World Championship 2025: Men’s RR, September 28

[Netserk]

I honestly just don't see what more attrition achieves against the most attrition resistant rider in the peloton. Maybe hope you get into a steady state earlier and pace the full 6-7 hours better so Pogacar can't just pull back 5 minutes himself?

For pure attrition resistance, I think the only guy that might randomly surprise Pogacar may be Ben Healy. Pidcock and Ciccone coming out of the Vuelta and not from altitude does not help them IMO. Evenepoel looks way too big for the road race right now.

It's about quickly reducing the Slovenian team and get them to chase. They don't have the manpower to make it an attritional race for the peloton.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Yes, cancel the race, winner‘s clear after only finishing 2‘37“ down yesterday, we can all go home.

 

[Berniece]

He wasn't afraid to launch comically early last season, I don't see why he should be now. We've seen in Glasgow he can doa completely garbage TT and still be there at the tail end of a crazy road race, and that one didn't even really suit him.

Because he himself said that he launched too early, and if teams actually work together, he would get caught.

Not to mention, sure the race is long and the amount of altitude meters is high, but you need to be able to make the race hard. Who will do this? Slovenia doesn't have the team for it. If the peloton goes easy until after Mont Kigali you just have a normal hilly classic, and multiple people can win it.

He'll always have the best odds to win it, and he's the biggest favourite, but I don't expect him to win by 3m45s.

 

[Red Rick]

It's about quickly reducing the Slovenian team and get them to chase. They don't have the manpower to make it an attritional race for the peloton.

Because he himself said that he launched too early, and if teams actually work together, he would get caught.

Not to mention, sure the race is long and the amount of altitude meters is high, but you need to be able to make the race hard. Who will do this? Slovenia doesn't have the team for it. If the peloton goes easy until after Mont Kigali you just have a normal hilly classic, and multiple people can win it.

He'll always have the best odds to win it, and he's the biggest favourite, but I don't expect him to win by 3m45s.

On a parcours like Kigali, attrition happens much more naturally, and I think Domen Novak pacing really hard for a few laps in the middle of the race would already do a lot of damage.

 

[Netserk]

On a parcours like Kigali, attrition happens much more naturally, and I think Domen Novak pacing really hard for a few laps in the middle of the race would already do a lot of damage.

While I do think his only role in the Vuelta was to prepare for Sunday, he has not looked good this year.

 

[Red Rick]

While I do think his only role in the Vuelta was to prepare for Sunday, he has not looked good this year.

Novak I always expect to randomly turn it way up in a big one day race.

Also, it's UAE, I expect guys like Sivakov et al to blatantly ride for Pogacar again.

 

[Berniece]

On a parcours like Kigali, attrition happens much more naturally, and I think Domen Novak pacing really hard for a few laps in the middle of the race would already do a lot of damage.

I agree, but they still need to race hard for a 3m45s lead. And they won't be able to create a hard race with Slovenia. They can only hope that Belgium also wants a hard race, and don't send someone up early.

 

[Netserk]

Novak I always expect to randomly turn it way up in a big one day race.

Also, it's UAE, I expect guys like Sivakov et al to blatantly ride for Pogacar again.

I think the same scenario as last year with a move at 100 km to go is possible, but this time Del Toro will be his partner rather than Sivakov.

 

[Red Rick]

I think the same scenario as last year with a move at 100 km to go is possible, but this time Del Toro will be his partner rather than Sivakov.

Del Toro won't be able to contribute once they get over the big climb and past 200km.

 

[Didinho]

If Pogi go all in on Mont Kigali he will be solo at the top. He just needs someone like Roglic and other UAE teammates in G2 to disrupt everything. And hoping other teams doesn’t have 2-3 riders each to work.

If he gets caught some laps later he could still go in the last 2-3 laps (or just the final climb) and make a difference.

Just curious how Remco’s climbing level will be. A single TT is no benchmark for next week, but I’m sure Belgium will ride for Remco as if there’s only 1 new clear favorite now.

 

[Netserk]

Yes, cancel the race, winner‘s clear after only finishing 2‘37“ down yesterday, we can all go home.

We need some Australian girls to save us.

 

[Red Rick]

The only thing not in Pogacars favor is there's no Mads Pedersen to make the race way too hard for no reason whatsoever

 

[Berniece]

The only thing not in Pogacars favor is there's no Mads Pedersen to make the race way too hard for no reason whatsoever

And that he didn't go to altitude camp so maybe he has a hard time with riding at these heights.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

And that he didn't go to altitude camp so maybe he has a hard time with riding at these heights.

He can‘t acclimatize to 1500 meters by just staying there for 10 days or something?

 

[Salvarani]

Yes, cancel the race, winner‘s clear after only finishing 2‘37“ down yesterday, we can all go home.

No point in watching this boring race.

 

[Berniece]

He can‘t acclimatize to 1500 meters by just staying there for 10 days or something?

He probably will, even more so that he has 2 hard trainings planned specifically for this.

I think yesterday was just a combination of jetlag and not having done an altitude camp. He'll be fine by the RR.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

My dark horse - alqphiliplle

 

[CyclistAbi]

I will go with Rogla.

 

[Red Rick]

My dark horse - alqphiliplle

I will go with Rogla.

2 absolutely shocking predictions this.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

My dark horse - alqphiliplle

That‘s a unique rider.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

So many teams with an outside favourite but also have a lot of dark horses. They need to send riders up the road, race aggressively, try things and don't let Slovenia get comfortable!! I am looking to Italy, France, Britain, Australia, Ireland, Ecuador, Spain and Switzerland

 

[CyclistAbi]

So many teams with an outside favourite but also have a lot of dark horses. They need to send riders up the road, race aggressively, try things and don't let Slovenia get comfortable!! I am looking to Italy, France, Britain, Australia, Ireland, Ecuador, Spain and Switzerland

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k29hVRkAvto

 

[Berniece]

So many teams with an outside favourite but also have a lot of dark horses. They need to send riders up the road, race aggressively, try things and don't let Slovenia get comfortable!! I am looking to Italy, France, Britain, Australia, Ireland, Ecuador, Spain and Switzerland

Indeed, I hope they all race for #1 spot. They showed in Quebec it's possible.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I will go with Rogla.

What's your tactical advice to roglic to give the best chance of winning?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

2 absolutely shocking predictions this.

There are two types of less serious posters. One would back their favourite cyclist against Mondo Duplantis in a pole vaulting contest, and the other would misspell Duplantis' name in three ways at the same time.