Too Late, Too Furious: Tokyo Drift - The 2020 Olympics Thread

[Samu Cuenca]

The long wait is almost over, cause the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is only a month away (it's past midnight in Tokyo), and therefore I've tried to gather the selected teams for the ITTs and RRs.

Schedule

• Saturday, July 24: Men's Road Race from 3 AM (GMT+1)
• Sunday, July 25: Women's Road Race from 5 AM (GMT+1)
• Wednesday, July 28: Woman's Time Trial from 3:30 AM (GMT+1) and Men's Time Trial from 6 AM (GMT+1)

Race profiles

Startlists

Men's RR: http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MzAwNjM=
Men's TT: http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MzAwNjU=

Women's RR: http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MzAwNjQ=
Women's TT: http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MzAwNjY=

 

[WKA311]

Tony Martin isn't doing Tokyo. TT course too hilly for him so decided not to go.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Couldn't the Swiss also send Bissegger (who is doing the TP on the Track) to also ride the ITT like the Italians are doing with Ganna?
He did an altitude taining camp with Küng, so I assume that they were training together for the Olympics.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Tony Martin isn't doing Tokyo. TT course too hilly for him so decided not to go.

I wasn't sure, but I just assumed he would go after his fine performance in the German nationals.

Couldn't the Swiss also send Bissegger (who is doing the TP on the Track) to also ride the ITT like the Italians are doing with Ganna?
He did an altitude taining camp with Küng, so I assume that they were training together for the Olympics.

I just read the statement from the Suisse federation, and Bissegger wasn't mentioned, so I assumed they only had one spot. But they do have two, so it would make most sense to have him ride that as well.

 

[limak_]

Btw, are the Tokyo Olympics officially 100% confirmed to happen?

 

[Pinot's goat]

Btw, are the Tokyo Olympics officially 100% confirmed to happen?

Yes, some athletes have already flown out, they even plan to have fans.

 

[Wvv]

Love the topic title!

Only missing a picture from the current Olympic champion

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Love the topic title!

Only missing a picture from the current Olympic champion

I nearly added one of the latest Olympic RR champion to be crowned in Asia
But if there's going be a designated thread for the road race in a month, then it would make sense to have some more pictures in the OP of that one.

 

[Sandisfan]

Btw, are the Tokyo Olympics officially 100% confirmed to happen?

Yes, some athletes have already flown out, they even plan to have fans.

Will the fans be Box fans or the rotating stand fans. Also will there be Giant fans on the open sections of the road races to create some Echelons?

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Yes, some athletes have already flown out, they even plan to have fans.

Wow, they've had a whole extra year to to prepare! They could have at least installed air conditioning.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Replace the entire Olympic program with the people responsible for the women's road race parcours being pelted with fruit, live and in high definition, plzkthx.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The part of the climb that La Flamme Rouge has calculated is supposedly 6.2% for 1.9km. The entire climb however seems to be ~4% for ~5.5km going from information on the other profiles (221m alt dif).

 

[Asero831]

is the climb too far from the finish? Two minute lead can easily be erased if three countries would chase

 

[yaco]

I suspect that with a few countries selecting unbalanced squads that a break could win the men's RR - Of course in the women's follow the Dutch.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

is the climb too far from the finish? Two minute lead can easily be erased if three countries would chase

This is basically a mountain stage. Only the best climbers will survive Mikuni pass and the race will be decided between them (plus strong guys within 30' of the leader if they descend well). The teams will be shattered (I don't think we have Ineos/JV like team at Olympics) and there's not much flat until the finish. The best climbers should make sure that the tempo up Mikuni wall is like on MTF to eliminate faster riders. I see a few strongest guys battling it out at the finish line in a sprint of non-sprinters. This is a great route for Pog&Rog - even if they don't drop everyone on the climb they will have good chances in a small sprint (the biggest question mark is their form following the Tour ofc). And if one of them is a helper than the other would be hugely favoured.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I find it highly interesting Norsgaard is starting.

I would think she was too heavy, and the women's route looks borderline for her....... but if she can stick it out till the end, she will be a gold candidate.

 

[spalco]

Team GB
Men's RR: Tao Geoghegan Hart, Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates, Simon Yates
Men's TT: Tao Geoghegan Hart, Geraint Thomas

What, why? They can't find anyone other than TGH for the TT?

Also, the women's RR is ridiculous.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Pathetic, insulting and counterproductive are three other words I would use.

 

[spalco]

Pathetic, insulting and counterproductive are three other words I would use.

It almost looks deliberately designed to be boring.

Or it was just "big mountain too hard for weak woman" thinking.

edit: might as well just have made them circle the Fuji Speedway if they don't give a *** anyway.

 

[Blanco]

is the climb too far from the finish? Two minute lead can easily be erased if three countries would chase

Maybe, if that teams are complete, but after Fuji and especially Mikuni peloton will be shattered into pieces. There won't be many men to chase, and I assume those up front will be stronger than those behind...

 

[Bolder]

What, why? They can't find anyone other than TGH for the TT?

Also, the women's RR is ridiculous.

UK cycling picks TT riders from RR team, I think

 

[Netserk]

What, why? They can't find anyone other than TGH for the TT?

It's him, one of the Yates bothers, or a trackie.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The part of the climb that La Flamme Rouge has calculated is supposedly 6.2% for 1.9km. The entire climb however seems to be ~4% for ~5.5km going from information on the other profiles (221m alt dif).

Yes, that is a weird choice to leave out the first part of the climb. Sometimes they do get them wrong. For the women's Thüringen Rundfahrt, they managed to calculate three different average gradients for the exact same climb.

 

[BlueRoads]

I don't know if I'll be over Bardet not riding this by the time the race happens.

I hope Bernal does this race as I said he would win it. For my cq-team it would be best if Schachmann won it, but I'm not giving him that much of a chance for that.

The parcours (for the men's race) is actually great and I'm hoping for a thrilling race a la Rio.

 

[cen]

No info on slovenians yet, not one I could find.