Olympic Road Race Men

[jordan5000]

So Spain is part of Rest of the World for you? LOL!!!

Fabian/Switzerland, Boonen/Belgium have won from long-range attacks, plus I have bad news for you: Boonen's comments today:

"Mi único objetivo es lograr la victoria, no pienso en ocupar un lugar del podio por detrás de Cavendish"

http://biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=53903

Lol Freire can't beat any of the top guys in a sprint and Valverde can't either and if he launches a long range attack it'll fail miserably. And yes they have won from long attacks but not when the road is pancake flat for the last 50km and a full peloton is charging at them. Plus Boonen's comments don't mean much it's basically him saying "I want to win" which every rider will say.

 

[Finn84]

Sports Illustrated prediction
1. Cavendish
2. Boonen
3. Gilbert
I see the chance of that order less than 1%.

 

[gustienordic]

Sports Illustrated prediction
1. Cavendish
2. Boonen
3. Gilbert
I see the chance of that order less than 1%.

And this is why most American cycling fans are completely clueless...

 

[Poursuivant]

What time can we guess roughly it will finish? I am in work tomorrow, boo hoo

 

[Deagol]

And this is why most American cycling fans are completely clueless...

Or the other way around, Sports Illustrated chose this order because most American cycling fans are clueless ....?

I wonder if any of them think Lance will win?

 

[DirtyWorks]

Or the other way around, Sports Illustrated chose this order because most American cycling fans are clueless ....?

I wonder if any of them think Lance will win?

Didn't you hear? Armstrong is the only team leader. Ever. If Phil and Paul are on the voice-over for the event, you can be sure he'll be mentioned.

Does anyone have a course profile? I have a pretty map... But not much good in that.

15K relatively flat run into the finish, the way Pat is talking Sky up, this one has Cav's name all over it.

Comments here suggest there's a false flat back in???? http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/london-2012-olympics-road-race-route-details-emerge-29209/ If this is real and tough, I could be wrong about Cav winning this one.

 

[taiwan]

From Inner Ring.

 

[Orvieto]

I know that race radios aren't allowed, how about power meters? I'm grasping at straws here but I'm hoping that lack of technology aids along with the smaller teams might hinder GB from turning this into a snorefest, ending up with a Cav coronation.

Same rules as World Champs which Cav won..

Sorry, I'm not sure what the rules were at the World Champs either. Were power meters permitted?

 

[Viking]

From Inner Ring.

I know it's standard to exaggerate the vertical axis, but this is ridiculous.

 

[mewmewmew13]

From Inner Ring.

sick

That would look great on a t shirt.

 

[BigBoat]

Stannard is no ITT slouch himself on the rare occasions he gets to cut loose in one, rather than ride in energy save mode.

Stannard's threshold power is always set around 430-50 watts on training peaks!

If I see the americans up there driving it with him and Millar than its a joke. 99% Cavendish wins if he doesn't crash & his team finds allies. The competition's only choice is to force limeys to do all of it.

 

[Catwhoorg]

I hear they were checking the motorbikes at the Manx TT races for Stannard doping.

 

[iZnoGouD]

i'am going to bet a few bucks on Wiggins, decent odds @151.00

 

[The Barb]

i'am going to bet a few bucks on Wiggins, decent odds @151.00

That thought crossed my mind as well - just on the basis that Cav might (unlikely as I think it is) get dropped with a couple of circuits to go on Box Hill and be out of contention, leaving the other GB riders to try late attacks.

Brailsford has said something to the effect "If Cavendish doesn't win then none of us will win" but I suppose that's what he has to say.

 

[woodie]

Sorry, I'm not sure what the rules were at the World Champs either. Were power meters permitted?

Power meters are permitted like any other personal computer the riders have

 

[Orvieto]

I know it's standard to exaggerate the vertical axis, but this is ridiculous.

I believe the course profile is a promotional thing to reference another British cultural icon that they couldn't fit in the opening ceremonies.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Stannard's threshold power is always set around 430-50 watts on training peaks!

If I see the americans up there driving it with him and Millar than its a joke. 99% Cavendish wins if he doesn't crash & his team finds allies. The competition's only choice is to force limeys to do all of it.

Nooo.. The italians will reprise their role from the giro dragging the peloton around so an english speaker can win.

 

[jordan5000]

Random question: does Cav get to where his world championship jersey in the olympics?

 

[plooton]

All over for Sagan!

 

[Eric8-A]

Random question: does Cav get to where his world championship jersey in the olympics?

I highly doubt it. I saw a picture of the GB team training, and they all were wearing the provided kits. Wiggo however was wearing an all yellow helmet.

 

[Andre.J]

Granted, but look at Sky's tactics in the Tour where Froome could have left Wiggins for 1km and gone on to win the stage and yet they refused to allow it and compare it to here where doing such a thing may limit their resources...

The ultimate decision belongs to the rider not to his team; if the Kenyan wanted to win the stage or thought he could, he should have had the balls to go for it instead of acting like a moron waving with his hands at Wiggins. Once he would caught up to Valverde I believe Valverde would have smoked the white Kenyan guy to the finish anyway. Now the Kenyan can cry all he wants; he chose to follow orders from people with pre-conceived ideas and plans (SkY)....he should have chosen his heart. Eddy Merckx would have chosen his heart; so would Anquetil, and Coppi, and Contador, and Hinault; now the mechanical and computerized style of racing....well Froome is a product of this crap.

Andre

 

[auscyclefan94]

Marcel Wüst's opinion on the London course is something I can agree with. He said, “It’s ****,”! So true.

 

[The Eggman]

Betfair is offering you a riskfree chance to double your money.

I've taken him on @ 2.16

I think the race will be torn to bits. As strong as GB is there are too many strong riders who want to ditch Cav

 

[auscyclefan94]

I've taken him on @ 2.16

I think the race will be torn to bits. As strong as GB is there are too many strong riders who want to ditch Cav

Marcel Wüst seems to think that they will go up Box Hill at around 30km/h which is quite fast and means that the climb isn't that hard. When you have a team like GB's even if Cav does get dropped, they will have 55km to bring him back to the front. I am tipping Cancellara.

 

[Swede1]

I think cancellara will do well tomorrow. He left the tour mostly to prepare for the Olympics and I think he will be flying. Even if there isn't a 20 man break I still think he can attack with 800 meters to go and hold off cav's exhausted 4 teammates.

Btw In pretty much any scenario I can think of, Sagan is almost always a good bet for at least top 3. He probably won't beat can though if it's a flat out sprint. But my pick is cancellara.