WVA has the following palmares:
3x world champion
2x world cup
1x superprestige
3x DVV
Wins in pretty much every big race: Koksijde, Gieten, Zonhoven, Loenhout, Baal, Zolder, Namen, Ronse, Francorchamps, Gavere, Ardooie, Bredene.
WVA's palmares is superior to Sagan's, who despite being a few years older still has more big races to win.
And how much this relates to road cycling? None whatsoever. It's like if Usain Bolt moved to track cycling and say that he's better than say Chis Hoy just because Bolt won more Olympic medals and world titles abeit in different sport.
In road cycling results elsewhere (including CX, MTB and Track cycling) don't matter in the RR scope. WVA may be big star in CX, but he's still yet to make his mark on road stage. He thinks that his CX success alone makes him stand on the same pedistal like already established riders who have won countless GT, Stage Race, Classics etc. in their road careers (we're not even talking about Viviani or Cavendish's success in track cycling). Think about it would Bradley Wiggins be remembered as successful cyclist in both road and track level had he failed to win TdF back in 2012? Or if Mark Cavendish was successful track cyclist, but not making a name for himself on the road stage? As I've said - lot of guys like WVA have come from different type of cycling with all the hype to replicate the success on read level, but end up with only the "what if's". I'm not saying that he'll flop - I'm sure the future is bright for him, but I'm not certain that his behavior fits that of a future champion
WVA has the following palmares:
3x world champion
2x world cup
1x superprestige
3x DVV
Wins in pretty much every big race: Koksijde, Gieten, Zonhoven, Loenhout, Baal, Zolder, Namen, Ronse, Francorchamps, Gavere, Ardooie, Bredene.
WVA's palmares is superior to Sagan's, who despite being a few years older still has more big races to win.
And how much this relates to road cycling? None whatsoever. It's like if Usain Bolt moved to track cycling and say that he's better than say Chis Hoy just because Bolt won more Olympic medals and world titles abeit in different sport.
In road cycling results elsewhere (including CX, MTB and Track cycling) don't matter that much. WVA may be big star in CX, but he's still yet to make his mark on road stage. He thinks that his CX success alone makes him stand on the same pedistal like already established riders who have won countless GT, Stage Race, Classics etc. in their road careers (we're not even talking about Viviani or Cavendish's success in track cycling). Think about it - would Bradley Wiggins be remembered as successful cyclist in both road and track level had he failed to win TdF back in 2012? Or if Mark Cavendish was successful track cyclist, but not making a name for himself on the road stage? As I've said - lot of guys like WVA have come from different type of cycling with all the hype to replicate the success on road level, but end up with only the "what if's". I'm not saying that he'll necessarly flop - I'm sure the future is bright for him.
Good move to pick GB cyclists there, it's not like we have champions like Chris Hoy, Laura Kenny, Jason Kenny, Victoria Pendleton, Katie Archibald, Ed Clancy, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Becky James that were/are all Track champions with almost no road success but are big names here.
And let me not forget someone like Sarah Storey, who does have road success, but is a para-athlete and still one of the top names related to cycling in the country.
Or Rachel Atherton as a Downhill rider with success and is relatively well know here.
Road Cycling is not the be-all-end-all of cycling and non-road cyclists can be outstanding athletes and success in their own right. Don't be so narrow minded or naiive to think otherwise. And this is just the UK let alone Belgium where CX is on a level with de Ronde or LBL!
And what does that have to do with being able to walk out on a team where the management has made it impossible for you to continue through personal attacks and pressuring other riders on the team to alienate you?
Clearly WVA is a big deal otherwise him leaving a team wouldn't result in a court case for half a million euros!
UCI trying to oversexualize cycling, stop it before it's too late goddamnit
Every news outlet and comment blog jumped on the sock change. It's actually a rule change that goes along with new regulations on kit design, specifically aero materials/additions woven into/stuck onto clothing, including overshoes.
You're not going to see the UCI measuring socks, ever. You will see the UCI checking to see if socks and shoes have built in extra aero parts and covers.