Viktor’s View – The Edinburgh Nocturne
The Nocturne, Scottish cycling's finest hour of the year? Or an unexciting, unprofessional procession?
You may have heard about our friend Viktor, we rely on him to voice the more traditional viewpoint, shall we say.
Nevertheless, he's a man who has hung over more barriers at more kermis's and criteriums than tongue can tell; he got in touch with us today to voice a different opinion to the ones we've been hearing about the Elite Nocturne race in Edinburgh last Saturday evening.
Here's what he had to say on...
We daren't ask Viktor about this.
...The Circuit
"That circuit was too tough, you don't stick a mountain into a criterium.
"It was guaranteed to break the field up; it's supposed to be a spectacle, and it's the sight of a bunch hurtling round on a circuit that creates spectacle, not little groups of two and three riding to not get lapped.
"The circuit needed a big bunch whizzing past the crowd; not umpteen knots of guys riding around.
"Victoria Street is a nippy hill, it shouldn't have been included. They should have kept it in the Grassmarket - flat and fast."
...The Event
"The presentation was generally good; but what was that roller racing about?
"Did they have roller racing at the start of the Giro stages, Ed?"
The bunch wrestle their way up Victoria Street.
...Professionalism
"Phil Griffiths gets 10 out of 10 for presentation with Pinarello, he has the cars, the bikes, the jerseys; he understands that it's about colour, glamour, spectacle.
"Look at the new Cipollini-designed ISD strip for the Giro, garish, yes - but it's colourful and gets noticed.
"There was a pro team at the Nocturne whose sponsor supplies car parts, and they roll up in 'British Cycling' cars - how is that professional?"
Did Dave make it look just a little too easy?
...How Dave won
"If that race had been properly 'arranged' beforehand, then the likes of Bob Hayles (who's been a World Champion) and Kevin Barclay (who's the current Scottish Criterium Champion) wouldn't have been spat out the back in the first few laps.
"It's disrespectful and unprofessional to do that to fellow pros, and it would never happen on the continent. There, you have a chat about how the race will go before the start and agree the script - then you give the public a great show.
"Millar could have ridden away with ten minutes to go. The result would have been the same, but it would have been a far better show.
"The public don't know what speed to expect the bunch to be going at; part of the job when you're a pro is to put on a show - blowing it to pieces has neither rhyme nor reason to it."
Millar and Meyer ripped the race to bits.
...The Garmin boys
"I left after 15 minutes; Millar and Meyer were clearly head and shoulders above the others, but did they need to prove that so viciously?
"They didn't make it look good at all.
"Millar only did a part of his job - winning, but not the other parts; he didn't put on a show and he didn't respect his fellow pros."
Phew. Anything else Viktor?
"Aye - where did Millar get those socks?!"
Well, it's certainly a contentious view, and if all this has got you thinking, why not contribute to the discussion by commenting below?
We can feel a regular slot coming on....
Thanks to Danny McClure for the photos.
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Viktor was right, when I heard the route I could not believe it. The circuit was stupid, you don't ride town races like this, it was a better finish circuit for a road race race.
Some interesting views,
I completely agree- Millar showed complete disdain for his fellow pros and he would not even have contemplated doing this on the continent. Although the rest of the field ride a few levels below him and Meyer there was no need to destroy them so convincingly. It compares to Ronaldo doing endless step overs and skinning a 2nd Division full back 3 or 4 times.
My question would be should Garmin have been there at all. To make this a valid and competitive event all the riders should be roughly the same level. I understand that Millar was the star of the show, but how many people were there solely to see Millar? Very few I would guess. Most were there as it was an event on their doorsteps.
That said, it was a good night out, the foldable bike race was probably the most exciting race of the night though. With a few tweaks especially to the elite race this could be a great event however it did feel like the sole purpose of the Nocturne was to promote cycling to the uninitiated. Is this a bad thing?
For once the crit showed the actual difference there is currently is between the European based pros and the domestic ones.
Yes, it's always been there, and before the latest crop of British pros, any event like this would have been a case of Euro-based pros racing against the rest of the peloton, as the British based pros had a tedency to view it as their turf, and as someone I discussed with said this moring 'they could be a tad parochial'.
We are unaware of any discussions that took place before the event. They may have taken place, with possibly no agreement being reached, which is why the race unfolded as it did.
I'd say the majority of the people watching were just general joe public rather than those who follow the sport, and the general view is that they were impressed with how good Millar was, and really enjoyed the race. I've also heard the same from quite a few who do follow the sport.
Are the British pros going to be really bothered by how it panned out?
It didn't affect their appearance fees, and have they made any comments? Will anyone remember anyway come this time next week?
Viktor sounds like a right crabbit auld get but - he's right!
The circuit was too short for a hill like that and if there was a script they weren't all on the same page.
Event presentation was good but not up to the 1980's Kellogs, McEwans crit races.
The commentator couldn't get the names/clubs of the support race riders right.
The crowds outside the Grassmarket had no commentary coz the loudspeakers were only at the start area. Event run on a shoestring maybe?
Marshals were wearing hi-viz vests from the TdF visit to London.
Having said all that, the mainly non-cycling crowd seemed to be lapping it up, so... bring it back to Edinburgh next year and get it right next time.
Just a little defence of the commentator getting the names wrong. He was given a race programme and the riders and numbers listed did not correspond to the 'proper list'. An organisational faux pas.
I am one of the 'Joe public'; a cyclist who watches the Tour but without a skerick of professional cycling race experience in me. I wandered down with my two children and it being a balmy evening, so, so rare, anything public was going to feel festive. And it did.
In response to the course, it had a distinctly European feel to it over the cobblestones, and there was a hint to me, a slight smell in the air of bigger races to come and I felt excited. So as Aidan posts, I don't think it is a bad thing for the event to be used to initiate the uninitiated.
On Victor's "it was too tough" "mountain in the middle" comment, well that was the best bit. From what I can understand, crits are on the flat, but what if the city holding it 'ain't flat? Edinburgh is a tiered, hilly city. I am Tasmanian, I used to ride home up 8k's of switch back hill, albeit slowly, I have learnt to love hills, so that rise up out of Grassmarket made me tingle a little, and that's where I stood, to see them come around the curve, hit the steep rise, see a little suffering perhaps?
These cyclists are fit, passionate, and keen to be challenged, nothing's too tough, is it? [ see O'Grady on McEwen's comments that the Down Under was too tough to follow this tangent]. If crits are about tactics, speed and stamina (aren't all races?) then the course was on-target, and it gave great vantage to spectators, where on the flat many views might have been obscured.
Like anything, this event has layers and any comment, of course, has it's collary: every good thing about this event can be turned on its head, likewise every crit has it's rave. The first of many; with debate, things will get ironed out.
I left after the elite's started, had to get children home, so I could get to a late film, it wasn't an easy choice, I was torn but yes, I traded cycling for Flashdance. Oh but that soundtrack...so worth it.
Very interesting and refreshing views from Viktor. Great to see another view on the race from a Euro veteran.
I suppose Miller's style of win may be payback for all the times the likes of Kelly, Roche and Miller came home to ride Kellogs city centre crits to get an entire bunch of UK based Pro's out to "get them". OK, the course was brutal and didn't showcase the speed and thrill of a speedy spectacle, but those on the other side of the barriers saw the Pro's really close up, struggling and looking mortal?
Let's face it, Halfords is Team GB plan riders in an orange and black wrapping.
Fixing a race so the local rider can win and appease the home crowd is downright farcical and smacks of the "Hot" crits mentioned in Kimmages Rough Ride book?
Would Viktor's response be any different if it were Boonen or Museeuw riding up a Victoria street type Muur decimating a local field, I think it may?
Viktor has a nice positive attitude!
I suspect he has a hidden agenda or a massive chip on his shoulder. Especially regarding his comments on Halfords.
I have been to France and watched the TdF and have watched Crits in this country. I found watching the riders on Victoria Street very entertaining. Watching someone sit in a large group for an hour to finally duck out at the end for a sprint is boring. I can see that any weekend on a club ride.
It was great to see the massive divide between Garmin and Rapha and then Rapha to the likes of Endura.
Miller won easily without doubt. Did he show disrespect to his fellow pros? I wouldn't call many of them pros, more like full time cyclists. I think he damaged the egos of a few riders who are used to riding against Cat 2 riders most weeks.
Was the course too hard?... racing is supposed to be hard, stop whining! It was the same course for all. The hill seperated the real pros like Kristian House from those that are kidding themselves they should be in the Tour of Britain.
Yes, it's me: Viktor's mate of almost 40 years (must count for something). The Edinburgh Nocturne was tailor made for Viktor to vent his spleen on his favorite topic i.e. British racing versus real racing (continental style). He makes a very good argument for the total abandonment of the sport in the UK (everyone's wasting their time) without taking into account the satisfaction that thousands of cyclists get from riding their bikes and performing to the best of their ability. OK, we weren't fortunate enough to be born in Belgium where cycling is the main religion (after Catholicism), and cycling is treated like football is in this country - i.e. you either make it or you take up something else (paint spraying or alchohol/drug abuse).
Dave makes some very good points in his comment regarding the race in Edinburgh and perhaps Viktor was expecting the same type of predictable procession he has been witnessing in Belgium over the years. I think the British pros made the mistake of thinking they could gang up on and outwit Messrs Miller and Meyer and paid the penalty for that.
I urge you not to give this man any more exposure (even though I suspect that you secretly agree with many of his opinions). I have listened to his opinionated rantings on a weekly basis over the years and it says something of my affection for the guy (warts and all) that I still look forward to our weekly runs. Let's face it, after you've been out with Viktor, you know you've been out on the bike. A run with him when he's on form is as hard as it gets for me these days. I have persevered when many others have fallen by the wayside.
But let's give the man his due - everyone's entitled to their opinion.