2012 Road World Championships, Mens Road Race Maastricht - Valkenburg 267 km 23/09/12

[maltiv]

Breschel is a Worlds specialist. EBH is a specialist in a lot of things, but 260+ k races isn't one of them.

Indeed, but it doesn't help to be a specialist when one has no form.

By the way, EBH and Nordhaug were fined by the police today for cycling on the worlds course. The policeman apparently said that it was illegal to cycle on the road when there is a cycling path next to it...What a ridiculous rule!

 

[Falken]

Contador will be probably be a helper and the ITT showed that he isn’t in his best form.

EBH never lasts 250+ km. Will probably abandon with stomach problems at some point. Hope I am wrong, but I doubt it very much.

Nordhaug could deserve a star but I just can’t see him winning this, especially because I don’t see EBH up there in the end and that excludes a Montreal type scenario.

Moser is just too young and unexperienced IMO. Will probably make an impression but is not going to win. No worries though he’ll get a couple of rainbow jerseys throughout his career.

GVA won’t have a leadership role with Gilbert and Boonen there. I can’t really see a scenario where he wins.

Spain could very well let Contador go on a late attack. The Vuelta has made him well prepared, and he was still 9th in the ITT, not too bad. And Contador is after all Contador, a man that never ceases do amazing things. Sure he deserves at least one *.

Concering EBH it would be foolish to totally disregard him. His shape seems quiet good and the final should suit him fairly well. Sure, he has never impressed in +250k races, but in this year RVV he was amongst the top 10 last time they went over Paterberg and one sohuld add that he was involved in a crash quiet late in the race. The potential is there and given that EBH is a winner, he also deserves at least one *.

Nordhaug looked strong as hell in AGR and his win in Quebec recently was extremely impressive, if he can have a bit of that strenght left after 250k he could be dangerous. Nordhaug deserves a *.

Italy will probably let Moser attack late if he has the legs. Sure he is young, but the since potential of this guy is enormous, you never know, he could surprise. I rate him as * candidate.

GVA's shape is really good and you never know if Boonen will be there with 1-2 laps to go. If not, Belgium have a great one-two punch with GVA and Gilbert. GVA is worthy of one *.

However, we proabably just disagree.

 

[cineteq]

Not even one * love for any of Contador, EBH, Nordhaug, Moser and GVA? Bit harsh.

Actually, they're all in my list.

***** Sagan, Nibali, Gilbert, Valverde
**** Rodriguez, Freire, Gerrans, Boonen, Boasson Hagen
*** Van Avermaet, Nordhaug, Betancur, Voeckler
** Uran, Chavanel, Tiernan-Locke, Roche, Terpstra, Grivko
* Contador, Gallopin, Moser, Kolobnev, Albasini

 

[Falken]

Maltiv,

Any inside info on EBH and Nordhaug just days before the race?

 

[Falken]

Actually, they're all in my list.

***** Sagan, Nibali, Gilbert, Valverde
**** Rodriguez, Freire, Gerrans, Boonen, Boasson Hagen
*** Van Avermaet, Nordhaug, Betancur, Voeckler
** Uran, Chavanel, Tiernan-Locke, Roche, Terpstra, Grivko
* Contador, Gallopin, Moser, Kolobnev, Albasini

Thumbs up! But ***** for Nibali must have been with the heart.

 

[cineteq]

Thumbs up! But ***** for Nibali must have been with the heart.

One's fanboyism has to show somewhere, right?

 

[burning]

*****: Gilbert
****: Sagan, Valverde, Gerrans
***: Voeckler, Freire, Nibali
**: Boonen, EBH, Rodriguez, Albasini, Moser, Costa, Nordhaug
*: Contador, GVA, Samu, Noncentini, Terpstra, Uran, Mollema and just for the kicks JTL

here's my list if anyone cares

 

[maltiv]

Maltiv,

Any inside info on EBH and Nordhaug just days before the race?

Nothing in particular, no, they haven't been in Norway for a while. But they both seem very confident, which indicates that their form is still on top. EBH usually tries to lower the expectations ahead of almost any race, but not this time...

 

[cineteq]

*****: Gilbert
****: Sagan, Valverde, Gerrans
***: Voeckler, Freire, Nibali
**: Boonen, EBH, Rodriguez, Albasini, Moser, Costa, Nordhaug
*: Contador, GVA, Samu, Noncentini, Terpstra, Uran, Mollema and just for the kicks JTL

here's my list if anyone cares

Very reasonable. Although Gilbert is not an overwhelming favorite for sure. You missed Purito and Betancur.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Indeed, but it doesn't help to be a specialist when one has no form.

By the way, EBH and Nordhaug were fined by the police today for cycling on the worlds course. The policeman apparently said that it was illegal to cycle on the road when there is a cycling path next to it...What a ridiculous rule!

It isn't a ridiculous rule. It's the law. Even pro cyclists have to abide by it

 

[maltiv]

It isn't a ridiculous rule. It's the law. Even pro cyclists have to abide by it

They had set an official time when the cyclists could train on the course, between 10:00 and 13:00, yet they were fined for doing so. Isn't that ridiculous? And come on, how pointless wouldn't it be if they were using the bike path, since the support car would have to ride at their pace on the road anyway. Also, then they wouldn't actually be testing out the route, as the road probably is significantly different on the bike path

 

[Der Effe]

Indeed, but it doesn't help to be a specialist when one has no form.

By the way, EBH and Nordhaug were fined by the police today for cycling on the worlds course. The policeman apparently said that it was illegal to cycle on the road when there is a cycling path next to it...What a ridiculous rule!

Yeah, incredibly ridiculous. Just as ridiculous as cars that get fined for riding on the cycling path.

 

[burning]

Very reasonable. Although Gilbert is not an overwhelming favorite for sure. You missed Purito and Betancur.

Gilbert is one step ahead of 4 star trio, but he's not overwhelming for sure.
Betancur is too young for this race imo, but he might cause a surprise

I missed Purito though

Edit 2: Purito is in there with 2 stars You made me believe that I missed him

 

[cineteq]

Betancur is too young for this race imo, but he might cause a surprise

Too young? Nevertheless you included Moser?

 

[burning]

Too young? Nevertheless you included Moser?

Moser showed himself on a very hard nationals and was pretty good in Poland
I dont remember anything from Betancur since Trentino and last year's Emilia (I might be wrong though )

 

[Falken]

*****: Gilbert
****: Sagan, Valverde, Gerrans
***: Voeckler, Freire, Nibali
**: Boonen, EBH, Rodriguez, Albasini, Moser, Costa, Nordhaug
*: Contador, GVA, Samu, Noncentini, Terpstra, Uran, Mollema and just for the kicks JTL

here's my list if anyone cares

Good list. But after seeing Samu suffering on mediocre climbs in Tour of Britain, I have an extremely hard time believing that he will be competitive in a tough 267k race.

 

[Kwibus]

Indeed, but it doesn't help to be a specialist when one has no form.

By the way, EBH and Nordhaug were fined by the police today for cycling on the worlds course. The policeman apparently said that it was illegal to cycle on the road when there is a cycling path next to it...What a ridiculous rule!

It's not a ridiculous rule, but imo the policeman should've just warned them and tell them to use the cycling lane.

Luckily we have biking lanes everywhere in this country, but ofcourse it means that cyclists have to use it.

 

[Kwibus]

Apparently some people painted a line in the rainbow colours in the length of about 80% of the 16km circuit this night.

The did it with paint on oil base so if it rains it would've been very slippery. So once the organisation found out which was pretty fast they started removing the paint.

Fun idea to make a long line with the rainbowcolours.. just not so smart to use oil base paint.

 

[Pulpstar]

Apparently some people painted a line in the rainbow colours in the length of about 80% of the 16km circuit this night.

The did it with paint on oil base so if it rains it would've been very slippery. So once the organisation found out which was pretty fast they started removing the paint.

Fun idea to make a long line with the rainbowcolours.. just not so smart to use oil base paint.

Couldn't they have used different coloured chalk

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

It's not a ridiculous rule, but imo the policeman should've just warned them and tell them to use the cycling lane.

Luckily we have biking lanes everywhere in this country, but ofcourse it means that cyclists have to use it.

On the world championship cycling course during a designated practice period, it seems clear they bumped in to a policeman who didn't have 2 brain cells to rub together.

Discretion and common sense should be a given in any law.

 

[Pulpstar]

On the world championship cycling course during a designated practice period, it seems clear they bumped in to a policeman who didn't have 2 brain cells to rub together.

Discretion and common sense should be a given in any law.

Traffic laws & discretion are two things that I've never seen together myself

 

[theyoungest]

On the world championship cycling course during a designated practice period, it seems clear they bumped in to a policeman who didn't have 2 brain cells to rub together.

Discretion and common sense should be a given in any law.

It probably wasn't during that designated period. And thus they were subject to common traffic rules.

Frankly if you're a pro cyclist and you don't know that in Holland you should use the bicycle lane, if available, you're quite a n00b.

 

[maltiv]

It probably wasn't during that designated period. And thus they were subject to common traffic rules.

It was. Video is on TV2.no, but geo-restricted. Some Rabobank cyclists came by on the road while the policeman was giving them the fine. Needless to say, the Rabo riders were not stopped

 

[jens_attacks]

It was. Video is on TV2.no, but geo-restricted. Some Rabobank cyclists came by on the road while the policeman was giving them the fine. Needless to say, the Rabo riders were not stopped

 

[Pulpstar]

Smells like