Olympics Day 1!

Rowing just kicked off on BBC One, we've been live for an hour. Watching the judo at the minute. Come on Cav!

Can someone help me out here, what (if any) medals can be won today?

I believe 12 gold medals can be won today. I know Phelps can win one, and Cavendish is our first real shot at a Gold. I dunno others lol

12 golds today- sweet!

Good man, cheers Olly. Come on Cavendish

It's the main attraction today. The cycling is going to be won or lost on whether it is a sprint. If it comes down to a sprint I can only see Cav winning, but if a breakaway can stay away they will obviously win

Mon Rochey. Will miss most of it due to training but still. Do Ireland proud son.

Hope Roche has a cut at it at some stage.
And hope they catch that black dog on the course!!

Think we have missed a trick by not getting a man in the breakaway. Aussies, Belgium both have, so they won't help getting it back in

Decent group away containing the likes of Wiestra, O'Grady, Menchov and Brajkovic

And Chavanel

Our best chance of a medal today is Hannah Miley in the 400 IM. Heats just before 12, and final this evening.

Apart from Cav, we don't really have any other medal shots today.

Watching the shooting, it's bloody awful.

And China take the first gold medal. So it begins...

For those who fancy watching something different, I recommend the Handball, great sport, plus the Spanish women are playing!!

6oldenbhoy wrote:Watching the shooting, it's bloody awful.

It does make the archery look like a great spectator sport doesnt it. Not wishing to do down the incredible control it takes but as a spectacle its crushingly dull. At least you can see paint drying. I really feel for the folk who get lumbered commentating on some of these events. The cycling road race isnt much better at this point, everyone knows it will be decided in the last km. At least theres some scenery and some British contenders for gold to liven it uop a bit.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

6oldenbhoy wrote:Watching the shooting, it's bloody awful.

It does make the archery look like a great spectator sport doesnt it. Not wishing to do down the incredible control it takes but as a spectacle its crushingly dull. At least you can see paint drying. I really feel for the folk who get lumbered commentating on some of these events. The cycling road race isnt much better at this point, everyone knows it will be decided in the last km. At least theres some scenery and some British contenders for gold to liven it uop a bit.

To be fair the cycling could be decided well before the final KM, if someone from the breakaway is far enough ahead. Hopefully for us and Cav it will come down to the final km

The only team that will help us is the Germans. UK and Germany working for Cav and Greipel, need to work well together

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

6oldenbhoy wrote:Watching the shooting, it's bloody awful.

It does make the archery look like a great spectator sport doesnt it. Not wishing to do down the incredible control it takes but as a spectacle its crushingly dull. At least you can see paint drying. I really feel for the folk who get lumbered commentating on some of these events. The cycling road race isnt much better at this point, everyone knows it will be decided in the last km. At least theres some scenery and some British contenders for gold to liven it uop a bit.

Agreed, I consider myself to be a general sports fan, but Jesus, Mary and Joesph, that was the dullest sporting spectacle I've ever had the displeasure of watching. I can't understand why anyone would want tickets, when all you can see is eight people standing in a line, occasionally moving a finger. Obviously it requires a lot of skill, and I'm not bashing the participants, but it has now moved into number one spot in my sports I'll never watch again list.

Cycling commentary team have been reduced to taking the pee out of the artwork on the road. Im very disapointed that noone has chalked a massive willy out on the course or cut the grass on the hillside into a naked woman shape. When they talk about the true spirit of Britain, its that kind of childish tomfoolery I think of

Anybody else see the two-man scull and the British winning? I really enjoyed that, not something I expected to enjoy watching, but the way they powered through to win was great.

Well great to start by the GB judop chap 8ahem* cant even keep his pajamas on

I feel that Cavendish is not protected enough : been riding at the top of the peloton most of the time (in the top 5th position). wonder if he's not taking too much wind. someone like Sagan has been hiding so far and might be fresher towards the end (might not be enough for him though as he's on his own).

its important to note that none of them have earplugs to listen to which prevents any complicate tactics (or change).

Thing is they know hes by far the best straight up sprinter is this race and will be less fatigued from the TDF than Sagan, plus he has a good team around. Its quite clear they are very confident that if they can keep the race together than they can deliver him to the sprint group and he will beat anyone over a few hundred meters.
Whilst the GB team may hve been dragging the peletion behind them they havent risked getting caught up in crashes or risked not being able to respond to any real attacks and keep the peleton tempo up to eat up the early breakaway.
Because they havent ever been kicking to make those breaks or panicing to haul them in they should be fresher than the guys who have.
At this point they have the race set up exactly as they need it, its going to take a superhuman break from someone to beat them here or a bit of luck in the sprint.
Whilst ideally they wouldve liked other teams to take more turns at the front of the peleton its safer to have Cav tucked there than anywhere else on the course and they have had the benefit of keeping it moving at the pace that suits them for the type of end they want.

I think the GB cyclists have played this really well. The breakaway won't hold and we are controlling the pelaton pace. Gilbert can't hold until the finish by himself.

Great rowing performances so far too

Might depend as to whether they've got enough firepower left in their legs when Fab goes for a late one and Sagan tags on the back.

Think they will. We shall see

Plus is Sagan going to have enough in the tank?

ChequeredJersey wrote:Plus is Sagan going to have enough in the tank?

why not? he has certainly not been spending a lot of energy so far and he's only 22. dont think he can outrun cavendish though if its a mass sprint.
tony martin stopped, probably to save himself for the TT on wednesday.

I kind of want Gilbert to win now. What a nutter

50km to go on his own when you are not exactly a TT specialist. yes, nutter but he's a specialist of one day races so who knows...

Gilbert wasn't really out there to win (although he was giving it his best just in case he could) He realised it was his only hope, and it also forces GB to pull harder and wear themselves out before the end.

It'll be tough to catch this lead group now and even if they do, they're going to be vulnerable to attack.

It's a very dangerous group

This is where we see what Brad is made of.

I want LLL to win now, although Fab looks in the box seat.

am watching that on french tv website and they didnt even put any commentators, kinda weird as the only noise I get is from either the motorbike, the helicpoter and the public cheers!

Crash

Fab in the crash!

cancellara injured...

Now it's even more interesting. Especially without any time splits...

its over now for team GB...

Yep just hope Brad didn't ruin his TT chances too

ChequeredJersey wrote:Yep just hope Brad didn't ruin his TT chances too

yeah he did work a lot in the end.

watch out for Vino!

Too little too late for GB

why the spanish and italians are letting them go?

argggg- no!!

not a good start

well done Sky, 2 riders on the podium

Eh, it's a pain but only one medal

sky with two medals- i dont understand this cycling lark!!

I've never watched cycling before so I couldn't be less of an expert so please could someone explain to me why the dude that finished second spent more time looking behind than just riding his bike as fast as he could when he was that close to the finish?