2011 Copenhagen World Championships: Elite Men Road Race

[hrotha]

there is a difference betwen finishing on HC climb og having a flatish (wasnt totally falt) course. On a HC climb u imidiately eleminate most rider. On a flatsh course u favor sprinters, but dont eliminate versatile riders. After all Fabian finished 4th. Imho the teams could have put mroe pressure on the UK team and tried harder to make a selection, but too many team relied on they sprinter to pull it off.

The beauty of a WC race is that it isnt suiting the same ppl every year (but usually it doesnt exclude anyone either - and this year it didnt either)

It wasn't flattish, it was flat for all intents and purposes. Sure, Vino won in Paris once, it's not completely impossible, but you know it's 99% going to be a bunch sprint. Not that I'm advocating a HC climb, but even there you can have breakaways succeeding because it'd be a lot harder to control the race and a second-tier climber could surprise. Cancellara was 4th, yes, but he had no real chance of winning, and he didn't bother attacking because he reckoned it was pointless. Same for Gilbert. Same for everybody else in the last 10 km.

A WC course can be harder or easier, but it has to be selective one way or another.

 

[Eshnar]

This year's Worlds was not for classics riders, but for pure sprinters.

I didn't complain about the course of those worlds indeed.
But to say that these are the first for sprinters in nine years... when in these nine years 4 winners at least were sprinters....

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Cancellara was 4th, yes, but he had no real chance of winning, and he didn't bother attacking because he reckoned it was pointless. Same for Gilbert. Same for everybody else in the last 10 km.

.

There was over 260 km to attack. The fact is that only the Brits, along with the Germans and Aussies (and even they hedged their bets) wanted a bunch gallop. Surely the Belgians, Dutch, French, Italians and Spanish, with all of their collective firepower, could have mustered more than they did? The fact is they couldn't because Millar, Wiggins, Froome and Cummings were just too good, and I'll stand by my view that if they hadn't been riding, then the race would have been blown apart all over the place and everybody would have been saying what a great spectacle it was.

 

[dlwssonic]

There was over 260 km to attack. The fact is that only the Brits, along with the Germans and Aussies (and even they hedged their bets) wanted a bunch gallop. Surely the Belgians, Dutch, French, Italians and Spanish, with all of their collective firepower, could have mustered more than they did? The fact is they couldn't because Millar, Wiggins, Froome and Cummings were just too good, and I'll stand by my view that if they hadn't been riding, then the race would have been blown apart all over the place and everybody would have been saying what a great spectacle it was.

Yeah thanks to GB for making it so crappy

 

[mancsyboy]

unbelievable

Now i realise why i never visit this forum. GB and Cav rode the best race and won. The other riders were not good enough to beat him on this day. I think it is great that somebody as good for the sport as Cav is, has won the stripes.

 

[c&cfan]

amazing win for cav. you deserve it.

also,

canc..you are amazing.

 

[dlwssonic]

amazing win for cav. you deserve it.

also,

canc..you are amazing.

Canc and Cav fan
you should change your name to c&c&c fan

 

[Der Effe]

Let's forget about this awful road race and never look back. Never a parcours like this again, please.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

There was over 260 km to attack. The fact is that only the Brits, along with the Germans and Aussies (and even they hedged their bets) wanted a bunch gallop. Surely the Belgians, Dutch, French, Italians and Spanish, with all of their collective firepower, could have mustered more than they did? The fact is they couldn't because Millar, Wiggins, Froome and Cummings were just too good, and I'll stand by my view that if they hadn't been riding, then the race would have been blown apart all over the place and everybody would have been saying what a great spectacle it was.

Wise words indeed. A "perfect storm". If GB had the same number of riders as last year, they wouldn't have been able to control anything. If the riders had the same calendars as last year, it wouldn't matter how many British riders there were because they couldn't have controlled it anyway. But they did have the numbers and they did have the form and they did have the guy to finish it off even though the lead out went wrong at the end.

Which makes you wonder: given that Stannard and Thomas didn't really play a role, how much harder could the course have been and the result been the same?

 

[sublimit]

Next year at Limburg will be better for sure but everybody knows who wins already.

This year the race was dull but you have to admire the athleticism of the British team, pretty much owned the whole event from the start to finish so that makes me happy.

 

[movingtarget]

I never said that, but I'm pretty sure the majority of people who watch Eurosport uk would agree that Kelly's analysis is very insightful..Anyway each to their own!

Sean Kelly's toes know more about the sport than just anyone on here. The consensus seems to be that most commentators don't know anything and some know a little. Once again according to the experts on here. Kelly is neither senile or stupid. Delusional is the word that comes to mind for the so called legends of this website. Legends in their own minds. Cretins is too mild a term.

 

[Cimber]

There was over 260 km to attack. The fact is that only the Brits, along with the Germans and Aussies (and even they hedged their bets) wanted a bunch gallop. Surely the Belgians, Dutch, French, Italians and Spanish, with all of their collective firepower, could have mustered more than they did? The fact is they couldn't because Millar, Wiggins, Froome and Cummings were just too good, and I'll stand by my view that if they hadn't been riding, then the race would have been blown apart all over the place and everybody would have been saying what a great spectacle it was.

Idd they needed to attack more ealier. If all those teams had attacked 100% earlier and persistantly they could have made a difference. But as u said, the British team was just amazingly strong.

 

[hrotha]

There was over 260 km to attack. The fact is that only the Brits, along with the Germans and Aussies (and even they hedged their bets) wanted a bunch gallop. Surely the Belgians, Dutch, French, Italians and Spanish, with all of their collective firepower, could have mustered more than they did? The fact is they couldn't because Millar, Wiggins, Froome and Cummings were just too good, and I'll stand by my view that if they hadn't been riding, then the race would have been blown apart all over the place and everybody would have been saying what a great spectacle it was.

260 almost completely flat km. Remove Britain from the picture and you still have plenty of teams strong enough to control the race. Hell, without that crash Germany would have been up to full strength. It was impossible to do anything.

 

[theyoungest]

Millar, Wiggins, Froome and Cummings were just too good, and I'll stand by my view that if they hadn't been riding, then the race would have been blown apart all over the place and everybody would have been saying what a great spectacle it was.

The other races held on the same course suggest you're wrong. Sure, the Brits were strong, but this course is impossible to get away on if there's something resembling an organized chase (and even if there is no chase, it's hard to build up a gap of more than 40 secs).

 

[El Pistolero]

There was over 260 km to attack. The fact is that only the Brits, along with the Germans and Aussies (and even they hedged their bets) wanted a bunch gallop. Surely the Belgians, Dutch, French, Italians and Spanish, with all of their collective firepower, could have mustered more than they did? The fact is they couldn't because Millar, Wiggins, Froome and Cummings were just too good, and I'll stand by my view that if they hadn't been riding, then the race would have been blown apart all over the place and everybody would have been saying what a great spectacle it was.

The Belgians did everything they could after losing Greg van Avermaet. Leukemans, Nuyens, Vansummeren, Kaisen, Lodewyck, etc have all been on the attack multiple times.

It's a fact that flat stages are by far the easiest thing to control in road cycling. It just isn't possible to attack and open up a large gap when everyone is riding 50km/h. You can't just simply decide to ride 2km/h faster than the peloton if it's a flat race. Not even Cancellara can ride away like that. If they hadn't been riding Australia and Germany would have done it instead.

2002 ended in a bunch sprint and the British team was no factor there

 

[Cimber]

The Belgians did everything they could after losing Greg van Avermaet. Leukemans, Nuyens, Vansummeren, Kaisen, Lodewyck, etc have all been on the attack multiple times.

It's a fact that flat stages are by far the easiest thing to control in road cycling. It just isn't possible to attack and open up a large gap when everyone is riding 50km/h. You can't just simply decide to ride 2km/h faster than the peloton if it's a flat race. Not even Cancellara can ride away like that. If they hadn't been riding Australia and Germany would have done it instead.

2002 ended in a bunch sprint and the British team was no factor there

there was a large and dangerous attack at some point , where there were 2 Belgian in the group but they didnt really wanted to work, so the break caught reeled in. That one could have been really dangerous for the British team. But before that they made some nice attacks, but it seemed as if they became a but unsure the last 60kms and mayeb were afraid to attack 100% cos of Gilbert.

 

[dlwssonic]

there was a large and dangerous attack at some point , where there were 2 Belgian in the group but they didnt really wanted to work, so the break caught reeled in. That one could have been really dangerous for the British team. But before that they made some nice attacks, but it seemed as if they became a but unsure the last 60kms and mayeb were afraid to attack 100% cos of Gilbert.

I thought this were all to set up for Gilbert's attack and these attacks were to make the race hard and hard for the GB train. So I never looked at these attacks as a threat. I was really looking forward for Gilbert's attack, but I guess he was just too exhausted

 

[hrotha]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hushovd-says-two-captain-strategy-backfired-for-norway
Classic Hushovd.

 

[Cimber]

I thought this were all to set up for Gilbert's attack and these attacks were to make the race hard and hard for the GB train. So I never looked at these attacks as a threat. I was really looking forward for Gilbert's attack, but I guess he was just too exhausted

They should have gone full gas in that break tho. On a course like that u need a big group to go away. But yes I think they decided on to work cos they were w8ing for Gilbert. Shame.

 

[RedheadDane]

A finish uphill is not a good idea me thinks

Why not? Could be fun!

Now i realise why i never visit this forum. GB and Cav rode the best race and won. The other riders were not good enough to beat him on this day. I think it is great that somebody as good for the sport as Cav is, has won the stripes.

+1! Aren't the World Champ routes supposed to be different each year?

 

[El Pistolero]

They should have gone full gas in that break tho. On a course like that u need a big group to go away. But yes I think they decided on to work cos they were w8ing for Gilbert. Shame.

No, Gilbert was always going to wait for the sprint. Gilbert said to Roelandts he was free to sprint for him self as well.

 

[El Pistolero]

Why not? Could be fun!




+1! Aren't the World Champ routes supposed to be different each year?

Because Phil would always win

At least a flat stage with a real uphill finish would be a bad idea for a WC.

 

[auscyclefan94]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hushovd-says-two-captain-strategy-backfired-for-norway
Classic Hushovd.

Yes, thor likes it all to be about him. always felt that. I worry about July next year more an more.

Bettini was very critical about the Italians. They were well positioned going into the finally but seemed to just fade away. Bettini was very critical of his riders. Tough director.

 

[Cimber]

This thread made it to a Danish newspaper quoting a few posts:

http://spn.dk/cykling/article2558012.ece

 

[3wheeler]

Pity there wasn't a TTT last week of the Vuelta .. Way the Guys were mashing it around Yesterday was Awesome... Where was Cobo yesterday anyway.