The Grand 2022 Wollongong UCI Road World Championships Thread, September 18th-25th

[Riek s]

He was training with Remco for some days. Either he will also be flying or he's dead after sitting in his wheel

From the move I understood VDP was pushing his best numbers in 1hour/2hour efforts. Don't know if that information is correct, but i think his form is very good.

 

[42x16ss]

apparently he is flying. Like at strade when he won.

He is my favorite.

If that really is the case it's already over

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

So Remco is expected to start in both RR and ITT?
From my memory, three guys have done the Vuelta+WC double since the Vuelta got moved to late summer. All 3 in ITT (Zülle 96, Olano 98, Ullrich 99) - did anyone ever come close in the Road Race?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

In 2010, I returned home from a night out and fell asleep on my couch, but woke up just in time to watch Gilbert's attack come to an end.

 

[DNP-Old]

So Remco is expected to start in both RR and ITT?
From my memory, three guys have done the Vuelta+WC double since the Vuelta got moved to late summer. All 3 in ITT (Zülle 96, Olano 98, Ullrich 99) - did anyone ever come close in the Road Race?

Ullrich was in the elite group with a supposed to be unbeatable Frank Vandenbroucke, who had broken (both?) his wrist(s) earlier in the race, and Oscar Camenzind in Verona. All chances of doing the mythical double faded when a very young, very unknown Oscar Freire attacked and was never to be seen again.

 

[movingtarget]

Sounds like the weather will be favourable for the first few days of racing. Low 20s and 15 km winds with a possible shower on Tuesday.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Ullrich was in the elite group with a supposed to be unbeatable Frank Vandenbroucke, who had broken (both?) his wrist(s) earlier in the race and Oscar Camenzind in Verona. All chances of doing the mythical double faded when a very young, very unknown Oscar Freire attacked and was never to be seen again.

There's a funny story to this, Ullrich actually worked for Vandenbroucke in the road race.
Telekom didn't plan to go for GC in the Vuelta beforehand but suddenly Ullrich was in the lead and his support terrible. Pevenage then made a deal with Vandenbroucke that he would work for Ullrich where he could while still going for stage wins - this was the legendary third week Vuelta where Vandenbroucke just was unstoppable - and Ullrich would work for him in the road race. Frank did - riding a steady high tempo on the relevant stages at the front of the group, preventing the Spanish opponents from attacking - and Ullrich returned the favor in the road race, covering every attack. But in the end Vandenbroucke didn't have it because of the crash.

From 1:07:30 on up until the end you can watch how Ullrich marks every attack and pulls everyone along haha, Sherwen and Liggett are super confused on why he's doing so much work. It also shows that despite monstrous legs he never was the smartest tactically, because the one moment Vandenbroucke and Camenzind get a gap he doesn't realize that he should let the wheel go and goes with them, towing everyone along.

 

[search]

So it hasn't had a 'wrong' winner since ages?

surely not a "wrong" winner, but Pedersen was actually a major surprise as well, and it was his first win on high level

Even when only three guys were left in front, Trentin was still massively favoured to take it.

 

[steffr222]

From the move I understood VDP was pushing his best numbers in 1hour/2hour efforts. Don't know if that information is correct, but i think his form is very good.

Yeah I’ve seen that chart with the numbers Bruyneel was talking about as well on Twitter somewhere some days ago, can’t find it though. Same numbers as in RVV. Guess today’s GP de Wallonie will bring us first answers on MVDP’s form

 

[Boes]

Cosnefroy isn't riding. There was a bit of a discussion about it over in the Canadian thread. French team:

• ALAPHILIPPE Julian
• BARDET Romain
• SÉNÉCHAL Florian
• PACHER Quentin
• ARMIRAIL Bruno
• LAPORTE Christophe
• CAVAGNA Rémi
• SIVAKOV Pavel
• MADOUAS Valentin

So Laporte for the sprint and Alaphippe for the punch.

GB have Rowe, Swift x 2 Tullet & Turner to control a race - I'm not sure any of the kids (Hayter, Stewart or Wright) are good enough over the distance though.

Forgot about the Brits. Might be a bit to soon for Wright + don't know how he got out of the Vuelta.
Hayter will either be flying in the wheels of Poggy and Van Aert or drop like a brick the first mole hile. There seems to be no inbetween for him.

 

[Didinho]

From the move I understood VDP was pushing his best numbers in 1hour/2hour efforts. Don't know if that information is correct, but i think his form is very good.

He's well rested, worked on his base with 6-7h endurance rides. He did 200km the day before the race in GP Geraardsbergen and won, even half the race he was in the break and went 50sec solo in the last lap. Next week the day before Izegem Kermesse he did 150km. In the morning he went for a 75km ride and won the race against Lampaert. So he's already simulating the longer distance. Sunday he did 7h @ 37,5km/h. So I can already conclude that Mathieu will be ready.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

The time is so bad for Americans. Perfect at the start actually, but it ends probably around 2/3 am. The only people up at that time are clubbers.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

The time is so bad for Americans. Perfect at the start actually, but it ends probably around 2/3 am. The only people up at that time are clubbers.

Still better than for Europeans. Either stay awake all night or get up super early on a Saturday/Sunday to watch a race that finishes around 7/8am.

 

[Berniece]

So I can already conclude that Mathieu will be ready.

The only thing I don't understand is why you would go so late to Australia... Maybe he never has any issues with a jetlag, but last time it took me 5 days to get properly adjusted.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Still better than for Europeans. Either stay awake all night or get up super early on a Saturday/Sunday to watch a race that finishes around 7/8am.

I would rather be in the European position, as I get up around 6 anyways.

 

[Netserk]

I quite liked getting up early to watch the race from the start with all of Beijing, Geelong, Tokyo.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

I would rather be in the European position, as I get up around 6 anyways.

Fair, I'm the complete opposite Normally get up around 9am and would have no issues watching something up to 2am on a weekend.

 

[search]

So Laporte for the sprint and Alaphippe for the punch.

there was an interview with Voeckler in French press today, and talking about the Cofidis (points) situation, he mentioned that he didn't consider G. Martin or Benjamin Thomas anyway, but would have liked to bring Coquard. I really struggle to see "what for". Laporte looks like the much better option to me as well.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

The only thing I don't understand is why you would go so late to Australia... Maybe he never has any issues with a jetlag, but last time it took me 5 days to get properly adjusted.

According to Sporza, Remco overslept this morning while the rest of the Belgian squad went out on recon. He's cutting it tight for the ITT but at least he got to fly business class so that should help.

 

[Netserk]

Fair, I'm the complete opposite Normally get up around 9am and would have no issues watching something up to 2am on a weekend.

But the quiet and slow start of the race suits waking up slowly. Make some coffee before the race begins, watch the break establish and who controls it, then you have plenty of time to make and eat some breakfast and take a shower before any new developments.

 

[steffr222]

According to Sporza, Remco overslept this morning while the rest of the Belgian squad went out on recon. He's cutting it tight for the ITT but at least he got to fly business class so that should help.

He avoided WvA though, perhaps that’s the reason why he overslept. ;-)
Just joking, I’m excited how his shape will be for the ITT.

https://ibb.co/3FCsQ9P

 

[movingtarget]

The time is so bad for Americans. Perfect at the start actually, but it ends probably around 2/3 am. The only people up at that time are clubbers.

You do realize that Australians are up till 2 AM every year watching the three grand tours and basically the entire European season.............a few races finish a little earlier.

 

[yaco]

The only thing I don't understand is why you would go so late to Australia... Maybe he never has any issues with a jetlag, but last time it took me 5 days to get properly adjusted.

Many of the elite Aussie men are arriving on Monday.

 

[search]

Many of the elite Aussie men are arriving on Monday.

still a bit odd. I guess he'll leave on Sunday (?). So he'll arrive on Tuesday, and is scheduled to do the mixed relay the day after.

 

[Didinho]

The only thing I don't understand is why you would go so late to Australia... Maybe he never has any issues with a jetlag, but last time it took me 5 days to get properly adjusted.

That bothers me too. Most of the time when he came back he needed some hard races to get where het wants, maybe he needs another one before the worlds. Hope he can prove us wrong.