Doge

Some thought registering for a race without planning to complete it was not appropriate. We didn't want to deal with the different views and decided not to bother.
Registering with the intent not to finish a race - a stage or single race - in full fields does keep others from being able to register. That may have been the case here.

In other than TTs (which this was) a rider could be used to mix the race up a bit for a teammate. We see this a lot with the rabbits in running. As it is common in running, runners are supposed to know not to follow that runner, and if they don't sometimes the rabbit finishes and wins. If they do, the rabbit quits and they are fried. The same could be done in cycling, it just isn't.

Dutch Jazz

Had you known they wouldn't weight the bike, would you still have bolted on the extra grams?

Racer Ex 

Mario Cippolini quit the TDF more than once. A lot of pros go race the Vuelta and quit to rest for worlds.

If a team enters people to be rabbits that quit there's an upside and downside. That's racing.

shovelhd

If a coach pushes a rider to the point that they blow up, that's the coaches fault.

Your kid is racing in Europe. You should have much bigger concerns.

himespau 

like what? epo (or whatever the modern day equivalent is)?

shovelhd

Among other things.

Ygduf

more like long hair, tight jeans, high-top chucks and Danzig thrash metal.

or what if he comes back and wants to wear a cycling cap all the time? Then what!?

Doge

If bike are all underweight, no. If bikes are mostly overweight yes.

hack

but how do you know since they're not being weighed?

himespau 

Ah yes of course, those loose European women and their venereal diseases. How could I forget those? If it hurts to sit down, how can he train? If it burns when he pees, how can he give a good sample?

Doge

This is getting far from Ethics, but does deal with perception of coaches and teammates. What is done in the USA leading up to these Euro races affect perception. SDSR TT was a targeted race at the beginning of the year and training plans were changed (we kept him fat) based on the Europe invite. The perception that a rider was/is wearing themselves out or putting themselves at risk before the trip was something we didn't want. It takes some time to learn the "rules"/expectations. The team thing is a whole different animal for "us".

The coaches' idea may be to use (up) a rider to get a higher placed team result. If team wants rider A to win and rider B wins more than rider C but rider C is thought (by coach) to help rider A more, rider B may not get the invite back. If a rider does things that are higher maintenance / negatively affect the team reputation - they may not get invited back. We know of two in the last few years that are very good riders - not invited back. I don't know where my son is in that, but we think rider C is the role to be sought for this year.
For the Easter weekend Limburg 4 stage race USA had the guy in yellow. He ended up 2nd GC. As I don't speak to the coach, I assume that was a good result, but the ability to assist with that is what a rider is rated on more than their result - or so I am told. A slower TT time stage 1 with energy left to burn to assist stage 2 may be viewed better than an all out TT stage one for a rider designated a helper.

Next week is Paris Roubaix Juniors, which is a Nations Cup race. The goal (I'm told) is to get the most riders in the top 10 rather than one winner. Either is pretty fantastic. It is top 10 placing in Nations Cup races that determine how many riders a country may sent to worlds - up to 6.

Doge

Are you answering your own question?

hack

probably not

Doge

I have not seen those competing at their top level obey rules that are easy to break. Unless, of course, there is no disadvantage to obeying them.

There are numerous examples from motor pacing to centerline.
As they are not weighing bikes and it is quite easy to have an underweight bike, I expect most are underweight.

shovelhd

Sportwagen.

globecanvas

^ Percocet.

gsteinb

I stopped reading this thread. I just stopped in to say that. I'm going to eat things that cyclists shouldn't eat.

AMFJ

If I was involved with anything in my life that I came to have this view, I would walk away.

Doge

Planning on it.

Facts are what they are. My personal experience at the "highest level" are soccer - men and women, cycling. I have no pretense that NBA, NFL and tennis are different.

Hermes

Doge

Here's one. This video was recently flagged on YouTube for copyright violations - I assume by a bot. Any attorney's here?

So is video recording of copyright material - visual and sound - in a public venue a copyright violation? I'm thinking of all the videos and movies featuring boom-boxes at the beach.

https://vimeo.com/124681032

mattm

is this still about racing?

Doge

Racing venues. I thought I was the only one home.
It has broader implications with all the on-bike recording devices - during races.

mike868y

you seem to waste a lot of mental energy thinking about really insignificant things

gsteinb

Can we get a mod up in this *****?