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Rio 2016 Olympic Road Race and Time Trial courses

Page 10 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Re:

blaxland said:
I hope Mathews is aus captian this year,but me thinks gerrans will be there to mix up his chances.Lets hope they don't mess it up again.climbs are not tough enough for pure climbers..

Due to 2015 being a poor year for AUS riders on the World Tour, the AUS quota is only 4 instead of 5 and any ITTer will also have to start the RR.

AUS has 2 spots for the ITT but whether they'll use both is open to question. Dennis is the best AUS TTer but this course may be too tough for him. Porte will most likely be on the plane for the RR at least but given his TT tends to be variable in quality, he may/may not start the TT.

Re Matthews and Gerrans, the course is reportedly too tough for either of them. One of them MAY get a plane ticket but can't see both. My potential roughie for selection could be Howson who's showing some legitimate signs of being useful when it goes up hill and can certainly fill a domestique role for such a course. Clarke .... not out of the question.

It may all boil down to who actually makes themselves available and/or who survives the Tour in reasonable condition
 
Re: Re:

dirkprovin said:
blaxland said:
I hope Mathews is aus captian this year,but me thinks gerrans will be there to mix up his chances.Lets hope they don't mess it up again.climbs are not tough enough for pure climbers..

Due to 2015 being a poor year for AUS riders on the World Tour, the AUS quota is only 4 instead of 5 and any ITTer will also have to start the RR.

AUS has 2 spots for the ITT but whether they'll use both is open to question. Dennis is the best AUS TTer but this course may be too tough for him. Porte will most likely be on the plane for the RR at least but given his TT tends to be variable in quality, he may/may not start the TT.

Re Matthews and Gerrans, the course is reportedly too tough for either of them. One of them MAY get a plane ticket but can't see both. My potential roughie for selection could be Howson who's showing some legitimate signs of being useful when it goes up hill and can certainly fill a domestique role for such a course. Clarke .... not out of the question.

It may all boil down to who actually makes themselves available and/or who survives the Tour in reasonable condition

Spot on with your post - Porte and Dennis are certainties - Howson is a near certainty - A couple from left field - Rory Sutherland, Adam Hansen, Nathan Haas and Jay McCarthy.
 
Re:

Alexandre B. said:
Belgian pre-list :

Jan Bakelants
Bart De Clercq
Laurens De Plus
Philippe Gilbert
Ben Hermans
Serge Pauwels
Greg Van Avermaet
Louis Vervaeke
Tim Wellens

Who'll make the cut?

The coach said he would pick Van Avermaet or Gilbert. I would opt for Bakelants, Wellens, Pauwels, De Clercq and Gilbert because he is a better climber than Van Avermaet.
 
Re: Re:

dirkprovin said:
blaxland said:
I hope Mathews is aus captian this year,but me thinks gerrans will be there to mix up his chances.Lets hope they don't mess it up again.climbs are not tough enough for pure climbers..

Due to 2015 being a poor year for AUS riders on the World Tour, the AUS quota is only 4 instead of 5 and any ITTer will also have to start the RR.

AUS has 2 spots for the ITT but whether they'll use both is open to question. Dennis is the best AUS TTer but this course may be too tough for him. Porte will most likely be on the plane for the RR at least but given his TT tends to be variable in quality, he may/may not start the TT.

Re Matthews and Gerrans, the course is reportedly too tough for either of them. One of them MAY get a plane ticket but can't see both. My potential roughie for selection could be Howson who's showing some legitimate signs of being useful when it goes up hill and can certainly fill a domestique role for such a course. Clarke .... not out of the question.

It may all boil down to who actually makes themselves available and/or who survives the Tour in reasonable condition

That's a good roughie, he has been impressive this year and could fill that second TT spot (he won't medal but does have a good engine) whilst being a Dom for the RR
 
Re: Re:

yaco said:
Spot on with your post - Porte and Dennis are certainties - Howson is a near certainty - A couple from left field - Rory Sutherland, Adam Hansen, Nathan Haas and Jay McCarthy.

IF AUS had the full quota of 5 riders, then I'd have at least 2 out of Sutherland, Hansen & McCarthy there. Both Sutherland & Hansen have hard core grunt quality and McCarthy (or Hansen for that matter) would be the candidate to infiltrate any major breakaway.

StryderHells said:
That's a good roughie, he has been impressive this year and could fill that second TT spot (he won't medal but does have a good engine) whilst being a Dom for the RR

Yes, I gave some very consideration to Howson as the 2nd TTer. Might still be an option if Dennis or Porte exit the Tour sick or injured
 
Re: Re:

dirkprovin said:
yaco said:
Spot on with your post - Porte and Dennis are certainties - Howson is a near certainty - A couple from left field - Rory Sutherland, Adam Hansen, Nathan Haas and Jay McCarthy.

IF AUS had the full quota of 5 riders, then I'd have at least 2 out of Sutherland, Hansen & McCarthy there. Both Sutherland & Hansen have hard core grunt quality and McCarthy (or Hansen for that matter) would be the candidate to infiltrate any major breakaway.

StryderHells said:
That's a good roughie, he has been impressive this year and could fill that second TT spot (he won't medal but does have a good engine) whilst being a Dom for the RR

Yes, I gave some very consideration to Howson as the 2nd TTer. Might still be an option if Dennis or Porte exit the Tour sick or injured

Unless Australia are really going for it in the TT, they could just have Matthews/Gerrans/whoever ride the TT, soft-pedal for a couple of kms before DNFing.
 
Re: Re:

TMP402 said:
dirkprovin said:
yaco said:
Spot on with your post - Porte and Dennis are certainties - Howson is a near certainty - A couple from left field - Rory Sutherland, Adam Hansen, Nathan Haas and Jay McCarthy.

IF AUS had the full quota of 5 riders, then I'd have at least 2 out of Sutherland, Hansen & McCarthy there. Both Sutherland & Hansen have hard core grunt quality and McCarthy (or Hansen for that matter) would be the candidate to infiltrate any major breakaway.

StryderHells said:
That's a good roughie, he has been impressive this year and could fill that second TT spot (he won't medal but does have a good engine) whilst being a Dom for the RR

Yes, I gave some very consideration to Howson as the 2nd TTer. Might still be an option if Dennis or Porte exit the Tour sick or injured

Unless Australia are really going for it in the TT, they could just have Matthews/Gerrans/whoever ride the TT, soft-pedal for a couple of kms before DNFing.

Historically, they won't go down that road. If they only have one guy "up for it", then only he will start the TT. Matthews actually ISN'T the worst TTer going around, although primarily more prologues/shorter TTs. This course not for him.
 
Re: Re:

Alexandre B. said:
MatParker117 said:
Adam Yates, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh& Ian Stannard apparently make up GB.

The absence of Cummings is highly questionable. Stannard is not necessary imo, Thomas and Kennaugh are good enough domestiques.


I agree, it's very surprising they've left out Cummings. He's been superb the past 12 months.

I can see why Simon Yates was left out, he would obviously have had very little racing leading up to it.

Hugh Carthy would have been a wildcard, although the 260km distance would be a big unknown at this stage of his career.
 
The rio road race won't be a stage hunters race so imo it's a good idea to leave Cummings home. Cummings is a rider who rides at the back of the bunch a few days and then gets in the breakaway on day 5 or in a GT after 10 days and brings the victory home.

Rio road race will be a race with everyone fresh and " everyone" willing to win. Nomchance for Cummings and he's not a domestique rider as well.
 
Re:

Kwibus said:
The rio road race won't be a stage hunters race so imo it's a good idea to leave Cummings home. Cummings is a rider who rides at the back of the bunch a few days and then gets in the breakaway on day 5 or in a GT after 10 days and brings the victory home.

Rio road race will be a race with everyone fresh and " everyone" willing to win. Nomchance for Cummings and he's not a domestique rider as well.
Agree, Cummings would be a wasted spot. He can beat a tired field when he's essentially been resting, but he's got no chance of winning here and wouldn't be much use as a domestique either.

I wonder who will be the protected rider for GB, or whether it will be a fluid situation depending on how hard it is raced. Yates and Thomas seem the logical choices, but presumably Froome won't be going just to set a nice tempo on the climb.
 
Re: Re:

DFA123 said:
Kwibus said:
The rio road race won't be a stage hunters race so imo it's a good idea to leave Cummings home. Cummings is a rider who rides at the back of the bunch a few days and then gets in the breakaway on day 5 or in a GT after 10 days and brings the victory home.

Rio road race will be a race with everyone fresh and " everyone" willing to win. Nomchance for Cummings and he's not a domestique rider as well.
Agree, Cummings would be a wasted spot. He can beat a tired field when he's essentially been resting, but he's got no chance of winning here and wouldn't be much use as a domestique either.

I wonder who will be the protected rider for GB, or whether it will be a fluid situation depending on how hard it is raced. Yates and Thomas seem the logical choices, but presumably Froome won't be going just to set a nice tempo on the climb.

If there's a chance it would be raced easy, they should have brought Swift. I don't know if he's injured at the moment, though. Swift is probably the best "climbing sprinter" in the world. After 2011 or 2012, nearly all of his wins have come through being the only sprinter left in a group of climbers and GT contenders.
 

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