2017 Worlds BERGEN, NORWAY, ITT ELITE Wednesday 20 Sept

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

And another thing about the cycling news article, why the hell is Zakarin such an overrated TT'er. I remember before stage 21 of this years giro there were still people who thought he has a chance to win the gc, and now he gets mentioned as one of the favorites among Froome, Dumoulin and Dennis. The guy only got 4th in the vuelta TT in one of the worst TT fields I've seen in a gt, beaten by Kelderman and Nibali but now he is supposed to be one of the 4 biggest favorites for the title? What the hell?

Maybe cherrypicking results from http://www.procyclingstats.com/race.php?id=149896

This was a TT in a preperation race, so that's not exactly an indicator for the WC, and even there he was only 3rd (behind Spilak who isn't exactly an ITT legend). I'm not saying he is a bad TT'ler, but a rider who had one single podium finish in an ITT since he became a real world class rider in 2015 simply isn't a top favorite for the most important TT of the year.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re: Re:

And another thing about the cycling news article, why the hell is Zakarin such an overrated TT'er. I remember before stage 21 of this years giro there were still people who thought he has a chance to win the gc, and now he gets mentioned as one of the favorites among Froome, Dumoulin and Dennis. The guy only got 4th in the vuelta TT in one of the worst TT fields I've seen in a gt, beaten by Kelderman and Nibali but now he is supposed to be one of the 4 biggest favorites for the title? What the hell?

Maybe cherrypicking results from http://www.procyclingstats.com/race.php?id=149896

This was a TT in a preperation race, so that's not exactly an indicator for the WC, and even there he was only 3rd (behind Spilak who isn't exactly an ITT legend). I'm not saying he is a bad TT'ler, but a rider who had one single podium finish in an ITT since he became a real world class rider in 2015 simply isn't a top favorite for the most important TT of the year.

I agree with everything else you said, just qualifying the bolded part
He had a mechanical, otherwise he would've won.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

And another thing about the cycling news article, why the hell is Zakarin such an overrated TT'er. I remember before stage 21 of this years giro there were still people who thought he has a chance to win the gc, and now he gets mentioned as one of the favorites among Froome, Dumoulin and Dennis. The guy only got 4th in the vuelta TT in one of the worst TT fields I've seen in a gt, beaten by Kelderman and Nibali but now he is supposed to be one of the 4 biggest favorites for the title? What the hell?

Maybe cherrypicking results from http://www.procyclingstats.com/race.php?id=149896

This was a TT in a preperation race, so that's not exactly an indicator for the WC, and even there he was only 3rd (behind Spilak who isn't exactly an ITT legend). I'm not saying he is a bad TT'ler, but a rider who had one single podium finish in an ITT since he became a real world class rider in 2015 simply isn't a top favorite for the most important TT of the year.

I agree with everything else you said, just qualifying the bolded part
He had a mechanical, otherwise he would've won.

Okay, I forgot that. Anyway, even though that race was impressive, I don't change my general opinion about this topic.

 

[johnymax]

Re:

Hows roglics form?

He says his form is good. He had some problems during the training period (illness) but nothing serious. He is motivated to do well but doesn't put too much pressure on himself. He once again said to Slovenian media that he doesn't consider himself an ITT specialist. But at the same time he knows the terrain of the ITT really suits to his characteristics. He'll probably do a bike swap.

To be fair I don't have a great feeling but this usually means he'll do a fantastic ride tomorrow

 

[HelloDolly]

Just looking at Tom Dumoulin on that climb in training ...wow

I do have sympathy for Tony Martin , Victor Campenaerts, Maciej Bodnar, Jonathan Castroviejo & Stefan Kung. These guys are top TTers with little chance of wining big except at the Worlds .. I would even include Dennis in that list

Dumoulin & Froome can win GT and other races
same with Zakarin & Kelderman ...

This Bergen TT is really for a climbing TTer...if you cant climb you wont win

what surprised me is how much of a surprise the course seemed to so many of the pros when they saw it.... do these guys not recce before they turn up or accept to ride

 

[luckyboy]

This stuff with the carpet, pushing, bike change is really stupid.

Just put the climb in the middle after one lap if you need it there - the course will be more interesting that way. Then we would see if someone would risk a change, and riders would plan how much energy to give etc etc.

A Worlds TT should be like 50-60km anyway.

 

[Parker]

Re:

what surprised me is how much of a surprise the course seemed to so many of the pros when they saw it.... do these guys not recce before they turn up or accept to ride

Bergen isn't the easiest place to get to. I doubt any non-Norwegian rider visited in person prior to this week.

 

[Netserk]

It's a dead end, so it's there at the finish or not at all.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

what surprised me is how much of a surprise the course seemed to so many of the pros when they saw it.... do these guys not recce before they turn up or accept to ride

Bergen isn't the easiest place to get to. I doubt any non-Norwegian rider visited in person prior to this week.

I meant see a video ...or have a country support staff go there ....esp if you want to win

It's a dead end, so it's there at the finish or not at all.

Could they not do a turn around and go back down it ??

 

[Tonton]

Tony whining, like all German riders these days. Always complaining. Really.

Too short, but who said that it has to be flat?

Dumourain to cap a Huge year.

 

[AQETUYIOI]

Re: Re:

what surprised me is how much of a surprise the course seemed to so many of the pros when they saw it.... do these guys not recce before they turn up or accept to ride

Bergen isn't the easiest place to get to. I doubt any non-Norwegian rider visited in person prior to this week.

A stage of 'Tour des Fjords' finished in Bergen a year ago. And some Belgians visited in April.

 

[Breh]

Tony whining, like all German riders these days. Always complaining. Really.

Too short, but who said that it has to be flat?

Dumourain to cap a Huge year.

Thats the kind of generalization I like.

Please direct me to all the crying by all the Germans the last few days.

 

[Kazistuta]

Actually I thought the same as Tonton wrote,but couldn't quite back it up. It's just a feeling.

But I guess it's mostly Tony Martin and John Degenkolb,and it's perhaps more due to their rapid decline in results than their nationality. Greipel has handled his below-average season better than those two.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Actually, I don't mind an ITT like this once in a while. I would have preferred a more hilly ITT instead of a MTF ITT but it's ok. We're still talking about Dumoulin, Froome, Dennis, Kiryienka etc. as the biggest favorites, so it's not like it skewed towards climbers who can TT well anyway.

 

[The Hegelian]

Re:

Actually I thought the same as Tonton wrote,but couldn't quite back it up. It's just a feeling.

But I guess it's mostly Tony Martin and John Degenkolb,and it's perhaps more due to their rapid decline in results than their nationality. Greipel has handled his below-average season better than those two.

My sense is that there has been a big decline in rider crumbles since Cancellera retired.....

 

[Jagartrott]

Anyone know what form Bodnar is in?
It's a bit similar to the TdF TT he won.

 

[del1962]

The Germen Greipel is one of the least moany cyclists in the peloton

I think some people are getting too hung up about the small hill at the finish, this is only a small part of the course, I see the French haven't entered Romain Bardet because of it.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

I do have sympathy for Tony Martin , Victor Campenaerts, Maciej Bodnar, Jonathan Castroviejo & Stefan Kung. These guys are top TTers with little chance of wining big except at the Worlds .. I would even include Dennis in that list

Guys like those had a chance to become world champion from 1994 to 2016. And they will have again from 2018 until itt's will be gone. Which will happen in the next ten years. So no need to feel sorry.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

With that hill at the end I think Kelderman might surprise. I'm going for

1 Dumoulin
2 Froome
3 Kelderman

 

[el chava]

Re:

Actually I thought the same as Tonton wrote,but couldn't quite back it up. It's just a feeling.

But I guess it's mostly Tony Martin and John Degenkolb,and it's perhaps more due to their rapid decline in results than their nationality. Greipel has handled his below-average season better than those two.

Jens Voigt also started to whine when he got old.

 

[el chava]

Allowing or even encouraging a complete bike change is beyond ridiculous. I mean there's even a designated pitstop for god's sake.

TT's should be raced with the same bike, no radio, no SRM, no BS. It should be a test for how well you can assess your own pain and body and pace yourself according to that. It seems they want to make a pure pure tech show.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Actually, I don't mind an ITT like this once in a while. I would have preferred a more hilly ITT instead of a MTF ITT but it's ok. We're still talking about Dumoulin, Froome, Dennis, Kiryienka etc. as the biggest favorites, so it's not like it skewed towards climbers who can TT well anyway.

It's only a 3rd category climb. Not exactly an MTF.

Tony whining, like all German riders these days. Always complaining. Really.

Too short, but who said that it has to be flat?

Pretty sure Tony at his career best would be competitive FTW in this ITT. His whining doesn't make much sense. He didn't have to show up. He knew what the profile looked like beforehand.

As for the length... I don't mind it if they mix it up every now and then. Then again, I'm not nearly as conservative as most cycling fans on this forum.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Dumoulin said the 'flat' isn't really flat, it's up and down the whole time trial. He said he probably couldn't wish for a better profile. But ofcourse Froome and Dennis remain main competitors

 

[Pennino]

Re:

Allowing or even encouraging a complete bike change is beyond ridiculous. I mean there's even a designated pitstop for god's sake.

TT's should be raced with the same bike, no radio, no SRM, no BS. It should be a test for how well you can assess your own pain and body and pace yourself according to that. It seems they want to make a pure pure tech show.

Totally agree. The same with the TT suit design which in fact has become some science race to the bottom. Just f### off with that.

In fact I would just like to see: TT 50/60 km, bring your TT bike and helmet and we show you the exact course on the day before the race.

 

[HelloDolly]

So some outsiders for the win imo (in ascending order of probability)

Gianni Moscon
Gorka Izaguirre
Primoz Roglic
Wilco Kelderman
Jonathan Castroviejo