Robbie McEwan - Cycling Australia

[Barracuda]

I just read that Robbie McEwan is not in the Aussie team for the Worlds. This decision is beyond belief, he is currently in great form, in the twilight of his career, and the Worlds are in Australia. They owe it to him to let him ride.

Why do they "owe"it to him .. what ever happened to "Horses for courses" ??

Is ther likely to be a sprint finish .... if not ... dont pick him......

 

[taiwan]

Aussie team up on CN:
Baden Cooke, Allan Davis, Cadel Evans, Simon Gerrans, Matthew Goss, Mathew Hayman, Stuart O'grady, Michael Rogers, Wesley Sulzberger

 

[hughmoore]

No Hausler in the team, whats the story there?


Hugh

 

[Jancouver]

No Hausler in the team, whats the story there?


Hugh

Ni kidding.....I guess he is not ready....at least for those making the selection

 

[Ferminal]

I would have Haussler and Renshaw instead of Cooke and Davis.

There is obviously something behind the Haussler move though, a concession that he will not be at peak fitness or it could be risky to rush back into things.

 

[Teddler]

I would think that the Australian selectors have made the call on Haussler along the lines of you can't decide 3 months out your australian and expect a ride. He's got to earn it as an Aussie.

 

[Nearly]

I would think that the Australian selectors have made the call on Haussler along the lines of you can't decide 3 months out your australian and expect a ride. He's got to earn it as an Aussie.

Doubt that. I would think they would fall over themselves to put him if they thought he was fit. Haussler himself did not sound too sure of himself on his blog the other day but was still hoping for selection. That said unless Haussler withdrew the selectors are nuts for not including him. There is another potential winner out the door along with Robbie. CA have lost the plot as neither Davis nor Cooke can win.

 

[Sasquatch]

Cooke will be the sacrificial lamb in the first 200km. He won't finish the race, he'll just bury himself for the team.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I really think that the selectors have really made a big blue with their selctions. Don't see their logic with many descisions but it won't matter because Cadel will win regardless.

 

[Ferminal]

I would also have had Porte for Gerrans, but it's better this way given that Porte is doing the Comm Games and the TT.

 

[PedalMasher]

Seems to be some very strange decisions there.

Surely Renshaw has proved to be one of/if not the best leadout man in the peloton.

Michael Rogers is probably lucky to have a spot. Yes he won ToC but other than that he's been very quiet, and his TT form hasn't been as outstanding as it used to be.

Hausler must sure get a gig. Just imagine how much he is going to want to perform for his "new" country on home soil, he's capable of a lot of things on his day.

I'm not surprised about Robbie not getting a gig, but I would like to see the strongest team on the road, and this one selected is not it.

 

[hrotha]

I would also have had Porte for Gerrans, but it's better this way given that Porte is doing the Comm Games and the TT.

How important are those games though?

 

[auscyclefan94]

How important are those games though?

not very. they are going to be shambolic and the competition is not very high on the road.

Seems to be some very strange decisions there.

Surely Renshaw has proved to be one of/if not the best leadout man in the peloton.

Michael Rogers is probably lucky to have a spot. Yes he won ToC but other than that he's been very quiet, and his TT form hasn't been as outstanding as it used to be.

Hausler must sure get a gig. Just imagine how much he is going to want to perform for his "new" country on home soil, he's capable of a lot of things on his day.

I'm not surprised about Robbie not getting a gig, but I would like to see the strongest team on the road, and this one selected is not it.

I agree with the bold. Renshaw can be a great leadout man but that is not going to mean much on this course. He won't be near the "big boys".

 

[Runitout]

not very. they are going to be shambolic and the competition is not very high on the road.


I agree with the bold. Renshaw can be a great leadout man but that is not going to mean much on this course. He won't be near the "big boys".

I don't think this course is all that hard. It's not exactly Zolder, but it's friendly enough to the sprinters that if the bunch takes it easier there will be fast men there at the end.

The only understandable approach I can see for the Australian team with this team is to bank on there being a selection that kills off the sprinters. Given that there are no big hills or obvious points of attack, it will be a race of attrition. Those teams without a fast man will need to exert pressure throughout the race to break any chase by teams with a sprinter in them.

Bettini would have won this in a canter. However, if the strong riders (Cancellara, Gilbert, Pozzato et al) aren't tactically savvy, this is the sort of race that could go to someone without huge talent but with a good ability to ride a race - Fedrigo, Gerrans, etc etc) Could be a rerun of the 1990s World Champs with a no-name winning ahead of the bunch.

 

[theyoungest]

Michael Rogers is probably lucky to have a spot. Yes he won ToC but other than that he's been very quiet, and his TT form hasn't been as outstanding as it used to be.

Or you just haven't paid attention. He won the Ruta del Sol, got 6th at Tirreno, 2nd at Criterium International, and 3d at Tour de Romandie.

 

[hrotha]

Or you just haven't paid attention. He won the Ruta del Sol, got 6th at Tirreno, 2nd at Criterium International, and 3d at Tour de Romandie.

Very good season for Rogers, but still he hasn't done much since California, so any doubts about his current form are legitimate.

 

[theyoungest]

Very good season for Rogers, but still he hasn't done much since California, so any doubts about his current form are legitimate.

I actually think his great season leading up to the Tour was the reason his form at the Tour itself wasn't quite up to par. A few weeks rest will have done him good. At the Tirreno he did remarkably well on those short steep climbs, just like the ones you have on the Geelong parcours. Don't know what his preparation for the Worlds looks like, but I think he should be able to do ok.

 

[Nearly]

I actually think his great season leading up to the Tour was the reason his form at the Tour itself wasn't quite up to par. A few weeks rest will have done him good. At the Tirreno he did remarkably well on those short steep climbs, just like the ones you have on the Geelong parcours. Don't know what his preparation for the Worlds looks like, but I think he should be able to do ok.

He's not the worst domestic either if it comes to that!

Still struggling to see how Cooke or Davis made it based on form (Davis was behind McEwen in 4 of 5 Eneco stages including hilly ones before he, Davis DNS yesterday).

 

[Dewulf]

He's not the worst domestic either if it comes to that!

Still struggling to see how Cooke or Davis made it based on form (Davis was behind McEwen in 4 of 5 Eneco stages including hilly ones before he, Davis DNS yesterday).

because Davis can lead out Goss, who the selectors think will be stronger at the end than McEwen, who would not be a lead-out for anyone else.

that's assuming it comes down to a sprint, which seems pretty unlikely really, so the riders on the sprinting side also need to be able to double to some small extent as domestiques. Again, these are things you can ask Cooke, Davis and Goss to do, whilst you'd be barking up the wrong tree going to Robbie with that request. Nothing against him, but he's just not that sort of rider.

 

[Nearly]

because Davis can lead out Goss, who the selectors think will be stronger at the end than McEwen, who would not be a lead-out for anyone else.

that's assuming it comes down to a sprint, which seems pretty unlikely really, so the riders on the sprinting side also need to be able to double to some small extent as domestiques. Again, these are things you can ask Cooke, Davis and Goss to do, whilst you'd be barking up the wrong tree going to Robbie with that request. Nothing against him, but he's just not that sort of rider.

I'd rather more eggs in the basket supporting Evans, Gerrans et al (e.g. Hansen or Porte) than leading out sprinters which is where Robbie gives you much more flexibility (even if the hill repetitions may stretch him). I would certainly have Goss there though in case Robbie is not there at the end --based on Eneco alone, Robbie would be a much better option than Davis (incidentally why did Alby not start in Stage 6 - injury, illness or just fatigue or perhaps even not wanting to be shown up on the eve of the selection? May be a good explanation then again ...).

 

[Night Rider]

I would have Haussler and Renshaw instead of Cooke and Davis.

Haussler ruled himself out injured.

I would also have had Porte for Gerrans...

Was that a serious comment or did I miss something humurous earlier in the thread?

 

[Nearly]

Haussler ruled himself out injured.

Haussler in his CN Blog of 21 August said he hoped he had done enough to get selected but was hedging his bets about the benefits of not going to the worlds i.e. he was anticipating he would not be selected because he was not at his top but did not appear to have ruled himself out due to injury. In fact he said: "if I get the call and they want me there, I'd be there in a flash but it would probably be to work for another rider, like Robbie (McEwen) or Alan Davis".

His first mention of Robbie before Alby is noted with interest - this coming from one well suited to the course in most people's eyes.

Was that a serious comment or did I miss something humurous earlier in the thread?

I won't presume to answer for Ferminal but I think he was being very serious - Porte has had an excellent year whilst Gerro has not.

 

[Night Rider]

Haussler in his CN Blog of 21 August said he hoped he had done enough to get selected but was hedging his bets about the benefits of not going to the worlds i.e. he was anticipating he would not be selected because he was not at his top but did not appear to have ruled himself out due to injury. In fact he said: "if I get the call and they want me there, I'd be there in a flash but it would probably be to work for another rider, like Robbie (McEwen) or Alan Davis".

His first mention of Robbie before Alby is noted with interest - this coming from one well suited to the course in most people's eyes.

From the Cervelo site ...

"It would have been a dream to start on home soil but I am not ready yet. My main focus is now already on next season, where I want to perform well again in my favourite spring classic races."

Was also confirmed by his dad in an article here that he (HH) said he wasn't fit before the final decision, and took himself out of the running.

 

[Night Rider]

I won't presume to answer for Ferminal but I think he was being very serious - Porte has had an excellent year whilst Gerro has not.

Gerrans has won GT stages on courses like Geelong, it suits him perfectly which is why he is a co-leader, and he has the whole Vuelta to get into winning form again. His accident was bad luck not bad riding.

Porte has won an ITT stage at pro level, that’s all. And that’s why he’s doing the Time Trial at the WC’s. If he was in the road team it would be at the expense of a rider other than Gerrans.

 

[Sombrero]

Still struggling to see how Cooke or Davis made it based on form (Davis was behind McEwen in 4 of 5 Eneco stages including hilly ones before he, Davis DNS yesterday).

Davis still has the Vuelta to prepare for WC. And as he says himself: "another 204km in the legs just backed it off and got the Km's in. Very happy with my preperation which ended today" (22/08)
I think Davis is a good choice for WC.

I won't presume to answer for Ferminal but I think he was being very serious - Porte has had an excellent year whilst Gerro has not.

I thought Gerrans' whole season was built towards this WC, so blaming him for not a good season should be done after the WC...

Surprised to see Cooke though, why not Lloyd or Lancaster?

Question for the Aussies: Is riding the Vuelta this year an advantage? And how long should it take for the European riders to get used to the climate in Geelong?