UCI Road World Championships 21st-29th September 2019 - Yorkshire - Race Thread.

[Libertine Seguros]

Kinda serves them right. The gap was down to 45 seconds with 70k to go, they really should've closed it down.

On one hand this race has been a bit dull, on the other hand its been quite fascinating. A worthy winner and podium.

We have to think, just how exciting would the great fantastical exploits of the past been like if televised like this? Merckx winning eight minutes when already in yellow, Coppi to Pinerolo, and so on - these things are part of the legend of the sport, but there would surely have come a point, like an Indurain ITT, where the actual value of the excitement of the race is harmed and the legacy is more in having witnessed such an incredible ride rather than the actual inherent excitement value of the individual race. We are witnessing a historic victory here (or an all-time legendary defeat if Annemiek doesn't win from here), but since Dygert hit the 1100m climb on the penultimate lap, it has been all over - it seemed like it might have been done long before that, Dygert's attack opened up the possibility of a major chase scenario briefly. We are not necessarily watching the most exciting race that we've ever seen - but we are watching history unfold, which means we will probably look back on the race more fondly as an event than as an actual spectacle.

 

[Singularitarian]

any comparably long solo win in Worlds' history?

 

[mb2612]

Deignan attacking on every rise killed all the chasers legs and helped make sure that Annemiek would win

 

[Dingo]

This race has been rather strange, but kinda cool to get a 100km win.

 

[JosephK]

I caught myself feeling badly for Chloe, but then I remembered she is the world champion (ITT) and is only 22. How bright is her future?

 

[jaylew]

Don't you realize that the most important thing in cycling, is to avoid contributing in a chase, if it's not guaranteed you'll win?

That is complete and utter nonsense.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Deignan attacking on every rise killed all the chasers legs and helped make sure that Annemiek would win

as well as completely destroying herself

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Who's the fastest in the sprint of those 3?

Spratt, on paper. Dygert possibly but she looks very spent.

This feels like Rio, with Dygert inheriting the love of the myopic USA fans that Armstrong and Abbott had (don't take that as a negative, however as I mentioned on the Clinic thread, I have noticed that those two riders held much more sway with the American fans than Guarnier, Stevens, Hall, Wiles and others, and it feels like Dygert is inheriting a bit of that, possibly with being Armstrong's protégé on the road) - she's had the surprise but dominant ITT, and now she looks like finishing a heartbreaking 4th in the RR.

 

[JosephK]

In that case she wouldn't be at fault, but the motorbike.

Yeah, I know. I was just being a smarty-pants (considering what happened in the men's U-23 race).

 

[RedheadDane]

Spratt, on paper. Dygert possibly but she looks very spent.

This feels like Rio, with Dygert inheriting the love of the myopic USA fans that Armstrong and Abbott had (don't take that as a negative, however as I mentioned on the Clinic thread, I have noticed that those two riders held much more sway with the American fans than Guarnier, Stevens, Hall, Wiles and others, and it feels like Dygert is inheriting a bit of that, possibly with being Armstrong's protégé on the road) - she's had the surprise but dominant ITT, and now she looks like finishing a heartbreaking 4th in the RR.

She's gone…

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I caught myself feeling badly for Chloe, but then I remembered she is the world champion (ITT) and is only 22. How bright is her future?

Hopefully after Tokyo (she's rightly focusing on the track until then) she'll race more road, and we'll get to see her develop racing against the WWT péloton more often. At the moment she's still a bit of a wildcard and it really depends on the course as she freely admits she's not fond of riding in a large pack, so she'd only be as competitive as she has been here periodically unless she can develop that - but if she does she's going to be a superstar.

 

[Red Rick]

Hopefully after Tokyo (she's rightly focusing on the track until then) she'll race more road, and we'll get to see her develop racing against the WWT péloton more often. At the moment she's still a bit of a wildcard and it really depends on the course as she freely admits she's not fond of riding in a large pack, so she'd only be as competitive as she has been here periodically unless she can develop that - but if she does she's going to be a superstar.

She's not doing the road ITT in Tokyo?

 

[Singularitarian]

Breggen launching a silver attack!

 

[Juan Pelota]

This course is a lot harder than people had thought..what's the most similar course in the world circuit?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

First 5 in the race now soloing...

 

[Laplaz]

Froome-Porte LPSM all over again

 

[Libertine Seguros]

She's not doing the road ITT in Tokyo?

I don't know, I assume she is, especially now that she's the World Champ, and I think by Olympic rules she'd have to do the RR as a result. But what I mean is that she isn't going to be spending most of the first half of 2020 riding road races, because she's going to want to be in optimum track shape, so she'll only ride selected races, probably sticking to the NA calendar she's comfortable with, and we aren't likely to be seeing her - and the Twenty20 team - racing Trofeo Binda, the Ardennes, de Ronde, the Giro and so on. She'll probably do California and that'll be all out of the WWT until after Tokyo. Then she might come and do more road races in Europe. I hope so at least.

 

[F_Cance]

104.8 km solo. Wow

 

[Pirazziattacks]

What a rider. What else can you say? Truly incredible.

 

[sir fly]

Impressive ride by Annemiek.
Well done!

Didn't expect Spratty to be dropped like this.
Rode smart until the moment.

Van der Breggen played it cool.

A good race to understand the course and get the idea of options.

 

[AQETUYIOI]

That is complete and utter nonsense.

...but is proven over and over again.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

This course is a lot harder than people had thought..what's the most similar course in the world circuit?

Not as tough as Mendrisio, tougher than Geelong.

I'd say it's along similar lines to Valkenburg and Richmond, but the obstacles are better placed to make it an interesting race, rather than there being one obvious key climb. Stuttgart maybe?

 

[Singularitarian]

This course is a lot harder than people had thought..what's the most similar course in the world circuit?

perhaps organisers should think of launching a "Harrogate Classic" event

 

[Izzyeviel]

We have to think, just how exciting would the great fantastical exploits of the past been like if televised like this? Merckx winning eight minutes when already in yellow, Coppi to Pinerolo, and so on - these things are part of the legend of the sport, but there would surely have come a point, like an Indurain ITT, where the actual value of the excitement of the race is harmed and the legacy is more in having witnessed such an incredible ride rather than the actual inherent excitement value of the individual race. We are witnessing a historic victory here (or an all-time legendary defeat if Annemiek doesn't win from here), but since Dygert hit the 1100m climb on the penultimate lap, it has been all over - it seemed like it might have been done long before that, Dygert's attack opened up the possibility of a major chase scenario briefly. We are not necessarily watching the most exciting race that we've ever seen - but we are watching history unfold, which means we will probably look back on the race more fondly as an event than as an actual spectacle.

Indeed. This is a ride that every pro/amateur/armchair cyclist dreams of doing.

 

[Brullnux]

I don't know, I assume she is, especially now that she's the World Champ, and I think by Olympic rules she'd have to do the RR as a result. But what I mean is that she isn't going to be spending most of the first half of 2020 riding road races, because she's going to want to be in optimum track shape, so she'll only ride selected races, probably sticking to the NA calendar she's comfortable with, and we aren't likely to be seeing her - and the Twenty20 team - racing Trofeo Binda, the Ardennes, de Ronde, the Giro and so on. She'll probably do California and that'll be all out of the WWT until after Tokyo. Then she might come and do more road races in Europe. I hope so at least.

In her interview after she won iirc she said that she was aiming for Tokyo for track and ITT; if schedule allows then I’m sure she will