Fairness on competitions
#1
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Fairness on competitions
I was watching a video where a cyclist was winning a Tour de France stage but had to stop due to a bicycle mechanical failure. A spectator borrow him his bike that by pure coincidence was the same brand with same specs and same size and he was not only able to finish but to win. Then I was watching another video, this time a XC MTB race where both cyclist finish the race getting into a sprint and one of them won by a "hair". Then I watch the video several times but each time I was looking more at the bikes rather than the athletes. I'm wondering if both riders had the same bike, same components, same everything, would the results have been the same? Is it fair for the looser when the equipment is not the same?
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Yes.
John
John
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I was watching a video where a cyclist was winning a Tour de France stage but had to stop due to a bicycle mechanical failure. A spectator borrow him his bike that by pure coincidence was the same brand with same specs and same size and he was not only able to finish but to win.
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Vuelta time trial...
John
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#11
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Ok so, reading some of your hilarious sarcastic comments what you are saying is that the bike doesn't matter. A rider can be using a beach cruiser and is going to win anyways.
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I know the temptation is there.
Click on the General Cycling Discussion and it seems everyone else is getting noticed. Whether it is the vodka, carrying a golf club, or some other nonsensical thread, it can become so difficult not to jump into it and get some well deserved beat down.
In virtually every equipment centrist sport you will find differences in equipment used by the combatants. Just roll things back to David and Goliath.
Cycling is quite tame. Get into golf and see how things go. Not only are you a loser for not being able to hit a completely stationary object in a relatively straight direction a minimum acceptable distance, you are a bigger loser for spending thousands and thousands of dollars on the wrong equipment.
John
Click on the General Cycling Discussion and it seems everyone else is getting noticed. Whether it is the vodka, carrying a golf club, or some other nonsensical thread, it can become so difficult not to jump into it and get some well deserved beat down.
In virtually every equipment centrist sport you will find differences in equipment used by the combatants. Just roll things back to David and Goliath.
Cycling is quite tame. Get into golf and see how things go. Not only are you a loser for not being able to hit a completely stationary object in a relatively straight direction a minimum acceptable distance, you are a bigger loser for spending thousands and thousands of dollars on the wrong equipment.
John
Last edited by 70sSanO; 08-31-22 at 12:31 PM.
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In road racing (as well as mountain and CX), the bikes will never be exactly the same for each athlete. If it's a UCI sanctioned event, there is extensive regulation to keep equipment quite similar and minimize equipment advantages. This applies to stage races, criterium, and even Time Trial... but not triathlons, as UCI does not sanction these.
If you're interested in a racing format where equipment is so heavily regulated that there is virtually no chance of an advantage, check into Keirin (Japanese track racing).
If you're interested in a racing format where equipment is so heavily regulated that there is virtually no chance of an advantage, check into Keirin (Japanese track racing).
#15
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In road racing (as well as mountain and CX), the bikes will never be exactly the same for each athlete. If it's a UCI sanctioned event, there is extensive regulation to keep equipment quite similar and minimize equipment advantages. This applies to stage races, criterium, and even Time Trial... but not triathlons, as UCI does not sanction these.
If you're interested in a racing format where equipment is so heavily regulated that there is virtually no chance of an advantage, check into Keirin (Japanese track racing).
If you're interested in a racing format where equipment is so heavily regulated that there is virtually no chance of an advantage, check into Keirin (Japanese track racing).
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Seems to me the bike he got form a fan had a tubular under the seat .... in some shots ....
But yes, in UCI competition the bikes are not a factor. The rules are tight enough (and the weight limit high enough) that no bike offers a significant advantage over any other bike. Some might be a tiny bit more aero, some a few grams lighter, some a little stiffer or more compliant,. but no one is winning races because fo the bikes. Every team could swap bikes with every other team, and once all the adjustments were made for size and gearing, each team would show the same performance.
if you think winning a sprint is the bike and not the rider .... ride more.
But yes, in UCI competition the bikes are not a factor. The rules are tight enough (and the weight limit high enough) that no bike offers a significant advantage over any other bike. Some might be a tiny bit more aero, some a few grams lighter, some a little stiffer or more compliant,. but no one is winning races because fo the bikes. Every team could swap bikes with every other team, and once all the adjustments were made for size and gearing, each team would show the same performance.
if you think winning a sprint is the bike and not the rider .... ride more.
#19
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I was watching a video where a cyclist was winning a Tour de France stage but had to stop due to a bicycle mechanical failure. A spectator borrow him his bike that by pure coincidence was the same brand with same specs and same size and he was not only able to finish but to win. Then I was watching another video, this time a XC MTB race where both cyclist finish the race getting into a sprint and one of them won by a "hair". Then I watch the video several times but each time I was looking more at the bikes rather than the athletes. I'm wondering if both riders had the same bike, same components, same everything, would the results have been the same? Is it fair for the looser when the equipment is not the same?
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Then there's the time in the 2010 TdF when Jens Voigt borrowed a kid's bike, allowing him to finish the stage within the time cut-off.
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Well, Jens Voigt was himself an exception to most rules.
But obviously, the bikes are not the deciding factors.
But obviously, the bikes are not the deciding factors.
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3d1l Neutral Service Bikes are part of Grand Tour races, usually provided by the organizers (historically the yellow MAVIC bikes, now blue Shimano -branded) a neutral service bike allows a rider who has suffered a major mechanical or crash, and can't get to his team car (too far off the front or back of the race) an opportunity to rejoin the race without losing a huge amount of time.
There's rules about where and when team support cars can be on the road in relation to the racers, but neutral service is allowed much closer to the action (usually because it's a single car or even a moto)
It's also common for a domestique to hand off his own bike in the event that his team leader has a mechanical as well; allowing the leader to stay in the action, while the supporting rider waits for the team car, and then catches back up, if he can
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So then the broom wagon pulled up and was like, “Do you want to just get in?” And I said, “Oh no, I don’t need YOU!” But there I am with blood spurting out my left elbow and no bike. Finally, the race organizers got me a bike, but it was this little yellow junior bike. It was way too small for me and even had old-fashioned toe-clip pedals. But that is the only way I could get down the mountain, so I had to ride it for like 15-20 kilometers until I finally got to a team car with my bike.
The rest of his tiny bike story here.
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Last edited by terrymorse; 09-01-22 at 10:02 AM.
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