Canadian WT Races: GP de Quebec (9/9) and GP de Montreal (11/9)

[El Pistolero]

Not gonna happen. That one's for Gesink, much more suited to him.

I wouldn't mind

Let's safe the 30th victory mile pole for Lombardia(or the Worlds, but we Belgians never have luck in that one...)

Gesink also favorite for Emilia and should be able to do something in Lombardia as well.

What I like about these races are the enormous wide roads that all seem to always go uphill

Roads are in amazing condition, you don't see that here in Belgium lol.

Phil needs to win the GP Montreal, Giro d'Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine before he retires though. He'd be the only person in history to have won all hilly classics during his career(you can't win races that didn't exist yet or don't exist anymore). Merckx never won Zurich-Metzgete for example. In the main part of his career(1969-1976) Zurich-Metzgete was won by 8 Belgians(!), but never by Merckx. Roger de Vlaeminck never won the Amstel Gold race and Tre Valli Varesine on the other hand.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Rabobank does need to make Montreal hard if Gesink wants to win. Still, having rewatched Quebec last lap a few times now, it really does seem to me Gilbert has endless reserves.

Everytime you think he will fall still he accelerates yet again.

 

[theyoungest]

Everytime you think he will fall still he accelerates yet again.

Lol... "to fall still", nice Dutchism there.

 

[greenedge]

It basically pans down again to Gilbert and Gesink. Of course the course suits Gilbert but Montreal suits Gesink more than Quebec did

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I still expect something from Uran too

 

[hrotha]

I missed this, but it would seem Gesink got his mojo back?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I missed this, but it would seem Gesink got his mojo back?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfANLg03mqc&feature=feedu last lap

 

[movingtarget]

Rabobank does need to make Montreal hard if Gesink wants to win. Still, having rewatched Quebec last lap a few times now, it really does seem to me Gilbert has endless reserves.

Everytime you think he will fall still he accelerates yet again.

I don't know. If Gilbert was feeling that good I'm sure the margin would have been bigger. He was just doing enough to hold on. Gesink was great, usually nobody gets that close to Gilbert on that sort of course. There is no reason Gesink should not be getting better results in the Ardenne classics.

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfANLg03mqc&feature=feedu last lap

Thank you, it was fantastic.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I don't know. If Gilbert was feeling that good I'm sure the margin would have been bigger. He was just doing enough to hold on. Gesink was great, usually nobody gets that close to Gilbert on that sort of course. There is no reason Gesink should not be getting better results in the Ardenne classics.

Even more weird...

Everytime after Ardennes we're convinced Gesink is more of a stage-racer. Yet all of his biggest successes and best races have come in one-day races. It's a total mystery

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

Rabobank does need to make Montreal hard if Gesink wants to win. Still, having rewatched Quebec last lap a few times now, it really does seem to me Gilbert has endless reserves.

Everytime you think he will fall still he accelerates yet again.

2 extra laps, as you said, should help. Hopefully the hairpin before the start/finish doesn't bunch things up as much going onto the Camilien Houde climb as much as it did last year. It would have been nasty if they had hit the climb as strung out as they were.

 

[zapata]

Even more weird...

Everytime after Ardennes we're convinced Gesink is more of a stage-racer. Yet all of his biggest successes and best races have come in one-day races. It's a total mystery

I say he should go for the one-day races. Seems to have the instinct for it.

 

[Kwibus]

I say he should go for the one-day races. Seems to have the instinct for it.

I'd say do both
Just ignore the TdF for 2 years and see if he can win the Vuelta or Giro. It's not going to happen though.

 

[scullster46]

I say he should go for the one-day races. Seems to have the instinct for it.

Also, there are fewer days in which he can crash

Seriously though, he should continue to do both. His increased tt ability this year would help with the gt's and the classics. But he really needs to do the Giro next year. The climbs at the Tour just don't suit him as well IMO.

 

[LabMonkey]

So Montreal, who will make the final selection?

Is it going to be just the big guns from Quebec... Gilbert, Gesink, Uran, Ciolek (to surprise again), maybe hesjedal (he missed the break but looked good, same with Vandenvelde), Wegmann, Leukemans...

...anybody else likely to be in the mix that missed the break on Friday?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Hesjedal himself said he just didn't have the legs. So I wouldn't say he is looking good. Surely he is motivated, but motivation alone can't do it.

Can't help but think Hesjedal's 2010 season was an anomaly. He's not been performing at 2010 level the entire year

 

[cineteq]

TV Broadcast for GP of Montreal

Québec
Évasion 10:30 am to 4:30 pm
Radio-Canada 3 pm to 4:30 pm

Canada & USA
Rogers Sportsnet 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Cycling TV USA 11 am to 4 pm
Setenta Sports September 13, 11 am to 2 pm
NESN September 25, 6 pm

Europe
Eurosport 2 6 pm to 10:30 pm GMT
British Eurosport 9:15 pm to 10:30 pm GMT

Asia
Eurosport Asie/Pacifique 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm GMT
Cycling TV Asia/Pacific 7 pm to 10 pm GMT

 

[Swede1]

Is Gerrans in these races? I thought he was. Did he crash out?

So its expected to come down to a small group sprint? Cioleck would theoretically win that. I see a solo attack going away from about 3k out and then the other people in the group not committing to chasing him down.

 

[Kwibus]

Is Gerrans in these races? I thought he was. Did he crash out?

So its expected to come down to a small group sprint? Cioleck would theoretically win that. I see a solo attack going away from about 3k out and then the other people in the group not committing to chasing him down.

I doubt Ciolek will be in that last group, allthough he did surprise me in Quebec. Last year Gesink finished solo, but I don't think he will repeat that performance. The top 3 of Quebec could very well finish together.

 

[LabMonkey]

I doubt Ciolek will be in that last group, allthough he did surprise me in Quebec.

Whish of the other sprinter types might make the split?

Bole
Roelandts
Dumoulin
Rojas

Someone else?

 

[maltiv]

Is Gerrans in these races? I thought he was. Did he crash out?

So its expected to come down to a small group sprint? Cioleck would theoretically win that. I see a solo attack going away from about 3k out and then the other people in the group not committing to chasing him down.

Gerrans is there but his form is always a bit random.

Last year Gesink stayed away because Sagan and EBH were in the 6 man group behind so no one wanted to drag those guys to the finish, this year Sagan isn't here and EBH has no form at all. I guess Ciolek could be in the same situation this year.

 

[El Pistolero]

Gerrans is there but his form is always a bit random.

Last year Gesink stayed away because Sagan and EBH were in the 6 man group behind so no one wanted to drag those guys to the finish, this year Sagan isn't here and EBH has no form at all. I guess Ciolek could be in the same situation this year.

But this time Gilbert is here and I doubt anyone will want to go with the finish line with him. Although Gilbert rarely waits for the sprint to win these days.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Is Gerrans in these races? I thought he was. Did he crash out?

So its expected to come down to a small group sprint? Cioleck would theoretically win that. I see a solo attack going away from about 3k out and then the other people in the group not committing to chasing him down.

Much too hard for Ciolek

Montreal is harder than Quebec. The climb is longer. If Rabobank again sets the plan to wear out the field like in Quebec then the field will be again much smaller than last year. (just like Quebec was much harder than last year..)

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

But this time Gilbert is here and I doubt anyone will want to go with the finish line with him. Although Gilbert rarely waits for the sprint to win these days.

If anyone manages to drop Gilbert (which could maybe be done in this form), and he ends up in the case group, it's indeed a very real scenario nobody wants to work with him and the attacker ends up winning

 

[El Pistolero]

I'll be rooting for Gesink at Montréal, to get a little variety instead of always rooting for Fast Phil in these races