World Championship 2025: Men’s RR, September 28

[topcat]

you two are talking about different things. RHD is strictly referring to her her own discomfort with all temperatures above 20°C

Of course 27°C are totally fine for most other people, including pro cyclists. Although the conditions in general still are not easy.

Get that redzer outta the sun, they'll burn alive.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Why has he been selected?

To finally do some pulls for Remco.

 

[Penninepeddler]

Biniam was 2nd the year Baroncini won. Ahead of Kooij.

I meant the full on mens worlds, should have clarified!

I am interested to see how Eritrea play it. Probably badly and end up with Natnael maybe 40th aha.

Tesfatsion is in good form and has clearly tried to build form as best as possible for this course, but a bit too bumpy for him to have a truly great day I think, maybe in a perfect world he scrapes top 20 but doubt it.

I really enjoy Tesfatsion and Mulubrhan in how they race and both have improved over the last year...

while I do find the criticisms Girmay has had about the course a bit hilarious (as much as I like him as a rider) if it was less "ardennes" and maybe more medium mountainy with less climbs but steeper and longer ones - in theory possible in Rwanda - then if one of Natnael or Henok had the day of their life and came down to a reduced sprint? Could be interesting in terms of a top 10.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Why has he been selected?

Tough times for Italian cycling, if his level is sufficient to go to the WCRR

As. I said in my post he performs well in high levels of pollution. Il grande albero di Bergamo

He is also a popular guy and has no ego he will ride for the team.

 

[Didinho]

I’m gonna go for Bagioli as dark horse a 2nd year in a row. Just hoping he can get his end of the season form right again like that strong Lombardia couple years ago. Don’t know if he went to altitude training but he was also one of the only riders who tried to follow long range Pogi.

And I just like Italy as a team in those championships.

 

[Lequack]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Ehp0Gpuhw

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Get that redzer outta the sun, they'll burn alive.

What will the weather be like at the Irish gravel championships?

 

[topcat]

What will the weather be like at the Irish gravel championships?

Mist and drizzle, 10 degrees, perfect for redzers. Also, the air in Connemara although a bit damp, is pure. I'm glad someone else is taking a keen interest in the main championships this weekend.

 

[RedheadDane]

I love that temperature too, and while I do live a bit more inland than you, that's hardly the explanation.

Well, you're not actually a Dane - since I've taken your citizenship - so you're excused.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I changed my mind about the average speed. Altitude drives the speed up so much lol

There‘s got to be a Vertical meter threshold below which altitude is faster and above which it‘s slower, because the reduced air reaistance isn’t that helpful on climbs. I doubt 1500 meters is that much faster anyway. Overall, the average speed might be slightly higher than it would have been at sea level, but not by much.

 

[Red Rick]

There‘s got to be a Vertical meter threshold below which altitude is faster and above which it‘s slower, because the reduced air reaistance isn’t that helpful on climbs. I doubt 1500 meters is that much faster anyway. Overall, the average speed might be slightly higher than it would have been at sea level, but not by much.

It's easier to calculate a gradient at which lower altitude is faster, and I remember calculating from the TT that would be around 2% on a TT bike.

Now it's ofcourse not only altitude that drives up the speed, and tactics tend to matter a lot more normally. But I had not expected the u23s to beat 41kph on average.

Now, a big way WC or circuit races can slow down isn't necessarily a difficult parcours, it's simply that they can sometimes simply go suuper slow in early laps, as evidenced by 2024 Montreal, when Pogacar's fastest lap was around 46kph average, but his slowest lap was like 32kph average early when the pelotn was asleep. This is simply way more likely to happen in the men's elite race, and the most important reason the men's elite race is sometimes slower than the u23s, juniors or even women's elites.

But then, the going super slow on early laps, also tends to be much more a thing on longer climbs than shorter ones, and on technical descents and then flats than big sweeping downhills.

Final thing that really depresses the speed is when riders basically get super exhausted and lap times go way down, and that really doesn't happen in the junior and u23 races cause they're not long enough, but it happened big time in the 2023 and 2024 men's elite races.

 

[HashRouge]

What's the earliest time people expect them to start the Mount Kigali climb (local time)? I'm supposed to be somewhere tomorrow morning and very much hoping I'll be back in time for Mount Kigali at least.

 

[Red Rick]

What's the earliest time people expect them to start the Mount Kigali climb (local time)? I'm supposed to be somewhere tomorrow morning and very much hoping I'll be back in time for Mount Kigali at least.

Assuming they start at 9:45 local time, and the climb starts after roughly 155 km (realistically it's slightly more)

Average speed of 42kph gives around 13:26

This would have them ride faster than the men U23 race in the first half of the race, which is entirely unrealistic.

 

[Peyroteo94]

What's the earliest time people expect them to start the Mount Kigali climb (local time)? I'm supposed to be somewhere tomorrow morning and very much hoping I'll be back in time for Mount Kigali at least.

If they race at 40 kph until Mount Kigali, they will take 4 hours to arrive there.

around 3h45 if they go around 42 kph

3h30 around 44 kph

 

[HashRouge]

Okay thanks guys. It's borderline, but I should hopefully be back.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

you two are talking about different things. RHD is strictly referring to her her own discomfort with all temperatures above 20°C

Remember, we're talking about someone who went to Iceland for her summer holiday.

Spoiler: though I should add

I've been actually: amazing place.

 

[Cycling111]

How much humidity and pollution is there in Canada? 😅

 

[RedheadDane]

Remember, we're talking about someone who went to Iceland for her summer holiday.

Going in winter would be too cold, even for me.

 

[Valv.Piti]

How much humidity and pollution is there in Canada? 😅

Probably not enough for Masnada go get selected. At that point he probably now has to ride his bike on a decent level to be considered which will be hard, but not entirely impossible for him. I'd be betting against him reaching that level though. But then again, he's such a jovial type, a real joy spreader, with no personal ambitions, so he's very much the perfect teammate in that regard and never has any problems putting another teammate ahead of himself.

 

[Cycling111]

Probably not enough for Masnada go get selected. At that point he probably now has to ride his bike on a decent level to be considered which will be hard, but not entirely impossible for him. I'd be betting against him reaching that level though. But then again, he's such a jovial type, a real joy spreader, with no personal ambitions, so he's very much the perfect teammate in that regard and never has any problems putting another teammate ahead of himself.

I was saying this for the Canadian woman who won.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I was saying this for the Canadian woman who won.

Okay, and I was answering your question: Not enough to get Fausto Masnada selected hence a lot less than in Canada.

 

[ashhutch1997]

Let's be real, Pogacar is going to absolutely obliterate everyone tomorrow.

 

[rghysens]

Let's be real, Pogacar is going to absolutely obliterate everyone tomorrow.

Very likely.

 

[Pantani_lives]

This road race is underhyped. Why aren't there any weird news stories, unlikely predictions, conspiracy theories, death threats, tactical discussions...?

My theory is that Marc Hirschi has been hiding himself all year and will suddenly be flying tomorrow. He'll join a breakaway that seems too early and finish two seconds before the favourites.

 

[Red Rick]

This road race is underhyped. Why aren't there any weird news stories, unlikely predictions, conspiracy theories, death threats, tactical discussions...?

My theory is that Marc Hirschi has been hiding himself all year and will suddenly be flying tomorrow. He'll join a breakaway that seems too early and finish two seconds before the favourites.

Because nobody is anticipating something crazy to happen. Nobody is anticipating the unthinkable, because it is literally unthinkable.

You may ask what I'm talking about. And the truth is, I don't know either. Just brace for the unimaginable.