2015 Richmond WCRR features cobbles!

[MatParker117]

Looking more and more like a reduced sprint, especially if Cav starts. GB, Australia, Germany, France & Norway all have multiple riders who can win from a gallop and engines to control it.

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

Looking more and more like a reduced sprint, especially if Cav starts. GB, Australia, Germany, France & Norway all have multiple riders who can win from a gallop and engines to control it.

Yep. And Britain riding for Cavendish just increases Kristoff chances of winning even more.

To be honest, Kristoff has won enough for now. We don't want another slightly reduced mass sprint. You can't blame him for racing like that, because it may be what is going to happen.

 

[MatParker117]

Re: Re:

Looking more and more like a reduced sprint, especially if Cav starts. GB, Australia, Germany, France & Norway all have multiple riders who can win from a gallop and engines to control it.

Yep. And Britain riding for Cavendish just increases Kristoff chances of winning even more.

To be honest, Kristoff has won enough for now. We don't want another slightly reduced mass sprint. You can't blame him for racing like that, because it may be what is going to happen.

Get used to seeing a lot of Cummings, Stannard, Knees, Nordhaug, Gallopin & Lemoine controlling a break about four minutes down the road.

 

[Brullnux]

Bouhanni or Demare aren't going to beat Kritoff in a sprint after 260km. France need to show some more ambition and destroy the race so Gallopin can attack or Jules can attack.

 

[Sylvester]

Lluis Mas, really? It's ok to bring a reliable domestique, of course, but I can't see Mas being of any use to Valverde. They really should have picked Rojas instead.

 

[bala v]

Re:

Looking more and more like a reduced sprint, especially if Cav starts. GB, Australia, Germany, France & Norway all have multiple riders who can win from a gallop and engines to control it.

Yep, but the strongest teams (Belgium, Italy and Spain) wants a hard race

 

[MatParker117]

Re: Re:

Looking more and more like a reduced sprint, especially if Cav starts. GB, Australia, Germany, France & Norway all have multiple riders who can win from a gallop and engines to control it.

Yep, but the strongest teams (Belgium, Italy and Spain) wants a hard race

Italy might ride for Viviani:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/09/news/road/richmond-2015-a-worlds-without-nibali_385141

 

[Pricey_sky]

With so many teams wanting a sprint I think it's going to take some apocalyptic weather to shake things up.

 

[shalgo]

Re: Re:

Italy might ride for Viviani:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/09/news/road/richmond-2015-a-worlds-without-nibali_385141

Now they are saying that Nibali is on the team:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cassani-names-nibali-in-italian-team-for-world-championships/

 

[DFA123]

I can see it being a really frustrating race to watch. UK at the front, relentlessly closing down attacks for very little gain. Australia doing the Orica tactics of sending a man in a break, but doing no work, just to give Matthews/Gerrans a free ride. Belgium going on pointless solo attacks, but lacking the teamwork needed to really open up the race. Spain just waiting and hoping Valverde can pull out something incredible on the last lap...

 

[SafeBet]

Re: Re:

Italy might ride for Viviani:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/09/news/road/richmond-2015-a-worlds-without-nibali_385141

Cassani has just selected Nibali among the 11 riders going to Richmond, and I highly doubt he would bring him if he doesn't plan on using him.

Also, Viviani's best result in a 250+ km race is an 38th place at the 2012 Olympics.

 

[Afrank]

Re: Re:

Italy might ride for Viviani:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/09/news/road/richmond-2015-a-worlds-without-nibali_385141

Now they are saying that Nibali is on the team:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cassani-names-nibali-in-italian-team-for-world-championships/

They can ride for both fairly easily, give Viviani a couple guys to make sure he stays in a good position and let Nibali just do his thing.

It's sounding like we're going to be reliant on the attacking riders like Nibali for some good action. It's a real shame that Cancellara won't be here.

 

[jens_attacks]

Viviani for 260 km trolololol cassani
And ulissi outside italy trololol

Forzza squalo.

 

[Taxus4a]

I see now the plane of the route and there is a change, there was a cobble street, the hevier cobblestone od the race that now is out :O, is it that true?

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

I can live with Degenkolb as WC, but not with Matthews and certainly not Kristoff.

I'd rather none of them win but a Degenkolb win would be my ultimate nightmare.

Really? At least those guys aren't one dimensional like Kittel, Viviani, Guardini etc and are somewhat capable of attacking when the opportunity presents - eg: Matthews at Giro last year.

I'd take any of the three over a pure sprinter or negative racer like Gerrans, Valverde or Pozzato.

Valverde 2014-2015 is among the most aggressive racers in the peloton. Degenkolb on the other hand, except for his PR win, is a negative racer.

So is Kristoff except for his Flanders win.

And Matthews except for his try in Amstel where he just tried to follow Gilbert.

Valverde is more aggressive than those 3 combined.

I guess I still have lingering memories of his last few rides at Worlds. I was also thinking of Amstel this year where Matthews rolled the dice and attacked with Gilbert while Valverde waited for the bunch kick and came 2nd.

 

[bala v]

Re: Re:

I can live with Degenkolb as WC, but not with Matthews and certainly not Kristoff.

I'd rather none of them win but a Degenkolb win would be my ultimate nightmare.

Really? At least those guys aren't one dimensional like Kittel, Viviani, Guardini etc and are somewhat capable of attacking when the opportunity presents - eg: Matthews at Giro last year.

I'd take any of the three over a pure sprinter or negative racer like Gerrans, Valverde or Pozzato.

Valverde 2014-2015 is among the most aggressive racers in the peloton. Degenkolb on the other hand, except for his PR win, is a negative racer.

So is Kristoff except for his Flanders win.

And Matthews except for his try in Amstel where he just tried to follow Gilbert.

Valverde is more aggressive than those 3 combined.

I guess I still have lingering memories of his last few rides at Worlds. I was also thinking of Amstel this year where Matthews rolled the dice and attacked with Gilbert while Valverde waited for the bunch kick and came 2nd.

Matthews didn't attacked with Gilbert, Gilbert attacked and Matthews followed, there's a difference! And Valverde ,who was boxed at the bottom of the Cauberg, managed to go through and he eventually bridged to those two at the top. He was not waiting for the sprint, at least no more than Matthews. You can see all of that if you carefully rewatch the race

 

[Sasquatch]

Same result as Geelong and Copenhagen. Sprint!

Matthews is a good shout.

Need to hope its wet and maybe it could be more selective.

 

[rghysens]

Re:

Same result as Geelong and Copenhagen. Sprint!

Matthews is a good shout.

Need to hope its wet and maybe it could be more selective.

This.

If no rain -> big group sprint

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

I can live with Degenkolb as WC, but not with Matthews and certainly not Kristoff.

I'd rather none of them win but a Degenkolb win would be my ultimate nightmare.

Really? At least those guys aren't one dimensional like Kittel, Viviani, Guardini etc and are somewhat capable of attacking when the opportunity presents - eg: Matthews at Giro last year.

I'd take any of the three over a pure sprinter or negative racer like Gerrans, Valverde or Pozzato.

Valverde 2014-2015 is among the most aggressive racers in the peloton. Degenkolb on the other hand, except for his PR win, is a negative racer.

So is Kristoff except for his Flanders win.

And Matthews except for his try in Amstel where he just tried to follow Gilbert.

Valverde is more aggressive than those 3 combined.

I guess I still have lingering memories of his last few rides at Worlds. I was also thinking of Amstel this year where Matthews rolled the dice and attacked with Gilbert while Valverde waited for the bunch kick and came 2nd.

Yeah, but as the other poster said, he just followed Gilbert there. Gerrans has showed more than that. The Tour Down Under comes to mind. I'd say that a guy like Matthews is one of the most negative racer in the peloton. He never takes a pull and he relies on a reduced sprint in the finale. A Kittel who can handle hills.

Valverde (at least post-2014) attacks in the middle of the races, in cross wind, on the flat, downhill, uphill and is always active up front. It's the same as saying that Contador is a negative racer. I think he races like a true all-rounder who also has a good sprint should do.

 

[Sasquatch]

Re: Re:

Same result as Geelong and Copenhagen. Sprint!

Matthews is a good shout.

Need to hope its wet and maybe it could be more selective.

This.

If no rain -> big group sprint

The only way it doesn't come down to a sprint of that size that was in Geelong/Copenhagen is if on those narrow roads a small group goes clear and works together, but with them focusing on their sprinters, that probably won't happen.

 

[robin440]

Why don't the UCI always make a course like 2013, these smaller bunch sprints are so boring. Ponferrada, probably this year Richmond, Doha and Bergen all not really tough.

 

[Velolover2]

Isn't there any chance that the four small climbs (some who are cobbled) in the finale could eliminate some of the sprinters?

 

[Sasquatch]

Re:

Isn't there any chance that the four small climbs (some who are cobbled) in the finale could eliminate some of the sprinters?

They won't eliminate riders like Matthews, Sagan, Kristoff, Degenkolb, Felline etc. They will eliminate other sprinters, yes!