Worlds Copenhagen 2011

[palmerq]

Just to remind everyone, a video of the course, with a matched graphic of the profile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BmdQoN0U_PY

The finish seems quite steep, is there any flat up untill the finish line?.. Surely Gilbert cannot lose this.

 

[theyoungest]

woopie, he won an uphill sprint after a short stage.

+1

Dutchies desperately looking for someone who can do something, anything, on this course

 

[sublimit]

They will be dancing on the streets of a random dutch town.
Dutch sprinter in big win shock.

 

[Moondance]

The finish seems quite steep, is there any flat up untill the finish line?.. Surely Gilbert cannot lose this.

He can definitely lose it. He'll need to be able to leave the likes of Cav, Hushovd, Greipel, Sagan, and a few other sprinters in the dust. He can't approach the finish line in a 50 man peloton with those four, for starters, and still and be guaranteed to win.

Can he stay away a full circuit by himself (because he'll have a hard time finding people willing to ride full bore with him)? I don't know. Germany have a strong team and will work for Greipel (or Kittel). UK will stand en bloc behind Cav....

 

[theyoungest]

They will be dancing on the streets of a random dutch town.
Dutch sprinter in big win shock.

It's not the Tour de France. So in a random Dutch town no one will know

 

[Moondance]

It's not the Tour de France. So in a random Dutch town no one will know

Incorrect.... Newswires are reporting mass outbreaks of partying in Nieuw-Lekkerland, Sneek, and Maarheeze!

 

[Cobblestoned]

+1

Dutchies desperately looking for someone who can do something, anything, on this course

Agree.

Just realized that German Team looks awesome strong compared to most of the others. It looks like a great leadout-train, but can also cover brakes with riders like Wegmann etc.

Unbeatable.

 

[Moondance]

Agree.

Just realized that German Team looks awesome strong compared to most of the others. It looks like a great leadout-train, but can also cover brakes with riders like Wegmann etc.

Unbeatable.

Deutschland über alles indeed.

But I agree... Nation vs. nation I'm inclined to go Germany > Belgium > UK

 

[jens_attacks]

i will cheer for portugal,i love that team.
i don't like at all italy this year,they will fail miserably,i don't think any of them will be in the front group after 240 km.
it will be nice to see phil getting this.

 

[Ferminal]

Depressingly, for the win I am now leaning toward the stocky manx elephant in the room.

He has won MSR, and he beat Gilbert in an uphill sprint at the Tour. Having looked at the course analysis someone linked, it doesn't seem so hard.

Plus the Sky boys will work their Adidas off to get the jersey on the team.

Would be silly to write him off (which I was happy to do last year!).

At his 2009 best I would have him favourite, but he seems more beatable now, and Gilbert is a freak.

 

[The Sheep]

That Boom win says more about Cav's chances of winning

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That Boom win says more about Cav's chances of winning

That is true. If he can't win a slight uphill sprint from a select group here...then how is he going to do it in Copenhagen against vastly superior opposition

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

The finish seems quite steep, is there any flat up untill the finish line?.. Surely Gilbert cannot lose this.

he has to drop sagan for sure. good luck with that...

 

[RedheadDane]

Allow me to go into ultra-geek mode and give you almost all the Danish riders:

Junior Ladies TT

Kamilla Vallin (Blue Water Ladies)

U23 Men TT

Rasmus Quaade (Team Concordia Forsikring)
Michael Valgren Andersen (Glud & Marstrand-LRØ)

Junior Men TT

Mads Würtz Schmidt (Blue Water Junior)
Casper Folsach (Team RCR Odense Junior)

Elite Ladies TT

Michelle Lauge (Odder CK)

Elite Men TT

Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard-Trek)
Alex Rasmussen (Team HTC-Highroad)

Junior Ladies RR

Christina Siggard (Silkeborg IF)
Nina Schultz Nielsen (Blue Water Ladies)
Kamilla Vallin (Blue Water Ladies)
Fie Degn Larsen (Blue Water Ladies)

U23 Men RR

Christopher Juul-Jensen (Glud & Marstrand-LRØ)
Sebastian Lander (Team Concordia Forsikring)
Asbjørn Kragh Andersen (Team Tre-For)
Rasmus Guldhammer (Team Concordia Forsikring)
Jesper Hansen (Team Energy Fyn)
Michael Valgren Andersen (Glud & Marstrand-LRØ)

Junior Men RR

Alexander Kamp (Team Blue Water junior)
Magnus Cort Nielsen (Team ABC)
Sørens Kragh Andersen (Team RCR Odense)
Frederik Lind Plesner (Team RCR Odense)
Emil Nyggard Vinjebo (Team RCR Odense)
Rasmus Hestbek Lund (Team RCR Odense)

Elite Ladies RR

Dorthe Lohse (Silkeborg IF)
Michelle Lauge (Odder CK)
Julie Leth (Odder CK)

(Could you argue that Junior Men and Junior Ladies are just Boys and Girls?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

he has to drop sagan for sure. good luck with that...

guy is still young, no doubt riders produce different things after 250km+.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

the race is never hard enough to drop Sagan. I simply don't see how after I've seen the climbs on profile and on youtube.

 

[Spine Concept]

And today Boom wins an uphill sprint in Great-Brittain against own teammate Matthews and a whole ****load of Sky + cavendish

You were saying?

I never said Boom was not fast, just that Ligthart is generically seen as the only sprinter in the Dutch selection. This means that it would be more likely for Boom to lead out Ligthart if it comes to that. Today's win is very convenient for your argument, that's all I'm taking from your gloating because if you had anything else you would have responded earlier. However, it changes little for my point of view. Good on Boom though. I guess in the end it will come down to who has better legs after 250+ ks.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

not about "being dropped", but after that distance, legs will be tired and experience is key. Some riders excel after very long distance, sagan is still a bit of an unknown in regards to this. If the race is ridden hard, even with a unexciting route, unexpected things can happen.

 

[TeoSheva]

the race is never hard enough to drop Sagan. I simply don't see how after I've seen the climbs on profile and on youtube.

that's right, but we never saw Sagan doing well in a classic until now... MSR, G-W for example, but also the 1st stage of the Vuelta, with an up-hill finish...

 

[Spine Concept]

And today Boom wins an uphill sprint in Great-Brittain against own teammate Matthews and a whole ****load of Sky + cavendish

You were saying?

I never said Boom was not fast, just that Ligthart is generically seen as the only sprinter in the Dutch selection. This means that it would be more likely for Boom to lead out Ligthart if it comes to that. Today's win is very convenient for your argument, that's all I'm taking from your gloating because if you had anything else you would have responded earlier. Regardless, today's scenario actually proves my point, they were originally planning for Boom to lead out Matthews because he is considered the sprinter out of the two, but Boom was very strong on the day. Thus, this changes little for my point of view. Good on Boom though. For the Worlds I guess in the end it will come down to who has better legs after 250+ ks.

 

[Descender]

There is nothing worthy of being called a climb in this circuit. There a couple of (easy) ramps, that's all. Nothing to reproach the Danes for, they probably did the best they could with their topography.

But this is going to be decided in a sprint, and Gilbert will **** on everybody and that'll be it.

 

[RedheadDane]

There is nothing worthy of being called a climb in this circuit. There a couple of (easy) ramps, that's all. Nothing to reproach the Danes for, they probably did the best they could with their topography.

It's just that my part of the country took all the hills!

 

[pantsarefortheold]

One of the guys in the first group will win.

 

[palmerq]

he has to drop sagan for sure. good luck with that...

Yes he does, could be good then, but I think sagan is a bit young to do the vuelta then win the world championship, I think he will be too tired by the end of the race to compete with gilbert... Would be good if sagan won it though

 

[Damiano]

It's just that my part of the country took all the hills!

It would be great to watch a race from Aarhus => Silkeborg => Vejle and then 15-20 times on Kiddesvej.