https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/62939984

What exactly is your concern?
Specifically, what’s your response to the team boss’ reasoning?
Seems quite a good reason to me, in theory.
Whether what he says about mtb is true is unknown.

PS, thats gotta be one of the hardest thread titles ever to understand.

I understand the reasoning, not sure I agree with the principle.

**** it send them all economy – save the moaners.

Win nothing.

Come home. Have less budget next year. It won’t be a choice to send some economy and some business

It’ll be less riders going period.

Send them all out in economy class and if they win bring them back in business class.

So it was based on medal chances?
And those happen to split perfectly along gender lines?
Do the boys get downgraded if they don’t meet expectations?
Can the girls get an upgrade for scoring a medal?

I reckon a more convincing line would have been to claim it was just physiological and that girls is shorterer, so they don’t need the extra leg room…

That or just a traditional Galic shrug, not enough shrugging in press conferences these days.

TBH I reckon the likes of Alaphilippe could probably swing the upgrade for himself…

They should really take a leaf out of British Cycling’s book and get more of that sweet, sweet lottery money.

All bar 9 riders go economy, 9 riders go business.

Doesn’t seem so sensationalist with that as the title.

Edit read as 7 first time but actually 9

I get the logic, we send our best competitors in business. But are all of those 9 guys “best competitors”? Are none of the female riders or juniors at least as likely to take home medals? Doesn’t seem that likely.

Why bring them back business

What effect does that have on performance.

It’s not a reward

It’s to ensure that your best hopes arrive in as best condition to win medals.

The splits not only gender line. But age it’s the men’s senior team. The men’s juniors and the female squad are in economy.

But are all of those 9 guys “best competitors”?

Road cycle racing is a team sport ….. You don’t send your striker to the world cup business and the rest in economy and hope he wins you the game on his own do you ?

That’s what I’m getting at though- is the 9th and last best senior male more likely to bring home a medal than every junior and every female rider? And why is it that the break falls exactly at 9 riders? Someone’s decided how many of the top riders fly business, and it just happened to be exactly the right number for it to be all of the senior males, and then THEY all turned out coincidentally to all be the best medal hopes?

You wonder who exactly would have been the 10th or 11th, or who was the 8th and 9th

Seems obviously more likely that they’ve gone “we’ll send the best in business” and when they thought “who is best” they just went “senior males, because Bloke 1 and 2 are most likely to win” and never really asked whether bloke 9 was or lady 1 was. Which you can interpret different ways but none of them really do them any credit.

This really is little different from deciding which sporta/categories get funding from the lottery. I’m not saying it’s right that funding is based on past success but it’s hardly newsworthy.

That’s what I’m getting at though- is the 9th and last best senior male more likely to bring home a medal than every junior and every female rider?

No but he’s more likely to be playing a part in getting the mens team leader in a position to win. It’s a team sport and they are keeping their team with the best chance of a winner, who will depend on his team to get near a victory, in the best condition.

I can’t argue with his reasoning – especially given his comments about the MTB event, but I don’t agree with it…all representing their country so should all get the same, but that’ll cost much more money and I’m guess Air France weren’t offering to do a deal!

I can assure you that having flown long haul in both economy and business, business is definitely a reward.

But I agree you want your athletes to arrive in the best shape.

That’s what I’m getting at though- is the 9th and last best senior male more likely to bring home a medal than every junior and every female rider?

Possibly, he might be the rider they fire up the road to pace Alaphilippe when a potential race winning move goes. Or maybe not.

It’s not the first time it’s happened. I’d be extremely surprised if there are many of the larger and more successful national teams who haven’t had to do it.

can assure you that having flown long haul in both economy and business, business is definitely a reward.

But that’s not the point is it. Little point having it as a reward for doing well when it’s far better used for ensuring you arrive tip top. Carrots on a stick do little for marginal gains

Which you can interpret different

Well I’m.sure it makes the most sense to people who understand the mechanics of a road race and realise that the women and Jnrs will have zero influence on the men’s result

I can’t believe what happened next!

Add some comment to your post please.