The Olympic Road Race 2016. Rio de Janeiro. 253km

[PremierAndrew]

Is Ilnur here in the end?

 

[laurensde+]

Re:

Is Ilnur here in the end?

Nope

 

[deValtos]

Are the cobbles in the first loop or the second loop?

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

If the likes of Cancellara, Vakoc and GVA can get across here, this could be game over already. No-one has the power to chase them down.

I suppose what happens is the big teams negotiate that they all put one rider on the front each like Stannard for GB etc.

I guess so, but it's a dangerous game to play. It's not like letting you're standard Tour de France breakaway up the road, with numerous sprint trains to chase them down. There's some seriously strong rouleurs and decent climbers in that break. If others who have missed the boat, like Belgium try to attack on the cobbles or short climbs, the race could break up really early.

 

[thequestionmark]

Re:

Are the cobbles in the first loop or the second loop?

First loop.

 

[thequestionmark]

Nobody willing to chase. I wonder how big the gap is and how big it will get until the first cobbles.
Edit: 4:40 gap

 

[Billie]

Gap going up quick

Almost 5 minutes

 

[Jungle Cycle]

Re: Re:

Are the cobbles in the first loop or the second loop?

First loop.

cobbles in all 4 loops..

 

[Rollthedice]

Saturday morning ride in sunny Rio for the peloton, almost 5 min for the break.

 

[Billie]

Re: Re:

Are the cobbles in the first loop or the second loop?

First loop.

cobbles in all 4 loops..

in the 4 laps of the first of 2 loops

 

[doperhopper]

on my channel they flashed cycling and it looks like peloton still in the neutralised zone... still few hours before real action

 

[nightfend]

Re: Re:

I guess so, but it's a dangerous game to play. It's not like letting you're standard Tour de France breakaway up the road, with numerous sprint trains to chase them down. There's some seriously strong rouleurs and decent climbers in that break. If others who have missed the boat, like Belgium try to attack on the cobbles or short climbs, the race could break up really early.

I think it is way too hot out there. That break will fall apart later in the race.

 

[Ikbengodniet]

The bunch is riding like a tourist tour.

 

[hfer07]

Why or why is Pantano in the breakaway??
hope he saves some power for later....

 

[Ikbengodniet]

Why or why is Pantano in the breakaway??
hope he saves some power for later....

Why not? I think it's his best chance.

 

[Rollthedice]

Half the peloton stopped for a pee!

 

[Billie]

They really are going to give these guys ten minutes. who'll bring them back?

 

[Jungle Cycle]

Re: Re:

Are the cobbles in the first loop or the second loop?

First loop.

cobbles in all 4 loops..

in the 4 laps of the first of 2 loops

correct..
they are almost there already..

 

[thequestionmark]

Italy and Spain finally at the front of the bunch.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

Ullrich has won Olympic gold, LeMond and Olano have won world titles, so GT specialists can win a one-day race on a hilly course.

The best way to make it an open race would be if the strong countries sent someone in the breakaway. E.g. Cummings, Izaguirre, De Marchi, Vuillermoz, Dumoulin, Pauwels, Pantano... As soon as some of these are in a break it becomes an interesting race. You can't afford to give those minutes.

Ullrich, LeMond and (to a lesser extent) Olano were all much more than GT specialists. Ullrich and LeMond were superb one day racers. I think LeMond podiumed in MSR, Lombardia and finished high in PR, as well as winning the worlds. Ullrich also won and placed high in loads of big one day races - despite being woefully out of shape for most of them. Froome has done absolutely nothing in any half-decent one day race.

It's the anaerobic nature of the race that will kill him. You don't get that in GTs because everyone is too tired after the first couple of days to do so many hard efforts in one day. I think he'll be out of contention by the time they reach the climb for the final time.

Yea but you've got to remember Froome didn't show much before winning a GT, or riding away on a descent, or across cobbles, or away on the flat. Kid will be fine.

Not sure most of that is really true. He was 2nd twice before winning his first GT. He didn't do anything special across cobbles - just stayed upright on a section where even Quintana wasn't dropped. The descending was pretty impressive, but he basically caught everyone by surprise and had a bigger gear than the rest on a non-technical descent. And riding away on the flat he did once, in a break that was driven by two of the best classics specialists and a monster TTist, gaining him six seconds over 10km.

I just don't see how he wins this. In a chaotic, hard race with loads of changes in pace, he'll get dropped before the final climb. In an easy paced race, he won't be able to drop and stay away from faster finishers on the final climb.

Well technically a lot of what you said is right. I just wouldn't underestimate Froome.

The main key difference between this and nearly every other one day race Froome has done is that he's actually targeted this one. When he targets a race he's usually pretty good.

Kloden had the worst one day record of any decent stage racer, and he managed to snag a bronze in the Sydney road race, so I wouldn't be counting Froome out at all.

 

[meat puppet]

Spain kit plus fluorescent bike so fugly

 

[cnfdugo]

Re:

They really are going to give these guys ten minutes. who'll bring them back?

Nice eavesdropping by the motards, according to Wout Poels the Spanish.

 

[Der Effe]

Dumoulin already out of the race, ridiculous they even sent him to Rio.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Italy and Spain finally at the front of the bunch.

They're getting nervous. They only have four riders between them to work on the flat as well; gap to the break probably still going out.

 

[laurensde+]

7.55 gap. Yikes.