2013 Road World Championships: Men's Road Race, Lucca-Firenze 272.2 km

[trevim]

So.... the tarmac was too good?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/worlds-2013-cancellara-unable-to-match-the-climbers

 

[hrotha]

100% agreed. I told my company the same thing.

Same here. Before they hit the first climb in the final lap, when I saw Costa was up there (before the group was formed), I just knew he'd manage to win somehow.

 

[Taxus4a]

People is ungry in spain with Valevrde, but he hadnt legs to catch Costa, who take a lot of risk in the last corner and later was very strong.

Purito maybe had to wait for Costa and put on his wheel.

Rui Costa was the cleverm and as well very strong

Purito was the stronger.

Nibali was alone and at home, difficult to win that way.

I have followed Uran since he was 20, it is maybe my prefer rider, it is always the same story with him, when he is strong always there is something between him and a big result.

Today it was his fault, he didnt need to take that risk

 

[the asian]

Damn what a dissapointing race. The last 100 km's were incredibly boring except for the last 15 km's.

It's to be expected in the Worlds' to be honest. The ****ty weather conditions probably took a lot out of the riders, so they all decided to wait until the final lap.

 

[Kwibus]

First of all, "Don Quichote"?

Secondly, Rui Costa always rides like this. Always.

He does and they let him ride like that everytime as well. It's really smart of him and also not so smart of his opposition. It's as if they keep on underestimating him.

I don't really dislike Costa, but I certainly feel no love for him since I don't feel anything for his type of rides. Sure it's smart, but certainly not likeable.

 

[Netserk]

Me too. Just like Rodriquez normally. Lousy way of .

No. Costa does it to win.

 

[Kwibus]

No. Costa does it to win.

Sure Rodriguez has wheelsucked a lot in the past and lots of time it resulted in wins for him so I'm not sure what BS your talking about.

Besides that Rodriguez also plenty of times made the race like he did today once again.

 

[Arnout]

Sure Rodriguez has wheelsucked a lot in the past and lots of time it resulted in wins for him so I'm not sure what BS your talking about.

Besides that Rodriguez also plenty of times made the race like he did today once again.

So has Costa, did he not try an ambitious move in LBL recently as well?

Basically if he was the strongest he worked and attacked (Tour stages etc), if he was not, he reads the situation and still wins. Pretty damn good.

 

[postmanhat]

They haven't sussed out one-day racing yet. The British successes thus far have been predicated mostly on a simple bludgeoning tactic. That works when you have a garbage course and the fastest sprinter in the race (like København), but elsewhere not so much. The stage race successes they've had have been through having the strongest rider in the race and strangling the life out of everything, which is harder in a one-day race because fewer riders are willing to be cowed when there's no 'next chance' to save yourself for.

Don't really see where a British win could have come from there. Froome isn't a one-day racer, and isn't on form; JTL is looking more and more like a British Pecharromán, will need to step up strongly next season to avoid that fate. Don't really see any other Britons who could have competed on this course I'm afraid. Not at this point in time anyway. Maybe in the future Edmondson or Yates will be good in the hills, but they're not ready for an event like this yet.

Good summing up. Was dismayed, but not surprised to see the Brits leading the pack for the first 100k or so. As you say, it's their one tactic, and braindead for this course. Even Rainman Stannard had gone by the third lap

Gutted for Nibali. Chuffed Valverde didn't win

 

[Netserk]

Sure Rodriguez has wheelsucked a lot in the past and lots of time it resulted in wins for him so I'm not sure what BS your talking about.

Besides that Rodriguez also plenty of times made the race like he did today once again.

What has Purito won?

Other than GT stages...

 

[Eshnar]

What has Purito won?

Other than GT stages...

Il Lombardia says hi...

 

[coinneach]

Nibali had nothing left as well.

Yeh: but at least he left all his out on the course, with honour.

Valverde has just become my least favourite cyclist, and given the infamy and cheating that goes on, that says something!

 

[Netserk]

Il Lombardia says hi...

And was there any tactics in that? Nope.

My point was that Costa wheelsucks so he can win races. Unlike Purito.

 

[Eshnar]

My point was that Costa wheelsucks so he can win races. Unlike Purito.

Well then you weren't clear at all

 

[Arredondo]

And was there any tactics in that? Nope.

My point was that Costa wheelsucks so he can win races. Unlike Purito.

What's your point?

 

[oliveira]

This just feels so good for a portuguese fan! We´re the country of moral victories, like Agostinho's one at Vuelta, or of the great gregarios like Paulinho ou Azevedo. But now, with our cold, smart and ambitious Rui Costa, we just got our true, actual, Champion.

 

[Netserk]

What's your point?

That I don't get how anyone can have anything against Costa, when he does it so he can win.

I'd understand if he did it like Valverde does sometimes where it's to his own disadvantage.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

This just feels so good for a portuguese fan! We´re the country of moral victories, like Agostinho's one at Vuelta, or of the great gregarios like Paulinho ou Azevedo. But now, with our cold, smart and ambitious Rui Costa, we just got our true, actual, Champion.

Will it get much mainstream publicity in Portugal?

 

[Arredondo]

That I don't get how anyone can have anything against Costa, when he does it so he can win.

I'd understand if he did it like Valverde does sometimes where it's to his own disadvantage.

Are there any people who doesn't grant Rui Costa? He was just the most clever of the four, and deserves this victory. I think the way Valverde played it in the final, is something people are mad about, not the way Costa rides.

 

[Echoes]

Il Lombardia says hi...

We don't care, I guess. It's just one of the greatest classics in the history of the sport.

So how can anybody on CN be interested in that (you and me aside)?

 

[trevim]

Will it get much mainstream publicity in Portugal?

Not really because today there's a national election which will dominate the news on the coming days. He may get on the news tomorrow but nothing big.

 

[filipo]

Maybe he tried to buy Costa off, maybe he tried to psyche him out, I don't know, but it didn't look like any deal-making to me. It looked like Rodríguez was absolutely gutted as he realised then that he'd probably lost and that the team had squandered a golden opportunity.

To me it looked like a serious *****ing out, like "This is how you want to win? I've done all the work, chump."

But maybe that's just projection on my part.

 

[Descender]

We don't care, I guess. It's just one of the greatest classics in the history of the sport.

So how can anybody on CN be interested in that (you and me aside)?

Oh hi, Mr High Horse! How's the weather up there?

 

[kingjr]

Yeh: but at least he left all his out on the course, with honour.

He has to do that, because he cant win in a sprint. You know that.

 

[Arnout]

We don't care, I guess. It's just one of the greatest classics in the history of the sport.

So how can anybody on CN be interested in that (you and me aside)?

Ah we have mister grumble trousers commenting again.