Mens Road Race: Suprises and dissapointments

[El Pistolero]

Hmm...I think that's exactly how he'd win it.

I don't see him out sprinting Boonen at the finish line there. And then there's always Cancellara.

And please don't come with the "Boonen no longer sprints" argument. His 4 victories this year were all won in a bunch sprint. And he came second at Milan-San Remo behind Oscar Freire, BUT before Petacchi.

 

[indurain666]

Surprise:

-Hushovd winning, although I predicted a 20-30 guy mass sprint. Kudos to him, great race.

Disappointments:

-Idiots such as Cadel Evans setting it up for the sprinters

-Spain and Italy not making the race hard enough

 

[Polyarmour]

Disappointments:

-Idiots such as Cadel Evans setting it up for the sprinters

How did Cadel set it up for the sprinters?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Not sure why some felt Breschel was a surprise.
Jut look at his performance in the last couple wc.
out of the medals, davis was my biggest surprise.

leukemans having a cry is probably the least surprising thing.

 

[Ferminal]

How did Cadel set it up for the sprinters?

Lol, here I was thinking Gilbert, Koos, Kolobnev, Evans etc did everything they could to ruin it for the sprinters...

 

[M Sport]

At what point is it not a mass-sprint? 30 or less? 20? 10?

I wouldn't put a number on it, I would say it's not a mass sprint when the pure sprinters can't make the cut to the final bunch. i.e Cav, Griepel, etc, etc all failing as we expected.

I mean sure, there was a sprint. But all the genuine sprinters were missing.

 

[Nick777]

Surprise:

-Hushovd winning, although I predicted a 20-30 guy mass sprint. Kudos to him, great race.

Disappointments:

-Idiots such as Cadel Evans setting it up for the sprinters

-Spain and Italy not making the race hard enough

Scratches head...

 

[movingtarget]

Surprise:

-Hushovd winning, although I predicted a 20-30 guy mass sprint. Kudos to him, great race.

Disappointments:

-Idiots such as Cadel Evans setting it up for the sprinters

-Spain and Italy not making the race hard enough

Actually that's how the idiots have to ride if they can't sprint. The headwind and riders not cooperating with each other on the last lap contributed to the bunch coming back. Another great ride by Freire. Evans and Gilbert gave it everthing. Poor tactics by many of the teams but a fully deserved win by Hushovd. Funny that the u/23's mens race, the senior men's race and the womens all finished in a similar fashion. Seemed to be not for the pure sprinters or the climbers. Very entertaining race.

 

[noomster]

Surprise:

-Hushovd winning, although I predicted a 20-30 guy mass sprint. Kudos to him, great race.

Disappointments:

-Idiots such as Cadel Evans setting it up for the sprinters

-Spain and Italy not making the race hard enough

Wow, just cannot understand people who watch the race, and fail to understand the tactics. Cadel's role was to chase down the attacks, if he was strong enough then go for the win, if it stayed in a bunch, Allan Davis was there to contest the sprint. Its a team sport.

Spain and Italy not making the race hard enough? How so? Throw nails on the route? Pozzato was in a great position to win ... followed the wrong wheel in the sprint.

 

[indurain666]

Pozzato was in a great position to win ... followed the wrong wheel in the sprint.

Really? sitting on breakaways and forcing/yelling at people to chase down moves?? It was not his fault, it was Bettini's decision to build the team around him. Reminds me of 97's azzuri's team built around Bartoli, total failure.

And you also want me to believe that Evans was thinking about helping Davis? Refresh my memory, was Australia successful at defending rainbow? Great strategy...

 

[taiwan]

Diisappointments:
The bunch coming back in the last few k. I couldn't help being disappointed.
Spain being absent from the front of the race.
Gilbert's strength being wasted in the wind.

Surprises:
Greipel getting in the long break (cool, but smart?).
Random names in late moves (Brajkovic, Gusev?!?).
Arashiro, Offredo showing so well in the final.

 

[happychappy]

Diisappointments:
Spain being absent from the front of the race.

Do they sell steak in Australia? Or perhaps the wrong brand..

 

[El Pistolero]

Do they sell steak in Australia? Or perhaps the wrong brand..

Hushovd ate a steak every day in Australia. And he bought them in some random Aussie shop.

 

[Carlo Algatrensig]

Not what you might call surprises but some things I liked about the race.

The fact that there was such a long ride before they got to the finishing circuit. I often feel that some WC races a dulled by the fact that they are run just over continuous laps of the same course from the start and meeting any climbs too often too early so I thought this was a good way to start it and I hope it happens again.

The early break that got away. It added an extra dimension with the will they won't they be a lap ahead of the peleton when they get to Geelong.

Riders like Gusev, Braikojvic and Terpstra who were prepared to attack right up until the very last Km's of the race even after the last climb.

 

[Polyarmour]

Really? sitting on breakaways and forcing/yelling at people to chase down moves?? It was not his fault, it was Bettini's decision to build the team around him. Reminds me of 97's azzuri's team built around Bartoli, total failure.

And you also want me to believe that Evans was thinking about helping Davis? Refresh my memory, was Australia successful at defending rainbow? Great strategy...

Australia's strategy was to have Evans in the breaks and Davis in the peloton. If a break got away then it would be up to Evans to stamp his authority on it. If it came down to bunch sprint then it would be up to Davis. It wasn't Evan's job to help Davis, Evan's just had to make sure he covered the attacks... which he did. They had a bet each way (unlike the Italians) depending on how the race panned out. It was a good strategy and it yielded the bronze medal. By any account Australia mounted a successful campaign.

You don't think a bronze medal in the Worlds is something to be proud of? Does the race get divided into one gold medal winner and 177 losers for you?

 

[indurain666]

Australia's strategy was to have Evans in the breaks and Davis in the peloton. If a break got away then it would be up to Evans to stamp his authority on it. If it came down to bunch sprint then it would be up to Davis. It wasn't Evan's job to help Davis, Evan's just had to make sure he covered the attacks... which he did. They had a bet each way (unlike the Italians) depending on how the race panned out. It was a good strategy and it yielded the bronze medal. By any account Australia mounted a successful campaign.

You don't think a bronze medal in the Worlds is something to be proud of? Does the race get divided into one gold medal winner and 177 losers for you?

Are you serious? Do you remember who finished second at 5th stage of 1998's Tour? No, but Cipollini won the stage. Do you recall what the podium looked in Zolder 02, San Sebastian 97 and so?..don't google it

The goal is to win the rainbow jersey dude!!! Now don't get me wrong, Allan Davis is fantastic cyclist and winning silver is a good result for him, likely. But as far as the ultimate goal being winning the rainbow jersey: Australia, Italy, Spain, they all failed.

And your last sentence is so wrong and senseless that I won't even touch it

 

[Curls_21]

Dissapointments

Gilbert not winning
Fab not being in the mix at the end
Italy, Spain and the US teams in general


Surprises

Thor winning - excellent win as well
Cuddles
The Peloton suddenly reappearing

Still an excellent race, I didn't even mind GB not having any finishing riders, not that I expected any of them to; Cavendish with the Commonwealths wasn't going to bust a gut to finish if he wasn't going to be in the mix at the end and Millar the same. Hate to say it but they made the right choice stepping off.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Dissapointments

Gilbert not winning
Fab not being in the mix at the end
Italy, Spain and the US teams in general

To be fair did anyone expect anything from the US team?

 

[Nick777]

Hushovd ate a steak every day in Australia. And he bought them in some random Aussie shop.

Incorrect. I drove it to him - 80k's from my house, each day, no air conditioning... but he loved it.

 

[Nick777]

Really? sitting on breakaways and forcing/yelling at people to chase down moves?? It was not his fault, it was Bettini's decision to build the team around him. Reminds me of 97's azzuri's team built around Bartoli, total failure.

And you also want me to believe that Evans was thinking about helping Davis? Refresh my memory, was Australia successful at defending rainbow? Great strategy...

To be fair, you probably weren't getting the live feed we were getting over here where Gerrens etc were interviewed after they pulled out & said 'It's Cadel's job to get in breaks, and Alby's job to sprint if it comes back together'.

 

[indurain666]

To be fair, you probably weren't getting the live feed we were getting over here where Gerrens etc were interviewed after they pulled out & said 'It's Cadel's job to get in breaks, and Alby's job to sprint if it comes back together'.

I stand corrected then (a bit)

Nevertheless, I still think all the big teams failed..

 

[Ferminal]

Are you serious? Do you remember who finished second at 5th stage of 1998's Tour? No, but Cipollini won the stage. Do you recall what the podium looked in Zolder 02, San Sebastian 97 and so?..don't google it

The goal is to win the rainbow jersey dude!!! Now don't get me wrong, Allan Davis is fantastic cyclist and winning silver is a good result for him, likely. But as far as the ultimate goal being winning the rainbow jersey: Australia, Italy, Spain, they all failed.

And your last sentence is so wrong and senseless that I won't even touch it

Every team can't just go to the worlds and say "If we do this, we win Gold", it's a bike race afterall.

Australia's strategy worked fine although Davis is always going to struggle to win a sprint like that, but he was still the best option we had so what more can you ask? You can't just magically expect Davis' sprint to become twice as good as it has been all season, or Evans to defy physics and stay away. Are there any other Aussies who were available and not selected that could have done a better job? No.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Every team can't just go to the worlds and say "If we do this, we win Gold", it's a bike race afterall.

Australia's strategy worked fine although Davis is always going to struggle to win a sprint like that, but he was still the best option we had so what more can you ask? You can't just magically expect Davis' sprint to become twice as good as it has been all season, or Evans to defy physics and stay away. Are there any other Aussies who were available and not selected that could have done a better job? No.

Are you serious? Do you remember who finished second at 5th stage of 1998's Tour? No, but Cipollini won the stage. Do you recall what the podium looked in Zolder 02, San Sebastian 97 and so?..don't google it

The goal is to win the rainbow jersey dude!!! Now don't get me wrong, Allan Davis is fantastic cyclist and winning silver is a good result for him, likely. But as far as the ultimate goal being winning the rainbow jersey: Australia, Italy, Spain, they all failed.

And your last sentence is so wrong and senseless that I won't even touch it

Your so far off for what is right. A medal at a World Championships is a very big effort and is remembered. Unless you are a real cycling nut nobody remembers all the podiums of world championshisps off by heart but when the riders is still riding it is recognised. It is a big acheivement in such a hard race. Off course the goal is to win the rainbow but coming third is still something that the team and rider should be proud of.

 

[hrotha]

For what it's worth I remember the 1997 podium perfectly because I was traumatized by it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Lol ACF94, a medal doesn't get remembered, only the champion.
Maybe you will remember a medallist for 4/5 years, but after that? I doubt it.

Tell me who won bronze in 2001 without using google? I wouldn't know