2012 Olympic Road Race

+1

Amazing. I admit, I blubbed a little. Fantastic result for women's cycling overall!

^ Mrs Lucifer clearly needs to be told about the 'Big gay hoser for life' thread.

Too true. Poor form.

I reckon a lot of potential sponsors will have sat up and noticed after that race. So many other nations participated, the aggression made for incredible viewing. It's the first time I've actually watched an entire race from starters pistol to the finish.

I'm a bit on love with Lizzie Armistead now.

Thank God I live close enough to her to stalk her with relative ease.

checks bus time table to Otley

Amazing. I admit, I blubbed a little. Fantastic result for women's cycling overall!

Me too. I have new girl crushes as well.

Luci her family were just below us, they interviewed her Grandmother. They all had "Go Lizzie" on their t-shirts.

Why does the peloton bother sprinting when all the medals are over?

I think that, apart from pride ("I wooda won had it come back together") certain nations base funding on a sliding scale of results so, for example to be a finalist in the swimming gets you something for the next 4 year cycle, so applying the same perhaps "top 8" is worth something today, more than top 8 in a normal women's one day race no one watches.....which are often as exciting as today, funnily enough.

Why? He's English - he should be used to disappointment by now.

He's Manx, we rock.

i remember someone (sean kelly perhaps) saying you always sprint because you don't know what might have happened in front.

i remember someone (sean kelly perhaps) saying you always sprint because you don't know what cunt might be popped for doping over the next 6 years.

fixed

They mainly sprint for the show. It's just part of being a pro - even when you've had your arse kicked you give the crowd what they want.

Pooleys work was outstanding,

She's my heroine. I missed coverage of her puncture while getting to the Fulham Road, and was gutted to see her trailing some way behind the peloton at the end. Awesome race.

Two days marshalling road races on upper richmond road. Spotted so many friends, fine constabulares, chatted with race officials and britains best course marshals (motor-bike) roy and mike who have years of experience on the TOB and national races, know all the elite riders and triathletes. Also the cop outriders high-fiving the crowd as they sped past and entertaining everyone with there antics. To the staff at putney art centre where we controlled the crossing point supplied us with endless cups of tea/cakes. To the hundreds of idiot cyclists trying and failing to get on the route prior to the race and during race conditions before the return back to the Mall. And the mexican wave we created up to putney high street. we also had Kiwi corner and the gaggle of danish fans on our patch. Emma Pooley who punctured close to us this morning and the Russian rider who crashed in front of us (not sure what caused it) this afternoon heal up soon. There were thousands who lined our section route (some places 4 even 5 deep) creating an amazing atmosphere, not sure I'll ever see scenes of hysteria and excitement like it again whilst marshalling.

My next stop individual time trial on wednesday somewhere in the sticks..

Lineker asked her if she'd now be helping her team mates win the time trial. Swear to fuck.

heh just when you thought the coverage couldn't get any more amateurish.
have to say that the marshalling appeared to be top notch although I don't know much more than Gary Lineker about road racing

We had a family day out to the Women's Road Race today, with tickets for the lower slopes of Box Hill. Had a fantastic time, despite the best efforts of the weather, ran into some friends who also had tickets (but didn't mention it despite me having lunch with one of them last week) and enjoyed seeing the race break up over the two laps of the BH circuit. I think Edie enjoyed it, but she seem more interested in looking for the Big Bad Mouse in the woods behind us and laughing at the antics of the police outriders.

Got the train home and watched the finish on the iPlayer on a fellow passenger's phone. We all groaned when Vos the Boss got the win, but some Dutchies next to us were delighted, but a big well done to Lizzie Armitstead, for her gutsy ride and to Emma Pooley for always being on the attack.

She's my heroine. I missed coverage of her puncture while getting to the Fulham Road, and was gutted to see her trailing some way behind the peloton at the end. Awesome race.

Same;

Gutted to see her so far back.

She's my heroine. I missed coverage of her puncture while getting to the Fulham Road, and was gutted to see her trailing some way behind the peloton at the end. Awesome race.

The fates owed her more than that. This was the first sporting occasion to evoke some emotion in me for a while. The efforts of armitstead,vos and the Russian over the last 50k through that weather was truly inspiring.

It was a really exciting race with a good mix of skill, courage and random luck. Our roads seemed to particularly have it in for the Italian tyres. Between the crashes and break attempts there was always plenty going on. Until nearly half-way i thought the GB team were looking strong but maybe too concerned with killing off breaks instead of getting away in one, and then Emma Pooley stepped it up, playing a big part in creating the pace & drama from which a successful breakaway of four finally emerged. Something (anyone know what?) dropped the american back into the peloton, leaving three with a harder task but surer rewards. I thought the final distribution of medals was just, if a little disappointing.

I was glued to the screen until they were back into Richmond Park, then sprinted back to Fulham broadway in time to cheer them past. They seemed to have bought their own thunder-cloud with them, but it all added to the drama. A shame Emma Pooley's puncture dropped her back to 40th after all her efforts but hopefully she can take some pride in having created the chance Lizzie seized.

Olds, the American in the break, punctured and suffered a slow wheel change.

I still haven't seen any of today's race, accept a brief spell when pooley attacking on box hill . But seeing lizzie with two riders in the breakaway hammering past us and the screams from viewers nearby makes for an enjoyable night. Need a kip first.. zzz

I'm a bit on love with Lizzie Armistead now.

I don't even want to know what that means.

Has anyone noticed that the BBC race coverage was 'woeful'?

The BBC has.

I was just struggling to find the adjective 'woeful' attributed to it anywhere.

today was better than yesterday. They seemed a lot hotter on who was who and most of what was happening, but still degenerated into meaningless excited blither and arguing over which of them first made the stunning revelation that if a group of three riders come in first, they all get a medal. Timing and graphics still poor.