World Championship 2025: Men’s RR, September 28

[Berniece]

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

Attack on Mount Kigali

 

[Tim Cahill]

Roglic needs to get away early and pretend like he's waiting up the road for Pogacar.

 

[Salvarani]

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

I feel like it is a very over-confident and even arrogant thing to boast. That the only thing not in someones favor is that a rider is not showing up.

I fail to understand the logic of that suggestion. Care to explain further why you believe this or why you are so confident in that opinion? I dont see it that way and would just love to learn more about how you can be so sure about it.

 

[topcat]

I added this thread to discuss this specifically. More than enough riders will go to Rwanda in the following days, and have shown to be in decent form. Look at Skjelmose in Luxembourg for example.

I think Pog will still be very good on Sunday. Apparently he's doing 2 hard trainings still in the next few days to get ready.

Thanks for starting this thread. There was too much discussion about the road race in the itt thread (probably defection). We also need a tour thread because people want to talk about that in the itt thread also.

 

[CyclistAbi]

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

Just be yourself.

 

[topcat]

Remco will do the double.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Just be yourself.

He will crash out then! He needs to stay focus

 

[Ilmaestro99]

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.

Are you both referring to me as a 'less serious' poster because I am predicting that a double world champion who won a WT race a week ago will be a dark horse? Respect my expert knowledge!!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Are you both referring to me as a 'less serious' poster because I am predicting that a double world champion who won a WT race a week ago will be a dark horse? Respect my expert knowledge!!

No, we call you less serious because you seem to think all riders are horses.

 

[topcat]

My dark horse - alqphiliplle

Ilmaestro doing for spelling what Ali did for boxing-taking it to a new level.

 

[nightowl]

Pogacar’s form is a bit hard to read at the moment. I don’t think he’s quite at his best but he’s turned it around in a short time frame before.

Remco obviously looked amazing yesterday but I don’t think this course is great for him. It’s twisty and punchy with not much flat, which doesn’t really play to his strengths. I also wonder if the lack of training base that’s plagued him this year will have more impact in a hard 6+ hour race compared to a 50 minute TT effort.

I think it comes down to how the rest of the field played it tactically. If teams decide to make life as hard as possible for Pogacar and Slovenia and do everything they can to get a strong break to form early then we will get a surprise winner. If they decide Pog looks undercooked and try and race more traditionally he’ll punish them for it in the last 2 laps and win.

 

[Berniece]

Remco obviously looked amazing yesterday but I don’t think this course is great for him. It’s twisty and punchy with not much flat, which doesn’t really play to his strengths. I also wonder if the lack of training base that’s plagued him this year will have more impact in a hard 6+ hour race compared to a 50 minute TT effort.

I agree. Team needs to keep him in front, but more importantly is he able to perform for such a long day or will he collapse like at Liege. I don't agree with people thinking he's too bulky or that there are too many altitude meters. If he's at his best, at this weight, he will finish 2nd or better easily.

 

[Berniece]

Change to the Belgian team. Tiesj Benoot is ill and won't be riding the WC. He will be replaced by Louis Vervaeke. Definitely a big letdown for the Belgian team.

Tiesj Benoot haakt ziek af voor het WK, Louis Vervaeke neemt zijn plaats in | sporza

De bondscoach heeft een wissel moeten doorvoeren voor het WK wielrennen van komende zondag in Rwanda. Louis Vervaeke vervangt de zieke Tiesj Benoot.

sporza.be

 

[Monsi]

Change to the Belgian team. Tiesj Benoot is ill and won't be riding the WC. He will be replaced by Louis Vervaeke. Definitely a big letdown for the Belgian team.

Tiesj Benoot haakt ziek af voor het WK, Louis Vervaeke neemt zijn plaats in | sporza

De bondscoach heeft een wissel moeten doorvoeren voor het WK wielrennen van komende zondag in Rwanda. Louis Vervaeke vervangt de zieke Tiesj Benoot.

sporza.be

Yeah Benoot would've been one of those guys Belgium could've sent up the road as an attacker to put pressure on Slovenia.

 

[Berniece]

Yeah Benoot would've been one of those guys Belgium could've sent up the road as an attacker to put pressure on Slovenia.

Or one of the guys to reel in the attack of others. Once they are over Mount Kigali, he is able to set a decent pace

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Pogacar's TT debacle means there's some light of hope for other cyclists and our experts here (except @Red Rick , who always believes in Pogi: admirable!).

To me the main question is: can he reach the level he's had in top classics over the last 2 years? If so then he will win on this route (but I'm not expecting a crazy, risky attack like last year). Otherwise it could get interesting and if he loses our experts will tell us that retirement is looming. So much at stake!

He says that his preparations (including Canada) were targeting the RR and I think it's believable (he was already pretty good in Montreal). My pick: Pogacar to win (with a more modest attack i.e. 30 km from the line). I think that the TT result means it will be easier for the Slovenian team (as Belgium will want to control breakaways, also if Rogla is ahead).

 

[Red Rick]

Pogacar's TT debacle means there's some light of hope for other cyclists and our experts here (except @Red Rick , who always believes in Pogi: admirable!).

To me the main question is: can he reach the level he's had in top classics over the last 2 years? If so then he will win on this route (but I'm not expecting a crazy, risky attack like last year). Otherwise it could get interesting and if he loses our experts will tell us that retirement is looming. So much at stake!

He says that his preparations (including Canada) were targeting the RR and I think it's believable. My pick: Pogacar to win (with a more modest attack i.e. 30 km from the line). I think that the TT result means it will be easier for the Slovenian team (as Belgium will want to control breakaways, also if Rogla is ahead).

There's a full week inbetween.

Does anyone remember what Pogacar did a full week before he won his first Lombardia?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

There's a full week inbetween.

Does anyone remember what Pogacar did a full week before he won his first Lombardia?

I think he was doing wheelies behind grupetto and went OTL.

 

[Red Rick]

I think he was doing wheelies behind grupetto and went OTL.

May have actually been drunk.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

@Berniece Can you add a poll regarding the winner?

 

[Cycling111]

I think Pedersen should have been there for the road world championships. If he had managed to survive Mont Kigali, he would have won a medal.

Soderqvist was far superior to the climbers today.
The problem riders like Pedersen would have is being dropped on Mont Kigali. But we've seen Pedersen make incredible climbs. If he had managed to survive, or return on the descent, the course is more favorable to him than to Vingegaard.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Why aren't Charles Kagimu and our lad from The Vatican on the start list this is a complete joke. It's not even worth tuning in early.

Batsaikhan? ARE YOU *** KIDDING MONGOLIA

Just going to have to find some new favourites, that guy from Rwanda looked half decent yesterday.

I'm hoping Jiankun Liu will make the startlist, the amount of grinta he showed on the TT bike yesterday showed he can compete with the best of them! (He came in 33rd, but anyone can have an off day, just ask Pog.)

 

[topcat]

My prediction: Roglic to go in the break, Remco to follow him, drop him and win.
(If Pog wins with a 235 km solo, I'll go fishing where there's no signal.)

 

[Cycling111]

The only data point necessary is Montreal, which he would have won with his eyes closed if he didn't gift it.

This is the sort of parcours where nobody is close, no matter what, and tactics don't even matter. At some point, everyone is just completely spent, and at that point even after the slightest acceleration he'll realise he can just attack so he can be off to the pub sooner.

But nah, I guess the gOaT musn't be under any pressure to perform like one in race that suits him way more than everyone else.

Would any of those who were in Canada be favorites on Sunday? I think none.
Simmons had an incredible Tour, but I don't think he's a top contender for WC.

Maybe by saying this I just gave him luck and he won.

McNulty won the overall in Luxembourg because of the ITT, but he didn't look as strong against Healy and Gregoire.

 

[Berniece]

@Berniece Can you add a poll regarding the winner?

I've added the poll. If people wonder why Roglic isn't part of that list, it's because I just looked at the top 9 most favourable to win according to a betting site. I personally think Roglic will ride top 5.