Olympic Road Race Men

[orangerider]

Remember they also got Millar and Stannard. Stannard ain't wuss and Millar can ride a bloody high pace at the front as well.
It's just 4 of them though. I wonder how much time Cavendish is behind the leading group after the last time they passed Box Hill, because that's when the uk riders have to ride really fast.
Will all of them wait for Cav when Cav drops from the bunch while the first group still contains Goss and Greipel?

Cav isn't going to squander a chance for Team GB if he doesn't have the legs that day - it's going to be communicated for plan B to take effect. Pretty sure they got the timings all calculated out in their heads to know it's a lost cause for Cav. Don't know what plan B would be though - Wiggins going on a 3k to go massive solo attack himself to steal gold and clinch himself for the record books ?

 

[spalco]

two videos describing Box hill. the second one includes David Harmon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUxlD_K3R08

Nice shot of Tom Boonen training on Box Hill there in the end.


()

 

[Kwibus]

Cav isn't going to squander a chance for Team GB if he doesn't have the legs that day - it's going to be communicated for plan B to take effect. Pretty sure they got the timings all calculated out in their heads to know it's a lost cause for Cav. Don't know what plan B would be though - Wiggins going on a 3k to go massive solo attack himself to steal gold and clinch himself for the record books ?

For example. He's strong enough to ride a final of that I'm sure

 

[Cimber]

How far to the finish from the last time they do Box Hill?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

How far to the finish from the last time they do Box Hill?

48.9km. The course is a complete joke.

 

[greenedge]

I bet Team Spartacus plans to induce some serious pain as well...

Sending Albasini into the break would definitely make other teams chase.

 

[greenedge]

The Aussies and Italians seem entirely committed to the 'wait and see strategy' that caused them to screw up in Copenhagen.

You honestly think 2nd place was bad They had 5 riders at the end and if not for Cav going before Goss expected/ being caught behind Sagan ( who looked dead- which will not happen now ) Goss would have won.

My 5 favourites.

Goss, Greipel, Sagan, Cav and Cancellara. I hope Boonen is also good enough if it comes to a sprint.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Fabian Cancellara ftw.

 

[Eric8-A]

I keep forgetting that Peter Sagan's Slovakian, and thinking that he'll be on the Italian team.

 

[JibberJim]

Sure, GB had 9 men in Copenhagen, but so did every other team.

They only had 8 didn't they? It was surprising they managed that many point scorers - it's going to be 5 this year isn't it?

 

[Cancellator]

They should have left the old crappy roads and the speedbumps in, turn it into a sort of "cobbled" classic

 

[spalco]

Completely ridiculous.

I'm not a big fan of track cycling, but has all the doping stuff really eroded the UCI's standing so much that they have to accept idiotic rules like that on top of cutting down on the number of starters per country on the track and cutting important disciplines like individual pursuit?

I'm all for having the same sports for women as for men at the Olympics, but the price can't be to cut down on historic disciplines in cycling. Get rid of dumb **** like dressage (??), rythmic gymnastics, hammer throw, syncronised diving, and the million different weight classes in boxing, wrestling, judo and taekwondo, and leave cycling alone.

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

It's a very long way to try and control it with just 5 men.

My thoughts this morning.

 

[Kopuliak]

eh, it's better silver or bronze in small group as nothing in bunch sprint.If Sagan willl be in break, he'll get some help from not GB teams.

 

[Morbius]

Cavendish is definitely NOT the fastest sprinter in the race

Mickaël Bourgain is on the start list

 

[Froome19]

They only had 8 didn't they? It was surprising they managed that many point scorers - it's going to be 5 this year isn't it?

6 so far, but there is a possibility for more at Eneco though I havent checked the startlist, it has been a mixture of bad luck and the Track which has limited the team.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Cavendish is definitely NOT the fastest sprinter in the race

Mickaël Bourgain is on the start list

So we can add the French to the list of teams working for a sprint then.

 

[Anonymous]

The Dutch want to make it selective too, with Terpstra, Langeveld and Boom.

What I dread is Phil Liggett's pronunciation of the Dutch names.

Now please take note Phil (and Paul):

Boom is pronounced 'Bome' (ryhmes with Rome) not 'boom!' as in explosion. It means 'tree'.

Boonen is pronouced 'bo nun' (bo as in Diddley, nun as in female monk). It means beans, although modern Dutch would be 'bonen'.

Hoogerland is pronounced (well I expect you could guess now) 'ho-gurrr-lont'

ho as in Westward Ho, gurr as in a growl. The g should be pronouced as though you were clearing phlegm from your throat.

If fans would like me to do other Dutch (or Belgian dutch names) just reply and i will do my best, which is more than the two Phils are capable of. I have written in and complained but no notice was taken, very unprofessional.

 

[Morbius]

So we can add the French to the list of teams working for a sprint then.

I doubt it - Bourgain may not even get as far as Richmond. See http://inrng.com/2012/07/olympics-sprint-farce/#more-10124

 

[cineteq]

Spain has the best balanced, thus top of the list

***** Spain
**** Sky, Germany, Switzerland
*** Australia, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia
** USA, France, Denmark
* Rest of the World

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I doubt it - Bourgain may not even get as far as Richmond. See http://inrng.com/2012/07/olympics-sprint-farce/#more-10124

I wasn't being strictly serious.

 

[Cimber]

48.9km. The course is a complete joke.

Feking hell )-:

 

[Andy99]

TV Coverage wise, Eurosport are only starting their coverage at 2.15, so will only show part of the last box hill loop.

BBC are showing the full race on BBC3, plus looking on the sky planner, there are some 40 odd HD channels specifically available for the olympics, so no doubt will be in HD on one of those too....

 

[Andy99]

48.9km. The course is a complete joke.

Well its hardly going to pass up Alpe D'huez prior to a central Londan finish is it

 

[Froome19]

Spain has the best balanced, thus top of the list

***** Spain
**** Sky, Germany, Switzerland
*** Australia, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia
** USA, France, Denmark
* Rest of the World

I dont really see who Spain have if it comes down to a sprint who can realistically win, Rojas? I would consider winning beyond him... Ventoso? He is pretty fast and can survive longer than most others but once again there are many sprinters such as EBH and Sagan who can do similarly and are faster then them.

Their other two riders though Lulu and Valverde both have a chance if the race breaks up.