Question for Cycling fans

[saskriders]

Why isn't there a "tour" (something similar to the Tour De France, or Giro D'Italia) event for the Olympics? I know there isn't enough time to do the whole thing, but why not something like 12 stages. I don't know much about cycling, but can't understand why they don't have this at the Olympics.

[Roughneck]

Even a 12 stage event would require a lot of resources to pull off and would need to stay away from the routes the other cycling competitions are using. The logistics are very challenging.

Plus not all Olympic cities have the landscape for a decent tour. France and Italy have a landscape that can provide a wide-array of unique stages. A multi-stage tour around London or southern England would be the Grand Tour equivalent of holding an F1 event on a NASCAR track.

And the Olympics tends to not want to be seen as a secondary event, which an Olympic Tour would be when compared to the Tour de France and the like so I don't think either side is really pushing for it.

[Jevo]

I doubt a lot of riders would come to a 12 day stage race during the Olympics. Those who rode the Tour de France would be too tired to take on a 12 day stage race so short after the Tour, and riders preparing for the Vuelta would rather choose other races as preparation.

Also the fact that riding in the Olympics isn't a part of their regular job. So the teams would be against letting their riders ride a non-UCI race for two weeks. When there are other races going on at the same time where the riders could get results and show of the sponsors.

[KevFist]

pLUS, RIDERS ARE WORKING WITH nATIONAL TEAMS AT THE oLYMPICS, SO IT'S not their normal teams. the teamwork capacity really isn't there.

I would like to see an Olympic Criterium though....

[TheStranger]

Didn't feel like making another thread...

The 2012 Tour de France is going to suck

[impudent_lowlife]

Originally Posted by saskriders

Why isn't there a "tour" (something similar to the Tour De France, or Giro D'Italia) event for the Olympics? I know there isn't enough time to do the whole thing, but why not something like 12 stages. I don't know much about cycling, but can't understand why they don't have this at the Olympics.

In pro cycling there are the Grand Tours in Italy, Spain and France and then there are smaller tours like the Dauphine, Suisse, etc. And then there are the Classics: one day races that can be as long as 300 km. The World Cycling Championship is also such an event and I think of the Olympic road race as just one more Classic.

[impudent_lowlife]

Originally Posted by TheStranger

Didn't feel like making another thread...

The 2012 Tour de France is going to suck

It looks like it's going to be a 2 man battle between Evans and Wiggins. The Schlecks don't have it this year - especially with all the time-trialling.

[Vasilevski]

Originally Posted by Jevo

I doubt a lot of riders would come to a 12 day stage race during the Olympics. Those who rode the Tour de France would be too tired to take on a 12 day stage race so short after the Tour, and riders preparing for the Vuelta would rather choose other races as preparation.

Also the fact that riding in the Olympics isn't a part of their regular job. So the teams would be against letting their riders ride a non-UCI race for two weeks. When there are other races going on at the same time where the riders could get results and show of the sponsors.

this.

[The Imp]

Originally Posted by impudent_lowlife

It looks like it's going to be a 2 man battle between Evans and Wiggins. The Schlecks don't have it this year - especially with all the time-trialling.

Andy pulled out of the Tour today - he has a non-displaced broken pelvis, after his crash in the Dauphiné.

He got back on his bike and raced for a bit, after the crash.

[tobo]

Go Jurgen Van den Broeck, this is one opponent less you need to worry about.

[vsk92]

I'm pretty new to cycling although I did watch a bit of last years Tour De France

Will there be any Finnish cyclists at this years tour? and are there any good Finnish teams

[Vasilevski]

Originally Posted by vsk92

I'm pretty new to cycling although I did watch a bit of last years Tour De France

Will there be any Finnish cyclists at this years tour? and are there any good Finnish teams

No good finnish teams... riders... there's one well known and that's all:

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen...p?riderid=1364

Not sure if he'll be at the start of the tour

[vsk92]

Originally Posted by viktors89

No good finnish teams... riders... there's one well known and that's all:

In other words we should just stick to hockey

[InjuredChoker]

Originally Posted by vsk92

In other words we should just stick to hockey

We (might) have javelin throw too .