World Track Cycling Championships
Discussion
DJC said:
Tonight 
Ive already done my deals to ensure I get my arse in the Velodrome for the London Olympics.
Im still deciding whether or not to become Victoria Pendleton's official stalker.
She is quite nice, but i'm not sure I could get past those legs...;Ive already done my deals to ensure I get my arse in the Velodrome for the London Olympics.
Im still deciding whether or not to become Victoria Pendleton's official stalker.
Edited by bales on Wednesday 24th March 13:18
Interesting approach from Brailsford.
Blood some youngsters. Giving chris Newton more of a crack at the points and scratch races. Obviously Pendleton is a little off her game at the moment.
Its basically a baselining exercise to see where they are and to plan the Olympic program from here towards 2012.
The Aussies will be loving it because they think they have regained the upper hand, not realising that Brailsford has outmanouvered them so that the target is off the British backs, put the pressure on them and ensured that the Brits are working towards peaking at something, not peaking in between the Olympic cycles.
Blood some youngsters. Giving chris Newton more of a crack at the points and scratch races. Obviously Pendleton is a little off her game at the moment.
Its basically a baselining exercise to see where they are and to plan the Olympic program from here towards 2012.
The Aussies will be loving it because they think they have regained the upper hand, not realising that Brailsford has outmanouvered them so that the target is off the British backs, put the pressure on them and ensured that the Brits are working towards peaking at something, not peaking in between the Olympic cycles.
I agree, and you can see in the interviews the GB cyclists give that they too understand the strategy - lots of talk about baselines, building blocks, targeting 2012, specialising, etc.
I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
ewenm said:
I agree, and you can see in the interviews the GB cyclists give that they too understand the strategy - lots of talk about baselines, building blocks, targeting 2012, specialising, etc.
I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
Well it would do if it had someone like Brailsford running it.I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
But it doesnt.
The trouble is atheltics is widespread and disparate. There would be too much rebellion at what Sweetenham and Brailsford would do. There was enough with Van Com !
DJC said:
ewenm said:
I agree, and you can see in the interviews the GB cyclists give that they too understand the strategy - lots of talk about baselines, building blocks, targeting 2012, specialising, etc.
I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
Well it would do if it had someone like Brailsford running it.I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
But it doesnt.
The trouble is atheltics is widespread and disparate. There would be too much rebellion at what Sweetenham and Brailsford would do. There was enough with Van Com !
DJC said:
ewenm said:
I agree, and you can see in the interviews the GB cyclists give that they too understand the strategy - lots of talk about baselines, building blocks, targeting 2012, specialising, etc.
I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
Well it would do if it had someone like Brailsford running it.I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
But it doesnt.
The trouble is atheltics is widespread and disparate. There would be too much rebellion at what Sweetenham and Brailsford would do. There was enough with Van Com !
The centralised model of swimming/cycling is great, but very difficult/impossible to apply to athletics because of the individual coach-athelte relationship. Swimming/cycling is such a smaller group of competitors that having a single group of coaches at a single base works well. Trying to organise 200-300 athletes at a single base (housing, food, physio, coaching, transport, competition) as compared to 20-30 cyclists or swimmers is an entirely different proposition.
Plus, of course, athletics is a global sport....
ewenm said:
DJC said:
ewenm said:
I agree, and you can see in the interviews the GB cyclists give that they too understand the strategy - lots of talk about baselines, building blocks, targeting 2012, specialising, etc.
I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
Well it would do if it had someone like Brailsford running it.I just wish my sport (athletics) could be just as focused, competitive and communicative, although it's a much bigger sport and much more dispersed, so the GB cycling model doesn't really fit.
But it doesnt.
The trouble is atheltics is widespread and disparate. There would be too much rebellion at what Sweetenham and Brailsford would do. There was enough with Van Com !
The centralised model of swimming/cycling is great, but very difficult/impossible to apply to athletics because of the individual coach-athelte relationship. Swimming/cycling is such a smaller group of competitors that having a single group of coaches at a single base works well. Trying to organise 200-300 athletes at a single base (housing, food, physio, coaching, transport, competition) as compared to 20-30 cyclists or swimmers is an entirely different proposition.
Plus, of course, athletics is a global sport....
Cupid Stunt said:
I started watching it before, the slow starts where they're tactically trying to start racing at the right time bores the f
k out of me so I turned it off
Translated as I don't understand the tactics and my attention span is too short to enjoy itk out of me so I turned it off 
One thing I don't agree with is that they get a restart if one rider crashes - for example, Pendleton's crash in the sprint, why didn't Guo just get given the race? Perhaps have a video replay to determine if it was a mechanical/track failure or rider error, restart if mech/track, lose if rider error.
FamilyGuy said:
ewenm said:
for example, Pendleton's crash in the sprint
Is that the one where her front wheel just seemed to lift off and pop out sideways? I had the sound off at the time - I'd be grateful if you could tell me what happened?Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff