National championships June 2021

[tobydawq]

It used to be like that in Denmark too. However, the scrapped that rule a few years ago, and good thing too imho. Let's say the 2024 Danish National Championships ends up being pancake flat, and meanwhile I could imagine the World Championship in Switzerland being somewhat... errr... hilly. Should a rider like Vingegaard be forced to do a race that doesn't fit him at all, in order to be allowed to do another race on a route possibly perfect for him?

BTW, isn't non-selection for WC/CC/Olympics the only punishment a national federation can give? Can't really ban riders from racing in general...

Maybe they can strip them of their citizenships? And freeze them and cut them up?

 

[RedheadDane]

Maybe they can strip them of their citizenships? And freeze them and cut them up?

TBF, Fuglsang has said that he feels more like "a European" than a Dane, he could probably just apply for Luxembourg citizenship.
And I guess that if you've been frozen and cut up, you're not really gonna care about citizenship...

 

[BlueRoads]

We are happy when we find hosting cities.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Don't they all have to start? I thought it was like that in every country but i could be mistaking. At least in Belgium, every pro is obligated to participate in the NC RR, unless injured.

In Denmark it used to be they had to start at Nationals, if they wanted to get selected for Worlds/Olympics.

However dispensations are handed out, whenever it clashes with a riders preparation for a big race - or as the redhead said, when the route does not suit the rider at all - in other words, there is a mutual professional understanding between the national coach and the riders.

Another reason is, that the continental teams put in huge squads for nationals, often 12-14 riders. - If the route in flat as a pancake, and a team of 14 are riding for their sprinter, it makes zero sense for (for instance) Fuglsang to enter the race, with only Gregaard to help him...... it's pretty much a waste of time, with zero chance at success.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

In Denmark it used to be they had to start at Nationals, if they wanted to get selected for Worlds/Olympics.

However dispensations are handed out, whenever it clashes with a riders preparation for a big race - or as the redhead said, when the route does not suit the rider at all - in other words, there is a mutual professional understanding between the national coach and the riders.

Has that rule actually ever been enforced to leave out anyone other than Michael Rasmussen (he might have mentioned someone else who was put in the same situation in his autobiography, but I can't remember who it was)?

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Has that rule actually ever been enforced to leave out anyone other than Michael Rasmussen?

In the old days it was a FIRM rule, both Rolf Soerensen and Bjarne Riis missed out on world championships on that account.

But it changed 8-10 years ago, and became more flexible and sensible.

Edit:

Come to think of it, it may be shorter ago.

I seem to remember Fuglsang not being selected for Worlds in 2014 (Ponferrada), solely because he didn't ride nationals that year.
He didn't go in 2015 either, but that route was less obvious for him (Richmond), so he may not have been in contention for selection anyway.
In 2016 he got to go to the Olympics, despite again not starting at nationals that year either.

I think the policy was changed sometime between 2014 and 2016, simply to accommodate Fuglsang.

 

[jaylew]

Shows how strongly experience informs assumption. Your Belgian experience leads you to think that every uninjured pro takes part in his national event everywhere every year; my experience in Britain makes me think that unless it is a course and a date that suits him, no pro anywhere bothers with these events.

Same in the US.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Shows how strongly experience informs assumption. Your Belgian experience leads you to think that every uninjured pro takes part in his national event everywhere every year; my experience in Britain makes me think that unless it is a course and a date that suits him, no pro anywhere bothers with these events.

It used to be that way in Denmark.

I think, especially for smaller countries (in terms of number of WT riders) where quality can vary greatly from generation to generation, it very much depends on the competition.

When you have a generation of winners, they all want it. They want to ride in a "special" jersey, all season, that they have taken against hot competition, while they contest the biggest races in the world.

When you have a leaner generation, the prestige drops, as it is often won by some random domestique, who happens to be one of the few good enough to get a job on the WT.

Back in the first golden age of Danish road cycling, with Riis, Soerensen, etc., the Dannebrog jersey got coveted, after Riis rode the Tour and won wearing it. For a few years they all wanted in.

Then followed some lean years, where nobody really cared much.

Now, with the emergence of the Asgreen, Mads P, Kragh generation, it has become hot property again.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

TV2 in their pre-TdS show saying, that all but 3 WT riders (we have 25) are starting nationals this year.

The only ones not starting are Vingegaard (odd decision, on a route that suits him - just like it's odd he opted out of the Olympics), Lasse Norman (doesn't suit his Olympics preparation on the track), and Asbjoern Kragh (dunno why).

Fuglsang saying in his intro-interview, that it helps a great deal with attendance, that the Danish federation has started supplying cars and mechanics for the Pros living abroad, instead of them having to organise that themselves.

WT riders starting:

Astana:
Fuglsang
Gregaard

Bora:
Wandahl

DQ:
Asgreen
Honore
Moerkoev

EF:
Cort
Valggren

ISN:
Würtz

Lotto:
Kron

Movistar:
Norsgaard

Qhubeka:
Stokbro
Vinjebo

BikeExchange:
Juul

DSM:
Kragh
Casper P

Trek:
Mads P
Kamp
Eg
Egholm
Skjelmose

UAE:
Bjerg

 

[RedheadDane]

Fuglsang saying in his intro-interview, that it helps a great deal with attendance, that the Danish federation has started supplying cars and mechanics for the Pros living abroad, instead of them having to organise that themselves.

Yeah... we saw last year how big a problem it was for Dideriksen having to "bring her own car", so to speak.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Yeah... we saw last year how big a problem it was for Dideriksen having to "bring her own car", so to speak.

Yep, it's a great change, I wonder who pushed it through.

 

[RedheadDane]

Right... is it terrible of me that I really hope Bjerg doesn't win? Nothing against him personally, I'd just hate having to look at one of those horrible UAE Team National Champs jerseys for Denmark...

 

[Breezy1985]

TV2 in their pre-TdS show saying, that all but 3 WT riders (we have 25) are starting nationals this year.

The only ones not starting are Vingegaard (odd decision, on a route that suits him - just like it's odd he opted out of the Olympics), Lasse Norman (doesn't suit his Olympics preparation on the track), and Asbjoern Kragh (dunno why).

Fuglsang saying in his intro-interview, that it helps a great deal with attendance, that the Danish federation has started supplying cars and mechanics for the Pros living abroad, instead of them having to organise that themselves.

WT riders starting:

Astana:
Fuglsang
Gregaard

Bora:
Wandahl

DQ:
Asgreen
Honore
Moerkoev

EF:
Cort
Valggren

ISN:
Würtz

Lotto:
Kron

Movistar:
Norsgaard

Qhubeka:
Stokbro
Vinjebo

BikeExchange:
Juul

DSM:
Kragh
Casper P

Trek:
Mads P
Kamp
Eg
Egholm
Skjelmose

UAE:
Bjerg

Wow looking at that it is absolutely crazy how far ahead of Ireland cycling is in Denmark. I think we currently have 5 WT riders from a similar population

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Wow looking at that it is absolutely crazy how far ahead of Ireland cycling is in Denmark. I think we currently have 5 WT riders from a similar population

Cycling has always been our national endurance sport.

If you look at neighbouring Sweden, they are virtually a non-entity in cycling, because their endurance talent gravitates towards cross country skiing in winter and athletics in summer.

Norway is interesting, they used to be like Sweden, but the last 10-15 years they have invested heavily in cycling, and in the next decade, we will see a swarm of Norwegian talent hit the World Tour as a result.

 

[Anderis]

Wow looking at that it is absolutely crazy how far ahead of Ireland cycling is in Denmark. I think we currently have 5 WT riders from a similar population

Poland has just 3 riders more than Ireland from a population of 7.5 times more so Ireland is not in such a bad place and I don't even mention countries like China or India.

 

[RedheadDane]

Wow looking at that it is absolutely crazy how far ahead of Ireland cycling is in Denmark. I think we currently have 5 WT riders from a similar population

Hey! One of those WT riders is among the (Not So) Unbeatable Six.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Poland has just 3 riders more than Ireland from a population of 7.5 times more so Ireland is not in such a bad place and I don't even mention countries like China or India.

With Uno-X applying for WT status, we might actually get another 7 WT riders

Meanwhile, Norway may get another 19 WT riders - on top of the 7 they have today - underlining my previous point that Norway is moving up in the cycling world

 

[Bonimenier]

No Van Aert after all in the Belgian TT champs.

 

[RedheadDane]

I think Demare just pretty much confirmed my suspicion - that the French race is too tough for him this year - in the report for stage 2 of Occitanie:

Arnaud Démare and his lead-out train right on time (equipecycliste-groupama-fdj.fr)

“It was also my last victory in the French champion’s jersey since it will be impossible to win the next two (smiles)”.

Of course "the next two" refers to stages in Occitanie, but I think if the French RR had been on flat route, he would've talked about hoping to re-win the jersey, and bring it to the Tour.
Guess FDJ will just have to try and put Gaudu in the jersey instead.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Belgian NC ITT - INGELMUNSTER - 16/06/2021

Men do 37.6 km - 3 laps - 14h55
Women 24.9 km - 2 laps - 13h00

Technical sheet (pdf)
Startlist (pdf)


Favorites (men):

** 1st group **
15h08 VAN HOOYDONCK Nathan
15h09 VAN MOER Brent
** 2nd group **
16h08 VERMEERSCH Florian
16h12 LAMPAERT Yves
16h13 HERREGODTS Rune
16h15 VAN WILDER Ilan
16h16 FRISON Frederik
16h17 CAMPENAERTS Victor
16h18 EVENEPOEL Remco

No need to look for Van Aert, Wellens or De Gendt, they aren't participating this year.
At around 17h we'll know who succeeds Wout van Aert as Belgian national champion time trialing.

 

[Big Doopie]

Belgian NC ITT - INGELMUNSTER - 16/06/2021

Men do 37.6 km - 3 laps - 14h55
Women 24.9 km - 2 laps - 13h00

Technical sheet (pdf)
Startlist (pdf)


Favorites (men):

** 1st group **
15h08 VAN HOOYDONCK Nathan
15h09 VAN MOER Brent
** 2nd group **
16h08 VERMEERSCH Florian
16h12 LAMPAERT Yves
16h13 HERREGODTS Rune
16h15 VAN WILDER Ilan
16h16 FRISON Frederik
16h17 CAMPENAERTS Victor
16h18 EVENEPOEL Remco

No need to look for Van Aert, Wellens or De Gendt, they aren't participating this year.
At around 17h we'll know who succeeds Wout van Aert as Belgian national champion time trialing.

flat? hilly?

and what about the road race?

today on GCN they said the road race was more for sprinters... :-(

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

flat? hilly?

and what about the road race?

today on GCN they said the road race was more for sprinters... :-(

It's flat. But so will the WCC ITT be 50km closer to the sea. So it will be an interesting test.
Road race doesn't really interest me, because it's a huge letdown 9 times out of 10.

 

[Bakkie]

I hope JA finally took the french national title.

 

[Leggitte]

In the Netherlands the National Championship is again held on the former household waste site and man-made course over the Col du Vam. A very nice course ( I think) but for some reason they made the road only about 3 meters wide, so it is not possible to hold any major race here.

 

[BlueRoads]

So who are the favourites for the national championships? (I don't even know who's racing...)

my guesses:
Germany: Schachmann
Spain: Valverde
France: Gaudu (Alaphilippe)
Italy: Bettiol (Ulissi)
Belgium: dependent on the course... but probably Merlier?
Netherlands: van der Poel
Denmark: Asgreen (Fuglsang)
Austria: Gogl
Slovenia: the big ones aren't starting, or are they? Mohoric?

what d'ye think?