Copenhagen World Championships: Elite Women Road Race, 140km

[Anonymous]

yayyy very nice

 

[El Pistolero]

Definitely not. The course could have been alot better but when you see the show up tommorow and the love for the sport in this area of the world it's simply not fair to say it's not worthy a WC.

I rather have an interesting race than big crowds outside.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If the Danes deserve the WC because of the level of support for the sport, the Worlds would just alternate between Flanders and the Basque country every year.

 

[simo1733]

Blame the riders more than the course.Why would non sprinters just roll around in the bunch all day, half of them should have stayed at home.
The mens race tomorrow will be nothing like this.

 

[Thomsena]

I rather have an interesting race than big crowds outside.

Ok. That's fair. I don't agree with that all though.

 

[auscyclefan94]

you're mean!

 

[jonjungel]

Aha. So the city of cycling is not worthy a World Championship. Records were set wednesday with the amount of spectators and a TT in the middle of the city is quite unique. Sure, the road race course is not very demanding but to say that a small country like Denmark, who has so much influence in the sport considering its seize, in not worthy is just stupidity.

I agree that Demnark deserved a WC. But that has nothing to do with the fact that the course is not hard enough. The organisers should have found a better course. If that is not possible to find around København, then use some other area. The tour of Denmark has proved that it is possible to find hills that are hard enough to force some selection.

The TTs have been more interesting that the road races.

Today the race was interesting for the final 4km. That is something I expect for a sprint-stage in France. For the WC it is a disgrace.

 

[Thomsena]

Blame the riders more than the course.Why would non sprinters just roll around in the bunch all day, half of them should have stayed at home.
The mens race tomorrow will be nothing like this.

This. Why not blame the course tomorrow AFTER the race instead of before? U23 was not that bad. U23 is not the elite race nor is the women's..

 

[auscyclefan94]

Blame the riders more than the course.Why would non sprinters just roll around in the bunch all day, half of them should have stayed at home.
The mens race tomorrow will be nothing like this.

the riders know the course is too flat that it is impossible to win from an attack. no wonder most of them just rolled around all day. Have you noticed that just about every team has a sprinter in it? I guess that is just a coincidence.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Blame the riders more than the course.Why would non sprinters just roll around in the bunch all day, half of them should have stayed at home.
The mens race tomorrow will be nothing like this.

Because for some bizarre, unknown reason, the Americans, Australians, Russians and so on actually thought they could compete with the Dutch, Italians and Germans in a sprint. And because it's just too hard to open up a big enough gap unless the bunch is really just happy to let you go, and we were left with all the major nations happy to go to a sprint, and all the minor nations just happy that they hadn't been dropped yet.

 

[Tank Engine]

To those badmouthing the course, obviously you're right but it's no excuse. The junior women yesterday rode a lap together and then took it in turns shooting off the front. And let's not forget that the junior men survived from an attack. There were teams with nothing at stake in a bunch sprint who could have made the Dutch, Germans, Brits and Italians burn up some of their domestiques if they'd tried. The level of defeatism on display was shocking.

I thought the Dutch and Brits should have animated it a bit more, as Bronzini and Teutenberg would outsprint the Brits and compete with Vos in a slow race.

Anyway, Cooke 4th and Armistead 7th, not bad after a difficult year.

 

[El Pistolero]

Ok. That's fair. I don't agree with that all though.

Big crowds p*ss me off anyway. It's always a hard battle to get a good place at the Muur van Geraardsbergen

Next year at the Kwaremont or Paterberg will be even worse.

 

[El Pistolero]

If the Danes deserve the WC because of the level of support for the sport, the Worlds would just alternate between Flanders and the Basque country every year.

I wouldn't mind.

 

[Galic Ho]

Here's my two cents before I go back and see what everyone else has said. The course is meh. It doesn't leave much to the imagination. However the womens teams were pretty much pathetic except for the Dutch. Two years in a row an Italian woman *** EDITED BY MOD *** wins. Seriously Berzini and that German Ina Teutenberg should be disqualifed. I am sick and tired of riders not sticking to there line. This time it was the winner cutting off the favourite.

Vos IMO was robbed and was by far the strongest rider. Disappointing for th Dutch and for womens cycling. Kudos to team Canada for having a stellar crack as well.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I wouldn't mind.

Neither would I, as long as the Flemish never put it in Zolder again.

 

[El Pistolero]

Neither would I, as long as the Flemish never put it in Zolder again.

Yeah, next time(whenever that will be) it's probably going to be in Leuven. The Belgian national championship was organized there as well last year.

 

[Skip Madness]

I thought the Dutch and Brits should have animated it a bit more, as Bronzini and Teutenberg would outsprint the Brits and compete with Vos in a slow race.

Yeah, the depth of the Dutch team in particular meant that any of a number of their riders would have had an excellent chance from a small group against virtually anyone. Instead they played it the same as they did last year, which was put it all into getting Vos a sprint. It's understandable because she is basically the best sprinter out there, but for my money this has been tactically poor for two consecutive years for the same reason - Marianne Vos does not need six riders to shepherd her to the finish line. Putting Van Vleuten, Gunnewijk, Wild or Bras into attacks would have put the emphasis on Italy, Germany and Britain to bring them back. What did Bronzini say at the end? That Italy were relying on the Dutch and Germans to bring Hughes back because she thought that Italy were a weaker team than them. It was short-sighted not to try to exploit the advantage that the Dutch team had.

 

[zapata]

the riders know the course is too flat that it is impossible to win from an attack. no wonder most of them just rolled around all day. Have you noticed that just about every team has a sprinter in it? I guess that is just a coincidence.

The french junior won from a late break, though, forming in the second to last lap. It's not impossible, although I can't really see it happening in the pro race.

 

[l.Harm]

Here's my two cents before I go back and see what everyone else has said. The course is meh. It doesn't leave much to the imagination. However the womens teams were pretty much pathetic except for the Dutch. Two years in a row an Italian woman *** edited by mod *** wins. Seriously Berzini and that German Ina Teutenberg should be disqualifed. I am sick and tired of riders not sticking to there line. This time it was the winner cutting off the favourite.

Vos IMO was robbed and was by far the strongest rider. Disappointing for th Dutch and for womens cycling. Kudos to team Canada for having a stellar crack as well.

Disagree. That's cycling, it happens all the time. Vos herself said she had to sprint earlier. And I think Van Vleuten wasn't fast enough to do the lead out. Everywhere came other women to pass her and Vos and that's why Vos got boxed in.

 

[Skip Madness]

It's amazing how every year as surely as the women's road race is held the knuckle-dragging remarks about riders' appearances start.

 

[zapata]

It's amazing how every year as surely as the women's road race is held the knuckle-dragging remarks about riders' appearances start.

agree. The comments about Bronzini were much worse last year, though.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

agree. The comments about Bronzini were much worse last year, though.

This year people at least know who she is. Last year I was having to explain to people that actually she's been one of the best sprinters in the women's peloton for more than five years, while people were insisting she'd come out of nowhere and using that to speculate on how she must be doping because she's a bit butch.

 

[Irish2009]

Very poor tactically, all the main teams (Italy,Germany, Holland and Britain) have good sprinters and seemed to be afraid to sacrifice other riders to break up the race just in case they were needed in the finale. Cant understand why other nations such as Sweden, USA, France, Australia, and Spain) were not sending riders up the rode to help thier odds.

 

[pantsarefortheold]

Dont see what looks got to do with their cycling. Maybe the knuckle-draggers could post pics of them selfs and let us have a go?

 

[Galic Ho]

Disagree. That's cycling, it happens all the time. Vos herself said she had to sprint earlier. And I think Van Vleuten wasn't fast enough to do the lead out. Everywhere came other women to pass her and Vos and that's why Vos got boxed in.

I was saying she needed to go earlier as well. But I do think Berzini moved far too much. If that happened to Cav we'd all hear about it. There was also the stupid camera stuff up with 150m to go and no great overhead to watch. When we got a great replay here in Australia I could see she definitely had a line and Tuetenberg moved a little but Berzini was all over the place zig zagging. She had no reason to do it IMO other than she knew Vos was coming. Deliberate or not it worked and she got away with it.

If this were the men and this happened to Cav the Brits would be fuming. A lot of people would. Bigger issue is the course though. Bad, bad, bad. Leaves almost no option for the men. Right now Australia need Rensahw. I hope Spartacus or Gilbert can pull something out..I don't want to see Frodo in WC colours for Sky.