UCI World Championships 2010, Geelong: Early Thread

[davis_123]

Hmm still cold

 

[auscyclefan94]

He/She claims to be 25. Old enough to know better.

And your suppose to be an adult? that makes you really immature especially the way you lashed out at me for no reason at all and then made a complete idiot of yourself by making false claims about me. You really are clueless.

 

[Tuarts]

Wish it was like that over here...

 

[oxandhound]

Magpie worlds

I just got swooped by my first magpie today, and see that Gilbert has already had the same problem (even though he said he was riding a simulator). This could be interesting for our non-Australian friends - don't go in breakaway of one. Can I be very clear that this is nothing to do with AFL football.

 

[Spare Tyre]

I just got swooped by my first magpie today, and see that Gilbert has already had the same problem (even though he said he was riding a simulator). This could be interesting for our non-Australian friends - don't go in breakaway of one. Can I be very clear that this is nothing to do with AFL football.

A couple of days ago Dave Zabriskie tweeted:

"A bird flew into my helmet today while riding...they say it's some kind of mating thing...I must be in my prime..."

 

[Offtheback]

A couple of days ago Dave Zabriskie tweeted:

"A bird flew into my helmet today while riding...they say it's some kind of mating thing...I must be in my prime..."

It may have been trying to nest in his beard

 

[ingsve]

EBH says he's a little worried about the climbs in the road race. He's not sure how well he will manage with the legs he has.

I wouldn't put my lifesavings on EBH as the winner for this one. I guess it will come down to how he feels on race day but I imagine he could probably sacrifice himself for Hushovd if he feels he doesn't have the best chance himself.

 

[maltiv]

EBH says he's a little worried about the climbs in the road race. He's not sure how well he will manage with the legs he has.

I wouldn't put my lifesavings on EBH as the winner for this one. I guess it will come down to how he feels on race day but I imagine he could probably sacrifice himself for Hushovd if he feels he doesn't have the best chance himself.

Shouldn't really read too much into that, he's always modest and "it will be hard, but I will try my best!" is his answer to everything

The climbs is not the problem for him, we saw that in Canada, but the distance could be.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Everyone needs to stay on topic and cut the insults. I handed out warnings and infractions in this thread for it. Continue down that path and you'll find yourself banned from posting for a while.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I found it funny when listening to the radio this morning that they called the championships a "cycling tournament". Us Aussies seriously don't have a clue when it comes to cycling.

 

[Spare Tyre]

It looks like Sunday is going to be a beautiful day for cycling: temperature low 20s Celsius, mostly sunny and, sadly, very little wind (~ 9km/h NNE, tailwind for the Melbourne to Geelong sector).

 

[M Sport]

Wow, this place is negative.

Who cares if the AFL final is being replayed. One thing I have learned after living in Melbourne for four years is that if you put on a big sporting event, people will come and watch. Someone mentioned Melbourne being the sporting capital of Australia, very true.

I am picking there will be a massive crowd for the day of the mens race, I think it is really going to surprise Victorians and Australians just how popular cycling is getting.

 

[Stuart]

If you don't want the race to be in bogan central then you certainly would not have it in a backwater like Adelaide. I think your comment about Geelong is a bit harsh.

OK - I was a bit worked up after reading the comments section in the local Geelong Murdoch rag and for that I humbly and sincerely apologise. I do however stand by my assertion that the race should have been held in Adelaide and I'm from Sydney. I in no way asserted that Sydney should have anything to do with holding any type of cycling event as it is hands down, truly Australia's #1 cyclist hating city / town / suburb and has a huge population of what could only be described as Bogans. Truly, I've had bottles thrown at me by the best of them.

Still, It does seem, from what I can glean from the press and the web that the average Geelong local does not take kindly to cyclists of any description. See this Facebook page called Brick a Cyclist for further evidence of what the worlds best cyclists will face from, dare I say it, a significant percentage of the local population. Edit: Looks like the amount of reports about the above page has seen FB take it down already ... amazing to see FB actually respond so fast.

And the AFL final replay will obviously intrude into air time for the worlds, although I acknowledge that Adelaide is an AFL town too.

 

[Tuarts]

Meh, feel lucky you can follow it. To add insult to injury over the fact I couldn't get time off work to travel over to Melbourne/Geelong, work now have asked me (told me) to come in and the weekend to help with stocktake.

 

[moblet]

Latest weather forecast suggests perfect conditions for the men's TT but that wind could be a major factor in the men's RR.

Melbourne's weather tends to follow a cycle (no pun intended) of cold southwesterly wind and rain, then calm or gentle easterly wind, then hot dry northerlies (= major bushfire threat in summer). Predicting what weather will come next isn't difficult, but predicting exactly when it will arrive, is. It looks like the southwesterly pattern will be in place for the U23 & women's TT, then the light easterly pattern for the men's TT & first two RR. Too early to say whether this weather will last for the men's RR or if, as the 7-day forecast is saying, the northerlies will hit just as the flag is dropped.

If the northerlies are blowing during the men's RR it'll be cross/tail out of Melbourne and tailwind for the sprint, but crucially it'll likely defeat anyone trying to go solo on the last climbs. At the top of the each climb they turn due north, the first in an exposed location and after the second it would be 2km dead straight into a 40km/h wind. I'd be amazed if it wasn't a sprint in that case.

I recommend consulting the Bureau of Meteorology's forecasts. Some of the "world weather" websites are 5-10C off with their Australian forecasts and current temperatures.

 

[Polyarmour]

Melbourne is the smartest bet. After that, the Gold Coast/Brisbane. SA gets a look in at maybe 4th spot...they were never getting this race.

I think a Gold Coast/Brisbane race would have been awesome. Maybe starting at Coolangatta, up the strip to Surfers, Southport, then on to Sanctuary Cove, Brisbane via the canefields of Pimpama, then finish with a few laps around the rainforest of Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious.

Anyway we're all a bit biased about this one, there is no doubt that Melbourne is the sporting capital of the country. For the life of me though I don't know why they didn't run the course East along the Beach Rd then into the Dandenongs instead of West to Geelong?

 

[moblet]

I don't know why they didn't run the course East along the Beach Rd then into the Dandenongs instead of West to Geelong

What, and miss the chance to go past southern Victoria's poorest farmland, two oil refineries, and a sewage farm? Unlike the TdU I doubt the international television exposure of the route is going to have anyone clamouring to visit Melbourne. I don't know if it's significant that the race route passes through electorates that vote for the current government, whereas an eastern route would have been through opposition party territory. I agree that the Dandenongs would have made a much more spectacular setting, although traffic management and spectator access would be problematic. The western side of Melbourne is less scenic but it is more open and gives the wind more chance to play a role. If the weather's appalling it's also less likely to suffer torrential rainfall and/or hail, or to have trees (or parts thereof) landing on the road or riders.

 

[rolfrae]

Anyone know what time the Worlds RR will be shown on TV in Europe? (Is Geelong about 9 hours ahead of GMT?). I read an interview with Benatti earlier and he said he wouldn't be staying up to watch the race on Italian TV, however, according to the Eurosport schedule they are showing it between 2pm and 4pm. Does Benatti have a strict mummy and really early bedtime or do Eurosport have it wrong?

 

[stefank]

This part of Australia is 10 hours aheaead of GMT, disregarding who is/isn't on summer time.

 

[rolfrae]

I guess the next question should be, what time is the race due to finish, local time? Will prob be due to finish about 7am CET I guess - and I just re-checked Eurosport and their programme is on at that time. Doh!

 

[stefank]

Schedule is here:

http://www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au/2010cycling/services/services/article/8ccd08475b5828c.aspx

How long will 259.9 kilometres take?

 

[Tuarts]

They are predicting a 5pm (local time) finish.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Schedule is here:

http://www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au/2010cycling/services/services/article/8ccd08475b5828c.aspx

How long will 259.9 kilometres take?

Supposedly 7 hours but my train I booked takes off at 5pm and that is when the race is scheduled to finish. I am now worried what will happen if I don't get on the train I booked for as I will want to see the finish and possibly the presentations and that may not be possible.

 

[Ferminal]

They are predicting a 5pm (local time) finish.

That's good, I'm busy in the morning (WA Time) and not sure when that will finish up. I should be able to see the last 90minutes though.

 

[El Pistolero]

I didn't even think about the time difference lol. Doesn't matter anyway I probably won't be able to watch it as I'm going to the freaking Ardennes =/ I'll have to be lucky to find a Dutch TV there that actually works.