Geelong World Championships 2010: U23 Men's Road Race 159.km

[Winterfold]

Battery89

If you look at the combined resources of the intl and trade teams who MUST keep it together then to me it looks like the Italians are outnumbered.

Also Pozzato (and Gilbert) will still fancy their chances of a long sprint on that 500m uphill even if they are still together with a couple of KM to go.

The more I think about it the more I think it will stay together then the last lap will be mental.

Farrar is keeping quiet but he must also before positive after the espoirs race

 

[auscyclefan94]

A sprint from a group of fifty, you say? And this in the 'super-aggressive' U23 race? My hopes for Cav are starting to rise...

Very impressive sprint from Matthews, Rabo have to be pleased with their scout work.

How the hell can you want Cavendish to win?

Everyone, I have made a thread on how the worlds will be decided in another thread so this thread does not go off topic like it has, It is the u23 road race thread, not the mens elite.

 

[Andy99]

How the hell can you want Cavendish to win?

Everyone, I have made a thread on how the worlds will be decided in another thread so this thread does not go off topic like it has, It is the u23 road race thread, not the mens elite.

What a strange question. Presumably you have considered that others ask the very same question repeatedly at your obsession with the whining one.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

A sprint from a group of fifty, you say? And this in the 'super-aggressive' U23 race? My hopes for Cav are starting to rise...

Very impressive sprint from Matthews, Rabo have to be pleased with their scout work.

Point is, it wasn't a very aggresive race, they started the fireworks really really late.

So the only logical result is a bunch sprint

 

[Ferminal]

Battery89

If you look at the combined resources of the intl and trade teams who MUST keep it together then to me it looks like the Italians are outnumbered.

Also Pozzato (and Gilbert) will still fancy their chances of a long sprint on that 500m uphill even if they are still together with a couple of KM to go.

The more I think about it the more I think it will stay together then the last lap will be mental.

Farrar is keeping quiet but he must also before positive after the espoirs race

I think you will find the Velits working for some punk called Sagan. Rogers/Goss = Aus, USA and Germany are the only teams which share the same goal as GBR so their trade team is irrelevant. Albasini = Fabian's Decoy, Eisel = Eisel (see Gent-Wevelgem), Lars Bak = Breschel.

So basically you're left with Siutsou and a couple of Kiwi chuggers.

 

[Andy99]

Either way, it should be one hell of a race.

 

[kurtinsc]

Am I the only one who is a little suprised Phinney made that final group?

I'm not shocked he podiumed once he made the final selection, but based on what he's done in even moderately hilly races the past couple years, I wouldn't have tagged him as being able to finish with the final group of even 40-50 riders.

 

[Ferminal]

Am I the only one who is a little suprised Phinney made that final group?

I'm not shocked he podiumed once he made the final selection, but based on what he's done in even moderately hilly races the past couple years, I wouldn't have tagged him as being able to finish with the final group of even 40-50 riders.

Yeh he did well... But he didn't work too hard throughout the race, and we all know that he's a class rider.

He was a bit sluggish up climb #1 on the final lap, maybe 20th place or so. At that point there was a split and the first 10-15 got away from the bigger bunch, Phinney managed to join back on as it all regrouped over the second climb.

 

[cobblehead]

Keukeleire would not of had a chance in hell against matthews

have you ever actually seen keukeleire racing?? I think that keukeleire would surely have had a chance on this parcours but we will never know that will we?

great win by matthews though, all the others saw was his backwheel....

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Am I the only one who is a little suprised Phinney made that final group?

I'm not shocked he podiumed once he made the final selection, but based on what he's done in even moderately hilly races the past couple years, I wouldn't have tagged him as being able to finish with the final group of even 40-50 riders.

this course is absolutely nothing. there are many non climbers in that group and most who dropped had attacked already.

 

[janraaskalt]

Am I the only one who is a little suprised Phinney made that final group?

I'm not shocked he podiumed once he made the final selection, but based on what he's done in even moderately hilly races the past couple years, I wouldn't have tagged him as being able to finish with the final group of even 40-50 riders.

He also did rather well in the Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux, which is moderately hilly.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Whatever, Keukeleire didn't compete so you cannot say "he would have won if".

 

[kurtinsc]

this course is absolutely nothing. there are many non climbers in that group and most who dropped had attacked already.

My view of Phinney isn't that he was a non-climber like Cav now... but rather more like Cav when he was a non-climber when he was still wearing pink jerseys of T-Mobile.

In those days, Cav would get dropped if you went over a speed bump.

Perhaps my view of Phinney was a bit unfair in terms of how large a bump in the road he can handle.

 

[The Hitch]

I dont share the enthusiasm of others for this race.

1 The last lap was good but from this sort of race i expected more excitement throughout. THe Peloton rode along for 140km till the final lap. Most of the stage felt like a Cav Colombia stage only instead of a 1km sprint to finish it off, a 10km lap.

2 From what i read on this forum i though there would be a smaller group at the finish. That the hills were going to crush the weak. THat the sprinters would have to catch up after every climb. This race was won by a sprinter. Unless Sundays course is going to be more difficult in which case im wrong. (I know its longer, but i mean harder climbs)

 

[sublimit]

How the hell can you want Cavendish to win?

Everyone, I have made a thread on how the worlds will be decided in another thread so this thread does not go off topic like it has, It is the u23 road race thread, not the mens elite.

Whats wrong with somebody wanting a Cav win?

Mathews is a good rider but there are so many quality under 23 riders missing from that race. Adam Blythe aged 21 would have him for breakfast, he had a great win yesterday against miles better riders at the Franco - Belge.

 

[lanternrouge]

Whats wrong with somebody wanting a Cav win?

Mathews is a good rider but there are so many quality under 23 riders missing from that race. Adam Blythe aged 21 would have him for breakfast, he had a great win yesterday against miles better riders at the Franco - Belge.

Because he is not cadel evans or an aussie?!?!

The Blythe comparison is not warranted really, time will tell on that one. They are both very promising riders.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I dont share the enthusiasm of others for this race.

1 The last lap was good but from this sort of race i expected more excitement throughout. THe Peloton rode along for 140km till the final lap. Most of the stage felt like a Cav Colombia stage only instead of a 1km sprint to finish it off, a 10km lap.

2 From what i read on this forum i though there would be a smaller group at the finish. That the hills were going to crush the weak. THat the sprinters would have to catch up after every climb. This race was won by a sprinter. Unless Sundays course is going to be more difficult in which case im wrong. (I know its longer, but i mean harder climbs)

1) Completely agree, the U23 men seemed almost too afraid to do anything before the final lap. They rode like pro's, strangely enough. It made the race soft.

2) Now, that's where things get debatable. Like you said yourself, and like a general saying in cycling is: it's the riders that make the race.
This course has the opportunity to break things up and have a 5 men group or a solo at the finish. But this course also has the opportunity of ending in a 50 men mass sprint. All depends on how the race evolves.
2007 Stuttgart ended in a mass sprint won by Peter Velits in the U23 race (peloton of 80 men).
The mens elite race? 5 men sprint won by Bettini...

You get the point. It all depends on how the race evolves. If the race is made hard enough, we might only see a few guys survive. If the race lacks action, we'll see a mass sprint.
Very simple concept. But it almost always works that way

 

[The Hitch]

1) Completely agree, the U23 men seemed almost too afraid to do anything before the final lap. They rode like pro's, strangely enough. It made the race soft.

2) Now, that's where things get debatable. Like you said yourself, and like a general saying in cycling is: it's the riders that make the race.
This course has the opportunity to break things up and have a 5 men group or a solo at the finish. But this course also has the opportunity of ending in a 50 men mass sprint. All depends on how the race evolves.
2007 Stuttgart ended in a mass sprint won by Peter Velits in the U23 race (peloton of 80 men).
The mens elite race? 5 men sprint won by Bettini...

You get the point. It all depends on how the race evolves. If the race is made hard enough, we might only see a few guys survive. If the race lacks action, we'll see a mass sprint.
Very simple concept. But it almost always works that way

Yes you are right the riders can make a race interesting and hopefuly on Sunday they will. I just expected more out of this course from what i read. After the little section where 1 or 2 riders got a 3 second gap, i thought there was another harder climb to come. With about 1k to go i realised it was just flat all the way. Wasnt as hard as i thought it would be.

Doesnt mean Spain Bellgium Holland Italy etc wont make the race very interesting on Sunday. THat they can still do.

 

[davis_123]

What is wrong with Cav winning? He is an arrogant little ****er thats what.

Also he rides under the british flag, They don't win down here (See ashes results for the last 80 years)

 

[lanternrouge]

What is wrong with Cav winning? He is an arrogant little ****er thats what.

Also he rides under the british flag, They don't win down here (See ashes results for the last 80 years)

Pity about Emma Pooley winning then!

Aussie only got one eye shock!

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

What is wrong with Cav winning? He is an arrogant little ****er thats what.

Also he rides under the british flag, They don't win down here (See ashes results for the last 80 years)

Rugby World Cup?

Anyway, technically, the cricket team don't play under the British flag (England and Wales to be exact) and niether did the English rugby team.

 

[davis_123]

Pity about Emma Pooley winning then!

Aussie only got one eye shock!

Women's sport means nothing, never has never will.


As for the Hugby I couldn't really care less its for those inbred's up north to play.


This all does not change the fact Cav is a ****er of the highest order, if he thought anymore of himself his head would explode.

Button is about the only decent enough bloke from the UK involved in sport, don't mind him winning F1 races.

I couldn't count the number of sports the UK have invented that they lose to australia in, both rugby's, cricket, we even won 3-1 the last time you played at us that *** game soccer.

 

[Winterfold]

yes it must suck seeing so many fine Aussie riders doing lead out and fetching bottles for HRH Cav

 

[maltiv]

This race was won by a sprinter.

Michael Matthews is so much more than a sprinter. As you probably know, he was 8th overall in tour de l'Avenir. He could have won even if the race was a lot harder.

Anyway, I agree that the race was a bit disappointing, was hoping for a smaller group and more attacks.

 

[Kwibus]

I dont share the enthusiasm of others for this race.

1 The last lap was good but from this sort of race i expected more excitement throughout. THe Peloton rode along for 140km till the final lap. Most of the stage felt like a Cav Colombia stage only instead of a 1km sprint to finish it off, a 10km lap.

2 From what i read on this forum i though there would be a smaller group at the finish. That the hills were going to crush the weak. THat the sprinters would have to catch up after every climb. This race was won by a sprinter. Unless Sundays course is going to be more difficult in which case im wrong. (I know its longer, but i mean harder climbs)

2. Matthews is a great sprinter, but if I recall correctly he ended in the top10 of the Tour de l'Avenir GC which means he can do a lot more then sprinting. The fact that Phinney came 3rd might be more of an indication the race isn't that tough, but at the same time Phinney is someone who's capable of winning U23 classics so it's no surprise he made it to the finish with the first either.

Like DT allready mentioned it's the riders that make the race. The peloton that starts the race on sunday lacks any serious topclimbers though which worries me. They are the ones that know their only chance is when the course is REALLY REALLY tough. So I think the lack of those kinda riders will make sure a pretty large group arrived together at the finish.
I don't think Cavendish is part of that group anymore though.