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2017 World Championships Hong Kong April 12-16

Mar 13, 2015
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I welcome any comments on the upcoming championships and I hope to add some comments during the event days as well. I would like to preview an event or two. It is a weird year in that we had the Olympics last summer.

Look at the men's team pursuit:
2016 World Championships:
1. Australia 3:53
2. Great Britain 3:54
3. Denmark 3:56
4. Italy 3:58
New Zealand 3:57 (qualifying time)

Olympics (corrected) Best times
1. Great Britain 3:50
2. Australia 3:51
3. Denmark 3:53
4. New Zealand 3:55

World Cup 2016-2017 (3 events)
1. Great Britain 3:58 (gold)
2. Russia 3:59
3. Denmark 3:59 (gold)
4. Australia 3:59
5. France 3:59
6. Canada 4:00 (gold)

This gives us 7 top teams or 8 since Russia also had a second team win silver in Cali at 4:01
What remains to be seen with the best teams is which teams can provide the same riders.
We know Wiggins is out.So too, Aussie's Bobridge, Edmundson, and Hepburn.
So, Rio times are not expected in Hong Kong. (as far as I see).
It seems with teams pushing to their limits in qualifying and first rounds, that
there are more riders falling off and 3rd kilometer collapses than previous years.
This is one of my favorite events.
 
I'm thinking the Aussies could do well in the men's team pursuit again.
Three members of the 2016 World Champs team have been named to
their squadra...Porter, C.Scotson and Welsford. (Welsford rode all three
rounds, Porter the qualifying, and Scotson the finals @ the 2016 Worlds.)

Two 2015 World Jnr. t.p. champions- Kelland O'Brien and Rohan Wight-
have also been added to the team. The legend that is Cam Meyer is
another member of the AUS endurance team for the 2017 Worlds.

Last week at the Nationals up in Brissie, the WA state team of Meyer,
Welsford, Freiburg and Hall rode 3.55.988 to beat SA's team of Porter,
Wight, Harrison and Sayer that clocked a 3.58.423. (i.e. each team had
one defending World champ and one other rider that will be going to
the 2017 Worlds.)

Back in December at the Oceanias in Melbourne an Australian team of
(I think) Porter, C.Scotson, Welsford and O'Brien won with a 3:54.598.




(Also, Shame...France did a 3.57.594 @ the Euros in October...in case
that might help your handicapping/predictions, but I've no idea who
of that foursome might be riding at the Worlds.

At the Asian Championships in New Delhi early last month China beat
Korea in a pretty close final 4.01.084 to 4.01.835.

Colombia won the Pan-Ams with a 3.55.362 at altitude in Aguascalientes.

It will be very difficult to predict the outcome at these Worlds. Some years
(esp. years with no Olympic qualifying points) some athletes and/or some
countries in some events might peak to win a Continental title rather than
peak to place fourth, fifth or sixth at the Worlds. note: I'm not saying that
any specific nation is doing this in 2017, or agreeing or disagreeing with the
practice...just saying that it has happened in the past, and considering the
cost of sending a team to the Worlds I am not surprised that it has.)
 
Mar 13, 2015
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As we all know, it isn't the fastest, but the fastest over three rounds. It is easy to overcook it. Seems to happen to a number of silver medal winners. Personally, I think every rider in the world championships should have to be in at least one world cup event. However, things are more complicated now. For example, if I remember correctly, there was only one kilo event held. I think it is another stupid UCI change. They cut so many events out to contest a two day world cup in LA. I can't support an event like that. I don't want to see half a world cup. Maybe, it would be different if there were eight of them spread over four months instead of only four.

I would like to see Australia versus New Zealand. The kiwis have really up'ed their game.
But mostly I just love the competition of it (except for Vogel...she's my fav. Triple gold?)

As for the new omnium....fast forward. i hate it. I still like the points race, but I prefer it as a stand-alone event.
 
Mar 13, 2015
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Yes, I'm bored this week. So...
Women's Individual Pursuit

Here are some world cup best times:
Dygert 3:28
Kacowska 3:31
Ankuidinoff 3:33
Delzenne 3:35
Sharakova 3:36
Nielson 3:36

And some Olympic
Hammer 3:27
D'Hoore 3:30
Diderikson 3:30
Archibald 3:30 (other comp)
Wild 3:32
Edmundson 3:34

EDIT: Laura Kenney isn't on the list. She's pregnant!

A pretty good field, depending on how many will take part.
Some are probably doing the omnium and team pursuit.
It's a bit too early to tell.
There wasn't much world cup action in men's pursuit.
Women's team pursuit could be a third match between USA and GB.
 
What do people think of the new format for the Team Pursuit with having two teams on track in qualifying? The Kiwi men have dropped to 9th ranking I think so will do their qualifying ride against a true low ranked nation. It could be an advantage if they get close to them but not pass and drafting but it could be hell if they have to pass. It brings too much luck and variables into play just to qualify.
 
May 11, 2009
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Re:

Craigee said:
What do people think of the new format for the Team Pursuit with having two teams on track in qualifying? The Kiwi men have dropped to 9th ranking I think so will do their qualifying ride against a true low ranked nation. It could be an advantage if they get close to them but not pass and drafting but it could be hell if they have to pass. It brings too much luck and variables into play just to qualify.

In qualifying the teams ride for times and the fastest eight continue in the competition.
See UCI rule 3.2.083/085
http://www.uci.ch/mm/Document/News/Rulesandregulation/18/01/31/PIS-20161014_Changeasof14.10.16_RulesAmendments_rev_English.pdf
 
umm yes we all know that. What do you think of the change to two teams riding in qualifying? Drafting is a massive thing in track cycling so it's an incredibly important change. Do they have a clue at the UCI office? The omnium is supposed to be about finding out who the best all round rider is but without the time trials it's now a kiddies carnival event.
 
They need someone with half a brain to take over the track events. Team Sprint and Team Pursuit have completely different rules for the second ride to make the finals even though they have exactly the same format of three rides and last 8 to finals plus the poor Canadians crashed when NZ passed them in qualifying with their front guy going up into the NZ team. On top of this was that the Dutch Mens TP had to ride on their own in qualifying and received zero drafting from another team.

The Aussies qualifying time was boosted too with how long they got to draft GB.

It's all too stupid to be true.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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Re:

King Boonen said:
I was walking down Lygon St in Australia about 8 years back, when the worlds were in Melbourne, track worlds, and spotted the Malaysian kit, there was a team, well, about 7 riders, some male and female, by the looks of them track endurance riders. Beazley the Australian was still coaching them then.

I doubt many times they have groupies coming up to them, and I approached them and said "Azizulhasni Awang" and our convo did not go much further. He was studying in Melbourne at Deakin Uni too, think he was doing commerce and sports science.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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oldcrank said:
I'm thinking the Aussies could do well in the men's team pursuit again.
Three members of the 2016 World Champs team have been named to
their squadra...Porter, C.Scotson and Welsford. (Welsford rode all three
rounds, Porter the qualifying, and Scotson the finals @ the 2016 Worlds.)

how warm was the track in Hongkers? does Kerby's '12" take down Jacky Bobby's WR?
O'Brien is only 18 still.

As long as they stay off the p!$$, then like Jacky Bobby and Hepburn stay off the drink, they stay of the p!$$, they will bring down GB's WR to below 3'50".

I know it aint that simple, and their IP and TP are different disciplines and requirements.


1 Jordan Kerby (Australia) 0:04:12.172
2 Filippo Ganna (Italy) 0:04:14.647
3 Kelland O'Brien (Australia) 0:04:15.794
 
Re: Re:

blackcat said:
King Boonen said:
I was walking down Lygon St in Australia about 8 years back, when the worlds were in Melbourne, track worlds, and spotted the Malaysian kit, there was a team, well, about 7 riders, some male and female, by the looks of them track endurance riders. Beazley the Australian was still coaching them then.

I doubt many times they have groupies coming up to them, and I approached them and said "Azizulhasni Awang" and our convo did not go much further. He was studying in Melbourne at Deakin Uni too, think he was doing commerce and sports science.

That's very cool. I do tend to divert my routes through the East End when the world cup/revolution etc. is on in Glasgow but I've never managed to meet anyone out on the road. I've also not been to any of the events yet, I do go when my club mates race in the track league there (despite riding fixed pretty much everywhere the idea of riding track bores me to death) and it's a nice velodrome. I like being able to wander round in the middle too and check out the bikes (the only time I've seen a pro bike up close, Katie Archibald's), can't do that when the big racing is on.
 
Mar 13, 2015
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The next high altitude world cup at Agua should be amazing. Dygert too should break the women's world record.
Prob. won't be announced untio August or so. Junne if we're lucky.
Awang, Pervis, Aus men pursuit and US women pursuit were all so exciting.
The omnium has become very stale without any timed efforts.