Fun and games in Poland

by Gemma on Sep 17, 2008 5:36 PM EDT

Today was the day the peleton in the Tour de Pologne finally snapped and after 3 days of having to ride in awful conditions on street circuits that carry a large amount of danger, the riders used the only power they have available to them and basically went on strike at the end of the stage.

After an agreement between the riders and organisers to stop at the end of the first circuit was gone back on by the organisers (allegedly) the riders took things into their own hands and stopped at the end of the second circuit (a circuit early) and this was after they went round those two in formation with them all across the road and pretty much one rider from each team at the front - no GC could be decided on and the stage was declared null and void.

According to reports the chief instigators were Allan Davis (Quickstep) as yellow jersey and also Fabian Cancellara (he may be Swiss but he sure ain't neutral)

Whilst it's all sad for the fans who turned up and got wet waiting I have to say my sympathy is with the riders on this one. It's not the riding in the wet and cold that bothers them so much (though that can't be fun day after day) but the conditions have been pretty hairy at times and there's already been some nasty crashes in this race (poor Milram seem to have suffered most of them) and at the end of today they all looked more like mountain bikers than road racers what with all the dirty faces and weather gear bulking them up.

There is also an interview with Fabian which has some interesting things in it (translated from the Polish so the exact details are probably off a bit): ED--on the flip...

- The strike was partly about looking after the health of the cyclists

- He doesn't think Sastre really has much of a chance of defending his TdF title irrespective of the whole Armstrong issue (well yes, seen as he won't have the support he did this year)

- He doesn't seem to think Armstrong coming back is a total good thing - whilst good for the exposure of cycling and for the cancer cause etc, he thinks when you got out at the top you should stay out and not risk it all by coming back and that it's now about the new generation such as Cav and the Schlecks (well that's the gist of it I think)

- His bronze is like a gold to him and was a surprise (awwww)

- He's only 50:50 at the moment as to whether he'll be in Varese (it's a question of form having been off the bike for a couple of weeks) and the final decision should be made this weekend

http://www.sport.pl/sport/1,65025,5706187,Cancellara__Zle_dla_kolarstwa__ze_Armstrong_wraca.html

ETA: There are apparently going to be meetings tonight and/or tomorrow between riders and organisers over what will happen with stage 5 - not least because the weather isn't predicted to be any better and it's a similar finish. So it's a case of watch this space as to whether the stage even happens!

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Comments

thanks for this

I was just about to rush out a post. Well done.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris Fontecchio on Sep 17, 2008 5:52 PM EDT reply actions

No problem :)

And yay for my second appearance on the front page!

And I’m still in hiding so as to avoid the initiation ceremony you and gavia mentioned last time! :)

by Gemma on Sep 17, 2008 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions

No problem

You just have to eat a pig’s knuckle cooked by Crashdan at the next Podium Cafe gathering.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris Fontecchio on Sep 17, 2008 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Gemma has to get a tatoo as well right?

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Sep 18, 2008 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes - The Telekom tattoo from Hell on Wheels

The Podium Cafe executive board all sport it.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew Davis on Sep 18, 2008 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't know if I should even ask

what that looks like! If it’s pink I’ll definitely pass thanks :) And the only team I’d consider getting a tattoo for would be my Sexy Bank boys :)

by Gemma on Sep 18, 2008 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Suffice to say it's pretty cool

but I can’t find it online anywhere. You’ll just have to buy Hollentour (worthwhile in itself).

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew Davis on Sep 18, 2008 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions

what? pardon?

I don’t remember any mention of a tattoo before!!!

(goes and hides some more and keeps an eye out for people with ink)

by Gemma on Sep 18, 2008 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Hmmmm

that sounds ‘interesting’. I may be saved by the fact it’s a long way for me to come :)

by Gemma on Sep 18, 2008 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

heh, heh

we will find you :-P

i have only one small quibble: you, my friend, desperately need an avatar. the Yelling Guy is just not right.

by Jen See on Sep 17, 2008 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions

oh, and

for a wee bit of redundancy, this story just made the gossip. but this is much better. cuz it as details and stuff.

by Jen See on Sep 17, 2008 8:08 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t know, I can hide pretty well :)

Do you think so? It would be nice to have one…I’ll look in to it

by Gemma on Sep 18, 2008 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

totally

just find a pic, and go to your profile thingy here and voilà insert. easy-peasy.

by Jen See on Sep 18, 2008 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Done

And even though you can’t really see it properly, I like it! :) Thanks

by Gemma on Sep 23, 2008 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey, What's wrong with the yelling guy

If the reversed baseball cap is good enough for John Vandevelde …

(image shamelessly stolen from Nikki)

by Monty. on Sep 18, 2008 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I have some classic Towle pics at home...

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Sep 18, 2008 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions

looks like William Shatner, maybe he’s saying something about Priceline

by plinytheelder on Sep 19, 2008 2:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Pics from the CSC site

the peloton ends the stage

Fabian chats with his soon to be teammate, Frank Hoj

even Jens! looks tired

by Katiek on Sep 17, 2008 8:32 PM EDT reply actions

that's an impressive bit of space-filling / bike handling

answers the “how many racers can you pack on the line” question.

by JFS_PGH on Sep 18, 2008 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions

Fantastic

Nice to see collective action still exists somewhere. Great post.

Oh and Cancellara is right about that bronze being gold, has there been any more inspiring moment in any race this year than him bridging that gap singlehandedly to the 2nd breakaway group…then basically doing the same thing to the first? Incredible. Sanchez should put his medal in an envelope and send it to Cancellara.

by plinytheelder on Sep 18, 2008 12:03 AM EDT reply actions

Absolutely

the move he made is already mythic, helped by the fact that no-one (other than the other riders) actually knows what happened or saw him make it. When the breaks started he wasn’t with the Evans group and then suddenly he was with them, stopped for a breather it would seem and then shot off the front and the rest is history…

I don’t think Sammy will do that mind :)

by Gemma on Sep 18, 2008 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah the insane thing at the end was that Schleck and those guys off the front didn’t think the 2nd break group could catch them…and then not only do they catch them, but Cancellara does it alone! (i.e. the other two just got on his wheel). Insane.

Funny coincidence, I was screwing around on youtube yesterday and came across footage from that film A Sunday in Hell (think that’s the name), probably everyone’s seen it but me but it’s a documentary on the 1976 Paris-Roubaix. At the end of the race everyone’s splintered, there’s a lead group of 4, then another group of 2 (Poulidor and some other dude), then a third, larger group. What happens is this: Francesco Moser attacks alone from the third group…then soon catches Poulidor and friend…and without even hesitating, keeps going, so fast that Poulidor and friend can’t even get onto his wheel! Then he singlehandedly catches the lead group! Pretty amazing stuff – alone? In Paris-Roubaix? Anyways funny that I saw this at the same time we’re talking about Cancellara at the olympics.

I don’t know who won, I know the info’s only a few clicks away but don’t tell me, I’m going to try to find the film this weekend.

by plinytheelder on Sep 19, 2008 2:19 AM EDT up reply actions

there could be worse comparisons, for sure

And I have to say, every time I read the heading of this Fanpost, it gets more and more ironic… I don’t think Poland did itself proud on this event, somehow.

by JFS_PGH on Sep 21, 2008 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions