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2021 World Championships in Flanders: Road Races

Page 3 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Denmark vs Belgium vs Colbrelli is what I'm expecting. I'm not convinced MVDP is going to be anywhere near winning. I think the GB team will be lucky to top-15.
winning will be hard for VDP without the proper preparation. However. Not anywhere near is probably not true. Even if he totally blocks the final 10km and does a Harrogate repeat he still will influence the end result for a big part...
 
The way they comically overhype the "climbs" reminds me of the world's that Cavendish won in Denmark. Can't be bothered to look up the year.
The Leuven circuit definitely. I think the Flandrien circuit is quite hard judging by the races that normally use those climbs, but they're also a lot lower level so I don't really know.

It's definitely a lot less selective than De Ronde, so maybe the most similar big race might actually be GW?
 
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What are the chances like for a crosswind influence on the road races

On the flandrien lap there are two parts where crosswind can play a role. After the Moskensstraat when they go over the plateau back to Overijse and after the Veeweidestraat when they go over the plateau back to Huldenberg. Both parts are only 1-2 km long but at the top of a plateau after a hill with no cover and only fields around and the road there is concrete plates so hard to ride.

On the rest of the parcours there is 0 chance for echelons.
 
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He's not talking about a Swede. This race will be the long awaited major breaktrough for Tom Peterson!
Had to look him up, but are you talking about the Tom Peterson who is long retired and apparently owns a bike shop in the Seattle area? Cause that wouldn't be just a breakthrough, that would be a comeback more majestic than even Cavendish's in the Tour this year!
 
Sporza made a list of the "climbs":

1.Wijnpers360 meter9% max.7,98% av.212,2 km from the finish
2.Sint-Antoniusberg230 meter11% max.5,47% av.208,2 km
3.Keizersberg290 meter9% max.6,6% av.201,5 km
4.Decouxlaan975 meter6% max.2,5% av.198,2 km
5.Wijnpers360 meter9% max.7,98% av.196,7 km
6.Smeysberg700 meter16% max.8,84% av.180,6 km
7.Moskesstraat550 meter18% max.7,98% av.177,6 km
8.S-Bocht Overijse - Taymansstraat738 meter18,3% max.5,53% av.172,1 km
9.Bekestraat439 meter15% max.7,65% av.169 km
10.Veeweide484 meter12% max.5,16% av.164 km
11.Smeysberg700 meter16% max.8,84% av.159,6 km
12.Sint-Antoniusberg230 meter11% max.5,47% av.143,8 km
13.Keizersberg290 meter9% max.6,6% av.137,1 km
14.Decouxlaan975 meter6% max.2,5% av.133,8 km
15.Wijnpers360 meter9% max.7,98% av.132,3 km
16.Sint-Antoniusberg230 meter11% max.5,47% av.128,3 km
17.Keizersberg290 meter9% max.6,6% av.121,5 km
18.Decouxlaan975 meter6% max.2,5% av.118,2 km
19.Wijnpers360 meter9% max.7,98% av.116,7 km
20.Sint-Antoniusberg230 meter11% max.5,47% av.112,7 km
21.Keizersberg290 meter9% max.6,6% av.106 km
22.Decouxlaan975 meter6% max.2,5% av.102,7 km
23.Wijnpers360 meter9% max.7,98% av.101,2 km
24.Sint-Antoniusberg230 meter11% max.5,47% av.97,2 km
25.Keizersberg290 meter9% max.6,6% av.90,5 km
26.Decouxlaan975 meter6% max.2,5% av.87,2 km
27.Wijnpers360 meter9% max.7,98% av.85,7 km
28Smeysberg700 meter16% max.8,84% av.69,6 km
29.Moskesstraat550 meter18% max.7,98% av.66,6 km
30.S-Bocht Overijse Taymansstraat738 meter18,3% max.5,53% av.61 km
31.Bekestraat439 meter15% max.7,65% av.57,9 km
32.Veeweide484 meter12% max.5,16% av.53 km
33.Smeysberg700 meter16% max.8,84% av.48,6 km
34.Sint-Antoniusberg230 meter11% max.5,47% av.32,8 km
35.Keizersberg290 meter9% max.6,6% av.26 km
36.Decouxlaan975 meter6% max.2,5% av.22,7 km
37.Wijnpers360 meter9% max.7,98% av.31,2 km
38.Sint-Antoniusberg230 meter11% max.5,47% av.17,2 km
39.Keizersberg290 meter9% max.6,6% av.10,5 km
40.Decouxlaan975 meter6% max.2,5% av.7,2 km
41.Wijnpers360 meter9% max.7,98% av.5,7 km
42.Sint-Antoniusberg230 meter11% max.5,47% av.1,7 km
 
I think Remco has a seriously good chance here. Nobody will want to drag WVA to the finish so if he and Remco are still there with 50 km to the finish and they give Remco only a tiny gap things could be over quickly. That said, I'm not quite sure if the route is hard enough for such a scenario to happen. If the final Flandrien circuit is over and there is still an intact peloton my bet is on teams with sprinters to be organized enough to keep everything together.

Overall though, this is extremely hard to predict. This could end up anywhere between total carnage from 100km out to an absolute borefest ending in a bunch sprint. On small and easy climbs like the ones in this race it's really all about whether the riders are willing to make the race.
 
I think Remco has a seriously good chance here. Nobody will want to drag WVA to the finish so if he and Remco are still there with 50 km to the finish and they give Remco only a tiny gap things could be over quickly. That said, I'm not quite sure if the route is hard enough for such a scenario to happen. If the final Flandrien circuit is over and there is still an intact peloton my bet is on teams with sprinters to be organized enough to keep everything together.

Overall though, this is extremely hard to predict. This could end up anywhere between total carnage from 100km out to an absolute borefest ending in a bunch sprint. On small and easy climbs like the ones in this race it's really all about whether the riders are willing to make the race.

Remco to attack 50+ km from the finish making Belgium's rivals chase. If they catch him Van Aert will try to finish the job. If they don't...the one who sticks to Remco's wheel will win!
 
I will have to remind myself this is a one day race and a bit of a lottery. Hope crashes/mechanicals/illnesses don't put a spoiler on it and all the riders are able to have a fair battle. May the best (luckiest?) riders win, men and women. 2 predictions from me, 1. Remco will attack from distance as it's the only way he can win. 2. A Dane will win this bike race.
 
I just read Steimle is only reserve for the race, so very likely won't feature. :oops:
Yes, that is a weird decision . I think the decided it based on the results at the Deutschlandtour. Steimle couldn't really ride for himself there, because they raced the first two stages for Cavendish. At the Tour of Denmark he had to ride for Evenepoel and Cavendish. Even at the Tour of Slovaquie hes has to ride for Hodeg, although he has won the race last year. The tactics are somehow understandable but thats why he can't show good results.
 
Yes, that is a weird decision . I think the decided it based on the results at the Deutschlandtour. Steimle couldn't really ride for himself there, because they raced the first two stages for Cavendish. At the Tour of Denmark he had to ride for Evenepoel and Cavendish. Even at the Tour of Slovaquie hes has to ride for Hodeg, although he has won the race last year. The tactics are somehow understandable but thats why he can't show good results.

But whoever decides these selections should be able to see beyond results. I mean, these guys watch races, right? I can understand it's easier to explain to the riders "he has brought better results", but if the goal is to get as good a result in the WC as possible you shouldn't decide like that. Apart from my doubts whether Zimmermann, Arndt and Koch will be better I also very much doubt someone like Ackermann can be there in the final. I see that many teams bring some pure sprinters, but I just don't see any way for them to be there in the end.
 
But whoever decides these selections should be able to see beyond results. I mean, these guys watch races, right? I can understand it's easier to explain to the riders "he has brought better results", but if the goal is to get as good a result in the WC as possible you shouldn't decide like that. Apart from my doubts whether Zimmermann, Arndt and Koch will be better I also very much doubt someone like Ackermann can be there in the final. I see that many teams bring some pure sprinters, but I just don't see any way for them to be there in the end.

Seems to me that if the discussion around a NT selection is about guys like Zimmermann, Steimle and Koch the coach has at least done a decent job by selecting the most important riders correctly.
 
Seems to me that if the discussion around a NT selection is about guys like Zimmermann, Steimle and Koch the coach has at least done a decent job by selecting the most important riders correctly.

Well it's not like Germany has too many options anyway. Schachmann and Politt are no-brainers for this course, even if Schachmann is not in form - if he was, he'd be a candidate for a top5. And Degenkolb, okay, this is his kind of territory, even if he's far from what he was. I actually would have picked Steimle over him as well, but I can understand that you wouldn't want to rule out a good Degenkolb result completely.
 
I don't know how difficult the course is, but Politt should be the leader. Schachmann doesn't look good. I wouldn't underestimate Ackermann.
Germany doesn't have any favorites but they have a really good depth in quality riders on a course like that. They can gamble a bit. Nothing to loose here.
 
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Well it's not like Germany has too many options anyway. Schachmann and Politt are no-brainers for this course, even if Schachmann is not in form - if he was, he'd be a candidate for a top5. And Degenkolb, okay, this is his kind of territory, even if he's far from what he was. I actually would have picked Steimle over him as well, but I can understand that you wouldn't want to rule out a good Degenkolb result completely.

I probably would have picked Steimle as well. But given the quality of the field here the best a Steimle can hope for is being present within a group of 50. It is very unlikely to make any difference.

Dont get me wrong, i think Steimle is a decent rider. But he is very unproven in High-Quality races, and i think i have never seen him perform well in races of the lenght of a WC. In all fairness i think Zimmermann, Steimle and Koch would all be out of the race around the 200km mark.
 

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