newhero
Reged: 23/09/2008
Posts: 253
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Nice one Russell Downing, the only brit to finish the Worlds, and a home based rider to boot.
Puts our pro tour riders to shame dont you think. The excuse that its the end on a hard season is pathetic, all the other riders had riden a hard season, get some backbone.
Will Russ get a Euro pro team slot next year?
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thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 2335
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
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Great ride by Downing. I was screaming at the TV every time he made it over the line in the last few laps! 
I guess it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him, while it was just another day at the office for our European pro team riders.
But I wouldn't want to see Russell vanish into the obscurity of a continental based team - he's too much of an asset here at home, and has really ignited the Premier calendar series this year. 
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If you want something done, ask a busy penguin...
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cheninblancrcruise63
Reged: 27/03/2007
Posts: 956
Loc: Consett
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Quote:
I guess it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him, while it was just another day at the office for our European pro team riders.
But I wouldn't want to see Russell vanish into the obscurity of a continental based team - he's too much of an asset here at home, and has really ignited the Premier calendar series this year.
A bit unkind TWA - he wasn't there to make up numbers he'd earned it this year, much more so than some who were on the team with him!
I was a bit appalled at the British riders apart from Russ - second time this year they have just given up!!
Has Cummings had a harder year than Rebellin, I shouldn't think so!
Bit of a downer after Nicole and the girls on Saturday who worked their socks off.
PS agree with you a little about disappearing into a continental team - whatever happened to Jeremy Hunt?
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dang
Reged: 16/06/2006
Posts: 958
Loc: twixt 7 & ?
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the Totnes Tornado is going to Cérvélo
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thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 2335
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
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Quote:
Quote:
I guess it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him, while it was just another day at the office for our European pro team riders.
But I wouldn't want to see Russell vanish into the obscurity of a continental based team - he's too much of an asset here at home, and has really ignited the Premier calendar series this year.
A bit unkind TWA - he wasn't there to make up numbers he'd earned it this year, much more so than some who were on the team with him!
That wasn't being unkind. I was congratulating him on making the most of the opportunity while the other Brits didn't seem so bothered!! By 'our European pro team riders' I meant our Brits who ride in the European pro teams but I can see it was open to misinterpretation.
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If you want something done, ask a busy penguin...
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stevemacd
Reged: 12/03/2008
Posts: 27
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Hes had a great season but has also really managed to put himself in the public eye too in the last month,well done to him
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2wheels
Reged: 23/09/2008
Posts: 153
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Quote:
But I wouldn't want to see Russell vanish into the obscurity of a continental based team - he's too much of an asset here at home, and has really ignited the Premier calendar series this year.
I don't understand that statement at all. He has dominated the prem calender to a degree that it has stifled competition. He won the richmond after doing something like 10 hours training over the previous 2 days. That is how classy he is. He is head and shoulders above everyone else in the uk and thats not healthy for the longterm. Sponsers aren't going to be happy to be paying a fortune to run teams and never get a look in.
I would imagine with the televised crits next year he is going to be getting some serious offers from all the domestic teams as he will bring them some serious publicity but he should be on the continent, he has proved constantly that he has the class to perform there and if it wasnt for the fact he has had such bad luck throughout his carear would be.
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thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 2335
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
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Quote:
I would imagine with the televised crits next year he is going to be getting some serious offers from all the domestic teams as he will bring them some serious publicity but he should be on the continent, he has proved constantly that he has the class to perform there and if it wasnt for the fact he has had such bad luck throughout his carear would be.
Yes, but he's such an exciting, attacking rider to watch. If he went off to the Continent he might disappear into oblivion and we wouldn't get the opportunity to watch him again, either here or on TV. He'd spend his days as a domestique riding obscure Belgian and French races that no-one's ever heard of. I'm thinking along the lines of someone like Paul Manning. I mean we saw him on the track but what was he acheiving in the Landbouwotitsname team??? He completely disappeared off the radar in the summer.
Unless you're a top-flight like Cav there's a real danger of vanishing on the Continent - small fish in a big pool kind of syndrome.
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If you want something done, ask a busy penguin...
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aphextwin
Reged: 13/06/2006
Posts: 1071
Loc: pH 0.1
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Russell has had some duff luck over the years - he was there when the McCartney squad imploded and that whole fiasco over his (lack of) visa last year so he couldn't race in America, even though he was on an American team, must've been painful.
There's no doubt that him and his brother - and others too - have reinvigorated the Premier Calendar series this year.
One thing I don't get though, why is he called Fonzie?
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The drukqs don't work
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newhero
Reged: 23/09/2008
Posts: 253
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I bet he would love to ride some "obscure" French and Belgian races. You seem to forget mainland Europe is the home of cycling.
By obscure races do you mean the Newport or the Tour of the Resevoire. No disrespect to those fine events but how many French or Belgian cyclo journalists would have heard of them.
Go for it Russ, you have the quality.
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thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 2335
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
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Quote:
I bet he would love to ride some "obscure" French and Belgian races. You seem to forget mainland Europe is the home of cycling.
Maybe,but I'm considering the question from my point of view, not his!!! 
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If you want something done, ask a busy penguin...
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