i have no real appreciation of horse racing, but i think the jockey is one tough character. i read about his injuries and he’s earned my respect for that alone never mind his achievements.
cavendish is outstanding, fit fearless and skillful. i’d like to see him win it one day, maybe he will in future.

The ignorance about road cycling on this forum is amazing

+1 But not entirely surprising.

The ignorance about road cycling on this forum is amazing

Obviously this being a cycling forum some touchy folk will get defensive. But in relation to many sports, dodging another cyclist while moving is child’s play. Tactics and guile are not really a skill.

On a more serious note, you’d of thought Beckham could have had a shave and washed his hair for the occasion. edit (looks in the mirror and takes that back) 😳

Euro – Member
samuri – Member
but he already is one the world greatest sportsmen.

Utter balls

If cycling on a road was the only sport on the planet you could be right. But it’s not.

People mock the darts players, jockeys etc as there is a perceived lack of athleticism involved in these ‘sports’. As pointed out above, there is a huge amount of skill required – not something a road cyclist requires. Cav may be a great athlete, but he’s far from a sportsman.

As sport is “an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition” I’d argue that Cav is a great sportsman and as he has been a world champion he must therefore be one of the best sportsmen in the world. If the competition was the most successful competitor the darts player would have to win, 15 world championships is an amazing feat. However going back to the definition above I am firmly of the opinion that Darts is a competition/game (akin to chess) rather than a sport, especially as Phil Taylor would be beaten by the average person in almost any physical activity. People who think being a jockey requires no athletic prowess are just being ignorant.

Iain

I didn’t see a round up of any other British sucess on there this year. I know Steve Peat got a mention last year, but nothing for Gee being World Cup champion I guess. I know its far more niche than Cav, but a little recognition wouldn’t hurt would it?

I saw him in Portsmouth and thought he was rather nice. It was a triumph of content over style; he was a pleasant man telling an amazing story in a simple way. If he’d tried to zing it up with P.R. media studies presentation type crap, the decency of his character would have been lost.

Kindly ignore the above; I was thinking of Mark Beaumont. 😳

Sportsman – a person who exhibits qualities especially esteemed in those who engage in sports, as fairness, courtesy, good temper, etc.

Not qualities i’d associate with Mark Cavendish.

Is it sportsman of the year award, or sports personaliy of the year award?
That Mark Cavendish is he the one that does very well in the biggest annual sporting event of the year?

So then euro, in that case dodging stationary objects such as rocks, trees etc when mtbing isn’t a skill?
I’m assuming you also think that the best descenders in the tour just close their eyes and hang on at 70mph

But in relation to many sports, dodging another cyclist while moving is child’s play.

Even if this were remotely true, I’m still struggling to determine how this detracts from being a sportsperson.

Call me biased but I’m fairly certain cycling 150 miles or so at a pace that would leave everyone here (lots of whom are excellent cyclists) a very long way behind, and then cranking your bike up to 50 miles an hour for the last 500 metres while negotiating a narrow course with ten other blokes who are all within a gnats chuff of you, a fairly complex and skillful task.

Still, explaining all that is a waste of time but it does beg the question of why you’re hanging around on a cycling forum when you don’t seem to possess an inkling about it.

ooh, by the way, sports personality of the year is awarded to the ‘sportsperson who’s actions have most captured the public’s imagination’. Take that any way you like.

Amazing the slating Cav gets on here! If it was solely “personality” then surely Cav would win. Look at the emotions he showed throughout this years Tour, how can you not say he’s a personality???

…and as for the musical dramatics I was half expecting them to go the whole cliche hog and throw in Rob Dougan’s Clubbed to Death and Clint Mansell’s Requiem for a Dream. All great pieces of music, all vastly overused by TV producers.

I also wonder about the voting system. I heard around 45,000 people voted for Cav, I’m guessing mostly cyclists.

Darts is hardly a mainstream sport, and neither is horse riding. Ennis, she is a heptahlete. Possibly the most niche of all.

So who the hell is voting for these people? If the majority of voters are armchair sports fans, you would’ve thought Haye would’ve breezed it, as boxing is the most interesting sport to watch by far.

Euro – Member
Sportsman – a person who exhibits qualities especially esteemed in those who engage in sports, as fairness, courtesy, good temper, etc.

Not qualities i’d associate with Mark Cavendish.

Ah right, I thought you were taking sportsman to be a man who does sport. He is very obviously a “poor sport” who hates loosing which would be the reason why he is good. We generally seam to have a hard time accepting dominating sports figures who usually are brash, arogant and sure of winning which makes him not a particularly good candidate for Sports personality of the year. The Yanks and Aussies for example seam to have no such qualms and hence produce dare I say it more top flight sportsmen…

Iain

samuri – Member

But in relation to many sports, dodging another cyclist while moving is child’s play.

Call me biased but I’m fairly certain cycling 150 miles or so at a pace that would leave everyone here (lots of whom are excellent cyclists) a very long way behind, and then cranking your bike up to 50 miles an hour for the last 500 metres while negotiating a narrow course with ten other blokes who are all within a gnats chuff of you, a fairly complex and skillful task.

warton – Member

So then euro, in that case dodging stationary objects such as rocks, trees etc when mtbing isn’t a skill?
I’m assuming you also think that the best descenders in the tour just close their eyes and hang on at 70mph

Having spacial awareness is hardly a skill, seeing as most humans have and make use of it countless times every day. It’s a bit like saying breathing is a skill.

On this subject, surely you can see that there’s a world of difference between dodging stationary objects at speed on rough ground and avoiding collision with objects traveling at a similar speed on smooth tarmac?

Cav is a top athlete, there’s no denying that. That’s why he can cycle 10 times round the globe at 2 million mph. But of all the cycling sports I can think of, road cycling requires the least bike skill.

samuri – Member
why you’re hanging around on a cycling forum when you don’t seem to possess an inkling about it.

I like riding my bike that’s why I sometimes read/post here.

p.s. you’re biased.

But of all the cycling sports I can think of, road cycling requires the least bike skill.

Said like someone who has never ridden a road bike in their life.

Of all the cycling I do, I find road the trickiest. Really takes a hell of a lot of skill and balls, always found mtbing, bmxing, etc. much easier.

But of all the cycling sports I can think of, road cycling requires the least bike skill.

It’s blindingly obvious from that statement that you’ve never ridden in a road race and have no f***ing clue of what you’re talking about.

Wunundred!

Euro, are you the same one that is being blamed for the poor economic state of Ireland, Greece etc ?

Iain Gillam – Member

Ah right, I thought you were taking sportsman to be a man who does sport. He is very obviously a “poor sport” who hates loosing which would be the reason why he is good. We generally seam to have a hard time accepting dominating sports figures who usually are brash, arogant and sure of winning which makes him not a particularly good candidate for Sports personality of the year. The Yanks and Aussies for example seam to have no such qualms and hence produce dare I say it more top flight sportsmen…

Iain, I should have explained myself better. I’d guess all top sportsmen hate losing, but some handle it better than others.

Carl Fogarty is another example of a superb competitor but an almighty arse to boot. Often nominated for SPOTY but with absolutely no chance of winning (even though he was multiple world champ and the Brands Hatch WSB weekend was the UK’s biggest sporting event). Usually beaten by some no-hope tennis ‘star’ with much less silverware but better media training.

There are real sportsmen/women who take defeat graciously (on the outside at least) and don’t whinge or make excuses when they loose.

Look at all the roadies getting uptight. It’s ok to admit that road cycling is for fit but fairly skill-less people. Just like dodgeball is for people with two left feet or badminton is like tennis for people with bad reactions.

“Mark Cavendish worst public speaker ever”

“It’s a bit like saying breathing is a skill.”

Euro, find me one example of cavendish whinging and blaming others when he hasn’t won.

Also,

Look at all the roadies getting uptight

Great example of someone losing an argument resorting to insults, I’m not a roadie I’m a cyclist, I fully appreciate what cav or hoy or atherton do

Look at all the roadies getting uptight. It’s ok to admit that road cycling is for fit but fairly skill-less people. Just like dodgeball is for people with two left feet or badminton is like tennis for people with bad reactions.

Except that road riding down an alpine pass at 60mph or in a bunch sprint does require a fair amount of skill, not mention the tactics required for a long day in the saddle.

Pretty sure that quick feet are handy for dodgeball, and reactions are incredibly useful in badminton when the shuttlecock is coming towards you from a smash. 🙄

Euro, find me one example of cavendish whinging and blaming others when he hasn’t won.

Umm… oops!

Carl Fogarty is another example of a superb competitor but an almighty arse to boot. Often nominated for SPOTY but with absolutely no chance of winning (even though he was multiple world champ and the Brands Hatch WSB weekend was the UK’s biggest sporting event). Usually beaten by some no-hope tennis ‘star’ with much less silverware but better media training.

There are real sportsmen/women who take defeat graciously (on the outside at least) and don’t whinge or make excuses when they loose.

Most don’t usually make excuses for not winning but they are very obviously upset about not winning. Personally I prefer seeing the emotion that is displayed when they don’t come up to expectations rather than a bland media clone hiding what they really feel, it shows how much it means to them and their deturmination to win. I mean who would you rather have representing you: someone who doesnt seam to change their attude when wining or loosing, or someone overcome by the emotion of winning when they do and gets angry with themselves for falling short?

Iain

Iain, that video is Cav getting upset with HIMSELF. Not others, not his teammates. The guy had a really rocky start to 2010, plagued by illness, off form, the usual hoard of media doubters were starting to gather (even in the cycling press). You know how it works – one minute they’re the greatest sportsman around, next when they fail to live up to expectations – kick them while they’re down.

Cav was under immense pressure, he’s a bit of a volatile sort occasionally and he let it show.

He’s actually pretty shy, down to earth. Nice guy but, like all top sportspeople, extremely passionate about what he does and very aware of his potential. It’s not arrogance, it’s extreme confidence. He’s actually tempered it down a lot recently as well – notice how he always praises his teammates and the support staff on the team after a win.

Wasn’t that hissy fit more to do with letting his teams mates down rather that him losing it for personal achievement? I believe he won the next strint finish resulting in him crying on the podium.

warton – Member

Euro, find me one example of cavendish whinging and blaming others when he hasn’t won.

No need now (although Iain’s example wasn’t the one that sprang to mind). I never mentioned ‘blaming others’ and i’m not arguing – simply stating my opinion. Finally, Getting uptight is hardly an insult. Maybe your cycling shorts are a little too tight?

crazy-legs – Member
The guy had a really rocky start to 2010, plagued by illness, off form, the usual hoard of media doubters

It’s blindingly obvious from that statement that you’re making excuses for him and have no f***ing clue what really happened.

I have ridden road bikes. I’ve also rode shopping bikes, mtb, bmx, even a bloody unicycle and IN MY OPINION riding on the road requires less skill than them all (except shopping bikes – unless the load is uneven – then it’s a tough call).

Top trolling from Euro!

Euro, have you ever ridden a road bike in a group of 50 odd people all fighting tooth and nail for position at speeds of 25 mph+? If not then you don’t know the levels of skill needed, If you have then fairplay to you!

I agree with crikey though, top trolling!

He’s got a face like a spoilt toddler.

crikey – Member

Top trolling from Euro!

Rumbled.

Apologies, very slow day at work today. No harm done. 😀

I don’t doubt cavs ability nor the skill required to be a top road rider, I wish him all the best of luck. My point was that he was up against people who are the best in the world at their sport. Cav isn’t. I know his admirers won’t like this but it is true.

I read Iain’s post to be PRO Cav when he wrote the paragraph

“Personally I prefer seeing the emotion that is displayed when they don’t come up to expectations….”

which is precisely why I like him so much. He is a flawed, ultimately insecure young man (hence no confidence in public speaking, which is outside his comfort zone) and the example others have picked up on of him throwing his helmet out of the bus, having a massive crisis of confidence only to find an emotional redemption on the following stage is why I enjoy watching him so much. He ALWAYS puts his success down to his team and its obvious from his immediate post-finish reaction that’s not just PR blurb.

If i was that quick on a bike i wouldn’t give a monkies about my public speaking

crazy-legs – Member
Iain, that video is Cav getting upset with HIMSELF. Not others, not his teammates

Munqe-chick – Member
I read Iain’s post to be PRO Cav when he wrote the paragraph

“Personally I prefer seeing the emotion that is displayed when they don’t come up to expectations….”

Exactly Munque-chick, the video demonstraits Cav taking defeat in a less than gracious manner and being angry at himself for not delivering the goods. In my opinion this is no bad thing, such a prolific winner should be emotional when they loose. Why cover it up with some media training.

Iain

What hope is there for cycling in this country if cyclists can’t support the best their country has to offer?

Some right fools posting on this thread……..