World Championships 2024: Men's Road Race (September 29)

[Berniece]

Very true, but racing for an hour against Niels Vandeputte and Thijs Aerts isn't going to put your season in jeopardy if you add a race between April and July. He has less race days than Vingegaard, who ended his season in August and had to be put together with tape and glue somewhere in April.

He didn’t do anything before the TDF? That’s indeed unnecessary, could’ve raced Dauphine or Suisse

 

[Pantani_lives]

It won't be obvious for Pogacar to win this. He won't have that strong UAE team to set up an attack, except for Novak. That climb in the beginning of the lap suits him, but it's rather short and more than 20 km from the finish.

He's the first favorite, but the winner could just as well be one of the secondary favorites. Belgium, USA and UK have a strong team too.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Not paticularly defending him but has ridden 14 cyclo cross races since the last road season ended either in the rainbow jersey or defending his title.

Even adding in his crosses, he does fewer race days than like 90% of the peloton. And certainly for someone who can often freewheel in the second half of a cross, a CX raceday is on average less taxing than a road raceday.

 

[stekelegel]

4.400 meters of altitude gain, Amstel has 3.200, LBL has 4.200. I know the climbs are not even close to La Redoute, but it is a lot. So probably fair to say it is significantly harder then Amstel, a bit less then LBL.
Hard to see past Pog and Evenepoel on this track. VDP will be distanced to far if it’s a hard race, when it comes down to the last round after a tactical race he (and some others) might stay within striking distance.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Reigning world champion shows up to the biggest races in top shape (sanremo, Flanders, roubaix, liege, Olympics), wins Flanders + roubaix in the rainbow jersey, drops to his lowest ever weight to defend his title on a course which doesn't suit him, and people complain that he doesn't honor the jersey because he doesn't show up to any old Belgien Mickey mouse race or a Vuelta with 40 degrees heat climber stages which don't suit him.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

4.400 meters of altitude gain, Amstel has 3.200, LBL has 4.200. I know the climbs are not even close to La Redoute, but it is a lot. So probably fair to say it is significantly harder then Amstel, a bit less then LBL.
Hard to see past Pog and Evenepoel on this track. VDP will be distanced to far if it’s a hard race, when it comes down to the last round after a tactical race he (and some others) might stay within striking distance.

4000-ish metres of elevation gain (and this one 4296 according to PCS) is basically the median for a WCRR, though. It also isn’t exactly a perfect metric - Ponferrada had 4520, Firenze only 3923, yet I think we can all agree the order of difficulty of those two routes + this one is the exact opposite.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Reigning world champion shows up to the biggest races in top shape (sanremo, Flanders, roubaix, liege, Olympics), wins Flanders + roubaix in the rainbow jersey, drops to his lowest ever weight to defend his title on a course which doesn't suit him, and people complain that he doesn't honor the jersey because he doesn't show up to any old Belgien Mickey mouse race or a Vuelta with 40 degrees heat climber stages which don't suit him.

He could farm all those Mickeyban races that Rutger Wouters currently wins and become the new Merckx

 

[scribers]

Anyone giving MvdP a chance here?

Great chance of handing over the rainbows

 

[scribers]

Roglic (Rodriguez) is riding away, Pogacar (Valverde) doesn't close the gap to Hirschi (Costa) because he's looking at Evenepoel (Nibali). Hirschi wins the sprint from Roglic, and Pogacar from Evenepoel.

I’ll have to ask you to type this slower for me

 

[scribers]

Reigning world champion shows up to the biggest races in top shape (sanremo, Flanders, roubaix, liege, Olympics), wins Flanders + roubaix in the rainbow jersey, drops to his lowest ever weight to defend his title on a course which doesn't suit him, and people complain that he doesn't honor the jersey because he doesn't show up to any old Belgien Mickey mouse race or a Vuelta with 40 degrees heat climber stages which don't suit him.

This didn’t happen so hard it unhappened things that did happen.

 

[RedheadDane]

I’ll have to ask you to type this slower for me

How do you know the speed this was typed with?

 

[scribers]

How do you know the speed this was typed with?

Because I can’t follow it! Even after multiple times

 

[topcat]

This didn’t happen so hard it unhappened things that did happen.

I disagree but I like it

 

[RedheadDane]

Because I can’t follow it! Even after multiple times

Do you want @Berniece to perform an interpretive dance between each letter?
Not sure that would help...

 

[scribers]

Do you want @Berniece to perform an interpretive dance between each letter?
Not sure that would help...

I have ideas on how to do Rui Costa interpretive dance

 

[scribers]

Is it expected last year’s champion shows up for the next WC if he can race? If I’m mvp I don’t show up and I don’t lose weight. I’ll eat my hat if he’s top 5

 

[Sciatic]

Respect to Rui Costa's season in the rainbows, he truly did tip up to ride any old sh*t. None of that 'peaking for the tour' rubbish.

Purito warned Rui Costa if he didn’t do the jersey proud he was going to rip it off his back (since he felt he deserved it anyways)

 

[Berniece]

Because I can’t follow it! Even after multiple times

In 2013, Rui Costa won the WC jerseys. In the final kilometers Rodriguez was ahead, with Costa, Valverde and Nibali behind him. Obviously Valverde didn't partake in getting Rodriguez back, and he only had to mark attacks from Costa and Nibali. Costa attacked in the last 2 km's, and Valverde didn't follow. He expected Nibali to close that gap, and he also probably wanted Costa to win since they were teammates and he doesn't like Rodriguez. Costa closes the gap to Rodriguez and wins the sprint, Valverde wins the sprint for 3rd place.

I would find it funny if a similar scenario would unfold but with Hirschi, Roglic, Pogacar and Evenepoel.

 

[Blanco]

2014: Rui Costa, 71 (DNF in Tour after 15 stages)
2015: Michal Kwiatkowski, 61 (DNF in Tour after 16 stages)
2016: Peter Sagan, 70
2017: Peter Sagan, 60 (DSQ in Tour after 4 stages)
2018: Peter Sagan, 79
2019: Alejandro Valverde, 80
2020: Mads Pedersen, 57 (covid season)
2021: Julian Alaphilippe, 62
2022: Julian Alaphilippe 42 (broken shoulder in Liege, DNF in Vuelta after 11 stages)
2023: Remco Evenepoel, 43* (DNF in Giro after 9 stages)
2024: Mathieu van der Poel, 41

* World Championships were held in August rather than September, otherwise 64

And who of those, apart Sagan in 2016, had a better season then Van Der Poel this year?
The guy won two monuments for Christ's sake, handed third to a teammate, and in fourth he came 3rd against 10kg lighter competition on a very hilly course. He won a big classic in the process also, and came 2nd in another. And all that wins were achieved in spectacular manner, going solo from very far.
And you called this pathetic?!!! Man must wonder...

 

[Unchained]

Pog, Remco, MVDP among usual suspects.

Marc Hirschi as a dark horse in this race.

Hirschi is problematic, in every good way, his current form has him flying, he is decent all around can hold high pace for substantial distances, @30-40k looks comfortable. He is UAE in jersey only, he will have almost no reason to show professional courtesy to Pogacar, now that he signed w Tudor, so likely on friendly terms w Swiss and Julian Alaphilippe who has been known to come up with a few good rides here and there.
The top five have to respect @8+ other riders who could come up with a great single day performance. Hirschi certainly has a chance, Pog no matter how super human can't let Swiss stallion get up the road too far and certainly will have to counter any multi rider break, don't know if he will pre race plan something w Roglic about work responsibilities. Belgium will have a plan, Spain too, US I doubt it, nobody shining right now
I am picking Team Belize for the win or first rider at the snack bar!! I thought Olympics was sort of humorous, but many federations are sending riders who are likely to lose contact within first few kilometers.
Not to spread shade, don't know...why is Eritrea sending a huge squad?

 

[hayneplane]

Does anyone know why Switzerland didn’t go with the 2020 course this year with the rescheduled event.

That course would have been phenomenal.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Very true, but racing for an hour against Niels Vandeputte and Thijs Aerts isn't going to put your season in jeopardy if you add a race between April and July. He has less race days than Vingegaard, who ended his season in August and had to be put together with tape and glue somewhere in April.

I did say I was not particularly defending him, but hey you have used more appropriate examples of cross racers.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Does anyone know why Switzerland didn’t go with the 2020 course this year with the rescheduled event.

That course would have been phenomenal.

I believe that cities rather than countries bid: that course is not going to be promoted by the Zurich authorities.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Is it expected last year’s champion shows up for the next WC if he can race? If I’m mvp I don’t show up and I don’t lose weight. I’ll eat my hat if he’s top 5

I believe that he receives an automatic invitation, on top of (and not transferable to) the national allocation. I can't imagine that participation is compulsory though. Pedersen didn't ride in the 2020 Worlds, but started BinckBank Tour a couple of days later.

 

[RedheadDane]

I believe that he receives an automatic invitation, on top of (and not transferable to) the national allocation. I can't imagine that participation is compulsory though. Pedersen didn't ride in the 2020 Worlds, but started BinckBank Tour a couple of days later.

I think if 2020 had been a bit more normal, he'd have ridden.