as he is currently getting his road season underway: if he makes it to Manchester as planned, he is certain to cause quite a stir. "
Millar has stated his aim to ride the Individual Pursuit in Athens later this year and a place in the Team Pursuit at the World Cup is a logical step on the road to mastering the Track.
This really trips my bogus meter. This is absolutely not true, the team pursuit is absolutely not a logical step for someone training for the individual pursuit.
My guess is that someone is playing to the media or smoking crack.
On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 15:00:20 -0000, Bob Schwartz <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
Steve McGinty said:
Millar has stated his aim to ride the Individual Pursuit in Athens later this year and a place in the Team Pursuit at the World Cup is a logical step on the road to mastering the Track.
This really trips my bogus meter. This is absolutely not true, the team pursuit is absolutely not a logical step for someone training for the individual pursuit.
My guess is that someone is playing to the media or smoking crack.
Bob Schwartz [email hidden]
I agree - why would he waste his time with the technicalities involved in the TP if the IP is his goal? We'll see in a couple of weeks...
"Bob Schwartz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Steve McGinty <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
Millar has stated his aim to ride the Individual Pursuit in Athens later this year and a place in the Team Pursuit at the World Cup is a logical step on the road to mastering the Track.
This really trips my bogus meter. This is absolutely not true, the team pursuit is absolutely not a logical step for someone training for the individual pursuit.
My guess is that someone is playing to the media or smoking crack.
Well, if your goal was to eventually master track racing, where else would you go from the individual pursuit but to the team pursuit? Points racing? Madison? Sure, somewhat different abilities are required for the team vs. individual races, but they are still kissin' cousins (or as close as it gets).
Interesting to contrast Millar's plans with those of McGee, who said that he'd do the team pursuit if called upon, but that he didn't want to displace somebody who had made that their focus just because he could. (I'm not dissing Millar or the BCF, just commenting on the contrast.)
"Bob Schwartz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Steve McGinty
Quoted message said:
Millar has stated his aim to ride the Individual Pursuit in Athens later this year and a place in the Team Pursuit at the World Cup is a logical step on the road to mastering the Track.
This really trips my bogus meter. This is absolutely not true, the team pursuit is absolutely not a logical step for someone training for the individual pursuit.
My guess is that someone is playing to the media or smoking crack.
Well, if your goal was to eventually master track racing, where else would you go from the individual pursuit but to the team pursuit? Points racing? Madison? Sure, somewhat different abilities are required for the team vs. individual races, but they are still kissin' cousins (or as close as it gets).
Interesting to contrast Millar's plans with those of McGee, who said that he'd do the team pursuit if called upon, but that he didn't want to displace somebody who had made that their focus just because he could. (I'm not dissing Millar or the BCF, just commenting on the contrast.)
Andy Coggan
He did some scratch and derny racing at Manchester recently, but there have been no reports of him training with the GB TP. You can't just turn up and ride a 60kph TP at the World Cup, can you?
"Steve McGinty" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
He did some scratch and derny racing at Manchester recently, but there have been no reports of him training with the GB TP. You can't just turn up and ride a 60kph TP at the World Cup, can you?
The German team pursuit squad only gets on the track for a couple of weeks prior to e.g., worlds*, and it doesn't seem to slow them down any. Also, IIRC the Italian team pursuit squad in Atlanta in 1996 included one or more riders who had finished the TdF just a few weeks previously. So apparently you *can* just turn up and ride a (nearly) 60 kph team pursuit at the world level, at least if you've got a modicum of experience and a lot of horsepower. That said, I'm not sure this applies to Millar...McGee, OTOH, has both the track background and apparently the sort of talents (compare McGee vs. Millar in regular road TTs vs. pursuit/prologue TTs) that would make this much more doable.
*Maybe because they can't all stand being together? :-)
The German team pursuit squad only gets on the track for a couple of weeks prior to e.g., worlds*, and it doesn't seem to slow them down any. Also, IIRC the Italian team pursuit squad in Atlanta in 1996 included one or more riders who had finished the TdF just a few weeks previously. So apparently you *can* just turn up and ride a (nearly) 60 kph team pursuit at the world level, at least if you've got a modicum of experience and a lot of horsepower. That said, I'm not sure this applies to Millar...McGee, OTOH, has both the track background and apparently the sort of talents (compare McGee vs. Millar in regular road TTs vs. pursuit/prologue TTs) that would make this much more doable.
Quoted message said:
*Maybe because they can't all stand being together? :-)
There were two riders on the 1996 gold medal French team that had done the Tour, Francis Moreau and Christophe Capelle.
In the case of the Germans I'll bet the reason they only ride together for a few weeks is so they can hold down day jobs with road teams. In the case of Millar that's why I can't believe he has any interest in becoming an accomplished track rider. He already has a day job that takes precedence over learning the track.
The Brits already have a core of team pursuiters. It might be worthwhile to prepare an extra rider as a backup in Athens. You can't really take extra team members and since Millar will be there for the road events he isn't an extra. Maybe that is what they are doing.
Millar has stated his aim to ride the Individual Pursuit in Athens later this year and a place in the Team Pursuit at the World Cup is a logical step on the road to mastering the Track.
This really trips my bogus meter. This is absolutely not true, the team pursuit is absolutely not a logical step for someone training for the individual pursuit.
The way that Chris Boardman used to ride in the GB pursuit squad, it was ideal preparation for his individual pursuit. Mind you, he rode exactly the same way in the Gan team time trial too...
In the case of Millar that's why I can't believe he has any interest in becoming an accomplished track rider. He already has a day job that takes precedence over learning the track.
if you're not american winning an olympic medal for your country is a big deal.
In the case of Millar that's why I can't believe he has any interest in becoming an accomplished track rider. He already has a day job that takes precedence over learning the track.
if you're not american winning an olympic medal for your country is a big deal.
-Amit
In the UK Jason Queally is still on the front of cereal packets four years on from Sydney.
In the case of Millar that's why I can't believe he has any interest in becoming an accomplished track rider. He already has a day job that takes precedence over learning the track.
Quoted message said:
if you're not american winning an olympic medal for your country is a big deal.
You don't need to be an accomplished track rider do win a medal in the INDIVIDUAL pursuit. You do need to be an accomplished track rider to win a medal in the TEAM pursuit.
The thing about the Olympics is you only get to bring four guys for the team pursuit. If someone gets injured or sick or whatever you have to replace him out of the people that are already there. So if Millar is working out as a team pursuiter, he's there as a possible substitute. It doesn't make sense for him to disrupt his schedule to fit in the time and effort to be one of the core guys.
There are many riders with the potential to win a medal on the track that choose to not make the effort because they are busy earning a living on the road. Its not an American thing.
