World Championships Innsbruck 2018

[Tim Booth]

New Zealand team is:
Male, Road race: George Bennett (Lotto-NL Jumbo), Dion Smith (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Patrick Bevin (BMC Racing), Sam Bewley (Mitchelton-Scott). Time Trial: Hamish Bond and Bevin.
Female, road race: Georgia Williams (Mitchelton-Scott), Grace Anderson (Team Illuminate), Mikayla Harvey (Team Illuminate). Time trial: Harvey.
Male Under-23, road race: James Fouche (Team Wiggins), Ryan Christensen (Canyon Eisberg), James Mitri (Burgos-BH). Time trial: Fouche.

 

[yaco]

How could Harvey be riding the ITT before Williams ? Even taking into account Williams has been injured for part of the last two months .

 

[Nirvana]

I've read what Nibali said today to Gazzetta, considering that is supposed to be the leader for Italy with a team built around him he should explain clearly what his actual situation is, otherwise Cassani should go on and work on a different race plan not including him.
He can't continue with that moody approach alterning pessimism and optimism when he speak to the media.

 

[King Boonen]

Re:

I've read what Nibali said today to Gazzetta, considering that is supposed to be the leader for Italy with a team built around him he should explain clearly what his actual situation is, otherwise Cassani should go on and work on a different race plan not including him.
He can't continue with that moody approach alterning pessimism and optimism when he speak to the media.

Not sure why you assume that what Nibali says to the media is also what he says to Cassani?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Diego Rosa will hit ultra-mythical peak form in Innsbruck, I'm telling you.

 

[Nirvana]

Re: Re:

I've read what Nibali said today to Gazzetta, considering that is supposed to be the leader for Italy with a team built around him he should explain clearly what his actual situation is, otherwise Cassani should go on and work on a different race plan not including him.
He can't continue with that moody approach alterning pessimism and optimism when he speak to the media.

Not sure why you assume that what Nibali says to the media is also what he says to Cassani?

I don't know what he says to Cassani, i only hope that he's playing this game only with the press.
The team for a WC can't be built at the last moment, if he's really suffering from pain in the way he said Cassani can't wait for him with only a month to go.

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

I've read what Nibali said today to Gazzetta, considering that is supposed to be the leader for Italy with a team built around him he should explain clearly what his actual situation is, otherwise Cassani should go on and work on a different race plan not including him.
He can't continue with that moody approach alterning pessimism and optimism when he speak to the media.

Not sure why you assume that what Nibali says to the media is also what he says to Cassani?

I don't know what he says to Cassani, i only hope that he's playing this game only with the press.
The team for a WC can't be built at the last moment, if he's really suffering from pain in the way he said Cassani can't wait for him with only a month to go.

I'm sure he is feeding more info to Cassani than he is to the press, possibly even data. I'm not sure it would change the team that much though would it? They'd just pick another leader and allow a few to have more flexible roles.

Whichever way, I'm sure they have a plan B already sorted in case he's just not ready for it.

 

[Escarabajo]

Nibali sometimes rides like this in prep races without being hurt!
So hard to read anything about his performance.

 

[Nirvana]

Re: Re:

I've read what Nibali said today to Gazzetta, considering that is supposed to be the leader for Italy with a team built around him he should explain clearly what his actual situation is, otherwise Cassani should go on and work on a different race plan not including him.
He can't continue with that moody approach alterning pessimism and optimism when he speak to the media.

Not sure why you assume that what Nibali says to the media is also what he says to Cassani?

I don't know what he says to Cassani, i only hope that he's playing this game only with the press.
The team for a WC can't be built at the last moment, if he's really suffering from pain in the way he said Cassani can't wait for him with only a month to go.

I'm sure he is feeding more info to Cassani than he is to the press, possibly even data. I'm not sure it would change the team that much though would it? They'd just pick another leader and allow a few to have more flexible roles.

Whichever way, I'm sure they have a plan B already sorted in case he's just not ready for it.

The other riders picked probably won't change but Nibali is the only one (if in shape) that could go into the last two laps with credentials to win from the favourites group, without him Italy should try to send riders up on the road before hoping that some other nations are planning the race in the same way.

 

[Rollthedice]

I'm sure Cassani is cooking a plan B since he found out about the extent of Nibali's injury. The last news about the fact that Vincenzo has bad back pain and that his whole career might be in jeopardy doesn't change a thing. I'm sure that if he can still ride his bike in September he'll be the leader with a plan B in place for Italy.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

I'm sure Cassani is cooking a plan B since he found out about the extent of Nibali's injury. The last news about the fact that Vincenzo has bad back pain and that his whole career might be in jeopardy doesn't change a thing. I'm sure that if he can still ride his bike in September he'll be the leader with a plan B in place for Italy.

This is what I'm expecting as well. Nibali's injury won't change the make up of Italy's team much if at all. What it will do is change the approach to ensure they have a plan B in case Nibali's back is still not doing well.

 

[42x16ss]

Aru wouldn’t be a bad plan b on this course.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Aru wouldn’t be a bad plan b on this course.

Aru hasn't exactly been great this year either.

 

[Rollthedice]

Flecha doing a Flecha on the last climb "the hell" with the designer of the parcours, Thomas Rohregger. Narrow roads, ultra steep sections, technical fast and dangerous descent to the line, it will be fun.

https://video.eurosport.com/cycling/the-hell-of-innsbruck-flecha-rides-the-world-championship-course_vid1118357/video.shtml

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Flecha doing a Flecha on the last climb "the hell" with the designer of the parcours, Thomas Rohregger. Narrow roads, ultra steep sections, technical fast and dangerous descent to the line, it will be fun.

https://video.eurosport.com/cycling/the-hell-of-innsbruck-flecha-rides-the-world-championship-course_vid1118357/video.shtml

I'm not a very big fan of putting that climb at the end of the race but I have to admit, from a marketing standpoint it really seems to work. There seems to be a lot of talk about this ascent and the publicity can only be good for the organizers. I'm really hoping for huge crowds and I'm still not sure whether maybe I should go there too.

 

[SKSemtex]

Re: Re:

Flecha doing a Flecha on the last climb "the hell" with the designer of the parcours, Thomas Rohregger. Narrow roads, ultra steep sections, technical fast and dangerous descent to the line, it will be fun.

https://video.eurosport.com/cycling/the-hell-of-innsbruck-flecha-rides-the-world-championship-course_vid1118357/video.shtml

I'm not a very big fan of putting that climb at the end of the race but I have to admit, from a marketing standpoint it really seems to work. There seems to be a lot of talk about this ascent and the publicity can only be good for the organizers. I'm really hoping for huge crowds and I'm still not sure whether maybe I should go there too.

I would love to go but.
A few years ago I started to "chase" Sagan. I went with my wife to San Remo, RVV, PR, Firenze WCRR, Ponferrada WCRR and bunch of other races. Everywhere I went, Sagan was defeated.
Then I canceled my trip to Richmond and suddenly he is winning. :lol:
I stopped chasing him and I am enjoying his wins on TV.
Innsbruck is quite near and I desperately want to go, but I do not want to be responsible for his defeat again. :lol: I am just joking of course. He showed nothing this year to prove that he can be a candidate but you never know. There can be huge wind and all climbers could be blown away.

But one thing is true. The atmosphere of WCRR is very special. It is definitely worth to see at least once.
Firenze WCRR was for me the top cycling adventure. And although it was raining 70% of the race it was worth every single EUR we spent there.
Innsbruck will be similar to Firenze and even better. I am pretty sure there will be thousands of people from Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic. Great is that even cyclists from Austria are doing pretty good last two years.

 

[Asero831]

Odds are out, Bardet is a good catch

 

[SKSemtex]

Re:

Odds are out, Bardet is a good catch

Uran in 41/1 is not bad as well.

 

[fuiers]

I was watching Vuelta today and the local commentator said that Eurosport here in Finland does not have the right so show the Innsbruck WC. Im a bit baffled since they show a commercial every day. I think thats a slap in the face of a consumer. Same goes to all scandinavian countries. Appalling I say.

 

[Laplaz]

Re:

Odds are out, Bardet is a good catch

I would say Tom Dumoulin is a good catch. And Bernal at 81.

 

[jarvo]

Dan Martin at 29/1 is a decent price IF he still ahs the legs for it after Tour/Vuelta combo

 

[Gigs_98]

As always some weird odds. I still think people massively underrate the difficulty of this route and that therefore alaphilippe shouldn't be the 2nd biggest favorite and Sagan shouldn't even be near the top 20. Meanwhile some pure climbers should be way higher up the list. Who expected majka to be up there in the 2016 olympics and yet if the race had finished one kilometer earlier he would have won gold. I think something like that could happen here again with some pure climber who isn't usually seen as a one day racer suddenly coming over the top of the final climb first

In my opinion Thomas and Uran are the best bets with their odds

 

[Red Rick]

As always some weird odds. I still think people massively underrate the difficulty of this route and that therefore alaphilippe shouldn't be the 2nd biggest favorite and Sagan shouldn't even be near the top 20. Meanwhile some pure climbers should be way higher up the list. Who expected majka to be up there in the 2016 olympics and yet if the race had finished one kilometer earlier he would have won gold. I think something like that could happen here again with some pure climber who isn't usually seen as a one day racer suddenly coming over the top of the final climb first

In my opinion Thomas and Uran are the best bets with their odds

Cycling is a very peculiar sport to bet cause so many variables change so much all the time. Just understanding routes alone should make you +ev I think

 

[spalco]

Nibali's palmares would be very nearly complete with a win here, having won almost every race he could possibly win.

I don't know how much he's focusing on this (although I suspect quite a bit), but I think the course fits him better than Alaphilippe, Sagan and even Valverde.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

Nibali's palmares would be very nearly complete with a win here, having won almost every race he could possibly win.

I don't know how much he's focusing on this (although I suspect quite a bit), but I think the course fits him better than Alaphilippe, Sagan and even Valverde.

It's was and is his main target of the season.