2011 Copenhagen World Championships: Elite Men Road Race

[happychappy]

I knew Cav had this so I went out training instead of seeing it live. I don't like watching flat stages but I do like watching Cav smash everyone, suppose it'll be on youtube later.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yep.

Evidently a World Champion should come from the same 10 classics rider every year.

There is no course that gives everyone a chance.

Last year I saw Evans, Gilbert, Hushovd, etc trying for the World title. Time trial specialist/climber, Puncheur and a sprinter. That's about every aspect of cycling.

This course is and always was a joke.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I was surprised with so much work Britain had to do in the race, clearly Germany helped until the crash, I thought Australia might of put a couple of riders up in chasing.. kind of surprised nobody wanted to help Britain bring the breaks back apart from King for the USA.

But I reckon they could of gone for another 50 k and still won.

Why? Those teams were gambling. They wanted to tire out that British train because then they might outgun it in the leadout. They'd have helped out if it looked like the Brits were running out of gas and weren't going to pull back the break. But since the Brits had it under control and still had the energy left to lead out, it didn't matter because those teams couldn't outgun them in the leadout anyway.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Does anyone btw know what the course in Madrid was. Ive tried looking on the internet but cant even find a picture of the race, yet alone a profile or a map

it was actually a pretty good race if memory serves me right.

 

[thirteen]

I knew Cav had this so I went out training instead of seeing it live. I don't like watching flat stages but I do like watching Cav smash everyone, suppose it'll be on youtube later.

you can catch the end on BBC2 right now.

 

[The Hitch]

It was hilly, but not super hilly. Many people thought Boonen would be dropped, but he "surprised" everyone. He was the only real sprinter left of that group. Bettini was the strongest of the race though.

Thanks for the description but it has neither a profile, a map, nor a picture

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Last year I saw Evans, Gilbert, Hushovd, etc trying for the World title. Time trial specialist/climber, Puncheur and a sprinter. That's about every aspect of cycling.

This course is and always was a joke.

Yes, they're 3 of the 10.

You may want a course where those guys are the only possible winners, and justify it under the false pretence of giving everyone a chance, but I have no problem with occasionally having a course which gives sprinters, or pure climbers, a chance.

 

[Maxiton]

..........

It bears re-posting

Would you have a problem if the Ponferrada worlds do nothing but climb up to Alto del Morredero over and over again?

I mean, that would make it pretty processional for the elite climbers, and it would be pointless anybody but a small handful turning up. Just like today.

Even though they had Cav in mind for this, you must admit this victory wasn't easy for him. Had it not been for the truly extraordinary efforts of his team - a level of effort one could anything but count on - he wouldn't have won. As it is, it was still a close thing. And let's face it, if the parcours had been as you suggest (instead of the way it was), the winner would have almost certainly been Gilbert, with Cancellara, Hushovd and a very few others having an outside chance.

 

[hatcher]

Last year I saw Evans, Gilbert, Hushovd, etc trying for the World title. Time trial specialist/climber, Puncheur and a sprinter. That's about every aspect of cycling.

This course is and always was a joke.

Not really. In reality you saw a bunch of second tier sprinters beating the usual one-day riders.

 

[sublimit]

Even in Copenhagen they could have made it more interesting. Hell, even if it's pancake flat, include a tight, technical section that allows people to think they can sneak away! The complaints about the course are NOT to do with it being in Denmark. They're to do with the course being terrible, and the Danes could have done so much better. No, scratch that, the Danes SHOULD have done so much better.

Maybe it would still have been a sprint. But it wouldn't have been such a garbage race until then.

They could of got the finish line on another lump/climb to be fair. After the finish line drag there were a couple of lumps that might of disrupted the sprinters on the same course.

 

[Anonymous]

Makes Kennaugh and Cummings going all out for WT points in Poland look very important now.

Great riding by Stannard to take control again towards the end. Very nice win for Britian.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Thanks for the description but it has neither a profile, a map, nor a picture

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=690528&postcount=1000

 

[Siriuscat]

The riders have to ride what the UCI sanction as a course, the course was crap but the riders make the race, maybe we should remember that sometimes.

I have a big Union Jack waving today and Cav won the worlds, great day for the sport in this country, how many more kids want to be Mark Cavendish and for cycling, that's brilliant.

266KM TTT by the look of things so I suppose if you want to win a race, grab it by the goolies and win from the front, pretty awesome team ride from GB. he had to finish it himself though, the end was chaotic. Whatever "clinic elements" folk want to bring up, that was a storming ride in the last 500M to grab the jersey, the team put him there he finished it. As he said on a BBC interview, that's what he's paid to do and he does it pretty damn well.

Chuffed for him and the sport in this country....chapeau Cav

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Secondly, so the greatest wheelsucker of all time was delivered to the finish once again to be the fastest man over 200m. Big deal.

I also prefer sprinters who first pull the peloton for 20 km, and than finish it in the sprint.

Face it haters: Mark Cavendish - the rider of the year 2011!

I think Gilbert still wins this title.
If cav would have won Sanremo, this might be a closer call.

 

[GroupDK]

sørensen@

keep those personal attacks for yourself..

I dont got time to role around with you on the floor.

so get back to topic right now, or dont reply to me (pretty simple)

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It bears re-posting



Even though they had Cav in mind for this, you must admit this victory wasn't easy for him. Had it not been for the truly extraordinary efforts of his team - a level of effort one could anything but count on - he wouldn't have won. As it is, it was still a close thing. And let's face it, if the parcours had been as you suggest (instead of the way it was), the winner would have almost certainly been Gilbert, with Cancellara, Hushovd and a very few others having an outside chance.

Gilbert winning might have been predictable but at least there would have been some racing leading up to it.

This victory was routine for Cavendish, just the same as your average TDF flat stage. This wasn't his win into Aubenas or his win in Sanremo. Those were good races and victories to be proud of.

He impressed me more in the almost valueless Commonwealth Games RR last year than he did winning this Worlds, because it was just Cavendish doing what Cavendish does in a course designed with Cavendish in mind. Well done to him for winning it, but I'm not going to pretend it was anything other than the dullest World Championships race I've ever seen (with the possible exception of yesterday's Women's race) and a race that makes the World Championships seem pretty worthless.

 

[El Pistolero]

Not really. In reality you saw a bunch of second tier sprinters beating the usual one-day riders.

Now I saw a third rate cyclist winning the WC ;-)

 

[lukinox]

Can't say I disagree with you, but imo a true climbers WC and a true sprinters WC should be included every 10 years.[/QUOTE]

I totally agree with this statement, every type of rider should get a chance to win a world championship.
What's with the hate today? You should have all gone for a bike ride instead of watching the race.
Having said that I think Cavendish is a worthy winner, also great work from team GB.

 

[Zerak-Tul]

Even in Copenhagen they could have made it more interesting. Hell, even if it's pancake flat, include a tight, technical section that allows people to think they can sneak away!

With a course like that and with how hard a race like this is contested, all you'd have seen would be mass-crashes deciding the race for a random lucky rider not getting caught behind, possibly the worst way to determine a world champion.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

With a course like that and with how hard a race like this is contested, all you'd have seen would be mass-crashes deciding the race for a random lucky rider not getting caught behind, possibly the worst way to determine a world champion.

Can't be much worse than "we have a 260km parade, then we see who's the fastest over 200m". Especially when we already know the answer to that question.

 

[rides like a girl]

Can't say I disagree with you, but imo a true climbers WC and a true sprinters WC should be included every 10 years.

That would make us overdue for a mountain top finish then. While I would like it, I hate bunch sprints, not a fan of sprinters, think that those who don't like climbers would think it was one dimensional as well, and not a true reflection of what a world champion should be.

When was the last time we had a true climbers' WC? As in one that the classics men couldn't compete at?

I don't think we should have a "mountain WC" that only the climbers can compete at. Mendrisio was good, as it wasn't tough enough to put classics men like Gilbert, Cancellara and Kolobnev out of contention. But that's probably as tough as it should get.

But since I don't think we should have a WC where only the pure climbers can win, I similarly don't think we should have a WC where only the sprinters should win. A "hard" worlds should at least be easy enough to give other classes of cyclist a chance to feel they can compete, but just as that, an "easy" worlds should at least have something hard enough to give other classes of cyclist a chance to feel they can compete. A worlds that is less selective than the first three stages of the Tour de Pologne put together is no Worlds at all.

Would you have a problem if the Ponferrada worlds do nothing but climb up to Alto del Morredero over and over again?

I mean, that would make it pretty processional for the elite climbers, and it would be pointless anybody but a small handful turning up. Just like today.

You made the point I was going to make faster and better than I could. Even though I would love finally having a multi-lap HC mountain climbing Worlds, it would just as boring and parade like as today was.

 

[El Pistolero]

Can't say I disagree with you, but imo a true climbers WC and a true sprinters WC should be included every 10 years.[/QUOTE]

I totally agree with this statement, every type of rider should get a chance to win a world championship.
What's with the hate today? You should have all gone for a bike ride instead of watching the race.
Having said that I think Cavendish is a worthy winner, also great work from team GB.

Cav had his shot last year. But he got dropped... Because he isn't a good enough cyclist.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I also prefer sprinters who first pull the peloton for 20 km, and than finish it in the sprint.


I think Gilbert still wins this title.
If cav would have won Sanremo, this might be a closer call.

Gilbert, conta and evans all better.

 

[3wheeler]

Now I saw a third rate cyclist winning the WC ;-)

Like Freddy Maertens & Mario Chip then.. Think they were 3rd raters (Not) to

 

[lukinox]

Also I forgot to say, luckily the worlds happen every year so even if this one wasn't very exciting we don't have to wait too long for the next one ! (it could be 4 years like many other events)