Belgian Team for the World Championship.

[Gcraenen]

Without Boonen, how would you design your team? A bunch of wild cards, build it around Gilbert (congrats on the wedding by the way), or designate another sprinter, ... ?

 

[hrotha]

Bring enough support for Gilbert and also for Van Avermaet as a Plan B. Try to avoid a sprint finish but hope for the best if it happens.

 

[Sneekes]

It should be Gilbert even if Boonen were fit.
8 Belgians to make the race as tough as possible, then Gilbert to attack 10k out. Not sure those two blips at the end are hard enough for Gilbert's class to tell - but I think it's their best shot. Belgium don't have a sprinter good enough to challenge Greipel/Cavendish/Petacchi/Farrar.

 

[Denkoff]

Sorry, but this WC not for Belgians. UK or Germany

 

[Gcraenen]

It should be Gilbert even if Boonen were fit.
8 Belgians to make the race as tough as possible, then Gilbert to attack 10k out. Not sure those two blips at the end are hard enough for Gilbert's class to tell - but I think it's their best shot. Belgium don't have a sprinter good enough to challenge Greipel/Cavendish/Petacchi/Farrar.

That almost worked in Mendrisio, didn't it. Worth trying again.

 

[rghysens]

8 Belgians to make the race as tough as possible,

which 8 belgians will do that? Devolder? Mainly thinks about himself. Nuyens? If he's good, he'll think about himself. Van Avermaet? doesn't like Gilbert. Devenyns, De Weert or Wynants? Will qsi riders really help someone from another team? Jurgen vdb? A wc is no grand tour.

p.s.: I am belgian

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Monfort perhaps?

 

[El Pistolero]

which 8 belgians will do that? Devolder? Mainly thinks about himself. Nuyens? If he's good, he'll think about himself. Van Avermaet? doesn't like Gilbert. Devenyns, De Weert or Wynants? Will qsi riders really help someone from another team? Jurgen vdb? A wc is no grand tour.

p.s.: I am belgian

Vdb played a key role in the victory of Philipe Gilbert at the Amstel Gold race. And I'm pretty sure all of them will be forced to work for Gilbert anyway.

 

[Sneekes]

which 8 belgians will do that? Devolder? Mainly thinks about himself. Nuyens? If he's good, he'll think about himself. Van Avermaet? doesn't like Gilbert. Devenyns, De Weert or Wynants? Will qsi riders really help someone from another team? Jurgen vdb? A wc is no grand tour.

p.s.: I am belgian

I suppose the one thing we can never really know, that the team management can - is the motivation of individual riders. The Belgian management need to speak to the likes of Devolder and Nuyens individually and assess how committed they would be to riding all out for Gilbert, if they have any doubts then they don't go.
There are enough decent Belgian OPL/Landbouwkrediet & Top Sport riders to find 8 with some strength in their legs willing to fly to Australia. But Monfort and Bakelants for certain...Roelandts, Dehaes, Scheirlinckx?

I think a lot of the good to very good riders of all nationalities (except Aussie/NZ) who would normally go to a WC even if they weren't the protected rider will avoid this one. It's a long way to go with little chance of winning.

 

[Cerberus]

which 8 belgians will do that?

Belgians aren't the only ones who will want to make the race hard. Every nation that lacks a sprinter who can compete with Cavendish (meaning every nation) will want that, at least until Cevendish is dropped..

 

[taiwan]

which 8 belgians will do that? Devolder? Mainly thinks about himself. Nuyens? If he's good, he'll think about himself. Van Avermaet? doesn't like Gilbert. Devenyns, De Weert or Wynants? Will qsi riders really help someone from another team? Jurgen vdb? A wc is no grand tour.

p.s.: I am belgian

Can't really write all those guys off.

Leukemans! Roelandts or Weylandt in case it's a sprint. Surely yo have to keep someone for the sprint even though they really won't win.

[edit] Bert De Waele? Thomas De Gendt?

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Sep Vanmarcke anyone? can handle the distance and difficult trakc, was 2nd in Gent-Wevelgem this year

 

[tgsgirl]

Sep Vanmarcke anyone? can handle the distance and difficult trakc, was 2nd in Gent-Wevelgem this year

Just got back to racing and DNFed in Denmark. With no Vuelta he'll need some really good results to convince Bomans. Plus, I think he's a bit too young still.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Bert de Waele should definitely be there. He quietly assembles quite the solid list of results. Very underrated.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Just got back to racing and DNFed in Denmark. With no Vuelta he'll need some really good results to convince Bomans. Plus, I think he's a bit too young still.

true, yet it is a course that might suit Devolder, if he can get selected this year and rides a good vuelta

 

[michaeld]

Steegmans? What am I missing if he has not been mentioned? Injured? Also, look for who rides the Vuelta and is hot coming out.

I like Gilbert for Belgium. Don't rule out Hoste as a wildcard from 100km when they enter the circuits. If Devolder is in shape, this will be a very good 2-pronged attack. Don't forget that Devolder won der Ronde with everyone watching Boonen. The same might play out with Gilbert.

Other than that, make Freire an honorary Belgian for the day.

 

[Polyarmour]

Cadel Evans thinks it will be a bunch finish but interestingly Cavendish doesn't. I think he envisages the field breaking up quite a bit? If the finish line was on the hill, Gilbert would have to be a favorite but it's 6km beyond the last hill. It's hard to imagine him staying away that long? I have no idea what to expect really but I'm going to watch, should be awesome.

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't think Freire stands a chance with "Allez" in the race. That "Allez" dude sure has a lot of fans in France and Belgium, so it will totally demotivate him when they cheer for Allez instead of him.

This is me assuming that he actually knows where and when the race is going to start though.

Cadel Evans thinks it will be a bunch finish but interestingly Cavendish doesn't. I think he envisages the field breaking up quite a bit? If the finish line was on the hill, Gilbert would have to be a favorite but it's 6km beyond the last hill. It's hard to imagine him staying away that long? I have no idea what to expect really but I'm going to watch, should be awesome.

Gilbert is a smart racer, he was won sprinter classics like Paris-Tours twice and also won the 20th stage at the Giro last year Vino style. He actually out-sprinted Boonen in 2009 at Paris-Tours by the way, and he wasn't the fastest in that sprint.

 

[hrotha]

It depends on what Germany chooses to do, I think, and they'll probably go for a sprint finish.

If it comes to a sprint finish, Spain has Freire but it's hard to imagine him beating Cavendish one on one. Spain is probably better off trying to get Rojas or Freire himself in a split. Same for Australia with Haussler. Italy should be all over the place too. Same for France, if they mattered (cue Chavanel taking it). Other teams like New Zealand will probably be cool with a sprint finish but it's not like they can work for it (and they'd still be wise to have either Roulston or Dean in the splits even if they go for Henderson in the sprint).

What could tip the balance is the US. Farrar hasn't shown he can beat Cav but it's not like they have better options.

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't think Germany is in a position to influence the race heavily. I think Belgium has the strongest team and will influence the race heavily, although I highly doubt a Belgian will win.

 

[taiwan]

So does everyone all of a sudden think it's a sprinter's course? From what Bettini was saying it sounded a bit harder. Also Haussler thought it was ideally suited to himself or Gilbert, and [edit]Leukemans compared it to the Braabantse Pijl. Not all that much overlap between what they seem to expect and what Cav (usually) wins on. Not saying Cav is incapable of any climbing, and he could obviously handle the length of the MSR, but these arent't all the same sort of rider.

 

[PCutter]

Robbie McEwan doesn't expect it to be a full bunch sprint finish, there may be a decent size select group, but not a traditional bunch sprint. Cav's big weakness will be his team, with no-one prepared to arrive at the finish with Cav, the big teams will look to break up the race and England don't have the horse power to close it down. And they'll only qualify 6 riders.

If teams with big ambitions like Spain, Italy, Belgium, Australia etc. get riders in the right break and sit up on it, it would be difficult for other teams to pull them in. The road between Melbourne and Geelong can be extremely windy as well so could suit a Belgian style echelon attack before they even arrive at Geelong.

 

[sublimit]

Cav's big weakness will be his team, with no-one prepared to arrive at the finish with Cav, the big teams will look to break up the race and England don't have the horse power to close it down. And they'll only qualify 6 riders.

If teams with big ambitions like Spain, Italy, Belgium, Australia etc. get riders in the right break and sit up on it, it would be difficult for other teams to pull them in. The road between Melbourne and Geelong can be extremely windy as well so could suit a Belgian style echelon attack before they even arrive at Geelong.

Its looking like 3 for Britain - Cav, Thomas and one from either Millar, Swift, Stannard, Hunt.Hammond i suspect.

Belgium should have a strong team - Gilbert, Leukemans, Monfort is a good workhorse and Roelandts should go as a back up sprinter plus 5 others.

 

[Kwibus]

Will the Netherlands get 9 riders for the WC? If so they should have a rider in every break just like Belgium. Make the course as hard as possible. Only way to have a small chance.

I definately don't hope for a bunchsprint. My apologies for the sprinters, but I think that's WC unworthy.

 

[il_fiammingo]

On the top of my head: Gilbert, Monfort, Leukemans, Devolder, Roelandts, Avermaet, Bakelants, Nuyens. Leaves only 1 spot for a real domestique.
I think Bomans will definitely have to scratch a few of these name and add guys like Van De Walle, Wijnants, Vandenbergh, Kaisen, Rosseler to do the dirty work.



FYI: Keukeleire for the U23 WC.