[Tedzo]

Originally Posted by photosbymark

A domestique should be a pretty french girl in a maid outfit with the shortest skirt possible.

AMEN! But really, if these guys weren't domestiques they wouldn't be racers at all. They aren't good enough ('good' being a relative term here because they are still amazing!). Also, these guys do win in other races, usually smaller races. Just not the TDF. A team consists of 28 riders and when one squad of 9 riders is racing the TDF other squads are racing different races at the same time. This goes on all season. So there is plenty of opportunity for the lesser name racers on the team to score wins, too. But the TDF gets the TV time.

[Dubgurl]

I see the same thing in F1 racing. One driver is faster than the other, but they're on the same team, so orders say Rossberg wins this race instead of Schumacher cause we don't want Vettel to win. (no Mercades isn't that good I know but still, freaking Red Bull > ) It drives me crazy, what ever happened to "the best person wins"

[Noel]

Just to be selected to ride in the TDF is huge. Wether as a GC contender or the lowliest domestique. It is an accomplishment way beyond anything other professional athletes will ever achieve. So yeah if I where a pro and had the opportunity to bring water bottles to the rest of the team and had no chance of winning anything in the race I would go for it in a heartbeat. As far as I'm concerned, the riders who are there with no chance for individual glory are the real heros of the race. These are the guys who really love the sport and race for no other reason. What would the TDF be with nothing but the handful of riders who get the stage wins and the jerseys?

[rola643]

Originally Posted by Noel

Just to be selected to ride in the TDF is huge. Wether as a GC contender or the lowliest domestique. It is an accomplishment way beyond anything other professional athletes will ever achieve. So yeah if I where a pro and had the opportunity to bring water bottles to the rest of the team and had no chance of winning anything in the race I would go for it in a heartbeat. As far as I'm concerned, the riders who are there with no chance for individual glory are the real heros of the race. These are the guys who really love the sport and race for no other reason. What would the TDF be with nothing but the handful of riders who get the stage wins and the jerseys?

I like that, very well put.

[Xela]

Originally Posted by Noel

Just to be selected to ride in the TDF is huge. Wether as a GC contender or the lowliest domestique. It is an accomplishment way beyond anything other professional athletes will ever achieve. So yeah if I where a pro and had the opportunity to bring water bottles to the rest of the team and had no chance of winning anything in the race I would go for it in a heartbeat. As far as I'm concerned, the riders who are there with no chance for individual glory are the real heros of the race. These are the guys who really love the sport and race for no other reason. What would the TDF be with nothing but the handful of riders who get the stage wins and the jerseys?

+1

Originally Posted by Dubgurl

I see the same thing in F1 racing. One driver is faster than the other, but they're on the same team, so orders say Rossberg wins this race instead of Schumacher cause we don't want Vettel to win. (no Mercades isn't that good I know but still, freaking Red Bull > ) It drives me crazy, what ever happened to "the best person wins"

As much as I hate to say it, I think the best person/car combination has been winning all season in F1. But I did enjoy Abu Dhabi more than most for the very reason that he didn't.

[joemorreale]

The grand tours have become such technical events that choosing the team is solely based on one gc rider. Many sprinters have to fend for themselves and do double duty as water boys. At the end of a flatter stage it is amazing how they can organize, ride so fast and at such high speeds just to come in 12th. Then your day is done, tomorrow you're back to carrying food and water. Would I race like that, yes, it's a team sport and you give til there is nothing left. If you have the genetics to be the leader than you get the glory.

[qmsdc15]

Maybe Cadel is jealous because Thor won more stages last year.

[Biker_dnb]

Can't believe the comments on this thread.

Cycling exists as it does (present controversy about drugs aside from this comment) as a result of more than a century of evolution. And at the heart of "team" racing and grand tours is the notion that there is an enormous dynamic between teams, favourites, specialists, generalists, climbers, descenders, sprinters, roleurs, directors, soigneurs, mechanics, equipment, sponsors, rivalries, alliances....

A "star" does not win a Tour without their team, though many have done so with little team assistance (remember Roche?) by their strength and their strategy. But to say there should be no individual winner (ala many other team sports) is nonsense. In other team games do the rest of the team fall by the wayside leaving the "stars" to complete the game? This happens in cycling when the race enters the mountains and the cream rises to the top. Similarly, in an individual time trial, the best/strongest races alone.

And don't most of those other sports have an MVP? Or a "best on ground" or similar?

Try to think of a grand tour as more like a movie with lots of actors, technicians, a director (or in the case of cycling, usually 20 or so) with leads, support, cameos etc. Only one actor wins the Oscar don't they? And they always thank their team (and usually their parents, agent, sponsors and God).

And personally, I'm glad cycling is different to most other sports that involve teams of barely thinking automatons following play by play instructions from their coaches and can't pace, respond, recalculate for themselves (yes, I think the introduction of race radios to cycling is a disaster).

At the end of any discussion like this comes the simple option. If you don't like an aspect of cycling - watch another. Watch something like mountain biking where riders essentially do time trials. If that's going to "float your boat" for excitement and interest, more power to you.

If not, read some history of cycling, learn of the rivalries and the strategy and the planning and the management of skills and strengths and resources. If you still don't like it, that's cool. Watch tennis, or swimming, or chess.

[Biker_dnb]

PS. Noel (my middle name incdentally) said it well !