Olympics Women's Road Race

[RoadRaven]

I'm wondering if it isn't a chicken and egg thing.... the men often race the way they do - long break aways, early attacks, for no other reason than to get airtime for their sponsors...... A lot of the men know they stand little to no chance of winning the race with a suicide break (OK, well this years TDF did disabuse that notion a bit), but the fans and the sponsors love it. The women on the other hand have no motivation as their races are rarely televised, so they don't have any reason to get out there and show their colors without thinking about the win.....

Ah yes... good observation.
That probably factors hugely. If you have decided beforehand "there is point" then you wont try to MAKE a point.
And so much of racing is in the head.

So much a chicken/egg thing.
You so often think so clearly Eden. Thankyou.
This is probably a significant factor in why women often race the way women do.

[spokewench]

Women are smart! If you haven't noticed. If you know that your competition will not jump a lot; then why would you waste your energy jumping a lot? You will just wear yourself out and then lose in the end.

Women tend to be more conservative in racing - even at the local level; cause they are used to other women being conservative also.

It can be very frustrating in a pack to have it slow down, more and more, as ladies don't want to take pulls or do the work; but whether for good or bad, that is women's road racing in a nutshell.