The Crank
A great weekend of racing this weekend.
- Courtney Atkinson is a wiley old fox now and it was good to see him towel the so called young guns in Caloundra on the weekend. Atkinson still has a lot to offer the ITU world but you have to wonder when the next wave is coming. It seems we have produced only a few athletes capable of winning an ITU race in recent times when previously there were 3 or 4 who cold do it. The other question remains as to whether we have the firepower to stop Brownlee.
- Crowie made the rest look like they were standing still yesterday at Geelong. For someone who was jetlagged and apparently 80% fit he smashed some pretty handy athletes.
- The other races we liked on the weekend, well there were a few, but the races of Caroline Steffen and Leon Griffin were great to watch. Griff is a monster and will go to the States very ready and Steffen was in her own race.
- You also have to love Clayton Fettell's efforts as well. Out of the Craig Walton handbook, Fettell was super tough all the way through. If you saw his feet post race you would have to think he has a huge pain threshold. Two enourmous blisters on his heels were testament to that.
- On the topic of racing hard it is always great to see someone who is prepared to take a swing and not race so conservatively. Guys like Chris Lieto are the chief instigators in this movement. We may be seeing another member of that club improve his craft in Clayton Fettell.
- The drafting too was definitely not a highlight. We'll let you in on the video we shot of it later this week but it was certainly a concern. It looks really bad too when a peloton rolls into the turnaround. If you are a drafter then go take up cycling and if you were a TO out there and did not book anyone throughout the day then quit your job.
- Does Lance have to comment on everything? His latest was having a crack at Jonathon Vaughters who said the Astana team was soft pedalling so as to not embarrass Armstrong Seriously why would you care? Just ride away in July rather than make a comment. It was a great comment though, way to to talk smack there Vaughters.
- Nice to see one R.McEwen on the top step of the podium. People often say Robbie is this and that but he is a genuine superstar of the sport of cycling and is still a threat in the finale of any bike race.
- We copped a bit of stick off a few people for what we wrote about some of the pros last week in the lead up to Geelong. Hey we are all for feedback but at the end of the day we are a news channel. We have made a commitment to our readership and to ourselves to be report it the way we see it. This is what drives the media. In saying that we love the feedback so keep it coming and we will continue to report in this way going forward.
- Ironman Melbourne speculation is driving The Crank crazy. If it happens it happens. We are making this column an official IM Melbourne free zone for the moment.
