2019 UCI Road World Championships Men's Road Race : 284.5km

[JosephK]

I ask myself, "Is this a memorable World's men's road race?" For me, very much so. There was all sorts of drama--the weather, the hard course, the sadness of crashes and abandons, riders against the elements, and great support from the people of Yorkshire. There were brave attacks; some didn't work. But the one that stuck left the outcome uncertain to the final moment, and in the end there was a surprise winner, most deserving. Great race.

 

[Unchained]

Remember promoter in San Francisco putting some kind of skateboard like grip tape on 2 or 3 manhole covers that were in the apex of the turn..seeing the roads flooded..lots of slippery white striping and all other factors surprised by lack of crashes..
seeing the fans lining the streets was an eye opener.
.if that was the Tour of California..the stage would have been shortened and @1000 people would have shown up including police,EMTs and race employees..
was fun to watch nobody had a damp spirit!!

 

[Leinster]

Haha, okay champ.

I don't really think it was the best elite WC in a long while as many make it out to be but it was definitely worth the watch.

Also, a funny observation: This was the second year in a row where the win was contested in a small sprint desperately chased by Gianni Moscon.

It’s 3 years in a row where Moscon has had a bearing on the final outcome. On 3 very different courses. You have to tip your hat to the guy. But from a safe distance in case he takes it the wrong way.

 

[Koronin]

Haha, okay champ.

I don't really think it was the best elite WC in a long while as many make it out to be but it was definitely worth the watch.

Also, a funny observation: This was the second year in a row where the win was contested in a small sprint desperately chased by Gianni Moscon.

Now that is funny. Maybe next year we can get 3 years in a row for that.

 

[Leinster]

Not what I said, try again.

It’s not the words that you wrote. But it is what you said.

 

[Red Rick]

I've never rewatched it so who knows really, but I thought it had lots of action from afar, especially by Gilbert and Evans - it's only that it all came together at the end and there was a reduced bunch sprint. I remember it as an immensely entertaining race.

Gilbert went in the last lap too. There was a group with Schleck and Evans ahead then and Gilbert dropped them in the 2nd hill in the final lap. Nit sure when that Evans/Schleck group went tho

 

[Cance > TheRest]

How so? He seems to be always up there but his biggest victories yet are grand Tour stages and Paris - Tours.

I was writing that convinved he would win the race at the time.

Yet, I still think that he has lived up to his potential. He has never really been close to winning a monument and that probably says something about his limitations. He is like a light version of Sagan, GVA etc.

 

[Koronin]

It’s not the words that you wrote. But it is what you said.

As Alejandro has NEVER raced California and I enjoy watching that race, you're comment would be wrong.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Yeah, can't help but feel Pedersen was a bit lucky by VdP and Sagan kinda screwing up one way or another. But if you look at it that way, every winner has been lucky.

Chapeau Mads. Better hope he will ride a better spring than this year though...

Sagan is basically lucky every time he wins a world championship because he relies on bigger nations to do the work for him.

 

[Singularitarian]

Sagan is basically lucky every time he wins a world championship because he relies on bigger nations to do the work for him.

and now his BORA german legion failed

 

[Unchained]

Where does the UCI go from here...even a first time bike racing watcher could see that after punctures ,mechanicals ,crashes,bike changes, car support and urine breaks there was far far far more motorpacing or dodge drafting than in the infamous U23 travesty..
not to mention way more video footage of the " infractions ".
The most dangerous things to observed were the following distances..on wet roads no less and UCI marked car stopping or slowing in strange stupid places..

 

[Bushman]

One thing that I find very hard to comprehend is the amount of negativity and criticism on the riders’ decisions from users of this forum. “Italy/Trentin screwed up”, “Küng didnt ride to win” etc etc. As if it’s not possible to ride a great race and not come up with the win. Italy rode a fantastic race as a team and put their strongest rider in a sprint finish with only two other riders. If you had offered this scenario to the Italians this morning they would gladly have taken it, every day of the week. Also Küng tried with everything he could on the last climb and Pedersen was almost dropped but it was not quite enough.

Van der Poel cracking was a surprise, I believe it was mainly because of inexperience. He forgot to eat, whereas Küng and Pedersen was eating gels several times in the last 30 k. He will learn from this.

 

[movingtarget]

I've never rewatched it so who knows really, but I thought it had lots of action from afar, especially by Gilbert and Evans - it's only that it all came together at the end and there was a reduced bunch sprint. I remember it as an immensely entertaining race.

i thought Geelong was pretty good but I thought this was better.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

The CT. Davide Cassani has a broken voice:
"I am not one who cries often, but this time yes.
Our men were fantastic.
And seeing someone beating us, makes me sorry.
This second place burns.
But I am proud of this team."
"We didn't win, but our Azzurri were good.
Matteo (Trentin) told me that he didn't underestimate anyone, that he started strong.
He couldn't even speak [at the end] due to the cold. He just said: I'm sorry."

translated from https://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/29...-pedersen-stato-piu-bravo-3402891820819.shtml

 

[Squire]

I ask myself, "Is this a memorable World's men's road race?" For me, very much so. There was all sorts of drama--the weather, the hard course, the sadness of crashes and abandons, riders against the elements, and great support from the people of Yorkshire. There were brave attacks; some didn't work. But the one that stuck left the outcome uncertain to the final moment, and in the end there was a surprise winner, most deserving. Great race.

Very much this. I would also add, as somebody else mentioned earlier, that everybody rode like gentlemen. All five in the winning move would've been deserving winners. It's also kind of nice that the legs decided, and not two guys looking at each other while the third Lulu-ed away into the distance.

As for those saying it wasn't a good WC, when was it better?
– Innsbruck? Similar levels of action maybe, but today had more epic drama with the weather, MVdP, Gilbert etc. and a more nuanced route.
– Bergen? Boring until the final lap.
– Doha? 300 meters of action in the desert, that's about it.
– Richmond? Less said, the better.
– Ponferrada? See Bergen entry.
– Firenze? Again, see Bergen entry.
– Valkenburg? Nothing really before the last Cauberg.
– Copenhagen? ...
– Geelong? Didn't see the race, so I don't know. Possibly better based on some comments.
– Mendrisio? The most recent WC that was definitely better than today.

 

[Brullnux]

I'll be honest, I didn't love Innsbruck, this was probably my favourite this decade. Probably with Firenze second and I guess Innsbruck there too. But this was good because it really broke the mould of last-lap action that had become de riguer in world championships. While the weather played a part, I put that mostly down to an excellent route.

 

[Koronin]

Very much this. I would also add, as somebody else mentioned earlier, that everybody rode like gentlemen. All five in the winning move would've been deserving winners. It's also kind of nice that the legs decided, and not two guys looking at each other while the third Lulu-ed away into the distance.

As for those saying it wasn't a good WC, when was it better?
– Innsbruck? Similar levels of action maybe, but today had more epic drama with the weather, MVdP, Gilbert etc. and a more nuanced route.
– Bergen? Boring until the final lap.
– Doha? 300 meters of action in the desert, that's about it.
– Richmond? Less said, the better.
– Ponferrada? See Bergen entry.
– Firenze? Again, see Bergen entry.
– Valkenburg? Nothing really before the last Cauberg.
– Copenhagen? ...
– Geelong? Didn't see the race, so I don't know. Possibly better based on some comments.
– Mendrisio? The most recent WC that was definitely better than today.

Other than Doha, I'll take basically ANY of those others over this disaster of a race that was a waste of time. This race was nothing more than hope no one gets injured or sick. That is NOT what racing is supposed to be. By the way Richmond was about 100 time BETTER than this stupidity was.

 

[Koronin]

I'll be honest, I didn't love Innsbruck, this was probably my favourite this decade. Probably with Firenze second and I guess Innsbruck there too. But this was good because it really broke the mould of last-lap action that had become de riguer in world championships. While the weather played a part, I put that mostly down to an excellent route.

The weather is what totally and completely destroyed this one. The route MIGHT have been good but not in this horrible weather conditions.

 

[Bolder]

I think backing Alaphilippe was the right call 2 weeks ago when the selection was made. If Voeckler could have changed his selection this morning, and build a team around Demarre and/or Gallopin instead, I think he would have.

It would have been hard to back anyone other than Alaf. I wouldn't call it a "failure," more like bad timing. Having front loaded his season so much and going so deep in the TdF -- not sure anyone could build back to a peak in late September.

It would have been cool if Pinot had ridden. I think he might have done surprisingly well.

Even so, I think in good weather Alaphilippe would have hung in there, maybe not a winner but he would have contested the finish. He looked pretty miserable starting with about 100k to go.

 

[Red Rick]

It would have been hard to back anyone other than Alaf. I wouldn't call it a "failure," more like bad timing. Having front loaded his season so much and going so deep in the TdF -- not sure anyone could build back to a peak in late September.

It would have been cool if Pinot had ridden. I think he might have done surprisingly well.

Even so, I think in good weather Alaphilippe would have hung in there, maybe not a winner but he would have contested the finish. He looked pretty miserable starting with about 100k to go.

Why didn't the French bring Demare?

Anyway without horrendous weather I'd think this plays out a biiiit similar to Bergen except the late attack on the main hill probably makes it.

 

[Koronin]

Why didn't the French bring Demare?

Anyway without horrendous weather I'd think this plays out a biiiit similar to Bergen except the late attack on the main hill probably makes it.

Without the horrendous weather you'd have had a lot more riders who would have still be in the peloton and thus more teammates to pull back a break. I have a feeling that the majority of riders who DNFed did so to preserve their health (either worried about getting sick or injured).

 

[Red Rick]

Without the horrendous weather you'd have had a lot more riders who would have still be in the peloton and thus more teammates to pull back a break. I have a feeling that the majority of riders who DNFed did so to preserve their health (either worried about getting sick or injured).

With better weather you still have the situatino where the top puncheurs just fly away on the hill and still barely anyone can follow them. They'll probably just leave it till the last lap. Any move before that is probably a lot more doomed that it was today.

 

[Brullnux]

Why didn't the French bring Demare?

Anyway without horrendous weather I'd think this plays out a biiiit similar to Bergen except the late attack on the main hill probably makes it.

Totally disagree: the course didn't allow for one point of attack, there wasn't one big hill just a lot of rises and falls for 280km. I think it would've played like Amstel gold does, or an e3 or brabanstje pjil (just a lot harder and much longer). Think it would've been an excellent race with a lot of attacking regardless.

 

[tobydawq]

Without the horrendous weather you'd have had a lot more riders who would have still be in the peloton and thus more teammates to pull back a break. I have a feeling that the majority of riders who DNFed did so to preserve their health (either worried about getting sick or injured).

Sure you do.

In reality, they were shelled from the peloton because they couldn't keep up and then, obviously, they were not going to keep riding in those weather conditions. But surely that was not for fear of injuries...

 

[Brullnux]

The weather is what totally and completely destroyed this one. The route MIGHT have been good but not in this horrible weather conditions.

Stop.