Team GB worlds nightmare

[avanti]

When was the last time a yank won the World Championships? Been a while hasn't it? Someone called Lance Armstrong in 1993, I think.
How did Chris Horner get on?

US riders won in 1993 (Armstrong), and 1989 & 1983 (Le Monde).

Horner DNF - crashed and broke some ribs (two US riders finished; 31st Howes and 37th Stetina).

 

[Pricey_sky]

Having had a rant on the race thread I'm not expecting any quick fixes for next season. Whilst Sky continue to win the Tour and all the main prep races on route they wont change. Unless the course favours a sprint (Cav) or several loops of an 7-10km mountain (Froome) GB wont have a chance for the next few years at least.

 

[RownhamHill]

Having had a rant on the race thread I'm not expecting any quick fixes for next season. Whilst Sky continue to win the Tour and all the main prep races on route they wont change. Unless the course favours a sprint (Cav) or several loops of an 7-10km mountain (Froome) GB wont have a chance for the next few years at least.

How long in advance is the route announced (is next year's already out?)?

Not sure you're not being a bit harsh there - while I wouldn't suggest for a moment that they're going to be strong favourites or even win, on an easier course than this one, with better tactics on the day and riders in better form you could imagine riders such as Stannard, Thomas, Wiggins, and maybe Kennaugh conspiring together to at least be involved in the business end of the race, especially if the course allowed Cav to hold onto the peloton long enough to make other teams work to drop him.

But I agree if they persist with their grand tour approach to racing these races, unless it's pan flat, they've got no chance!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

We just had to witness the most embarassingly bad showing by the GB team at the worlds. While all the top nations had most of their key riders in place despite the horrendous conditions, we learned that team GB were all in the bus getting their excuses ready. The guys should be used to rain and crashes by now so where did it all go wrong and can it be put right? I'm no expert tactically so its over you posters.

they got a **** team for this course. not even froome could ever be a factor in this even if it eas 40 degrees and the form of his life.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Aren't there are members here saying Froom has decent chance of medal?

maybe people without a brain. I laid him hard for top 3. good money

 

[SKSemtex]

How long in advance is the route announced (is next year's already out?)?

Not sure you're not being a bit harsh there - while I wouldn't suggest for a moment that they're going to be strong favourites or even win, on an easier course than this one, with better tactics on the day and riders in better form you could imagine riders such as Stannard, Thomas, Wiggins, and maybe Kennaugh conspiring together to at least be involved in the business end of the race, especially if the course allowed Cav to hold onto the peloton long enough to make other teams work to drop him.

But I agree if they persist with their grand tour approach to racing these races, unless it's pan flat, they've got no chance!

I think that "working on droping" Cav will be the last thing on Nibali, Purito, Valverde´s mind in Ponferrada next year.

 

[rainman]

Having had a rant on the race thread I'm not expecting any quick fixes for next season. Whilst Sky continue to win the Tour and all the main prep races on route they wont change. Unless the course favours a sprint (Cav) or several loops of an 7-10km mountain (Froome) GB wont have a chance for the next few years at least.

The Yates brothers going to Orica has to be a positive. They wont mature for a few seasons but at least they wont be turned into Skyborg cannon fodder.

 

[Grupetto1]

The Yates brothers going to Orica has to be a positive. They wont mature for a few seasons but at least they wont be turned into Skyborg cannon fodder.

theyll be back to sky in a few years swapping with porte id guess

 

[Pricey_sky]

The Yates brothers going to Orica has to be a positive. They wont mature for a few seasons but at least they wont be turned into Skyborg cannon fodder.

Very happy with the Yates brothers going there. They have shown some great improvement in the last year and Orica will be perfect for them to learn and grow.

 

[RownhamHill]

I think that "working on droping" Cav will be the last thing on Nibali, Purito, Valverde´s mind in Ponferrada next year.

What is next year's course like?

 

[hrotha]

What is next year's course like?

Similar to this year's but with easier climbs.

 

[sublimit]

the thing with Britain going with 8 riders is completly pointless if they ride like amateurs again - so hopefully they have 3 riders in some sort of form next time and just sit on like most of others. Let the Italians pull the bunch as they are usually keen to do.

 

[willbick]

jeez give them a break. 2 years ago they did brilliantly to win the world champs with Cav. u cant expect to win it every year. they knew they had no chance of getting the win on that course so u cant blame them for not exactly giving it 100%. If athletes gave 100% every time, even in events unsuited to them they wouldnt last long. u have to be realistic

 

[sublimit]

jeez give them a break. 2 years ago they did brilliantly to win the world champs with Cav. u cant expect to win it every year. they knew they had no chance of getting the win on that course so u cant blame them for not exactly giving it 100%. If athletes gave 100% every time, even in events unsuited to them they wouldnt last long. u have to be realistic

Fair enough, I'm not blaming individual riders but the management in selecting riders that were out of form and that were disinterested in the main.

My problem is with the build up of the British riders and the stupid idea to put Cav and Rowe on the front at the start from whoever was orchestrating the tactics.

OK they had no chance of a top 20 but at least show something instead of just packing when it got hard.

 

[wwabbit]

Fair enough, I'm not blaming individual riders but the management in selecting riders that were out of form and that were disinterested in the main.

Please name some GB riders left out of the team that were capable, in form, and interested.

 

[sublimit]

Please name some GB riders left out of the team that were capable, in form, and interested.

my point is the race programme of the riders selected gave them no chance. and thats down to race schedules and that means management messing up.

 

[42x16ss]

Please name some GB riders left out of the team that were capable, in form, and interested.

Millar, Kennaugh, House, Dowsett, Edmondson....

The guys they had were ok though, just rode stupidly. Wiggins had just won ToB and silver in the TT! Do you really think it's acceptable for the entire team team to have DNF'd with 90km to go? Any team that has qualified 9 riders should be expected to do better - not just GB. I'm not sure that's getting through.

 

[JRanton]

Millar, Kennaugh, House, Dowsett, Edmondson....

The guys they had were ok though, just rode stupidly. Wiggins had just won ToB and silver in the TT! Do you really think it's acceptable for the entire team team to have DNF'd with 90km to go? Any team that has qualified 9 riders should be expected to do better - not just GB. I'm not sure that's getting through.

Well Edmondson was actually riding so you can't include him.

Kennaugh ended his season early due to a heal injury.

David Millar had done very little after the Tour and probably asked not to be included.

Dowsett is a time trialist/rouleur who would have been dropped nearly as early as Cavendish.

Kristian House? Come on... A decent 34 year old domestic continental rider but what on earth would he add to the team in the Worlds road race?


I agree that the guys who got selected should have done better but none of them were ever going to get a result anyway.

 

[Grupetto1]

And they only qualified 8 not 9 #nitpicking

 

[JRanton]

my point is the race programme of the riders selected gave them no chance. and thats down to race schedules and that means management messing up.

Which races would you have sent them to?

Froome was never going to ride the Vuelta after winning the Tour. Thomas was recovering from a fractured pelvis after the Tour. Wiggins was preparing (well) for the ITT. Rowe rode the Vuelta but had to pull out due to illness half way through. Edmondson is a very young neo-pro not ready for a grand tour at this stage. Stannard and Cavendish were never going to be a factor in this race. That leaves Cummings, who is a BMC rider, and the GB management have no control over his race schedule.

So I'm not sure I see your point to be honest.

 

[del1962]

Would it not have been better for Edmunsson to do the U23 race?

 

[Grupetto1]

Would it not have been better for Edmunsson to do the U23 race?

he's not allowed as he's part of a world tour pro team

 

[JRanton]

And they only qualified 8 not 9 #nitpicking

Exactly. And the reason for having 8 as opposed to 9 was because they only had 8 riders who managed to score a world tour point this year. Which isn't bad when you consider there are only 15 GB world tour riders but that's the point. Only 15. Not enough depth. And frankly you only have to look at the collective palmares of those 15 riders in hilly one day races to know that they had absolutely no realistic chance of getting a result.

I mean, I think I'm right in saying that Steve Cummings has their only win in a hilly one day race and that was a 1.1 race in Italy riding for Barloworld five years ago...

 

[JRanton]

Fair enough, I'm not blaming individual riders but the management in selecting riders that were out of form and that were disinterested in the main.

My problem is with the build up of the British riders and the stupid idea to put Cav and Rowe on the front at the start from whoever was orchestrating the tactics.

OK they had no chance of a top 20 but at least show something instead of just packing when it got hard.

That was just Cav getting a bit of good PR for himself. It doesn't actually matter apart from just making them look a bit daft. If you want to look at a real mistake they made then I'd suggest you concentrate on the fact that the riders weren't wearing the right clothing for those conditions. There's a picture of them all at the front without rain jackets whereas the rest of the peloton behind them are all wearing one. I think that's what Ellingworth was referring to when he said the riders underestimated how hard it was going to be...

 

[42x16ss]

Well Edmondson was actually riding so you can't include him.

Oops

David Millar had done very little after the Tour and probably asked not to be included.

Possible, if he didn't, would be a good choice though.

Dowsett is a time trialist/rouleur who would have been dropped nearly as early as Cavendish.

Not really, his climbing is no worse than say, Stannard. Stronger on the flats than Cav.

Kristian House? Come on... A decent 34 year old domestic continental rider but what on earth would he add to the team in the Worlds road race?

Again, more than Cav!