Who will win the Olympic ITT?

[JibberJim]

and what i've seen from froome/wiggins i don't think they are good 'classics/1-day' racers

no they're pretty poor at that, but TT'ing on a limburg course is different to road racing on it - they won't get gapped on the climbs fromselves. Got to back Froome to take 20seconds out of Martin on the Cauberg alone and then be faster to finish it off.

 

[la.margna]

@CN editor:

Race report on Olympic ITT:

Defending Olympic time trial champion Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) was not in his best form and could not contend with the leaders.

wtf "not in his best form"... he was INJURED and suffering from PAIN... did you watch the race??!! so much again for journalistic excellence being far from the level of athletes at these games

Respect and thanks a lot to Fabian Cancellara for trying the impossible and obviously tremendously suffering. A true champion. Now wonder he's called Spartacus!

Congrats to Wiggo. The 2012 ITT edition seems to be from another planet. Most probably not even a fit and healthy Cancellara/Martin could have beaten the rock star with the sideburns. Chapeau Sir Bradley. Well done.

Nice performance from Tony Martin and Chris Froome. Phinney also impressive. With the age of 22 a great future ahead. Nice rides by Micky Rogers, Grabsch and Castroviejo too. Castroviejo seems also to have a nice ITT career ahead.

Chavanel a complete disappointment. Had expected much more from him.

Summarised, the London 2012 road race and ITT events were spectacular and thrilling races within an incredibly large crowd that created a great atmosphere. Cycling is just a great and fascinating sport!

Thanks, respect and chapeau to the organisation (except the guys who f..ked up information/gps coverage/gaps/splits etc in the road race) and all riders!

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Nailed on for Froome I'd've thought - fresh from the Vuelta training whilst Wiggins won't have done that much, and it's in Limburgh so got enough gradients that Martin and Cancelara won't have a chance? Doesn't it finish up the Cauberg or something?

Interesting definition of fresh.

Froome is not going to make it through the Vuelta on top form.

 

[williamp78]

Chavanel a complete disappointment. Had expected much more from him.

I think he had a mechanical at some point

 

[Big Doopie]

Just like Boonen Cancellara is going through a crap 2 year. He'll be back next year.

i think this could have been an unbelievable year for him. canc was destroying everyone at strade bianche and then basically at msr. it was only the broken clavicle that ruined what looked to be an amazing spring. in fact, i don't think boonen would have won p-r. when he came back he was super strong the entire first week of the tour. his olympics were upended by his crash. i think this could really have been canc's year without the crashes.

 

[El Pistolero]

Interesting definition of fresh.

Froome is not going to make it through the Vuelta on top form.

Lol he will.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

For those who follow these things (me), Wiggins is now posting some gaudy numbers on his current CQ ranking.

 

[El Pistolero]

For those who follow these things (me), Wiggins is now posting some gaudy numbers on his current CQ ranking.

He won't score much points anymore though.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

He won't score much points anymore though.

Worlds TT perhaps, but this is clearly the peak given last year's vuelta.

If he has a good warm up race he might crack 3000 for the year.

 

[la.margna]

i think this could have been an unbelievable year for him. canc was destroying everyone at strade bianche and then basically at msr. it was only the broken clavicle that ruined what looked to be an amazing spring. in fact, i don't think boonen would have won p-r. when he came back he was super strong the entire first week of the tour. his olympics were upended by his crash. i think this could really have been canc's year without the crashes.

Couldn't agree more. FC himself is well aware of this and it's exactly what makes it even more bitter. But that's part of the game. Let's move ahead!

 

[Montanus]

Couldn't agree more. FC himself is well aware of this and it's exactly what makes it even more bitter. But that's part of the game. Let's move ahead!

The crash in the olympic RR must have been really hard for him. He had the perfect race up until he crashed and a real good chance of winning. He will never get such a chance again of winning an olympic RR. And as a viewer I'm ****ed I never got the see the attack he was setting up - it would probably have been spectacular like all of Cancellara's attacks are.

 

[will10]

Interesting definition of fresh.

Froome is not going to make it through the Vuelta on top form.

Sky riders peak for 5 months at a time. Vuelta, Worlds and Lombardia are in the bag for the Alien.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Sky riders peak for 5 months at a time. Vuelta, Worlds and Lombardia are in the bag for the Alien.

Five months!?

I thought wiggins said pretty much year 'round peak...

I do wish cancellara could have continued with his planned attack! I think he was on target to do something big...

 

[Cancellator]

The crash in the olympic RR must have been really hard for him. He had the perfect race up until he crashed and a real good chance of winning. He will never get such a chance again of winning an olympic RR. And as a viewer I'm ****ed I never got the see the attack he was setting up - it would probably have been spectacular like all of Cancellara's attacks are.

+1

This Olympic RR was a huge reminder that you shouldn't get too invested, emotionally, in sports. Because, at the perfect moment, something like this happens and you are left with a huge disappointment.

I always tell myself I should stop caring so much. But I never learn.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

+1

This Olympic RR was a huge reminder that you shouldn't get too invested, emotionally, in sports. Because, at the perfect moment, something like this happens and you are left with a huge disappointment.

I always tell myself I should stop caring so much. But I never learn.

At least you didn't then need to queue for a train and limp back to London with sunburn.

 

[la.margna]

The crash in the olympic RR must have been really hard for him. He had the perfect race up until he crashed and a real good chance of winning. He will never get such a chance again of winning an olympic RR. And as a viewer I'm ****ed I never got the see the attack he was setting up - it would probably have been spectacular like all of Cancellara's attacks are.

Yes. He said to Swiss TV commentator Sven Montgomery that he was for a purpose in front of the group at the corner in Richmond Park. He wanted to start the first test after the corner, by putting the hammer done to see who can keep up with him and who still got legs.

Cancellara did ride the corner in the days before the race about eight to nine times. He wanted to go at max possible speed into the corner in order to already have a high speed when starting to increase the pace. The problem is that before the race, the barrier/safety fence (or whatever you call it) ON THE RIGHT (also on the left of course) was not there and at the race it was just tight and almost on the road. So he came into that corner completely wrong and could not lean in on the right as planned, confronted with the new situation by surprise, couldn't save himself, maybe also because he looked back before. So it looks on TV like a terrible beginner error, like if it were the first time he took a corner. Sad for one of the curve/corner kings of cycling.

 

[The Hitch]

Wiggins is undefeated in long ITTs this year. That's more than the "stars aligning". He's very convincingly the best time trialist in the world this year.

Contador and Schleck out of the Tour. Martin and Cancellara injured for the tt. There are some stars aligning there no doubt.

Anyway well see who is right next year, If Wiggins wins the Tour de France and worlds tt we will say you are right. If he fails to even podium the Tour or come top 2 worlds tt, i think it will be unrefutable evidence that the starts alligned.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

Contador and Schleck out of the Tour. Martin and Cancellara injured for the tt. There are some stars aligning there no doubt.

Anyway well see who is right next year, If Wiggins wins the Tour de France and worlds tt we will say you are right. If he fails to even podium the Tour or come top 2 worlds tt, i think it will be unrefutable evidence that the starts alligned.

Lol, very amusing post.

 

[Magnus]

Contador and Schleck out of the Tour. Martin and Cancellara injured for the tt. There are some stars aligning there no doubt.

Anyway well see who is right next year, If Wiggins wins the Tour de France and worlds tt we will say you are right. If he fails to even podium the Tour or come top 2 worlds tt, i think it will be unrefutable evidence that the starts alligned.

Straw man ftw?

 

[johnnycash]

i think this could have been an unbelievable year for him. canc was destroying everyone at strade bianche and then basically at msr. it was only the broken clavicle that ruined what looked to be an amazing spring. in fact, i don't think boonen would have won p-r. when he came back he was super strong the entire first week of the tour. his olympics were upended by his crash. i think this could really have been canc's year without the crashes.

I partially agree. I think Fabian is an awesome rider, with a great attitude. But Boonen was special in P-R this year, I don't think Fabian of 2012 could have stopped him, of 2010 perhaps.

If you look at him in 2010 at P-R or Flanders, he has that fluid pedalling stroke where he pulls on the cranks as much as pushes down, looks like he floats over the cobbles. He didn't have that this year, although he should have still won MSR and podiumed the cobbled classics, Boonen was just too good i think.

For TT-ing, a lot can change, look at Martin last year. Hopefully Canc will be back but if he isn't, he's already had a ridiculous amount of success.

All I want next year, is an in-form Boonen taking on an in-form Cancellara in PR and Flanders, thats it, I'll take a dull tour and giro.

 

[patrick767]

Contador and Schleck out of the Tour. Martin and Cancellara injured for the tt. There are some stars aligning there no doubt.

Anyway well see who is right next year, If Wiggins wins the Tour de France and worlds tt we will say you are right. If he fails to even podium the Tour or come top 2 worlds tt, i think it will be unrefutable evidence that the starts alligned.

Le Tour wasn't relevant to my post except for the two full length ITTs Wiggins won there. The point is he is now 7-0 this year in long ITTs (not preludes). When a rider is that good, it's ridiculous to chalk it up to the stars aligning properly for his Olympic win. He's simply the best time trialist in cycling this year. The results speak for themselves.

 

[Morbius]

Schleck missing the tour made as much difference to the result in Paris as Schleck missing today

We can all play hypotheticals. After all, the only reason Martin had such a good year last year was because Cancellara was not at his 'true' 2010 form.

 

[la.margna]

Just heard another interview with Cancellara. "Imagine, time trialling with one arm only. That's basically how it felt like."

...

 

[la.margna]

I don't think Fabian of 2012 could have stopped him, of 2010 perhaps.

According to Fabian, 2012 > 2010, he felt the strongest ever for all his life in Flanders this year. Never felt like this before. Never produced wattages comparable before. But again, wishhaveshoulhavecouldhave is past and nothing.

As you say, let's hope we have Boonen and FC in top shape in RVV and PR. And I'm sure maybe some young ones might wanna have a word too, for example the slovakian phenomenon (Flanders).

 

[BillytheKid]

Funny, but not true. Phinney was 1:09 ahead of Wiggins on the RR but 1:59 down on the ITT. He gets a silver on GC ahead of Froome by about 20 sec

Funny was the idea. Of course, score in on points and I'M RIGHT.

Seriously, just giving a shout out to the home boy that's all.

Road Cycling: Free to See. The best Olympic Venue in years. Great crowds!

And no rain.