2021 World Championships in Flanders: Road Races

[Jagartrott]

There's more than the little hills. For instance, the amount of narrow turns, and there are plenty of those in Leuven. That means constantly breaking and accelerating, and a fight for positions. Combined with the distance, that should create attrition, surely. Also, I'd expect there to be a couple of crashes, and that breaks up the peloton automatically.

Most importantly: there will be teams that will want to race aggressively to shed as many riders as possible. I don't think this will be a walk in the park.

 

[yaco]

This time the main difficulties are hills I could feasibly do so come on.

And it wouldn't be a problem if you had 30 of these hills, but there's 6 climbs in total that are somewhat selective, and I would not at all be surprised to see a reduced bunch sprint.

The Wollongong route for the 2022 should be set up for Caleb Ewan - So it could be another route for you to dissect.

 

[Sciatic]

This time the main difficulties are hills I could feasibly do so come on.

And it wouldn't be a problem if you had 30 of these hills, but there's 6 climbs in total that are somewhat selective, and I would not at all be surprised to see a reduced bunch sprint.

Yeah, I’m puzzled that a cycling-rich area in a country with lots of classics riders-puncheurs didn’t create a more selective route. I can understand that they would not want to make it just a copycat RVV, but they still had plenty of options.

 

[Breezy1985]

The Wollongong route for the 2022 should be set up for Caleb Ewan - So it could be another route for you to dissect.

Sprint Worlds are such a waste (watch me be a complete hypocrite if Bennett wins in 2022)

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, I’m puzzled that a cycling-rich area in a country with lots of classics riders-puncheurs didn’t create a more selective route. I can understand that they would not want to make it just a copycat RVV, but they still had plenty of options.

Well it's down to which region paid to host, so there's that.

 

[Rackham]

On the plus side, we've seen how in some races like Milan San Remo where the Poggio can suffocate the race because everyone in the peloton & their dog, sporting director & mechanic waits until that one climb where the difference can be made.

And then there's the ultimate egregious examples like Fléche Wallonne where absolutely nothing happens until the last 5 minutes. So I won't bury the parcours until we've seen what's what on Sunday.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Ups and downs - no matter how tough these climbs are - combined with twists and turns all day will make this a selective race. Especially with agressive riders like VdP and Evenepoel in the field. I don't see much chance of a reduced bunch sprint here at all.

I agree that the route isn't that hard, but I think everything's gonna be blown to pieces anyway.

 

[johnymax]

Mohorič is very satisfied with what he saw in training. Says the course is very suited to his characteristics.

 

[sir fly]

Mohorič is very satisfied with what he saw in training. Says the course is very suited to his characteristics.

I'd say everything between specialists' extremes is suited to his characteristics at the moment.

 

[RedheadDane]

As clearly shown here, the hills are actually so tiny riders can get over multiple climbs at the same time!

 

[Pantani_lives]

Van Aert, Alaphilippe
Van der Poel, Asgreen
Ewan, Matthews, Evenepoel
Pidcock, Colbrelli, Trentin, Cort
Pogacar, Pedersen, Valgren, Sagan, Démare, Ackermann

Those so-called French frites are really Flemish.

It isn't a very tough course, but it's quite technical. Van Aert has a strong team, the technique, the stamina and the sprint. However he will be marked and the top favorite usually doesn't win. He will miss Nathan Van Hooydonck. Denmark has strong team, with four potential winners. It's hard to know the shape of some riders. The winner might as well be a complete outsider whom we've hardly seen this year.

[Edited after taking a closer look at the course]

 

[Red Rick]

Ups and downs - no matter how tough these climbs are - combined with twists and turns all day will make this a selective race. Especially with agressive riders like VdP and Evenepoel in the field. I don't see much chance of a reduced bunch sprint here at all.

I agree that the route isn't that hard, but I think everything's gonna be blown to pieces anyway.

The problem becomes really that the hills are a lot less selective than in Vlaanderen or AGR. They're also very short, so if a Van der Poel goes all out on a hill, he gets 5 seconds then what where is he going?

I don't think anyone of significance will go on the first Flandrien circuit, and then on the 2nd one I still struggle to see a lot of seperation happening. They'll be under 5 hours into the race when that happens.

To me it's basically Gent Wevelgem without wind and an easier hilly zone.

 

[Boes]

It could be like 2016 where all the action is early on then you just bore yourself watching 2 groups chase each other until the first one sprints for the win.

The Leuven hills just don't cut it

That I don't believe. Doha was completely flat with a section of crosswinds. After the difference was made, you got the (rather boring) part where Group 2 chases Group 1 and where Cav and Sagan were treated as team mates by the Belgian squad pulling them to the finishline.

The problem becomes really that the hills are a lot less selective than in Vlaanderen or AGR. They're also very short, so if a Van der Poel goes all out on a hill, he gets 5 seconds then what where is he going?

I don't think anyone of significance will go on the first Flandrien circuit, and then on the 2nd one I still struggle to see a lot of seperation happening. They'll be under 5 hours into the race when that happens.

To me it's basically Gent Wevelgem without wind and an easier hilly zone.

Nah, nothing like GW. GW has an easy sprint finale. Leuven is twisty, narrow and has some steep streets. If (and that's a big if) it's a mass sprint, the peleton will be stretched in one line and only the first 10-15 rides would have a chance to win.
The key word in a sprint will be positioning. So Italy, Belgium, Denmark and perhaps France (for Demare?) have teams to actually get their sprinter in the right position.

This being said, I fully expect MVP, Pidcock, WVA and Alaphillippe to attack 30 k's out.

 

[Sciatic]

Van Aert, Alaphilippe
Van der Poel, Asgreen
Evenepoel, Pidcock, Colbrelli, Trentin
Pogacar, Küng, Hirschi, Cort
Pedersen, Valgren, Van Baarle, Sagan, Ackermann, Schachmann

Those so-called French frites are really Flemish.

It isn't a very tough course, but it's quite technical. Van Aert has a strong team, the technique, the stamina and the sprint. However he will be marked and the top favorite usually doesn't win. Denmark has strong team, with four potential winners. It's hard to know the shape of some riders. The winner might as well be a complete outsider whom we've hardly seen this year.

I forget the gastronomic nuance here: for Belgium is it mayo or vinegar with those frites?

 

[Bonimenier]

I forget the gastronomic nuance here: for Belgium is it mayo or vinegar with those frites?

Vinegar on fries?

 

[Sciatic]

Vinegar on fries?

It is (or was) a UK thing?

 

[Pantani_lives]

I forget the gastronomic nuance here: for Belgium is it mayo or vinegar with those frites?

Mayo is the tradition. Ketchup is too American. Tartar or béarnaise is also a good choice.

 

[topcat]

Salt and vinegar on fries (chips) in the civilised world. Gravy and cheese in the underworld. Mayo or ketchup is just sick.
There will be attacks and it will be a great race.

 

[Anderis]

And then there's the ultimate egregious examples like Fléche Wallonne where absolutely nothing happens until the last 5 minutes.

I think you overestimated how long it takes to ride the last 300 meters of FW.

 

[IndurainsTdF1994]

Roggie, the dark horse. If not, a Dane.

 

[titan31]

The route doesn't look selective but I'd still say we won't get a bunch sprint. Probably be more a small group (single digits) contesting it. It's same as pretty much every race, a group will attack and get away and then a bunch of favourites will sit and look at each other as they ride away. We can probably expect the usual VDP Vs WVA stare off on a course like this since it doesn't look hard enough for them to smash everyone else.

 

[Sciatic]

Salt and vinegar on fries (chips) in the civilised world. Gravy and cheese in the underworld. Mayo or ketchup is just sick.
There will be attacks and it will be a great race.

Excellent analysis!

 

[tobydawq]

The route doesn't look selective but I'd still say we won't get a bunch sprint. Probably be more a small group (single digits) contesting it. It's same as pretty much every race, a group will attack and get away and then a bunch of favourites will sit and look at each other as they ride away. We can probably expect the usual VDP Vs WVA stare off on a course like this since it doesn't look hard enough for them to smash everyone else.

How often do they really stare each other out of a race? GW 2020, maybe stage 7 of the Tour but isn't that it?

 

[KZD]

The route doesn't look selective but I'd still say we won't get a bunch sprint. Probably be more a small group (single digits) contesting it. It's same as pretty much every race, a group will attack and get away and then a bunch of favourites will sit and look at each other as they ride away. We can probably expect the usual VDP Vs WVA stare off on a course like this since it doesn't look hard enough for them to smash everyone else.

This is not Gent-Welvegen and both really want to be world champion so I am doubt that is going to happen.

 

[hayneplane]

The Wollongong route for the 2022 should be set up for Caleb Ewan - So it could be another route for you to dissect.

That won’t be worth getting up in the middle of the night for.