Geelong 2010: Elite Men's Road Race 262.7km

[joe1265]

It's gonna be either

CAVENDISH or FARRAR

but those will be the top two.

My heart is on Farrar, but I think Cav will take it........

 

[hrotha]

Hell, I wouldn't even rule out Greipel.

A small group might stay away but if USA and Germany have enough guys up there it will definitely be a 50-60 bunch finish.

 

[Curls_21]

I would love to see Kolobnev win; however my head says Gilbert, hard to pick the rest of the podium, however although he doesn't favour himself I could see Cadel still being up there for the home team.

 

[royalpig180]

Anyone have a rought estimate of how long the race is likely to last? I'm in the U.S. and I wanna get an idea of how late i'd have to stay up to watch it to the finish...

 

[Carlo Algatrensig]

Anyone have a rought estimate of how long the race is likely to last? I'm in the U.S. and I wanna get an idea of how late i'd have to stay up to watch it to the finish...

Probably Somewhere between 6 to 6 and a half hours. All depends on how fast they take the early part of the race.

 

[delgado]

I notice there are several bets in this thread with multiple picks, is the candyass rule not implemented here?
personally, i am struggling for a pick so why not apply the following algorithm:
a guy with the legs for this course, somebody who can steal away unhindered after the favorites eye each other on the long stretch after the last climb, statistically it won't be a top dog again this year, and he needs at least one strong contender countryfellow (Breschel?) to cover him before the home stretch. Preferably, let him have one a hilly long race within the last year just for credits (Japan Cup).
So you basically end up with Chris Sörensen.

 

[Tom T.]

Probably Somewhere between 6 to 6 and a half hours. All depends on how fast they take the early part of the race.

Race starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern so we're looking at a finish between 2:00-2:30 a.m. The question is do I stay up for the whole thing or sleep a couple hours and get up at midnight to see the last 2 hours or so?

 

[zapata]

Race starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern so we're looking at a finish between 2:00-2:30 a.m. The question is do I stay up for the whole thing or sleep a couple hours and get up at midnight to see the last 2 hours or so?

I'm in europe, and wondering the same thing. Norwegian tv is live from 1 CET. It's saturday, and I've declined an invitation to a party to watch this, but considering going to sleep now, and getting up in time for the last two or three laps. Except I'm afraid I won't wake up and miss the entire thing.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Got to be Pozzato for me. His Vuelta looked like the ideal "good but not great" preparation and he's versatile enough to be able to win in more than one way. I don't see any other potential winners in the Italian team but they have enough workhorses to have a major say in the way the race is run. Bettini has a lot staked on the likes of Cav, Greipel, Hushovd and Farrar not being there at the finish

 

[auscyclefan94]

CADEL EVANS!!!!!!!! Evans to go solo on the final climb to win with ACF94's noodie run! No way Cav and it is unlikely Farrar will make it to the finish if it is a bunch of only 60 or less.

 

[skidmark]

Predictions are fun. When you're wrong, no one remembers, when you're right, you can gloat forever.

With that in mind, here's 2 whimsical predictions:

Eddy Boss to win.

Luis Leon to podium.

(incidentally, anyone know the deal with the name 'Boasson Hagen'? Is it two last names, like when someone's parents get married and neither changes their names?)

 

[The Hitch]

CADEL EVANS!!!!!!!! Evans to go solo on the final climb to win with ACF94's noodie run! No way Cav and it is unlikely Farrar will make it to the finish if it is a bunch of only 60 or less.

Shouldnt you be already there, with the race starting in just under an hour?

 

[The Hitch]

Predictions are fun. When you're wrong, no one remembers, when you're right, you can gloat forever.

With that in mind, here's 2 whimsical predictions:

Eddy Boss to win.

Luis Leon to podium.

(incidentally, anyone know the deal with the name 'Boasson Hagen'? Is it two last names, like when someone's parents get married and neither changes their names?)

Thats because your chances of being right are about 10- 1 if not worse. There are 180 cyclists there and though most dont have much of a chance, anybody can win.

Also if you make a prediction, attak anyone who says otherwise, and repeat your prediction every day for about 2 weeks, then if you get it wrong everybody remembers (see acting boss, aka DekkerT)

 

[auscyclefan94]

Shouldnt you be already there, with the race starting in just under an hour?

You'd better re-check your clock buddy. The race starts in two hours and the real racing starts in geelong when the circuit begins in about 4 hours! Daylight Saving time now in melb!

 

[zapata]

CADEL EVANS!!!!!!!! Evans to go solo on the final climb to win with ACF94's noodie run! No way Cav and it is unlikely Farrar will make it to the finish if it is a bunch of only 60 or less.

The final climb is nothing. I saw the u23 and the womens race, and the last hill, while pretty steep, is over almost as soon as it begins. The first climb looks rather difficult, though, but if you wait to the last i think it's too late to make a big difference.

 

[auscyclefan94]

The final climb is nothing. I saw the u23 and the womens race, and the last hill, while pretty steep, is over almost as soon as it begins. The first climb looks rather difficult, though, but if you wait to the last i think it's too late to make a big difference.

u23 and women's racing is much different than elite men's racing. The two biggest teams will be looking to split the field apart so don't count on the sprinters making it.

My dark horse for today is Greg van avermaet! it is a good course for himand he will be able to get into a group on the climbs.

 

[zapata]

Predictions are fun. When you're wrong, no one remembers, when you're right, you can gloat forever.

With that in mind, here's 2 whimsical predictions:

Eddy Boss to win.

Luis Leon to podium.

(incidentally, anyone know the deal with the name 'Boasson Hagen'? Is it two last names, like when someone's parents get married and neither changes their names?)

Precisely. That's the custom in norway lately (since the seventies). Boasson is his mothers surname, Hagen his fathers. The last one is the one that matters. I have a name like that, and in his place I'd introduce myself as Edvald Hagen.

 

[zapata]

u23 and women's racing is much different than elite men's racing. The two biggest teams will be looking to split the field apart so don't count on the sprinters making it.

My dark horse for today is Greg van avermaet! it is a good course for himand he will be able to get into a group on the climbs.

I don't think every sprinter will be there in the end. Not cavendish, hopefully. But it'll be extremely hard to get away solo on the last climb. And evans is not the type to do it, I'm afraid..if the hill was twice as long, and the finish was at the top, then certainly he'd be a top favourite.

 

[luckyboy]

Precisely. That's the custom in norway lately (since the seventies). Boasson is his mothers surname, Hagen his fathers. The last one is the one that matters. I have a name like that, and in his place I'd introduce myself as Edvald Hagen.

Like with Spaniards then.

 

[The Hitch]

You'd better re-check your clock buddy. The race starts in two hours and the real racing starts in geelong when the circuit begins in about 4 hours! Daylight Saving time now in melb!

So the OP was wrong when he said it was GMT 23 00.

 

[The Hitch]

Like with Spaniards then.

I think with spaniards its the reverse. Its not Alberto Velasco Contador but Alberto Contador ( Father) Velasco (Mother)

 

[zapata]

Like with Spaniards then.

except it's the other way around. In spain, the mothers name is the last, as i understand it.

 

[Izzy eviel]

I'm going to say David Millar. Seems in good nick, he'll be looking after Cav all race long & when Cav gets dropped on the last climb I can imagine him still being up front.

Looking forward to this race. I've got a fresh supply of tea-bags & biscuits to get me through the night. Interested in seeing how some of the minor nations do.

 

[Carlo Algatrensig]

So the OP was wrong when he said it was GMT 23 00.

You have to remember we're currently on BST in the UK

2300 GMT is 0000 BST. Ive been confused by the fact that the BBC Red Button coverage starts at 2240 as that an hour and twenty before the race starts. from what i can see

 

[The Hitch]

You have to remember we're currently on BST in the UK

2300 GMT is 0000 BST. Ive been confused by the fact that the BBC Red Button coverage starts at 2240 as that an hour and twenty before the race starts. from what i can see

Yes i was confused by this as well. I suspect the first hour might be a rerun of the womens rr or something.