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

[Naico]

Psyched for tomorrow. Will be an interesting race. The only big team that shouldn’t wait too long to make the race tough is Belgium. They’ve got too many cards not to use. Sagan, MvDP, Matthews, Kristoff etc.. can afford to wait until the very end for one big kick. They might actually benefit from a bigger group in the end because it would be easier to control. If you can isolate the main protagonists, Belgium can play some interesting cards. In a group with about 30 to 40 riders it won’t be easy to control riders like Wellens and Evenepoel. Naesen and Lampaert can mark other riders. Gilbert can follow and attack in a later stage. Van Avermaet just has to follow the other favorites. Denmark, Italy and Spain should help make it a hard race. Not sure if France has the horsepower to do so. The Australians as usual will probably work the most to keep it together. I’m hoping for an elite group to be formed pretty quickly in the race with a few teams with multiple cards (couples or trio’s from Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Australia, Italy) and some isolated heavy favorites.

 

[Juan Pelota]

I don't think you can compare this race to LBL, because the climbs aren't hard enough. However with the irregular roads with a lot of turning, constantly going up and down, augmented by the announced bad weather, it could be comparable to Gent-Wevelgem. It could be a race with echelons. I don't believe a big group will stay together until the final lap. A tough, experienced rider like Gilbert might do well.

You really think it's going to like Gent-Wevelgem where sprinters like Viviani make the final group?

I really doubt it, we just saw the women's version won by the best female climber in the world.

 

[Escarabajo]

After watching all the road races I'm quite sure this is going to be more selective than we all thought. Yes, youth and women cycling have less density of talent hence races tend to always be more selective than the men counterpart, but this is a demanding parcours, likely to be ridden in bad weather. I'm thrilled for tomorrow.

This. I agree after watching all the races.
The wind is making it harder than expected.
Level of competition and country teams make it a bit harder to control.

 

[Escarabajo]

I watched the women race today and was very good.
I just have the comment about Dygert way of riding. I know that she won the TT but she was almost riding 100% of the time on the drops. In the climbs She was losing complete power and pedaling squares and kept stretching her back all the time. Leave that position to Pantani. Needs to take different posture for the road race. Not sure if it would have made any difference. Just my 2 cents.

 

[rick james]

Had booked this weekend off work, did plan on heading down to Yorkshire this weekend...changed my mind as I was worried about the rain/weather...looking at tomorrows forecast, I'm so glad we didn't book anything....tomorrow is going to be hell for the pro riders....instead I'm doing the Scottish autumn gran fondo...Crow road -Tak Ma doon double will kill me

 

[Brullnux]

Gilbert will win this bike race

 

[RedheadDane]

Had booked this weekend off work, did plan on heading down to Yorkshire this weekend...changed my mind as I was worried about the rain/weather...looking at tomorrows forecast, I'm so glad we didn't book anything....tomorrow is going to be hell for the pro riders....instead I'm doing the Scottish autumn gran fondo...Crow road -Tak Ma doon double will kill me

CHICKEN!

 

[rick james]

CHICKEN!

pissing rain, cold wind, 8 hours stranding still...guilty as charged

 

[RedheadDane]

pissing rain, cold wind, 8 hours stranding still...guilty as charged

Jump up-and-down.
Get really drunk.

 

[Brullnux]

Bit of a shame for the rain, it would’ve been nice to have as many fans as possible watching

 

[tobydawq]

Bit of a shame for the rain, it would’ve been nice to have as many fans as possible watching

What would you prefer (generally speaking)? An averagely entertaining to moderately boring race with plenty of spectators or an insanely crazy race in terrible conditions with no fans feeling the need to get out?

I know what I choose.

 

[Pricey_sky]

What would you prefer (generally speaking)? An averagely entertaining to moderately boring race with plenty of spectators or an insanely crazy race in terrible conditions with no fans feeling the need to get out?

I know what I choose.

I’d happily do both if I was local, but I’ll take the watching on tv option, rather than the 4 hour drive home in soaking wet clothes option.

 

[Escarabajo]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-releases-footage-of-eekhoff-drafting-video/

Sorry if this was posted since my last post, but if you watch this and still think that the DQ was wrong, I'm not sure what to tell you. This is not bike racing IMO. I was already convinced that the DQ was correct prior to seeing this additional footage, but this makes any argument against DQ silly IMO.

If the video is 'local' (not streamed), the officials would have no way to see it until after the race.

As to the winners legacy, no one but the google fingers will remember this (especially if he does well at the WT level).

Thanks. That is more clear cheating than what I saw yesterday. No problem with decision.
As for why it was so late? I hope some things i life were easier done than said.

 

[Unchained]

Ugh. Would have been an absolute travesty for him to win after that.

I have officiated 100's of races..guys grabbing another guy by the seat post,jersey or hip..giving themselves an unwelcome Madison sling..or causing a crash, center line violations..every race wo exception. Grabbing on to cars,trucks,mopeds, motorcycles..very common..very very few DQs for obvious stupidity when a racer is a non factor. Pulling the kids number should have happened on the road...yanking his number was easy..really easy as he passed many many many cars w officials inside..w easy communication via radio or cell phone..
bicycle race officiating 101...pull riders who are out of contention..they don't get mixed in the finish order..a DQ'd rider doesn't give a bike,feed or draft to anybody else. On the track or in a crit this is obviously more important..a disqualified racer contesting a sprint,prime or causing a crash..a mess.
This kid weaved in and out in drizzle more than 100k from the finish. Not only did he not cheat the panties in a wad officiating team should be slapped in the face at a minimum.
He didn't grab anybody or anything to advance himself..no 2 minutes holding a fat sticky bottle of a 2-3 minute brake or derailleur adjustment going @1-4 miles an hour faster than before the repairs started..
Give the kid his jersey and an apology..
A disqualified racer should have known way before he covered @110k w w group of fellow stallions!!!!

 

[Brullnux]

What would you prefer (generally speaking)? An averagely entertaining to moderately boring race with plenty of spectators or an insanely crazy race in terrible conditions with no fans feeling the need to get out?

I know what I choose.

Personally I don’t follow the orthodoxy that bad weather = good race, but regardless, I was more thinking about the state of cycling in the UK in general. The 2014 stages were good fun but they remain iconic/memorable for the huge crowds that came.

 

[Red Rick]

Personally I don’t follow the orthodoxy that bad weather = good race, but regardless, I was more thinking about the state of cycling in the UK in general. The 2014 stages were good fun but they remain iconic/memorable for the huge crowds that came.

Bad weather can go both ways but generally it makes races a little bit more open. However some races may just turn into races of attrition in the bad sense like LBL 2016.

 

[tobydawq]

Bad weather can go both ways but generally it makes races a little bit more open. However some races may just turn into races of attrition in the bad sense like LBL 2016.

That was also due to a very strong headwind.

But I'm in line with this more nuanced option about bad weather not necessarily guaranteeing good racing. There does seem to be a correlation, though.

 

[del1962]

The run in to Harrogate from Ripon is very different in the Mens race to the womens, it is the A65 not the small roads the Women raced on, it much more favours the peloton until the finish circuit

Womens - note small back roads from Ripon

Now look at Mens - main A road

 

[joe_papp]

What would you prefer (generally speaking)? An averagely entertaining to moderately boring race with plenty of spectators or an insanely crazy race in terrible conditions with no fans feeling the need to get out?

I know what I choose.

Are you asking what they would prefer as a competitor, what they would prefer as a stay-at-home spectator, or what they would prefer as a roadside spectator (say...a local)?

 

[Danskebjerge]

They should have fine him and that's all. On the other hand drafting cars after crash should be legal in my opinion but that's different topic.

In a stage race he could have been given a time penalty. But that's hard to do in one-day-races. And a fine doesn't make sense at the world championships either.

The only way the UCI could satisfy the jury haters would be to have several cars out there to see what the riders are doing during the race - I don't think that's going to happen.

There are many ways to cheat in cycling - and some riders will get away with it. But that doesn't mean that everybody should be allowed to break the rules.

 

[tobydawq]

Are you asking what they would prefer as a competitor, what they would prefer as a stay-at-home spectator, or what they would prefer as a roadside spectator (say...a local)?

A stay-at-home spectator as most people around the globe are.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I’d happily do both if I was local, but I’ll take the watching on tv option, rather than the 4 hour drive home in soaking wet clothes option.

If you get a clown car, you will have room for a change of clothes!

 

[HelloDolly]

What about Fuglsang tomorrow ? Its going ot be very wet & windy...Birdy Song can handle that and is also a former mountain biker and is tough as old boots

I think the conditions,esp the road surfaces which will cause crashes, mechanicals and lots besides

There will be an element of luck and toughness needed to win

Hope the Belgians put the hammer down from the get go

 

[hayneplane]

Staying at family in Harrogate for the weekend and you can hear the rain outside now and it’s forecast for heavy rain until mid afternoon and still drizzle after that.

Might make it easier for me to get a vantage point on the finishing straight opposite Betty’s Tearoom than it was for the women’s race in warm sunshine.

Interested by Valverde comments, can @Koronin confirm whether by 20 reaching the circuit he meant to contest the final lap of the race or that it would be down to 20 when they hit the first of the seven laps.

For me the weather will make the race even harder to control as an extra factor is all the rain gilets will hide the team jerseys making it that bit harder for teams to track which rivals are sneaking up the road.

A Belgian win feels the most likely with MVDP, Sagan and Alaphilippe all equipped to counter the Belgians but only if they manage a degree of cooperation to keep the race situation under control.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

What about Fuglsang tomorrow ? Its going ot be very wet & windy...Birdy Song can handle that and is also a former mountain biker and is tough as old boots

I think the conditions,esp the road surfaces which will cause crashes, mechanicals and lots besides

There will be an element of luck and toughness needed to win

Hope the Belgians put the hammer down from the get go

Every time I think "the weather tomorrow is "dane weather", perfect for Fuglsang, Valgren & Asgreen"....... I stop myself, because immediately my thoughts then turn to: "MvdP is a cross rider"