Only 3 for GB.Good luck Cav

[Roland Rat]

Eisel has more chances than Cav IMHO

Not sure really. If it comes to a sprint, it's likely Cav will win, whereas if it suits Eisel there are many others with as much of a chance. I'm sure HTC would prefer Cav to have the hoops than Eisel too.

Just on the HTC roster there's a few candidates (depending on selection):

Eisel;
Bak, Guldhammer (Denmark);
Rabon (Czech);
Roulston (NZ)
Saramotins (Latvia)
Sivtsov (Belarus)
Velits (x2) (Slovakia)

plus (eg) Millar and Downing and you have a decent few riders there.

 

[Cerberus]

Not sure really. If it comes to a sprint, it's likely Cav will win, whereas if it suits Eisel there are many others with as much of a chance. I'm sure HTC would prefer Cav to have the hoops than Eisel too.

They might, but I think Eisel would prefer to have them himself. Also how big a stink would be raised if Eisel start pulling for Cevendish? Working for you pro team isn't exactly accepted practice in the worlds any more so it should be subtle and Eisel working the front of the field isn't exactly that.

Just on the HTC roster there's a few candidates (depending on selection):

Eisel;
Bak, Guldhammer (Denmark);
Rabon (Czech);
Roulston (NZ)
Saramotins (Latvia)
Sivtsov (Belarus)
Velits (x2) (Slovakia)

plus (eg) Millar and Downing and you have a decent few riders there.

Breschel might have a shot at the worlds in Australia, not the biggest favourite of cause, but he did very well the last two worlds and the cause is good for him, I don't think the Danish squad is going to be riding for Cavendish.

 

[tgsgirl]

Breschel might have a shot at the worlds in Australia, not the biggest favourite of cause, but he did very well the last two worlds and the cause is good for him, I don't think the Danish squad is going to be riding for Cavendish.

Breschel is right up there with the big favourites for me. The course suits him (as far as I can tell without having seen it), and he's always good at the one day races he puts his mind too (as in the last two world champs).

 

[taiwan]

Eisel has more chances than Cav IMHO

v.good point

Just on the HTC roster there's a few candidates (depending on selection): ...Roulston (NZ)...

Roulston, Henderson, Dean- their chances are not so bad really.

 

[El Pistolero]

Gilbert won the last 2 editions of the "true sprinting classic" while not being a sprinter, so I'm pretty confident that he'll make sure this WC RR isn't won in a bunch sprint.

I also heard from pretty good sources that Gilbert is allergic to bunch sprints.

 

[Ryaguas]

Gilbert won the last 2 editions of the "true sprinting classic" while not being a sprinter, so I'm pretty confident that he'll make sure this WC RR isn't won in a bunch sprint.

I also heard from pretty good sources that Gilbert is allergic to bunch sprints.

I'll put in my list to see:

Gilbert
Cunego
Haussler
Freire (Has mastered the WC and is always someone to see but He is getting old though)
Evans
LL Sanchez - Purito

In this Parcours won't be a bunch sprint... Classics men FTW!

Edit: BTW Can we have an sticky post to talk about the WCs?

 

[tgsgirl]

Freire (Has mastered the WC and is always someone to see but He is getting old though)

BLASPHEMY!
If you can win MSR you're not old.

 

[El Pistolero]

True, but most classic races can be won by more older cyclists though because they're far more experienced in those type of races than younger cyclists. Experience is one of the most important things in monumental classics.

That said, Freire can still easily outsprint some of the best and younger cyclists. Just look at how he crushed Boonen at Milan-Sanremo.

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

My tip to be World Champion this year is Mark Cavendish.

 

[El Pistolero]

My tip to be World Champion this year is Mark Cavendish.

I'll be breaking his knee if he does

 

[ferryman]

My tip to be World Champion this year is Mark Cavendish.

Maybe, but I really don't think so with the support he will (won't) have. No yellow train at the Worlds to deliver him

 

[Ferminal]

Let's not be silly suggesting Cavendish has a chance of making the final sprint let alone win it. Even if GB can control the race for the first 210km, there's no way that Cav can stay in a group which contains the likes of Gilbert, Vino, Cancellara, Evans, 2Sanchez, Kolobnev etc over the final passes of the small but sharp climbs.

All that has to happen is for Gilbert to attack or Cancellara/Vino to turn their engines on and that group will have +30s on a group of sprinters... all the major countries will be represented so it's Cav and what's left of his GB team chasing back a select group of the finest classics riders in the world today.

The only "genuine" sprinter who could possibly make that selection is Freire. The scenario changes if Australia, Belgium, Germany and Spain all give full support to their sprinter(s) but I think that is unlikely, and Switzerland don't have a sprinter.

Edit: And that's in a race where GB has 9 riders, with 3 I wouldn't bother taking Cav.

 

[hrotha]

+30s? Yeah right.

 

[Ferminal]

+30s? Yeah right.

Which countries will make a concerted effort to chase?

(It was a general figure).

 

[davis_123]

Cavendish cannot win, he will be dropped well before the race gets near the finish, Australia alone has enough power to see the little wan... dropped let alone the other nations.

National pride is at stake here, no pom will ever win anything of note on Australian soil!

 

[boardhanger]

Which countries will make a concerted effort to chase?

(It was a general figure).

USA, Kazahstan, France, Italy and Faroe Islands.

 

[simo1733]

I take it u are no rugby fan

Cavendish cannot win, he will be dropped well before the race gets near the finish, Australia alone has enough power to see the little wan... dropped let alone the other nations.

National pride is at stake here, no pom will ever win anything of note on Australian soil!

Jeremy Hunt won the Aussie National championship road race in 2000

 

[barn yard]

pozzato or cancellara will win this

 

[sublimit]

pozzato or cancellara will win this

I actualy think Pozzato will get it. If Cav rides the Vuelta he might have enough in his legs to survive but its unlikely considering Italy/Spain will be launching riders up the road from 200 K on.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

National pride is at stake here, no pom will ever win anything of note on Australian soil!

Off topic but......Jonny Wilkinson.... just that.

 

[sublimit]

Wiggans has won in Australia - an ITT and overall at the sun tour.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Has Britain?????

The more interesting question have they 3 quality pro's?

 

[Jamsque]

Cavendish cannot win, he will be dropped well before the race gets near the finish, Australia alone has enough power to see the little wan... dropped let alone the other nations.

National pride is at stake here, no pom will ever win anything of note on Australian soil!

Except for, you know, the last 3 Australian Grand Prix...

Anyway, I agree with what I think the general sentiment in this thread is once one looks past nationalist fervour, which is that a three-man team GB will be unable to chase down attacks and control the race in the finale, so for Cavendish to have any chance of contesting he will have to hope other countries will work for a sprint.

 

[galaxy1]

GB could call in some of the favours earnt blatantly working for other nations over the last couple of decades.

 

[L'arriviste]

GB could call in some of the favours earnt blatantly working for other nations over the last couple of decades.

Charly Wegelius working for his Italian teammates in 2005 was memorable.

Report here.