World Championship Question

[BigPhil3]

I am a little new to cycling, and my office mates don't exactly follow the sport, and I've been wondering something.

How exactly do the Americans pick their World Championship teams? For example, in the Time Trial, why was Dave Z, the current National Champ, not riding? Is it a personal decision or is it from the higher ups? In the same vein, why no Leipheimer or Hincapie in the road race? I've been involved in competitive wrestling for a number of years and I know that selections for international competitions are not always handled fairly. It just doesn't seem smart of the US to put out a bunch of young unproven kids when the majority of the other countries are putting out their top riders.

 

[ingsve]

I am a little new to cycling, and my office mates don't exactly follow the sport, and I've been wondering something.

How exactly do the Americans pick their World Championship teams? For example, in the Time Trial, why was Dave Z, the current National Champ, not riding? Is it a personal decision or is it from the higher ups? In the same vein, why no Leipheimer or Hincapie in the road race? I've been involved in competitive wrestling for a number of years and I know that selections for international competitions are not always handled fairly. It just doesn't seem smart of the US to put out a bunch of young unproven kids when the majority of the other countries are putting out their top riders.

Simple answer. A lot of those riders don't seem to care about the World Championships. After the Tour a lot of american riders don't do a lot of racing in Europe at all and many practically end their season or just race a little bit in the US. One of the main exceptions is Tyler Farrar who lives in Belgium and races a full european season.

 

[hrotha]

About Zabriskie, they probably reckoned it was better to give Talansky and Phinney some experience rather than to aim for a top 15.

 

[BigPhil3]

Simple answer. A lot of those riders don't seem to care about the World Championships. After the Tour a lot of american riders don't do a lot of racing in Europe at all and many practically end their season or just race a little bit in the US. One of the main exceptions is Tyler Farrar who lives in Belgium and races a full european season.

Kinda weak.

 

[greenedge]

Zabriskie has also not raced so much since he crashed in the TDF. The course would not suit Levi anyways, he would not be prepared to work for anyone i don't think.

 

[42x16ss]

About Zabriskie, they probably reckoned it was better to give Talansky and Phinney some experience rather than to aim for a top 15.

DZ's crash at the TdF wouldn't help either.

Plenty of guys with a good shot at the TT title don't race worlds eg: Evans, Contador, EBH, S Sanchez, Leipheimer, Kloden etc because they either prefer the RR, or they are exhausted from a long season, or they have won enough times already, not necessarily because they don't care about the worlds.

 

[rzombie1988]

Nobody in the US would know what world champion means anyway when it comes to cycling. They'd just assume he won the tour(that's the only tour anyone here might know actually).

I do think it's strange that more of the big names don't go for world championships. Might as well go for it if you have a shot at winning it. Extra money is always a good thing. But, I'm also the type that thinks just doing the tour only is stupid and a waste of talent, especially if don't win it.

 

[BigPhil3]

Awesome, thanks. Like I said, I'm kind of a newbie fanwise, and it would be nice if the US would put out a strong team. I'm still pretty excited for tomorrow, it could wind up being a bonkers race.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

it really is a shame that the us doesn't bring their power and experience to carry farrar to the finish with a shot. having big george at least would inspire more confidence. i guess he does not care about the national team. this makes me sad.

 

[Escarabajo]

Nobody in the US would know what world champion means anyway when it comes to cycling. They'd just assume he won the tour(that's the only tour anyone here might know actually).

I do think it's strange that more of the big names don't go for world championships. Might as well go for it if you have a shot at winning it. Extra money is always a good thing. But, I'm also the type that thinks just doing the tour only is stupid and a waste of talent, especially if don't win it.

It might help if they change the courses. For some of them the season is already over, but for some others they have no chance at all.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I do think it's strange that more of the big names don't go for world championships. Might as well go for it if you have a shot at winning it. Extra money is always a good thing. But, I'm also the type that thinks just doing the tour only is stupid and a waste of talent, especially if don't win it.

The big names DID go for the World Championships. Cavendish, Hushovd, Freire, Goss, Greipel, Farrar, Sagan.

Those were the only big names who were going to stand a chance, so why would the likes of Contador, Evans, Rodríguez or Schleck waste their time?

 

[El Pistolero]

The big names DID go for the World Championships. Cavendish, Hushovd, Freire, Goss, Greipel, Farrar, Sagan.

Those were the only big names who were going to stand a chance, so why would the likes of Contador, Evans, Rodríguez or Schleck waste their time?

Contador would obviously have destroyed them on this MTF.

Ps: Schleck did waste his time by the way.

 

[SHAD0W93]

DZ's crash at the TdF wouldn't help either.

Plenty of guys with a good shot at the TT title don't race worlds eg: Evans, Contador, EBH, S Sanchez, Leipheimer, Kloden etc because they either prefer the RR, or they are exhausted from a long season, or they have won enough times already, not necessarily because they don't care about the worlds.

Evans stopped racing after Colorado.
Contador is tired.
EBH might have wanted RR more.
Sanchez I have no idea.
Leipheimer is probably tired.
Kloden's back probably hurts still and even if it didn't he will not race for germany in world's or olympics.

 

[greenedge]

Grabsch and Martin did well enough for Germany in the ITT did they not???

 

[42x16ss]

Evans stopped racing after Colorado.
Contador is tired.
EBH might have wanted RR more.
Sanchez I have no idea.
Leipheimer is probably tired.
Kloden's back probably hurts still and even if it didn't he will not race for germany in world's or olympics.

See, there you go. That's why they skipped the World's. Long seasons's/preferred the RR

 

[ingsve]

Evans stopped racing after Colorado.
Contador is tired.
EBH might have wanted RR more.
Sanchez I have no idea.
Leipheimer is probably tired.
Kloden's back probably hurts still and even if it didn't he will not race for germany in world's or olympics.

From previous experience EBH has felt that competing in the ITT has made him weaker in the road race so this year he wanted to skip the ITT to focus fully on the road race to see if it made a difference.