Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Cycling is a team sport

The Spring Classics this year have proven that while individuals most often get the credit for winning cycling races, cycling is nonetheless a team sport. Let's take a look at some good examples from this Spring's phenomenal racing.

First of all I will say that there are occasions where a strong individual can blow away the field. However, this usually is because other teams have failed to anticipate that individual. Last year's Flanders-Roubaix double by Fabian Cancellera was a great example of this. No one expected him to be able to ride away from Boonen the way he did from so far out during Flanders. As a matter of fact they were so stunned that no one expected him to do the same thing a week the following week.

This year, however, the other teams were ready and Leopard-Trek unfortunately was not.

Fabian Cancellera came out swinging at the E3 Prijs Harelbeke. He attacked and no one could follow. He chased down the lead group and swung past them as if they were standing still. I have to admit it was a bit of an ironic twist. He passed the group alone the way that a group usually passes a lone breakaway rider. It was pretty awesome.

Then came his troubles. His strength at E3, though, was his undoing. He made it seem as if he could defeat the world all alone and so the world challenged him. No one in the upcoming races was willing to work with him and in the end it was Cancellera stick all. He stuckit to them pretty good, too. But without the team support he needed for Flanders or Roubaix he missed the top spot on both podiums. Both losses were a result of teams working against him. And while Quick Step's Sylvain Chavanel only managed 2nd for his work against Cancellera, Garmin-Cervelo reaped the benefits and placed Johan Van Summeren on the top step, although at the expense of Thor Hushovd's chance to win in the World Champion's Jersey (but that's something different altogether).

Enough of Fabian's sorrow over this year's cobbled classics. (even though they were good examples of teams working it out especially Garmin-Cervelo's Roubaix win). I like the guy and have to admit I'd rather not rub it in. It did take an entire team/several teams/the whole peloton to beat him and even though he didn't win Flanders or Roubaix this year he single-handedly made them spectacular races to watch.

Now that Amstel Gold Race has come and gone we are officially transitioned into the Ardennes Classics and while the terrain has changed, the importance of a team has not. Philippe Gilbert pulled off a fantastic win at Amstel bursting clear of his adversaries on the final assault of the Cauberg climb to the finish. I don't want to take away from his win by saying his team did it, but his team did do it. Their goal was for him to win and as the captain of the team for the day he did a good job marshaling his troops and making sure things turned out in his favor. Ultimately, Gilbert was the strongest and best tactician on the day which led to his win. But what we saw from Omega Pharma Lotto at Amstel was what Cancellera was missing in the cobbled classics. Almost every time the camera showed the front of the race as it got more serious, Gilbert's men were there. He was there with them and took responsibility for his own racing when he needed to, but he always had a couple of men around him to help out.

We'll have to see how things play out as we head towards the final Spring classics to round out this week. A good show from Andy Schleck at Amstel might mean that he gets to put another Classics win in his belt within the next few days. Personally, I'm hoping Ryder Hesjdal has some better luck and stands on at least one of the next two podiums. Regardless of who wins at Fleche Wallone or Liege-Bastogne-Liege this year, it's a good bet he'll have had some help from his team to get there.

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