2011 Copenhagen World Championships: Elite Men Road Race

[Escarabajo]

Do you know what the highlighted tells us.
That the depth of cycling wasn't there at the time. You will probably find 'pure climbers' stuck in may races that didn't suit them at the time - and many sprinters stuck in hilly races.

(I have raised this point before about the difference between cycling pre 90's & cycling now - the big change IMO was bigger teams that could specialize for events.)

This and doping. It helps the bigger guys go over the humps much easier than in the past. Pure climbers don't get the benefit as much on these type of power courses. I think.

 

[Ferminal]

Next year's worlds in Valkenburg might end in a sprint as well. It's much softer than many people make it to be.

If a team is strong enough to hold a distance to Gilbert on the Cauberg and haul him back over the next 1000m it will be a sprint, otherwise it will be more like his wins in San Sebastian or ENECO. I don't think a "sprinter", even Hushovd would win though as I doubt they can recover quick enough to burst for the line. I guess the size of the group leading into the final ascent would be similar to the groups you see going into the finale of the Gold Race.

 

[luckyboy]

Next year's worlds in Valkenburg might end in a sprint as well. It's much softer than many people make it to be.

The finishing circuit is similar to the one used in 1998 with the Bemelerberg and Cauberg, and the gaps were quite big back then.

TT looks lumpy too.

 

[Descender]

If a team is strong enough to hold a distance to Gilbert on the Cauberg and haul him back over the next 1000m it will be a sprint, otherwise it will be more like his wins in San Sebastian or ENECO. I don't think a "sprinter", even Hushovd would win though as I doubt they can recover quick enough to burst for the line. I guess the size of the group leading into the final ascent would be similar to the groups you see going into the finale of the Gold Race.

And in that race, just this year, you had an old Freire crossing the line in 6th place... without the 2 additional flat kms of next year.

 

[Ferminal]

And in that race, just this year, you had an old Freire crossing the line in 6th place... without the 2 additional flat kms of next year.

So you have Sanchez/Rodriguez/Valverde working for Freire, they could do it, but may end up winning for themselves, following a counterattacker.

If I did it now I'd probably say:

Gilbert
Spain 1 +5s
Evans + 5s
Italy 1 + 7s
Group of 10-15 +10s

 

[El Pistolero]

And in that race, just this year, you had an old Freire crossing the line in 6th place... without the 2 additional flat kms of next year.

Freire is past it.

He was 5 seconds back this year at Amstel and Gilbert already started cheering from early on.

 

[Boardslide]

Cav did have a lead out, Stannard and Thomas, he just got separated from them. A green jersey, Brammeier? got in between Cavendish and Thomas as they were sneaking through along the barriers. Thomas went back for Cavendish but he was already on Goss's wheel and the rest is history.

It was an Aussie rider who moved out of the train to the right just as Stannard and G went through to block Cav off. It was the tactic they had been using since they hit the front, at one point you see Cav coming up on the left at about 3km after being pushed out. That last 3km contained a fair mount of boring and barging, very physical.

 

[Hawkwood]

"If I can do the jersey justice half as well as Thor has this past year, I'll be happy," said Cavendish. "He's really done it proud this year. It's all about panache and showing that winning the jersey wasn't just a lucky ride, and that you worked for it."

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/530258/cavendish-this-is-for-great-britain.html

Thank you for finding the quote.

 

[Descender]

Freire is past it.

He was 5 seconds back this year at Amstel and Gilbert already started cheering from early on.

I agree he's past it, that's why I said "an old Freire". My point is, if he managed to do that what will other younger, stronger riders like him be able to do... the problem might be that many of them don't have strong teams/won't have teammates to pull from them (Sagan, Hushovd, EBH...).

 

[El Pistolero]

I agree he's past it, that's why I said "an old Freire". My point is, if he managed to do that what will other younger, stronger riders like him be able to do... the problem might be that many of them don't have strong teams/won't have teammates to pull from them (Sagan, Hushovd, EBH...).

Sagan rode Amstel this year and was nowhere. Even on the uphill finishes at the Vuelta Sagan was nowhere.

Besides, Freire also can do a top 10 in LBL, so him getting top 10 at Amstel is hardly a surprise. Don't forget that Phil was already setting the pace of the group BEFORE the Cauberg. With Greg, VDB and Vanendert we have a very strong team to control next year's WC.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

As of yet, despite many people's considerations of him for many victories on that terrain, Sagan really does not have uphill finishes in his repertoire. What his speciality has been is getting over some fairly tough terrain and being there for a flat or downhill finish afterward. He was able to hold on on the intermediate but not especially steep stuff in Poland, but on the really steep stuff he's been caught out almost every time. However, we cannot rule out the possibility of him developing that ability over time, since he's been so phenomenal to date.

 

[Descender]

Lucky for him that next year's worlds don't finish uphill, then.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Lucky for him that next year's worlds don't finish uphill, then.

Yes, definitely. But it also points out why Pisti's pointing at his Amstel results this year is pointless - because the Worlds next year are much more suited to him than Amstel Gold itself because of the flat finish.

 

[Descender]

Yes, definitely. But it also points out why Pisti's pointing at his Amstel results this year is pointless - because the Worlds next year are much more suited to him than Amstel Gold itself because of the flat finish.

I see, agreed then.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yes, definitely. But it also points out why Pisti's pointing at his Amstel results this year is pointless - because the Worlds next year are much more suited to him than Amstel Gold itself because of the flat finish.

Sagan was dropped long before the Cauberg came

 

[theyoungest]

Sagan was dropped long before the Cauberg came

I don't think that's what he means. When Sagan gets used to the distance, the Cauberg still wouldn't be that suited to him. But a finish after the Cauberg would.

Although the finish will be 1.5 km from the top, I think. In his 2 Amstel Gold wins Gilbert had a gap that he should be able to hold for that distance.

 

[The Hitch]

So you have Sanchez/Rodriguez/Valverde working for Freire, they could do it, but may end up winning for themselves, following a counterattacker.

If I did it now I'd probably say:

Gilbert
Spain 1 +5s
Evans + 5s
Italy 1 + 7s
Group of 10-15 +10s

I think Spain would be safer working for Valverde.

Sanchez Purito Piti can cross the line maybe 3 or 4 seconds behind Phil and who is going to beat him in a sprint?

 

[oldborn]

There is some pics which has been taken by our delegation in Copenhagen (downloaded from HBS)

 

[simo1733]

Sean Kelly "A fabulous race. Unbelievable aggressive racing"

 

[Escarabajo]

Sean Kelly "A fabulous race. Unbelievable aggressive racing"

He speaks good english I tell you.

 

[janraaskalt]

Is there someone who knows exactly what the World Championships Team Time Trial in 2012 will look like? I can see here that on September 16th the teams will ride 53,2 kms. What I don't know is how many riders per team are allowed, which rider's time counts and what teams are allowed to participate. The only thing I could find is this page where it says that there are 5-6 riders per team and all WT, PCT and CT are allowed to start. Is there someone who can provide me with extra (official) info?

 

[JRanton]

So let's say it's 6 riders per team.

Main contenders:

Sky: Wiggins, Froome, Porte, EBH, Thomas, Dowsett

BMC: Evans, Phinney, Van Garderen, Pinotti, Cummings, Bookwalter/Hushovd

Garmin: Millar, Zabriskie, Rosseler, Vande Velde, Talansky, Navardauskas?

Radioshack-Nissan: Cancellara, Fuglsang, Sergent, Monfort, Kloden, Posthuma?

GreenEdge: Tuft, Bobridge, Hepburn, Durbridge, Meyer, Vaitkus?

OMP-Quickstep: Martin, Grabsch, Leipheimer, Rabon, Kwiatkowski, Velits


Podium predictions from that lot?

 

[janraaskalt]

So let's say it's 6 riders per team.

Main contenders:

Sky: Wiggins, Froome, Porte, EBH, Thomas, Dowsett

BMC: Evans, Phinney, Van Garderen, Pinotti, Cummings, Bookwalter/Hushovd

Garmin: Millar, Zabriskie, Rosseler, Vande Velde, Talansky, Navardauskas?

Radioshack-Nissan: Cancellara, Fuglsang, Sergent, Monfort, Kloden, Posthuma?

GreenEdge: Tuft, Bobridge, Hepburn, Durbridge, Meyer, Vaitkus?

OMP-Quickstep: Martin, Grabsch, Leipheimer, Rabon, Kwiatkowski, Velits


Podium predictions from that lot?

I would say:
1. Sky
2. OPQS
3. Radioshack-Nissan