Pro-cycling thread

I heard that Pogacar's parents weren't selected to compete in the mixed-seniors BMX, despite being the only people in Slovenia, or Europe, to take part in that sport and that is why he is not going.

I'm not sure a 3rd at the Vuelta will satisfy him and his palmares.

Absolutely, maybe exceptional bike handling helps, but he's been pretty lucky to not have any significant crashes or injuries on any of the grand tours.
He has podiumed every grand tour he has ever entered which is just ludicrous!

He has podiumed every grand tour he has ever entered which is just ludicrous!

Not as ludicrous as using the word 'podium' as a verb.

I heard Carapaz also wasn't selected, despite being the current Olympic champ (for what that counts for).

He's a good climber, and if the Slovenian athlete is also a good climber, but not going, maybe there is a little bit of consistency with rider selection?

Not seen the route though, so could be miles off

This reminds to say that I quite like Carapaz for loads of reasons, but mostly because he hasn't trailed around in a gold helmet for the last three years.

The Ecuador Federation actually published their selection criteria in the spring. Selection was based on UCI points gained from the start of the season though, which kind of sums up how haphazard most cycling federations are.

Jhonathan Narvaez was selected for Ecuador which, given the results he got in the first half of the year, is fair. But both he and Carapaz have been critical of how it's been decided.

You have a short memory.

Given Urška Žigart is the national road and ITT champ, has more than twice the UCI points of Eugenia Bujak and 23 times as many points as Urska Pintar, you do have to wonder whose cornflakes she shit in to be left out

Talking UCI points, isn't Pog the first to brake into 10k in addition to hold more points that no2+3 together ?

wasn't he riding a gold-ish super six for most of the Tour?

It was rather bronze. Quite the insult.

English is technically my second language but...

https://www.oed.com/dictionary/podium_v?tab=factsheet#285887735

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/podium

Just because you can verb a noun...

He has podiumed every grand tour he has ever entered which is just ludicrous!

Not as ludicrous as using the word 'podium' as a verb.

Not as ludicrous as using the verb transitively.

You've just verbed verb.

I suspect that was the intended joke. :)

Reeks of someone trying to cash in on the current "they are all doping" screeching all over social media.

He might get a RT from Kimmage.

That's a bingo

1 Attachment

and if their selection criteria isn't UCI points?

I vaguely remember some shit storm from years ago when track sprinters were picked based off their 200m times but only times set in xyz competition. So even though someone was faster during the Olympic season, if they didn't race the year before in some event or other and didn't set a fast enough time they didn't go. No idea what the policy is here but I'm just pointing out that some countries have some fucking stupid selection methods.

Actually, currently reading The Road Less Taken by Katherine Bertine which is mostly about her trying to qualify for the Olympics and all the drama that entails for a woman riding for a small nation.

https://www.amazon.com/Road-Less-Taken-Lessons-Cycling/dp/1629370126

"As a sports journalist and elite athlete, I was offered an assignment in 2006 by ESPN. The company wanted me to investigate what it takes to get to the Olympic Games. The catch? I was both the reporter and the guinea pig. For two years, I attempted to qualify for the Beijing Summer Olympics in road cycling. While I had a short career as a mediocre pro triathlete (and an MFA in creative writing in my back pocket), the assignment alone wasn't quite enough to get me to Beijing. Oddly, though, after two years of road cycling, I came quite close. Too close. When my project with ESPN concluded in 2008, my love of cycling did not. In fact, it grew — and so did my muscles, ability, and results. I decided to shoot for the 2012 Games, which is why three years after ESPN, I'm in a boat-shaped kiddie bed in a stranger's house setting sail with the Pirates of the Caribbean and a plastic flask of electrolytes dribbling near the headboard. Two more years of racing may just float me to the shores of England."

and if their selection criteria isn't UCI points?

Oh I know; but I think the problem is that Urska Pintar just isn't even half the rider that Žigart is. Perhaps they've selected her based on the fact she races more in Slovenia or what have you, but it seems to be a silly approach to leave out your best overall cyclist in favour of someone who is probably just a mate of the selector.

They must have documented selection criteria.

She's still Slovenian and they're surely not excluding a cyclist for racing "mostly elsewhere"? USA, Australia, NZ, SA, etc would be fucked if that was the case :)

CyclingNews have this:

Selector Gorazd Penko did in fact reply when asked on Slovenian TV as reported by RTV SLO, justifying his choice to leave out the Liv AlUla Jayco rider because Žigart “has never been among the top 30 cyclists in a one-day race” at the top level. However, that is something she has managed at La Course by Le Tour de France in 2018 when she was 27th.

I can understand that as a tie breaker between two riders, but seems weak given Pintar has only ridden two WWT races this season, one 31st and one DNF. In the national road champs, she finished 2nd, but 10 minutes behind Žigart.

Almost all NGBs in international sport have at least one selection criteria along the lines of "the discretion of the selection panel". Making all other criteria redundant.

I think I covered that with

I'm just pointing out that some countries have some fucking stupid selection methods.