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

[pastronef]

nice one from Gerard

Gerard Vroomen ‏@gerardvroomen 3h
Rui Costa had unique motivation yesterday: "Do .. not .. want .. to .. race .. in .. pink .. and .. purple, .. do ..not .."

 

[wirral]

Rodriguez lost the race with the finger-wagging. He should have politely asked Valverde to mark both Nibali and Costa.

Wiggins like a recalcitrant child has now learnt he can put two fingers up to management whenever he feels like it and get away with it.

 

[hrotha]

Rodriguez lost the race with the finger-wagging. He should have politely asked Valverde to mark both Nibali and Costa.

Most professional riders don't need someone to instruct them to drink water, pedal or mark their rivals with 2 km to go and a teammate up the road.

 

[spalco]

It's the same stories all over again, " after this win Costa will never be able to ride that way", after some couple of months he does it again.

His opponents suffer from Alzheimer probably or just can't counter him effectively, that's why he's ranked 8º place on CQ.

The reason why Costa often is in a position like this is not that the other riders don't know or forget or are stupid, it's that he's great at exploiting the game theory aspects of road racing; he can afford to gamble because he frequently has less to lose than the others. There's nothing Nibali can do against Costa other than try to ride him off his wheel or if he's really mad, stop working and make him lose (ala Cancellara M-SR) thus losing himself as well.

 

[Echoes]

I doubt it, a shorter (and therefor less hard) race would have been in favor of Sagan and so on

That is why you should have agreed with me, on the other forum.

I obviously agree. The distance is the key to a great race. The day CN posters understand that, the sun may rise in the West, I think.

 

[pastronef]

as long as winning le tour every year keeps their sponsors happy then Sky will continue to focus mainly on that.

agree with you

 

[Escarabajo]

Shouldnt be too critical of the way it was raced given the dreadful conditions. But it does make you wonder quite why the world road race needs to be so long. I suppose its considered to be the 'ultimate test' to find a 'worthy winner', but the fact is even if they only did 5 laps and so the race was 80k shorter I bet it wudda been the same result.

No way. Sagan would have won IMHO.

 

[Arredondo]

Well, it looks clear to me on who's side Minguez is;

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/minguez-slams-valverde-over-worlds-ride

 

[Ferminal]

I just realized I haven't said anything about the race as a whole.

It was awful. Italy tried to make the race hard but then they stopped far from the finish as no one else seemed to be interested. Everybody waited for the last lap. What the hell. See Fuglsang when he made CAS pull. Did he think he could beat the favourites head on? That was stupid, he should have tried his luck with, say, 3 laps to go. There wasn't even a single mid-race breakaway with dangerous riders looking for their chance. Teams like Switzerland, Germany or Slovakia wouldn't benefit from a harder race, but what about Spain, the Netherlands, France (at least the French did make some half-arsed attempts), Russia...?

Hell, I think we saw more action in Copenhague.

I'm the first to blame the pathetic racing but all the early abandons probably hurt the race. There weren't a lot of options for whoever was left at the end. Germany was probably the most confusing ride as they seemed to have good numbers but just mindlessly worked on the front like they were setting up Greipel (Degenkolb) for a sprint. France tried a bit, maybe one of the Norwegians could have attacked. Spain did what they had to do although maybe Moreno could have been sent up the road. I guess GVA should have attacked, no reason for both him and Gilbert to wait around.

Visconti's was the move to be in but he dropped them all too easily (and I guess if someone too strong was there Italy would have chased it back). Cancellara and Sagan must have known they couldn't handle the long climb.

Basically it was the typical Ardennes style racing where no one attacks before the final one or two hills. Nothing wrong with the parcours, just tactics as they are at the moment when the last couple of hills are so decisive. If we want to see something different maybe the climbing needs to be harder, or easier. I'd rather a slightly easier circuit where the climbers need to work harder to get rid of the rouleurs (provided the climbs aren't at the end otherwise we get a puncheur sprint). IIRC next year is easier so let's see how that works.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Italy played it to perfection until Nibali and Paolini's crash. They had a man up the road, and only nations who could chase were Belgium, Spain and France. Visconti's move should have hurt the Spaniards more, but Belgium did all the work. Italians were racing 2nd, 3rd and 5th lap really hard, and Canc and Sagan were already on the ropes and whole Spain's squad lost contact a couple of times. So if it wasn't for the crash Nibs would have been far superior in the second to last lap, where I think they wanted to bridge the gap to Visconti with Paolini or Scarponi. Which would made Spain, who by then would be left with only Rodriguez and Valverde to opt for only one leader, hence giving Nibali the perfect chance to beat them in the finish, but the crash changed everything as we know.


I'm only disappointed that Portugal left the Florence with the gold even though first time any of their riders felt the wind in the face was in last 2kms, when Costa attacked.

 

[Afrank]

Can some one explain to me how Costa or Gerrans winning by wheel sucking is any different to how almost every sprinter wins by wheel sucking?

So many riders wheel suck until they see their chance to jump and take the race. The difference is when they jump and whether they are successful or not. Rodriguez hid and wheel sucked for most of the race until he saw his chance to jump. He got away, but couldn't hold it.

You have to be strong to be there at the end. Only two riders were there, and the rider with the better finish won.

I'ts all about the race situation. In a sprint, it's all about who is the fastest in those final 200 or so meters. But if it's the end of the race, and it's a select group of riders. If one rider is refusing to take turns when he could and has no other incentive to not take turns other then to give himself a better chance of winning, then that is frowned upon.

Racing in that fashion like Gerrans or Costa did, while it is tactically smart, is not considered, let's say honorable. If your part of the winning move, then the least you could do is contribute to it. I know that I myself would never sit on if I ended up in a break in my own racing.

 

[hrotha]

About Visconti's move: I got the distinct impression that he sat up when Huzarski refused to cooperate, which I thought was stupid, considering Huzarski had been in the break for some 200 km by then. It's not just that the peloton (led by Atapuma I think) took back their advantage extremely fast, it's also that Visconti was looking at Huzarski funny and apparently not riding as hard as he was before he caught Bartosz.

 

[red_flanders]

I enjoyed the race.

I feel sometimes reading the comments here that if we'd have had internet boards in '89 people would be bagging on the Worlds that year.

Sorry, just weary of all the grumbling about every course and every tactic.

 

[max_powers]

The posters calling wheelsucking here.

I would estimate at least 80% have never raced for a win.

Let alone after more than 7 hours, non stop, in the rain.

Rides of the day: Huzarski, Nibali.

 

[Flamin]

I'm the first to blame the pathetic racing but all the early abandons probably hurt the race. There weren't a lot of options for whoever was left at the end. Germany was probably the most confusing ride as they seemed to have good numbers but just mindlessly worked on the front like they were setting up Greipel (Degenkolb) for a sprint. France tried a bit, maybe one of the Norwegians could have attacked. Spain did what they had to do although maybe Moreno could have been sent up the road. I guess GVA should have attacked, no reason for both him and Gilbert to wait around.

Visconti's was the move to be in but he dropped them all too easily (and I guess if someone too strong was there Italy would have chased it back). Cancellara and Sagan must have known they couldn't handle the long climb.

Basically it was the typical Ardennes style racing where no one attacks before the final one or two hills. Nothing wrong with the parcours, just tactics as they are at the moment when the last couple of hills are so decisive. If we want to see something different maybe the climbing needs to be harder, or easier. I'd rather a slightly easier circuit where the climbers need to work harder to get rid of the rouleurs (provided the climbs aren't at the end otherwise we get a puncheur sprint). IIRC next year is easier so let's see how that works.

They were probably trying to merely survive on Fiesole, then attack on the descent. Since no one would have let them go if they had tried something earlier.

 

[Arredondo]

The posters calling wheelsucking here.

I would estimate at least 80% have never raced for a win.

Let alone after more than 7 hours, non stop, in the rain.

Rides of the day: Huzarski, Nibali.

Nibali, after he got back after chasing 10 k behind the car? I would nominate him for disgrace of the day.

 

[hrotha]

The posters calling wheelsucking here.

I would estimate at least 80% have never raced for a win.

When you see a movie and someone asks if you liked it, do you just answer, or do you say you're in no position to judge because you've never directed a movie?

 

[The 50x12]

Italy played it to perfection until Nibali and Paolini's crash.

Really? Like blowing up the entire team before half the race?
I guess you can say it was perfect team play when the TEAM car brought Nibali to the peloton after he crashed...

I'm only disappointed that Portugal left the Florence with the gold even though first time any of their riders felt the wind in the face was in last 2kms, when Costa attacked.

Portugal had a team of 3 riders including Costa and only Machado finished. So you would want the Portuguese team to go to the front instead of helping in the positioning of Costa and giving him bidons etc?
And it also sounds like Costa didn't need to close the gap on Rodriguez and Nibali when they attacked and it also sounds like Nibali and Rodriguez didn't have the opportunity to drop him in the last climb...

I don't get this hate on Costa, he was f*ckin brilliant.
He was not the best sprinter of the four, he was the worse climber of the four, he was outnumbered whit two Spaniards in the group, he only got one shot at victory and he took it. I say he is by far the most intelligent, realistic, cold blooded killer of the international peloton.
Great WC.

 

[proffate]

I don't get this hate on Costa, he was f*ckin brilliant.
He was not the best sprinter of the four, he was the worse climber of the four, he was outnumbered whit two Spaniards in the group, he only got one shot at victory and he took it. I say he is by far the most intelligent, realistic, cold blooded killer of the international peloton.
Great WC.

this

Costa is a sneaky guy who relies on guile to get wins. I wonder how that's going to work out for him next year while he's in the rainbow.

 

[Benotti69]

The posters calling wheelsucking here.

I would estimate at least 80% have never raced for a win.

Let alone after more than 7 hours, non stop, in the rain.

Rides of the day: Huzarski, Nibali.

I think there is only 1 rider of the day and that is Rui Costa.

Why? He stayed out of trouble all day and rode the perfect race and attacked up to JRod at the perfect time and then won the sprint for the win.

Huzarski's attempt is commendable but he didn't win and neither did Nibali who was unfortunate but Costa easily rider of the day.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Thing being it's not rui's first time and posters have been very vocal about his style from way before.

 

[Dedelou]

When you see a movie and someone asks if you liked it, do you just answer, or do you say you're in no position to judge because you've never directed a movie?

Big difference between expressing a like or dislike and using what essentially is the biggest Oxymoron term in cycling: Wheel-sucking as a way to selectively castigate the performance of a rider one does not like. I believe that CN should make a special forum for "Wheel-sucking discussions like they do for Clinic discussions. That way we would have more real comments on the Pro road racing forum.

 

[max_powers]

Nibali, after he got back after chasing 10 k behind the car? I would nominate him for disgrace of the day.

after a crash, bike or replacement may need adjustment. he was not penalized. he gets to the front and races best he can and it made that race more interesting and dramatic. How badas s would it have been to win in a torn, bloodied kit?

 

[max_powers]

I think there is only 1 rider of the day and that is Rui Costa.

Why? He stayed out of trouble all day and rode the perfect race and attacked up to JRod at the perfect time and then won the sprint for the win.

Huzarski's attempt is commendable but he didn't win and neither did Nibali who was unfortunate but Costa easily rider of the day.

of course, getting the Jersey is it's own reward. Rui looked relatively fresh with it!

Rides, not rider

 

[GreasyMonkey]

Poor Purito...his face said it all....
just ONCE I'd like to see him get the BIG win.....

I thought Nibz was a hero! he rides with honor and courage

Never did hear what happened to Wiggins or when the heck he pulled over...did he ever say anything afterward?? gheez...

Wiggo got dropped on the first hill between Lecco and Florence, struggled to get back on, then abandoned once they got to Florence (maybe held up by the crash) from what I understand

Total embarrassment for GB coach.....