Olympic Road Race

[maltiv]

I guess the question is ....

Is the course more selective than the WC - Which I believe it is - GB road brilliantly at the WC but used up all of their guys about 4 km from the end - if the course is more selective the Cav will need the ride of his career to make it to the end, unless the other teams don´t attack him early .

Every team should go into the race with the realistic goal of getting rid of Cavendish, else we all know who will win. I just cannot imagine that there will be defensive riding, at least not until/if Cavendish is far behind, at which point the pace will probably go down as many teams will consequently fancy their chances in a sprint.

 

[Anonymous]

we are of course assuming that anyone outside of britain and australia actually care about the olympics.

im not sure how many of those countries will even send their best riders.

 

[Catwhoorg]

This may have already been answered but if so I missed it

Must the TT guys COMPLETE the Road race or just start ?

 

[maltiv]

we are of course assuming that anyone outside of britain and australia actually care about the olympics.

im not sure how many of those countries will even send their best riders.

In Norway the Olympics are extremely important as well. A sports history expert in Norway claimed this year that Hushovd was not one of our greatest athletes because he had not won olympic gold. He considered winning olympic gold in women's skiing (where there are about 20 participants) as a bigger achievement than winning worlds+10 tdf stages in cycling. He's not the only one who thinks this either.

Anyhow, I highly doubt that any team won't send their best riders, except from those who quite obviously cannot win on this course.

 

[woodie]

This may have already been answered but if so I missed it

Must the TT guys COMPLETE the Road race or just start ?

I'm not sure that the TT guys even have to ride the RR. I thought it was 5 for the RR + 2 for the TT

 

[just some guy]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/other-countries-know-the-rules-says-cavendish

For the world champs it was about getting GB up front,” Cavendish told The Telegraph. “We showed the world we can control the championships; not just win, but control how the whole race panned out. That’s quite a dominating thing to have. Psychologically, the other teams now know who rules.”

To which CN made the following headline

Other countries "know the rules," says Cavendish

 

[AussieGoddess]

I'm not sure that the TT guys even have to ride the RR. I thought it was 5 for the RR + 2 for the TT

Im not sure they have to even ride the RR - but certainly their is only 5 riders in the team.

The 2 TT riders MUST come from those 5 named RR team members.

 

[woodie]

Im not sure they have to even ride the RR - but certainly their is only 5 riders in the team.

The 2 TT riders MUST come from those 5 named RR team members.

Where does it say that? Everything i've read says that Aus has qualified 5 for the RR and 2 for the TT but it doesn't say that the TT riders have to come out of the RR team. That doesn't sound right to me

 

[Kwibus]

we are of course assuming that anyone outside of britain and australia actually care about the olympics.

im not sure how many of those countries will even send their best riders.

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty confident the best dutch riders want to ride the Olympics RR. Ok, Gesink probably considers not going there as the course won't suit him, but I'd say the better 1 day riders will probably be very interested.

I think the olympic road race doesn't have the reputation in cycling compared to what the olympics are for swimming for example, but I'm pretty sure all the riders dream of winning the Olympics. Look at how much Sammy Sanchez cherishes his Olympic win. He has a tattoo of the 5 rings on his back and always wears a golden helmet referring to his golden medal. In Bejing we saw the strongest riders fighting for the win... I'm pretty sure all the big guns will be going for the win in London.

 

[El Pistolero]

we are of course assuming that anyone outside of britain and australia actually care about the olympics.

im not sure how many of those countries will even send their best riders.

Belgium will probably send Tom Boonen, Philippe Gilbert, Johan Vansummeren, Jurgen Roelandts and Nick Nuyens if everything goes correctly. Depends on whether Nick rides the Tour though, so he could be replaced by someone else.

 

[maltiv]

Belgium will probably send Tom Boonen, Philippe Gilbert, Johan Vansummeren, Jurgen Roelandts and Nick Nuyens if everything goes correctly. Depends on whether Nick rides the Tour though, so he could be replaced by someone else.

Why wouldn't they include GVA?

 

[El Pistolero]

Why wouldn't they include GVA?

I don't think he'll ride the Tour next year and it will probably be needed to be in good shape at the Olympics. But it's possible of course, he was in good shape at San Sebastian this year, so who knows.

 

[Ferminal]

Where does it say that? Everything i've read says that Aus has qualified 5 for the RR and 2 for the TT but it doesn't say that the TT riders have to come out of the RR team. That doesn't sound right to me

That's how it was in Beijing, I'm not sure if they have changed it.

It's not so much that your 2 have to come from the RR 5, rather than there being a max. squad of five for the two road cycling events. Does the IOC put in these limits to keep the number of athletes reasonable?

 

[Kwibus]

Belgium will probably send Tom Boonen, Philippe Gilbert, Johan Vansummeren, Jurgen Roelandts and Nick Nuyens if everything goes correctly. Depends on whether Nick rides the Tour though, so he could be replaced by someone else.

Most certainly a very strong lineup. Indeed they could swap 1 of the last 3 with GvA as well.
Is this allready pretty much confirmed in Belgium? I haven't heard anything at all about the Olympic road race in Holland so far.

 

[woodie]

That's how it was in Beijing, I'm not sure if they have changed it.

It's not so much that your 2 have to come from the RR 5, rather than there being a max. squad of five for the two road cycling events. Does the IOC put in these limits to keep the number of athletes reasonable?

Oh ok, thats fair enough, just seems weird to me is all

 

[Andy99]

Oh ok, thats fair enough, just seems weird to me is all

The men's road race takes place on a circuit around Surrey on July 28 2012. Two of the five road race riders will also take part in the cycling time trial three days after the road race, on August 1 in Hampton Court Palace.

(from cyclingweekly.co.uk)

 

[El Pistolero]

Most certainly a very strong lineup. Indeed they could swap 1 of the last 3 with GvA as well.
Is this allready pretty much confirmed in Belgium? I haven't heard anything at all about the Olympic road race in Holland so far.

I know both Gilbert and Boonen already said a couple of times they want to ride the Olympics(Boonen regrets not having ridden the Olympics in Athens). Jurgen Roelandts will ride the Tour, so he'll be in good shape and it's a race that suits him. Vansummeren is the best domestique we have on such a flat profile, so he seems like a safe bet for the race as well. So that would leave someone like Nick Nuyens and Greg van Avermaet. Perhaps even Jelle Vanendert to drop some bombs on Box Hill.

 

[theyoungest]

Most certainly a very strong lineup. Indeed they could swap 1 of the last 3 with GvA as well.
Is this allready pretty much confirmed in Belgium? I haven't heard anything at all about the Olympic road race in Holland so far.

Of course not, Van Vliet is waiting for someone to film the course so he can decide which riders he'll bring, slightly intoxicated from his cocktail on the beach in Curacao. Or, scratch that, he won't even bother checking the course on the internet and bring 5 climbers.

 

[Winterfold]

Is the course more selective than the WC -.

I ride the climb a lot - it is pretty easy - I really cant see how they will get enough of a gap on it that riders cant get back on before the next lap on the loop they are proposing, if Cav has Hunt type riders to pull him back on the flat bits and the descent back into Dorking.

EDIT: looking at GPS trakc of my last lot of repeats it is 2.36km 118m vertical, and a balls out effort from me is 7:50 18kmh avg. I am an old Cat 4. Easy stuff for the young and professional.

Then it is a long pretty flat drag back into London. Im not sure who would be able to stay away for that long - Spartacus maybe?

 

[El Pistolero]

Of course not, Van Vliet is waiting for someone to film the course so he can decide which riders he'll bring, slightly intoxicated from his cocktail on the beach in Curacao. Or, scratch that, he won't even bother checking the course on the internet and bring 5 climbers.

Mollema, Gesink, Poels, Ten Dam and Lars Boom

I bet I'm right for at least 4 names lol. The guy's an idiot.

 

[Ferminal]

Mollema, Gesink, Poels, Ten Dam and Lars Boom

I bet I'm right for at least 4 names lol. The guy's an idiot.

Don't forget Wilco.

 

[theyoungest]

Don't forget Wilco.

Van Vliet has never heard of him, and likely won't have heard of him in August next year either.

That is, unless he does something in a race which is televized.

 

[El Pistolero]

Most certainly a very strong lineup. Indeed they could swap 1 of the last 3 with GvA as well.
Is this allready pretty much confirmed in Belgium? I haven't heard anything at all about the Olympic road race in Holland so far.

I also forgot about Thomas Degendt. He said he'll focus on the Olympics next year instead of the Tour(getting married and for some reason doesn't want to change the date). He wants to do the time trial I guess and in order to do that he'll have to ride the road race. He has an amazing engine though, so he'd be a good pick as well and is probably ok with being a domestique at the road race. 2 leaders and 3 domestiques is what I'd pick. Or 2 leaders, 2 domestiques and one guy to distract the other countries(Greg van Avermaet or Nick Nuyens).

- Tom Boonen
- Philippe Gilbert
- Thomas Degendt
- Johan Vansummeren
- Nick Nuyens/ Greg van Avermaet/Jurgen Roelandts

Going to be a hard selection tbh.

 

[Kwibus]

Mollema, Gesink, Poels, Ten Dam and Lars Boom

I bet I'm right for at least 4 names lol. The guy's an idiot.

Boom is the only good choice for that course. Mollema might be an idea, but he shouldn't be in London.

But yeh.... this is a typical Leo van Vliet selection

 

[Ferminal]

Could Bos do it, or would he have a better chance in the Omnium?