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

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things I missed during live coverage:

 

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so going by that board, maybe the gaps weren't super accurate indeed

 

[Izzyeviel]

I fell asleep, how long did the Vatican guy last?

Also, all the pros are uploading their data onto strava... and then theres me completely nakered after a ten mile ride...

 

[ice&fire]

I get you're all disappointed for following a sport practised by morons who don't know what to do if they don't get instructions over the radio.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Sounds like this is a big race in name only seeing 97% of the riders decided to use it as a Sunday morning roll around the area. Half a dozen riders took it seriously allowing one of the favourites to not believe his luck being let off the front so easily. Such a shame. Nice win by Remco though, he now has the jersey to show off.

 

[search]

I fell asleep, how long did the Vatican guy last?

last time ckeck he passed was when entering the city circuit after 1:58

 

[Kwibus]

Well that was awful to watch. I didnt read the thread and I expect it's been said many times before, but a lot of countries failed hard to let Evenepoel get such a big group because they had teammates up ahead with him.
I knew they would all get dropped. Ofcourse I hoped it wouldn't happen to atleast have some decent race, but ofcourse it did happen.

Congrats to Evenepoel and the Belgian squad for seizing the opportunity with both hands. Evenepoel didn't even have to work hard for this one imo. Ofcourse he had to work hard, but he didn't have to beat the best riders.

 

[Kwibus]

Congrats to Remco, shows that being brave can get you big victories and not just looking at the other guy, waiting for him to bring you the win.

OTOH though, I almost haven't slept whole night to watch that shitshow? Can someone explain me how can you be happy with the situation in which you have your domestiques in a group with one of the biggest favorites and strongest riders in the world? Who has half of his teammates with him too btw... And nobody pulls and they let the gap to 2min-2.30, WTF? You go to the other side of the world, prepare for weeks for this race and then you put the brakes on your best riders because you don't wanna be the one who pulls? And you have a effing Eenkhorn ahead with Remco... EENKHORN! Why bringing gregarios at all if they're not gonna do their job, which is pulling for your strongest riders/leaders when needed? What is Tratnik's job (in which he's so good)? Getting the rainbow jersey? France going crazy like they've pulled the heist of the century even though not one of their 4 strongest riders made it into that move... And I'm sitting there, watching the group of favorites on a training ride, with disbelief on my face, while people coordinating this ccrap get payed real life money for it. With 70km to go I'm thinking it's over, Remco has it in the bag, secretly hoping that it's just my impatience and that I don't see the long game these peloton poker stars are playing... And then Brian Smith says that he thinks that the winner will still come form the peloton... then you know it's 100% over.
I'm just baffled by the idiotism, stupidity, more idiotism with most of the big nations except Belgium...
I get that some people enjoyed the confused nature of the race and that Remco fan(boy)s had the time of their life, and I can respect that... it would be fine for me if it's some smaller race but it's the WCRR! I hoped to see the best guys going at each other, giving their max, with of course some tactics involved... And this was just soo underwhelming... Just looking at each other while Remco is butchering their bottle carriers up the road, and everyone just being content with that. What did they think would happen while 50km from the finish? After so many great races we've seen this year, for me this was just bad image for the sport, not how you get more viewers imo... Knuckleheads is an understatement
Sorry for the long post but I'm tired and pissed off, and had to get this disappointment off my chest as I was really excited for this race. I mean really, Eenkhorn?

P.S.: I see same names that spent most of the July in Wout's clinic thread already laughing at him and belittling him and his result... I'll just say that him being there in the same team with Remco and having many other favorites focused on him, gives Remco more leash which helps him at least a little. So try to be more graceful in the times of success instead of acting pathetic like that. Kiss

Actually Eenkhoorn was doing it the right way by just sitting on and trying to get away before Evenepoel went.
Every team that helped pulling the group with Evenpoel failed and also every team that didn't chase because they had teammates up ahead failed. The dutch team actually did chase, but not much.

 

[movingtarget]

That was a horrific race. Just idiots all around. Belgium were the only team who looked like they were in a race and everyone else was on a training ride.

Its obvious that many of them are lost without radio communicatio. It was looking good for Belgium a long way from the finish.

 

[movingtarget]

so going by that board, maybe the gaps weren't super accurate indeed

Swiss precision taking a beating..........

 

[movingtarget]

last time ckeck he passed was when entering the city circuit after 1:58

Bigger miracles cost more ..........

 

[Izzyeviel]

Why is the next worlds in August? Don't they want good weather?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Why is the next worlds in August? Don't they want good weather?

The question to precede doubt about whether they want good weather should surely be "Why is the next worlds in Scotland? "

 

[RedheadDane]

Why is the next worlds in August? Don't they want good weather?

The question to precede doubt about whether they want good eather should surely be "Why is the next worlds in Scotland? "

I definitely don't think the weather will be better in September. And July might cause some scheduling issues...

 

[Izzyeviel]

Weather is always bad in August - all the kids are on summer holidays, weather always improves in September. Mark my words, the next worlds will be cold.

 

[Unchained]

I am seriously wondering what is going to happen when Remco can take a minute or 2+ out of people in ITT efforts..his style really changes Gran tour. strategy.. He can hold his own on any roller punchy type climbing course.. He is able to surge or sit on monument lengths, even this Australian ride..250+ kilometers and the guy decides to roll away from the very best and do a 30k TT..Cyclingnews forum thread asks is he the next Eddy? Now it's only time that will tell because he is riding like the all time great as a young man. Everyone has to be impressed by this win.
Don't know about other countries but the English language coverage we got went on and on and on about France making the race really really hard..and when they suddenly sat up there were no other theories.. France did ok..but from what I saw it was one guy against everyone else and nobody could touch the guy

 

[Ricco']

Why is the next worlds in August? Don't they want good weather?

It's even weirder as it forces the major cycling championships to change drastically their calendar. Road is usually held in the end of september, MTB XCO, DH and XCM in the beginning/middle of september and although Track was usually held between February and April, it's been in October for the past two years. Only BMX will be nearer the normal slot.

Maybe they think that there are better TV ratings in the middle of the summer as it's the period usually connected to major sporting events (Olympics, Football World Cup, Athletics Major Championships, etc.).

 

[Lequack]

Good strategy by the Belgians to get their biggest rival MVDP arrested and then attack with Remco, even when everyone expected a Remco attack. Good planning.

 

[topcat]

A great win by Remco. Quickstep-the home of the rainbow Jersey.
Early this season we were saying Pog was by far the best rider in the world. Now Remco is the best rider in the world. I watched most of the vuelta this year because I felt it was the coronation of a special rider.
I haven't read all of the expert opinions on here but I want to hear from the riders. What were they thinking when they watched Remco ride away? Were they thinking: "it's OK, I've got this?"
Or, maybe: Ala not at peak, Wout is on same team, Pog on a bad day, others not so strong and trying to conserve energy (wheelsuck someone who'll drag them up to Remco). I don't know, I'd like to hear from the riders.

 

[red_flanders]

Evenepoel didn't even have to work hard for this one imo. Ofcourse he had to work hard, but he didn't have to beat the best riders.

Which of the best riders did he not beat? The rest could have come across when he did, many were trying but couldn’t.

I feel pretty sure he beat everyone, no?

 

[tobydawq]

Which of the best riders did he not beat? The rest could have come across when he did, many were trying but couldn’t.

I feel pretty sure he beat everyone, no?

Uh, no. The other star riders were not trying to get into the break when he did...

 

[Oldermanish]

Which of the best riders did he not beat? The rest could have come across when he did, many were trying but couldn’t.

I feel pretty sure he beat everyone, no?

The coverage I saw was more highlights, then the last 10km. What I did see was Remco taking an opportunity and only a few guys wanting to strike out with that distance to go. Looking at the finishing places from 2nd on it was clear the sprinters felt it was their day. I'm really happy a strong aggressor that deserved to win took initiative and buried them. Enjoy it Remco, enjoy!

 

[movingtarget]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH2gq9tThmY

 

[Volderke]

Sounds like this is a big race in name only seeing 97% of the riders decided to use it as a Sunday morning roll around the area. Half a dozen riders took it seriously allowing one of the favourites to not believe his luck being let off the front so easily. Such a shame. Nice win by Remco though, he now has the jersey to show off.

Going by the strava segments, Remco did a pretty fine job in making that breakaway on Mount Pleasant. Many of the so-called favourites didn't ride harder on any of the climbs up Mount Pleasant.
So I would argue others were either not having the legs, or maybe just having the legs but reluctant to do that effort so early in the race.

Remco killed it.

 

[red_flanders]

Uh, no. The other star riders were not trying to get into the break when he did...

Certainly some were. Anyone not trying was also beaten. Why were those who “were not trying” not trying? Just let that group go? Not a threat? They either lost because they weren’t strong enough or smart enough.