World Championships 2023: Men's Road Race (August 6)

[Lequack]

Did he?

Yes, he said he wanted revenge for last year in the interview.

 

[Izzyeviel]

 

[Pantani_lives]

This must have been the best WCRR I've seen. They were attacking all the time and the best four got away. The circuit turned out to be splendid.

MvdP is a worthy world champion. He really knows how to pick his goals and excel on the day that matters. His explosiveness is unrivaled. He might become world champion in three different disciplines in the same year - although the mountainbike won't be obvious starting from the last row.

At the same time I feel sorry for Van Aert, who once again finished second, again behind his eternal rival. He would deserve to win a few more big races, but he needs a bit of luck. Belgium did well as a team.

Pogacar proved again what a classy rider he is and completes a dream podium. Pedersen also did one of his strongest races. I wish they could give four rainbow jerseys today instead of one.

 

[Sciatic]

bro, he wanted to do more but the man got sick in the 2nd week. He basically had to handbrake himself because of that

Good point—I forgot about that!

 

[movingtarget]

Not exactly. Remco sneaked into the winning group, leaving all the favorites behind, while Van Der Poel dropped all the big guns fair and square.

Different tactics but same outcome.

 

[jaylew]

It's basically a lot like the Krylatskoye Ring, but more technical cos it's not purpose built like that was. There were no major climbs, it was just relentless, with corners all over the place and short ups and downs and never letting the settle into a rhythm for a sustained period of time at any point. It was always going to be selective and you couldn't truly figure out what type of rider it best suited until they either survived or didn't. I wasn't sure about it after the Commonwealths, but with the deeper field of a World Championships and the full distance that that entails, the strengths of the circuit really came to the fore.

I just love that only the strongest on the day were going to have a chance to win on that course which isn't always the case. Nothing but wheat today.

 

[Tim Cahill]

It's Oliver Wood who's riding the Omnium.

Apparently the graphic i saw was wrong then, was there on the BBC lineup and was on twitter too

https://twitter.com/x/status/1688082479805239296

 

[roundabout]

Our best rider 18th in a home WCRR and to make matters worse we've got Pidcock doing a YouTube highlights race and Thomas doing a TT he probably won't top 5.

I thought Ethan Hayter wasn't doing it because he's injured but low and behold I turn on the TV and he's doing the *checks notes*... Men's Omnium?

I think only Pidcock was a loss, doubt the other 2 would have featured.

 

[TrekCyclist]

Very exciting race. Particular course - was a bit like a cyclocross race, but without the mud.
Nevertheless, a worthy winner. As expeted, the course did not really suit Evenepoel.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

things can change fast. First it was wva, mvdp and alaph (2020/2021). Then evenepoel or rog and now pog and sometimes even Pidcock.
Who will be the big 3 next year?

 

[awavey]

It's stupid. Nobody cares about mickey mouse track cycling. Bizarre that pidcock is not in attendance.

They don't but its a calculation as Kelly would say. You get to win many gold medals vs just one in one race , the more gold medals the more money they get.

And the downside is you get a course like this,might not suit your riders, or they get a mechanical, fall off, it's rare that a rider like MvP can boss the race as he did for that break, be the best on the day and win. On the track, velodromes can be different but the variables, except in kieran are less, the best riders generally win the medals.

Cav should have won Olympic Gold 2012 as the best rider, but didn't because the race tactics didn't go their way.

 

[Tim Cahill]

I think only Pidcock was a loss, doubt the other 2 would have featured.

Ethan was 9th last year and 6th in the tt so he's got a big engine and great physiological profile, it's positioning in a big bunch for him that is the issue granted but the bunch wasn't that big after the first circuit.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Such a smart attack. Pog was done with his turn and MVDP attacked. WVA and Pedersen first to respond. Couldnt follow.

If Pog in the same position as the others when MVDP attacks. I think he can follow.

MVDP is gone now.

fam what on earth were you smoking. Pogacar is simply less explosive. This isn't Kwaremont (2km long)

 

[Riek s]

Yet bookies made him a no.1 favorite, and many from the cycling world considered him one of the main favorites.

sure, and most of those illusions came from not understanding the core of this parcour..
But its not because bookies think that, it is right/correct.

 

[Netserk]

Which is why I say I wasn't really sure about it from the previous races there (although I highlighted the Commonwealths RR which had a mixed level field). However, thankfully, the Worlds are up in the 260km+ range, which brings the attrition of those constant digs into it.

Would a legacy one-day race on this course work? Probably better than the legacy London Olympic RR course one did, but expecting the same action you got from 260km+ on the course with several fewer laps would be foolish unless the quality of field suffered for it.

If it was held on the circuit from start to finish, 14 laps would be plenty selective.

 

[King Boonen]

It's stupid. Nobody cares about mickey mouse track cycling. Bizarre that pidcock is not in attendance.

It’s tied to funding in the UK. All about Olympic medals, and there’s far more available on the track where money still generally equals wins.

 

[Big Doopie]

An amazing race.

Crowned by a fitting champion.

Exploits like that are why I love cycling.

 

[Salvarani]

fam what on earth were you smoking. Pogacar is simply less explosive. This isn't Kwaremont (2km long)

Oh here we go... what was the need for this comment.

Watch the point of the attack again. Im not saying Pog would have beaten MVDP, lol. I just think he might have been able to follow, if he would have been in the position Van Aert and Pedersen were at the point of the attack. Maybe he would have been dropped anyway, that is anyones guess. Either way, I dont think nobody beats MVDP today.

 

[Unchained]

Don't know if people are watching other events.. Including velodrome stuff..with these road events Jr.s ,women's and men's,, Scotland has absolutely nailed it.. have not seen a better World Championship organization.. Fantastic

 

[magliaroz]

Protesters should avoid races where these guys are competing, no one is going to spend a single word on them after such epicness XD

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If it was held on the circuit from start to finish, 14 laps would be plenty selective.

That's fair.

 

[magliaroz]

Don't know if people are watching other events.. Including velodrome stuff..with these road events Jr.s ,women's and men's,, Scotland has absolutely nailed it.. have not seen a better World Championship organization.. Fantastic

The integated schedule with para-cycling on the Track should become a permanent feature.

 

[Rob5091]

Chapeau MVDP - even with a crash. Fitting that two cyclocrossers should be 1st & 2nd on a cyclocross type course.

 

[jaylew]

sure, and most of those illusions came from not understanding the core of this parcour..
But its not because bookies think that, it is right/correct.

Yeah, I could never quite get why people were making him out as the favorite on this course. I guess a lot of it it was the team strength and being the defending champ.

 

[Winnen]

What a great race this was! I enjoyed it very much. Even before van der Poel made his move, I told my mates that this has got to be one of the most entertaining WC I have watched. With VDP winning this only got better (I am Dutch, there is a bias here).

I expected WvA to be closer to van der Poel. Even though I have seen him crack more often vs. VDP on repetitive short climbs, I still thought he could follow. His strength in de Tour was phenomenal again, this fooled me I guess. He doesn't win enough for someone of his caliber. Something to think about for him.

Pogi was as expected for me. I guess a little tired after the Tour but still very impressive.

Mads rode too eager. Otherwise, he would have gotten a medal. But he wouldn't have been able to beat VdP. Still, he has shown he belongs to that select group of elite riders you can never underestimate.

Looking forward to the Vuelta! I cannot wait!