Ponferrada 2014 World Championships, Sep. 21st-28th

[roundabout]

Vuelta. Attacking Contador and Froome 10kms out

Which stage was that?

I honestly can't recall.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Vuelta this year in the stage to Cordoba

But you're right. But it's not easy for a big favourite, in your own country, to do a attack with the risk to lose it all.

Exactly. Had to be done by a guy like Kwiatkowski: Hasn't done anything in 5 months so he's not marked at all.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Vuelta this year in the stage to Cordoba/QUOTE]

Ah yes, that one too

 

[Akuryo]

Come on BigMac, just give in to the Kwiat side and join the bandwagon.

I beat most of you to it. I'm on it since 2012, when he joined OPQS

I need Kwia in WC jersey for new avatar.

I'm happy for now with my Strade Bianche avatar of him.

 

[cineteq]

There are many bigger losers. Netherlands (anonymous race, not in 1 move!!), Cancellara (Where was he?), Italy/Nibali (made part of the race but nowhere in the final)... Also don't think Belgium is a real winner, they rode a decent race but only Van Avermaet in 5th.. could've been so much better

Well if Gerrans and Valverde would've taken more pulls then GVA would've had a chance. Gilbert put a great effort, thus they're winners. I won't consider Sagan a loser, did he run out of gas? Yes Italy #fail. Breschel/Denmark a winner too.

 

[SafeBet]

Great win for Kwiatkowski, timed his attack perfectly, beautiful win.
To think a couple of years ago he was battling with Moreno Moser at the Tour of Poland bring me some tears.

All in all I'd give this race a 6.
Poland earned its win.
Italy raced the only way they could, there's really nobody who can follow the best punchers on the last climb (considering Nibali is clearly not in top shape). Maybe Visconti should have waited, but who cares, it was good to see him on the attack. Don't agree with who call the italians losers. This is our value in one day races at the moment: we haven't won a monument in years, we struggle in international classics, we're simply not good enough.

I think Belgium was good too. Very active early on, had a man in almost every move, took control before the final climb. They made a mistake in letting Kwiatkowski attack though, they had to cover that move.

Spain was pathetic.
Also hard to explain Netherlands, unseen the whole race.

 

[Lupi33]

Poland should have won Eurovision. At least they have the Worlds.

agreed

 

[icefire]

Well, that was a pretty unorthodox move. When was the last time Valverde did one of those?

Roma Maxima?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Great win for Kwiatkowski, timed his attack perfectly, beautiful win.
To think a couple of years ago he was battling with Moreno Moser at the Tour of Poland bring me some tears.

All in all I'd give this race a 6.
Poland earned its win.
Italy raced the only way they could, there's really nobody who can follow the best punchers on the last climb (considering Nibali is clearly not in top shape). Maybe Visconti should have waited, but who cares, it was good to see him on the attack. Don't agree with who call the italians losers. This is our value in one day races at the moment: we haven't won a monument in years, we struggle in international classics, we're simply not good enough.

I think Belgium was good too. Very active early on, had a man in almost every move, took control before the final climb. They made a mistake in letting Kwiatkowski attack though, they had to cover that move.

Spain was pathetic.
Also hard to explain Netherlands, unseen the whole race.

Dumoulin found it very easy to explain "we rode a bad race, not in 1 move. Bauke and I had to wait until the final lap, but the rest should have covered the other moves. It was bad."

 

[auscyclefan94]

Anyone going to comment on Italy's failure?

 

[Afrank]

WCRR parcours should change in the future. On a real hard parcours, climbers are waiting for the last hill, on an intermediate parcours, punchers are waiting for the last hill.

The beauty of most monumental classics is that the toughest parts are pretty far from the finish.

I think that in the future the race should perhaps have two alternating circuits, with the hardest climbs being the penultimate lap, so that climbers will have to make a move there. That, or have longer circuits with the hardest climbs early in the circuit. As it is now, everything is gonna be decided by those who are the fastest on the final hill.

Look at the Italians. Great, Aru attacks from 65k out, but when they get caught they do nothing. De Marchi was never gonna win, and Nibali just sat there waiting to find out for the 234123413th time he can't match the likes of Valverde, Purito, Gerrans on a sharp hill.

Also, **** off with the 9 man teams. Use man teams at most, if you want to have action, this is probably way more important

Agree, worlds parcours definitely need something to make the big favorites race for it sooner then the last climb. Though part of me thinks that waiting until the last climb is just the direction cycling is headed/has arrived at.

Maybe we need to throw something new at them for worlds...cobbles anyone...?

 

[Arnout]

Great win for Kwiatkowski, timed his attack perfectly, beautiful win.
To think a couple of years ago he was battling with Moreno Moser at the Tour of Poland bring me some tears.

All in all I'd give this race a 6.
Poland earned its win.
Italy raced the only way they could, there's really nobody who can follow the best punchers on the last climb (considering Nibali is clearly not in top shape). Maybe Visconti should have waited, but who cares, it was good to see him on the attack. Don't agree with who call the italians losers. This is the our value in one day races at the moment: we haven't won a monument in years, we struggle in international classics, we're simply not good enough.

I think Belgium was good too. Very active early on, had a man in almost every move, took control before the final climb. They made a mistake in letting Kwiatkowski attack though, they had to cover that move.

Spain was pathetic.
Also hard to explain Netherlands, unseen the whole race.

Spain always goes missing in the second to last break in the WCs. They should've had someone with Di Marchi et al, preferably Moreno or (a less tired) Castroviejo. Too many teams are just hoping for the best and for equality, instead of creating an environment that benefits them more than others.

Boonen was on Dutch TV a few minutes ago, he called it "just a matter of riding as fast as possible on the final climb". That's the problematic mindset that creates a bunch of waiting riders. That was exactly what Kwiatkowski did not do and it worked.

I'm so happy with the winner, everything considering.

 

[jaylew]

Gerrans isn't a great rider. The only WC jersey he should ever wear is the one he buys online.

Don't let your emotions could your judgement. I'm not a big Gerrans fan either but I respect the guy and he is a great rider.

The big thing is that if Kwiatkowski does it, they let him go. If Valverde does, they don't.

As much as I'd like to buy that as a Valverde fan, I'm not so sure I can. It's not like people don't know who Kwia is at this point. He's at the pointy end of most of the same races Valverde is. It's possible what you say is true, but I think if Valverde had done exactly as Kwia did, there's a good chance he'd be on the top step.

 

[Arnout]

Anyone going to comment on Italy's failure?

Italy didn't really fail, unless not having the riders is failing. Spain as usual had like 25 riders still in the big group with 5km to go but also as usual were too late using them.

 

[SafeBet]

Look at the Italians. Great, Aru attacks from 65k out, but when they get caught they do nothing.

What?
They were in every single attacking move of the race.
Aru, Visconti, Caruso, De Marchi.

Nibali had no form. In top shape (Firenze) he can be with the best even in short climbs.

And look at the roster. Most of them have no result whatsoever in monuments. They're just not good enough.

 

[Arnout]

As much as I'd like to buy that as a Valverde fan, I'm not so sure I can. It's not like people don't know who Kwia is at this point. He's at the pointy end of most of the same races Valverde is. It's possible what you say is true, but I think if Valverde had done exactly as Kwia did, there's a good chance he'd be on the top step.

They don't let Valverde go because he always goes at precalculated positions where the others would've gone anyway. They let Kwiatkowski go because he dared to go in a place where the rest of the peloton didn't expect him to go.

Riding without earpieces doesn't change the tactics overnight, but it does show that some riders cannot think for themselves.

 

[Arredondo]

Don't let your emotions could your judgement. I'm not a big Gerrans fan either but I respect the guy and he is a great rider.


As much as I'd like to buy that as a Valverde fan, I'm not so sure I can. It's not like people don't know who Kwia is at this point. He's at the pointy end of most of the same races Valverde is. It's possible what you say is true, but I think if Valverde had done exactly as Kwia did, there's a good chance he'd be on the top step.

You can't rule out the possibilty he would be WC if he rode like that. But although Kwia is a super strong rider and one of the best in 2014, he still doesn't have the name of a Valverde. That's just a fact.

You can compare him for example with Costa. I think he also would have gotten the space if he attacked, although he is (was) the reigning WC.

And Kwiatkowski was a little bit off the radar after the Tour. That's also a reason he wasn't named along guys like Valverde, Gerrans, Cancellara..

 

[Beacon Hill]

The Italians helped make the race exciting ... thats not a failure in my book. Wouldn't have begrudged any of them winning or being on the podium.

 

[dlwssonic]

I wished Belgium would have organized themselves more properly like in 2012 worlds. They might have been able to catch kwiat and make the race harder on the last lap.

 

[jaylew]

Poland earned its win.
Italy raced the only way they could, there's really nobody who can follow the best punchers on the last climb (considering Nibali is clearly not in top shape). Maybe Visconti should have waited, but who cares, it was good to see him on the attack. Don't agree with who call the italians losers. This is our value in one day races at the moment: we haven't won a monument in years, we struggle in international classics, we're simply not good enough.

What are your thoughts on Ulissi? His *troubles* notwithstanding, I've been thinking he's on the verge of breaking through in a big classic.

 

[SafeBet]

They don't let Valverde go because he always goes at precalculated positions where the others would've gone anyway. They let Kwiatkowski go because he dared to go in a place where the rest of the peloton didn't expect him to go.

Exactly.
They didn't let Kwia go. They were unprepared for such an attack. Which is very different.
200 metres after his attack Spain was already chasing. That's not what I call letting him go.

 

[doperhopper]

so we can safely say that after this season Piti lost his crown and the new WheelsucKING is undoubtedly Gerro - hope he's doomed for good and nobody will tow him anymore, which may be good to encourage the attackers as they know the group will not chase full gas as long as G. is there

 

[SafeBet]

What are your thoughts on Ulissi? His *troubles* notwithstanding, I've been thinking he's on the verge of breaking through in a big classic.

Cassani has been big on Ulissi the whole year. His post race comments confirmed that: as soon as I saw the parcours I thought about Ulissi. It's the perfect race for him. Unfortunately I could not have him.

Facts say he has never performed in a 250 km race though. I'd wait another year to draw conclusions. He's surely not a great bike handler, a useful skill in a race like today.

 

[jens_attacks]

well definitely good last 70 kms no doubt. nice edition of worlds and especially nice results
congrats to italy for trying and to kiwi of course
this time i don't rate valverde as a loser because he wouldn't have won this in any other scenario imo. 3rd is a fair result for him. he will probably win in berge or even medellin/bogota

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Condé reports on Gerrans at the press conference:

Simon Gerrans: "I wanted to cry when I crossed the line. I knew I had the legs to fight for the win."

Imo:
You did, you pleb. If you had done a turn, you wouldn't have been fighting for the win, you'd have won.