Elite male WC road race

[No_Balls]

Will be hard to look past Valverde IMO.

 

[sir fly]

Has anyone mentioned Stybar?
We've been talking about Sagan being overlooked, but how about Styby?

 

[DFA123]

Has anyone mentioned Stybar?
We've been talking about Sagan being overlooked, but how about Styby?

Stybar looked way off the pace in Montreal and Quebec; he struggled even more than Sagan did at the Vuelta. Can't see him being ready in time for Ponferrada.

 

[sir fly]

Stybar looked way off the pace in Montreal and Quebec; he struggled even more than Sagan did at the Vuelta. Can't see him being ready in time for Ponferrada.

The crash really affected him, it seems.
He looked sharp beforehand.

 

[blaxland]

Australia,belgium and spain have the strongest teams and will control the race to the last two laps,Thats when things will heat up.Just hope the Aussies put a man in the break early".

 

[sagard]

Cance from 2K out. Gerrans and Sagan watch each other.

At least that's what I'm hoping for.

 

[trevim]

I'm putting all my faith in a team like Belgium to go absolutely bananas with 2 laps to go, breaking it up using someone like Vanmarcke from far out.

 

[personal]

Cance from 2K out. Gerrans and Sagan watch each other.

At least that's what I'm hoping for.

That would be kinda funny: to have Wiggo as WC in TT, and Cancellara in RR.

 

[42x16ss]

Will be hard to look past Valverde IMO.

for a minor medal maybe...

 

[Pantani_lives]

Some teams are built around climbers, like Italy (Nibali, Aru). Others teams take a sprinter, like France (Bouhanni). Then there are the one day specialists like Cancellara, Sagan, Gilbert and Chavanel.

This course seems too tough to keep a big group together for a sprinter. On the other hand one or two fast guys like Sagan/Degenkolb/Gerrans might hang on. It might be ideal for Gilbert, but his shape is doubtful. I can think of thirty riders who might win here.

Strong teams could send their second or third man in the attack to make the race tough. I'm thinking of Bakelants, Gallopin, Visconti...

1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Valverde
4. Chavanel
5. Kristoff
6. Gerrans
7. Gilbert
8. Degenkolb
9. Rui Costa
10. Kwiatkowski

But it might be someone entirely different.

 

[Arredondo]

Has anyone mentioned Stybar?
We've been talking about Sagan being overlooked, but how about Styby?

Stybar even said in Belgium media that his form is so worse, that he thinks about the fact giving his place to a young Czech rider, because it makes no sense to start at all.

But don't know how his mind set is now.

 

[richo36]

I just hope the teams that on paper who look like they want to make the race hard, actually make it hard.be very annoyed to see teams like Italy and Spain put a rider in the early break, then sit back and take the attitude we don't have to chase as we have a guy up the road. I'm ok with Australia, possibly belguim as well as in reality both teams only have to shake the pure sprinters which they could do with a lap or 2 left if done well..

Italy and Spain need to take to the front with 80-100km to go and set a high tempo for 20-40km. Then launch an attack. And not some little name but a serious threat, (this is where contador would of been perfect for Spain). Especially if Spainish and Italian rider attack together. This will force the other teams to start chasing but hopefully the 20-40km you set the tempo has tired out a lot of the domestics on the other teams. The other teams will probably catch them, but as soon as they do get another rider to attack. The course is not hard enough for Spain and Italy to wait till a couple laps left. Has to be hard from far out.

 

[del1962]

I just hope the teams that on paper who look like they want to make the race hard, actually make it hard.be very annoyed to see teams like Italy and Spain put a rider in the early break, then sit back and take the attitude we don't have to chase as we have a guy up the road. I'm ok with Australia, possibly belguim as well as in reality both teams only have to shake the pure sprinters which they could do with a lap or 2 left if done well..

Italy and Spain need to take to the front with 80-100km to go and set a high tempo for 20-40km. Then launch an attack. And not some little name but a serious threat, (this is where contador would of been perfect for Spain). Especially if Spainish and Italian rider attack together. This will force the other teams to start chasing but hopefully the 20-40km you set the tempo has tired out a lot of the domestics on the other teams. The other teams will probably catch them, but as soon as they do get another rider to attack. The course is not hard enough for Spain and Italy to wait till a couple laps left. Has to be hard from far out.

Is this the strategy for Italy and Spain to deliver a Kwiatowski win?

 

[richo36]

Is this the strategy for Italy and Spain to deliver a Kwiatowski win?

It sure is a strategy that suits kwiatowski. Much rather have kwiatowski as your main rival coming into the finish then gerrans, Sagan, Fabian, Gilbert, etc.

 

[Matt92]

Is this the strategy for Italy and Spain to deliver a Kwiatowski win?

Well, on this route, an Italian or Spanish win is unlikely anyway. But trying to make the race as hard as possible is the best way they can play it. Of course, getting rid of everyone will be very difficult, but both teams stand a better chance if the race comes down to a few selected riders. They are both almost out of contention if a big peloton hits the last 2 laps together.

 

[Flamin]

What's the purpose of this thread? The 'official' race thread? In that case, at least give it a proper title and put some info in the first post. If it's a speculation thread, then where's the poll?

 

[ILovecycling]

What's the purpose of this thread? The 'official' race thread? In that case, at least give it a proper title and put some info in the first post. If it's a speculation thread, then where's the poll?

finally someone posted it,I was about to

 

[HappyLoser]

My bet is unexpected winner, someone like GVA.

1. GVA
2. Valverde
3. Kwiatkowski
4. Gerrans
5. Gilbert

Can't see Sagan or Canc doing anything important here...

 

[GoodTimes]

My bet is unexpected winner, someone like GVA.

1. GVA
2. Valverde
3. Kwiatkowski
4. Gerrans
5. Gilbert

Can't see Sagan or Canc doing anything important here...

GVA is flying, and would not be a surprise winner in my books.

Canc to podium. Have you seen his recent record in monuments? If he's in the final selection, he will podium.

Gerrans was my favorite for Quebec / Montreal. He's my favorite for WCRR. If it's not too hard, the Degenkolb is very dangerous.

 

[GoodTimes]

If it's not too hard, the Degenkolb is very dangerous.

I meant to say "then Deg...", but I think this typo was an improvement. I like it as "THE Degenkolb"

 

[shalgo]

Canc to podium. Have you seen his recent record in monuments? If he's in the final selection, he will podium.

So Cancellara has been on the podium of three monuments each of the past two seasons. I wonder what the record is for most monument podiums in one season? Probably Merckx, with four in 1969 and 1975?

 

[Jspear]

So Cancellara has been on the podium of three monuments each of the past two seasons. I wonder what the record is for most monument podiums in one season? Probably Merckx, with four in 1969 and 1975?

Goes back a little further....he has been on the podium of the last 12 monuments that he finished.

 

[Afrank]

What's the purpose of this thread? The 'official' race thread? In that case, at least give it a proper title and put some info in the first post. If it's a speculation thread, then where's the poll?

I think it's just meant as a discussion thread over the elite RR, I had already created a official race thread for the whole world championships (stickied at the moment).


I would be able to add a poll to the thread. How's the options...
Degenkolb
Gerrans
Sagan
Cancellara
Valverde
GVA
Costa
Gilbert
Kristoff
other

...sound to people?

 

[Red Rick]

I think it's just meant as a discussion thread over the elite RR, I had already created a official race thread for the whole world championships (stickied at the moment).


I would be able to add a poll to the thread. How's the options...
Degenkolb
Gerrans
Sagan
Cancellara
Valverde
GVA
Costa
Gilbert
Kristoff
other

...sound to people?

Make it other, Vino and it's perfect

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

According to Thijs Zonneveld, the race is too easy to be a hard course and too hard to be an easy course.
He does say that it doesn't look it's possible to drop Gerrans or Matthews on such a course.

Is Bouhanni participating btw? Might even be able to survive this. He survived some tougher Vuelta stages after all.