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

[Dead Star]

I have an idea Why don't we have a WC that consists out of a time trial, a flat stage, a mtf and a hilly stage (and a ttt if you like ) and for every discipline there is a winner And the overall winner is the stage race champion, that would be a fair WC, the best riders become WC

Hello Criterium International

 

[Cancellator]

I have an idea Why don't we have a WC that consists out of a time trial, a flat stage, a mtf and a hilly stage (and a ttt if you like ) and for every discipline there is a winner And the overall winner is the stage race champion, that would be a fair WC, the best riders become WC

Have you ever watched track cycling? You might enjoy it more

 

[LaFlorecita]

Hello Criterium International

We should make that the WC

I'm not even kidding, I mean the world championships are supposed to show who are the best athletes, it is that way in (almost) every sport, why should cycling be any different?

 

[the asian]

Have you ever watched track cycling? You might enjoy it more

Nah. She likes only climbers who don't have a good finishing kick

 

[LaFlorecita]

Have you ever watched track cycling? You might enjoy it more

Nah I don't really care much about WC, it is only one race but it just seems a bit unfair to me.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Nah. She likes only climbers who don't have a good finishing kick

I like climbers in general.

 

[No_Balls]

´Since you ask, I thought Cauberg was too close to the finish line. Already in 1998 I got the impression that the circuit was too easy, but that year there was awful weather so things turned out fine.

That is everything you need to now. Gilbert shines in these kind conditions like the likes of Rujano, Henao, Uran et. al would have done in theirs. The only difference is that the latter couldnt show this. Due to some kind of allergy of putting a climb over 200 meters during the World cup road race.

 

[Descender]

Back from Valkenburg. I have to say I'd forgotten how gorgeous Dutch girls are, and how good the fries taste.

As to the race, very predictable. As expected, the course was quite disappointing. Congrats to Gilbert though, the man surely deserves to wear the stripes.

 

[Descender]

Pretty nasty stuff from Spain I'm reading. What a way to blow up a very good chance for a win.

The mistake was betting on Freire to being with. Valverde should have been the leader.

 

[Panda Claws]

Pretty nasty stuff from Spain I'm reading. What a way to blow up a very good chance for a win.

The mistake was betting on Freire to being with. Valverde should have been the leader.

Wouldn't have made a difference.

 

[Pulpstar]

Are there any true all round riders though ?

Races will always going to suit some riders more than others: At the moment I would say.

Pancake flat: Cav
Medium hills (Like today): Gilbert
Walls: Purito
Grand Tour: Contador


Probably the one rider you might bet on a top 5 for all those is Valverde so perhaps he is closest to an all round rider ? But always seems to be someone a bit better than Valverde whatever the race type may be !

 

[kingjr]

Wouldn't have made a difference.

Not for the race but at least Freire would not have had a reason to complain afterwards.

 

[the asian]

Are there any true all round riders though ?

Races will always going to suit some riders more than others: At the moment I would say.

Pancake flat: Cav
Medium hills (Like today): Gilbert
Walls: Purito
Grand Tour: Contador


Probably the one rider you might bet on a top 5 for all those is Valverde so perhaps he is closest to an all round rider ? But always seems to be someone a bit better than Valverde whatever the race type may be !

Valverde is definitely the guy who can do pretty much anything other than TT.

 

[Descender]

Wouldn't have made a difference.

I think it might. Had Valverde been on Gilbert's win, there's a good chance he would have stayed with him and beat him in the sprint.

 

[hrotha]

That is everything you need to now. Gilbert shines in these kind conditions like the likes of Rujano, Henao, Uran et. al would have done in theirs. The only difference is that the latter couldnt show this. Due to some kind of allergy of putting a climb over 200 meters during the World cup road race.

Again, Gilbert is a contender in almost every type of one-day race.

 

[ILovecycling]

I think it might. Had Valverde been on Gilbert's win, there's a good chance he would have stayed with him and beat him in the sprint.

Maybe and maybe not.We should see this in Spring'13 or early in Lombardia

 

[Panda Claws]

I think it might. Had Valverde been on Gilbert's win, there's a good chance he would have stayed with him and beat him in the sprint.

That is not really based on anything. There is no reason to believe Valverde would have stayed on a wheel Boasson Hagen and Kolobnev could not hold.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Are there any true all round riders though ?

Races will always going to suit some riders more than others: At the moment I would say.

Pancake flat: Cav
Medium hills (Like today): Gilbert
Walls: Purito
Grand Tour: Contador


Probably the one rider you might bet on a top 5 for all those is Valverde so perhaps he is closest to an all round rider ? But always seems to be someone a bit better than Valverde whatever the race type may be !

Valverde's the nearest to one we have.

He should have been the leader of the Spanish team, but it would have been irrelevant because nothing would have changed, only that there would have been less bickering about who should have done what afterwards.

 

[Descender]

That is not really based on anything. There is no reason to believe Valverde would have stayed on a wheel Boasson Hagen and Kolobnev could not hold.

Your first sentence has a point, it is obviously subjective speculation on my part.

Your second sentence left me speechless though. Are you seriously saying Hagen and Kolobnev are on Valverde's level when it comes to uphill accelerations?

 

[2 Square Wheels]

Well i enjoyed todays racing. Congats to Gilbert (is there anyone faster up a short climb?), thought the Belgium's had blew there chance with all the chashing they were forced to do but they still had 4 riders half way up the final climb i also thought Sagan was going to win with 4 laps left, but what do i know. For me EBH and Valverde wouldnt of caught him even if they had worked together but still a good result for the two.
As for GB i think Cav has done honour to the rainbow jersey in the last 12 month and even today with no chance of winning his attitude was great, trying to chase escapee's down or setting tempo on the front, about 100k he was at the front for. Wiggo and Froome wasnt quite sure what they were there for all though Froome has just finished a grueling GT. Wiggo basicly soft pedaled at the back and then climbed off from what i saw. Cummings did o.k, surprised swift went as far as he got but im really happy with the younger members of the team Rowe was up there until the last few Km, Stannard is a beast and on todays viewings the lads got a good future and JTL first apperance with the elite pelton really did a exellent job and can be proud of the company he finished with, i think theres a a few stage wins in GT in his legs

 

[Panda Claws]

Your first sentence has a point, it is obviously subjective speculation on my part.

Your second sentence left me speechless though. Are you seriously saying Hagen and Kolobnev are on Valverde's level when it comes to uphill accelerations?

Today they certainly were. But that is of course just hindsight, my bad. Normally they would not indeed.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Wow I just saw the results, wtf was Rodriguez doing, he finished with Alberto at +53" but he did no work at all

 

[Descender]

Today they certainly were. But that is of course just hindsight, my bad. Normally they would not indeed.

Valverde was nowhere near the front though from what I could see from my place at the top of the Cauberg. Apparently he had to baby-sit Freire...

 

[cineteq]

Wow I just saw the results, wtf was Rodriguez doing, he finished with Alberto at +53" but he did no work at all

Shouldn't have he been the one pacing Valverde to catch Gilbert on the Cauberg? That was pretty much the only job he had with the team.

 

[Miburo]

Shouldn't have he been the one pacing Valverde to catch Gilbert on the Cauberg? That was pretty much the only job he had with the team.

purito and moreno didn't do ****