Worlds Copenhagen 2011

[RedheadDane]

Part of me is being "It'll probably be too difficult to get there and I'll just look like an idiot standing all by myself in the crowd..."
While the other is "Since when did I care about going alone to that kind of stuff? I really wanna go!"

Right now I gotta say it's the other part which is winning . After all; how difficult can it be? I just need to take the train to CPH and then... eh... I dunno!

 

[Descender]

Part of me is being "It'll probably be too difficult to get there and I'll just look like an idiot standing all by myself in the crowd..."
While the other is "Since when did I care about going alone to that kind of stuff? I really wanna go!"

Right now I gotta say it's the other part which is winning . After all; how difficult can it be? I just need to take the train to CPH and then... eh... I dunno!

You live in Denmark ffs! If you don't go I think you should be banned.

 

[just some guy]

Part of me is being "It'll probably be too difficult to get there and I'll just look like an idiot standing all by myself in the crowd..."
While the other is "Since when did I care about going alone to that kind of stuff? I really wanna go!"

Right now I gotta say it's the other part which is winning . After all; how difficult can it be? I just need to take the train to CPH and then... eh... I dunno!

I'm a bit do I want watch the race or get the atmosphere, but I think TV for the worlds and spend 4 days in Denmark for the Giro might be the go.

 

[mortand]

Hey RedheadDane, there's no legitimite reason to stay away from the Worlds. As you say, just get in the train to Copenhagen and then the train to Holte - along with half a million other people. Geels Bakke is more or less around the corner from the station. Piece of cake!

I'm obviously going - I can't ignore the fact that the Worlds are happening just 15-20 km from here.

 

[maltiv]

Part of me is being "It'll probably be too difficult to get there and I'll just look like an idiot standing all by myself in the crowd..."
While the other is "Since when did I care about going alone to that kind of stuff? I really wanna go!"

Right now I gotta say it's the other part which is winning . After all; how difficult can it be? I just need to take the train to CPH and then... eh... I dunno!

How can you be all by yourself in a crowd? It's not like people stay in small groups, whispering to each other (just make sure you bring a Norwegian flag, else you will be an outsider obviously, particularly if you bring the Danish flag). Personally I'm just worried that it will be hard to get a spot close to one of the big screens, and actually being able to see it, will be pretty confusing if I have no idea what's going.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hey RedheadDane, there's no legitimite reason to stay away from the Worlds. As you say, just get in the train to Copenhagen and then the train to Holte - along with half a million other people. Geels Bakke is more or less around the corner from the station. Piece of cake!

Yeah. That's pretty much what I'm thinking: Just follow the crowd!

Of course you're talking to a girl who doesn't really do too well with big crowds but I hope the fact that it's outdoor will help...

 

[Ney the Viking]

I'll be there as long as I can find a suitable train connection back to Germany.

There is ICE trains from Copenhagen central station to both Hamburg and Berlin, so it should be possible And Holte station (near the finish of the roadrace, just next to Geels Bakke.) is about 15-20 minutes away from the central station.

 

[Descender]

There is ICE trains from Copenhagen central station to both Hamburg and Berlin, so it should be possible And Holte station (near the finish of the roadrace, just next to Geels Bakke.) is about 15-20 minutes away from the central station.

Thanks, I know, I travel regularly to Odense. but I live in Münster and I don't know if I'll get a connection train from Hamburg that late on a Sunday.

Of course there's also the possibility of calling in sick...

 

[Andy99]

Rider numbers per nation now official....

http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/g...bjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=NzIxNzY&LangId=1

 

[just some guy]

Rider numbers per nation now official....

http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/g...bjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=NzIxNzY&LangId=1

Thanks Andy the big question now is do Lux have 6 riders of a certain level that are willing to ride ?

 

[Andy99]

Thanks Andy the big question now is do Lux have 6 riders of a certain level that are willing to ride ?

Must do, surely??

 

[jobiwan]

Thanks Andy the big question now is do Lux have 6 riders of a certain level that are willing to ride ?

2 Schlecks, Didier, and the Luxembourgers from Differdange (Poos, Heymanns, etc.) would make an okay squad.

Of course, I doubt Andy rides. Luxembourg will be one of those teams that you see at the sign-in and never see again in the race, except when Frank shows up for 15th place at the end.

 

[just some guy]

2 Schlecks, Didier, and the Luxembourgers from Differdange (Poos, Heymanns, etc.) would make an okay squad.

Of course, I doubt Andy rides. Luxembourg will be one of those teams that you see at the sign-in and never see again in the race, except when Frank shows up for 15th place at the end.

Do you really think Fränk or Andy would ride ? I would have thought no chance. I like Dider as a rider but then it tails off a lot.

Wish Kim was still riding ?

 

[jobiwan]

Do you really think Fränk or Andy would ride ? I would have thought no chance. I like Dider as a rider but then it tails off a lot.

Wish Kim was still riding ?

I think Frank might ride, but yes, the course doesn't really suit him. I just think one of them HAS to show up, and it's probably Frank. Next year, though, I expect them both to challenge.

It's a shame about Kirchen's health, as he would have given them a triple threat.

 

[Parrulo]

did i get it right that portugal will get 6 starters?

a shame we don't have any rider that can do something on this parcours

 

[Andy99]

did i get it right that portugal will get 6 starters?

a shame we don't have any rider that can do something on this parcours

You did, yes. 6 starters courtesy of Europe Tour ranking.

 

[theyoungest]

did i get it right that portugal will get 6 starters?

a shame we don't have any rider that can do something on this parcours

Neither does Holland, and we get to take 9 riders. Poor guys, the weather will probably suck, so why even go there?

 

[Nielsa]

Copenhagen area usually has nice weather in september, no? At least when I lived in that region, granted that's almost 10 years ago and weather patterns do change...

 

[trevim]

Well Manuel Cardoso is doing the Vuelta so maybe he can lead Portugal in the Worlds. Not that I expect something from him, but at least we would have a plan

 

[Parrulo]

Well Manuel Cardoso is doing the Vuelta so maybe he can lead Portugal in the Worlds. Not that I expect something from him, but at least we would have a plan

manuel cardoso isn't riding the vuelta iirc

and he has never showed anywhere that he can handle the distance. his performance in M-SR this year was awful to say the least

 

[Libertine Seguros]

did i get it right that portugal will get 6 starters?

a shame we don't have any rider that can do something on this parcours

Should take:

Manuel Cardoso (the nearest thing to a sprinter for this kind of parcours that Portugal have at the top level)
André Cardoso (he'll make it to the end in a good position but have no chance in the sprint)
Rui Costa (he'll get in breaks and has won the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque, so it's not totally alien territory to him, but he won't be likely to feature)
Sérgio Ribeiro (hey, why not? Hope for a miscalculation, getting into the break where he has a chance of being the best sprinter? It's not going to happen but he can't do any worse than many of the others!)
Sérgio Sousa (I figure if Barbot are happy to waste him pathetically dragging Ribeiro up Torre, they may as well waste him pathetically dragging him around Copenhagen. Besides, the Sérgio Sousa of old saw getting in the breakaway in races like this as his fuel)
João Cabreira (no, not really)

Nobody is going to feature realistically at the business end, may as well have a bit of fun.

 

[Jolleh]

Copenhagen area usually has nice weather in september, no? At least when I lived in that region, granted that's almost 10 years ago and weather patterns do change...

Denmark in september can be anything from 25+ degrees with no wind and alot of sun. it might aswell be 5-10 degrees (hell even snow) alot of rain and the ALOT of wind

 

[Parrulo]

Should take:

Manuel Cardoso (the nearest thing to a sprinter for this kind of parcours that Portugal have at the top level)
André Cardoso (he'll make it to the end in a good position but have no chance in the sprint)
Rui Costa (he'll get in breaks and has won the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque, so it's not totally alien territory to him, but he won't be likely to feature)
Sérgio Ribeiro (hey, why not? Hope for a miscalculation, getting into the break where he has a chance of being the best sprinter? It's not going to happen but he can't do any worse than many of the others!)
Sérgio Sousa (I figure if Barbot are happy to waste him pathetically dragging Ribeiro up Torre, they may as well waste him pathetically dragging him around Copenhagen. Besides, the Sérgio Sousa of old saw getting in the breakaway in races like this as his fuel)
João Cabreira (no, not really)

Nobody is going to feature realistically at the business end, may as well have a bit of fun.

true that sounds like a good selection. i would have more faith in sergio ribeiro getting a good result then manuel cardoso tbh.

rui costa will be in top shape(he is aiming at the GdL) so maybe he can get into one of those desperate last lap attacks that never work

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Perhaps Ribeiro is more likely than Cardoso, but Manuel has more experience racing that kind of distance than most of the Portuguese we could name - he's done the Ronde van Vlaanderen (262km, but DNF), Amstel Gold Race (257km), Vattenfall Cyclassics (216km), GP Ouest France-Plouay (248km), Milan-San Remo (298km, but DNF), Ronde van Vlaanderen again (262km, but DNF), Scheldeprijs (200km).

He has some good results this year in and around the 200km range (the Catalunya stage he won was 195 and he was up at the top of another at 205, the Eneco stage he was 2nd on was 201), but he does lack anything even resembling a result above that.

However, the very fact that he's even had the chance to attempt those races puts him in a better spot than most of his national squad teammates, since the parcours isn't especially favourable to Costa and definitely not to Paulinho.

 

[skidmark]

I think the idea of a bunch sprint uphill is actually pretty exciting, just because it won't necessarily be a cavendish cakewalk, and there are tons of potential favourites.

Going by the uci rankings, I was thinking of listing some potential favourites (probably has happened in this thread, but not in the past month or so, so I don't mind revisiting it):

Spain: Friere obviously, Rojas if he rides and is in form would be good options. Valverde would obviously be a great option too if he wasn't suspended

Italy: Bennati, but I'm not sold; more inclined to be excited about Modolo at this point, as he's got a good finish these days and can go the distance (see last 2 years at MSR)

Australia: Goss, Haussler would both be in with a good shout... anyone else? Gerrans has a good uphill sprint but not WC-worthy I think.

Belgium: well, Gilbert for a breakaway, Gilbert could do an uphill sprint, but what about Boonen? Doesn't sprint often these days, but still has a good kick as he showed in Gent-Wev.

Germany: Griepel all the way. More of a Degenkolb finish, but I think he's too young to go the distance. I'd say Ciolek if he'd done anything in the last 3 years other than disappoint.

GBR: if it ain't Cav, it ain't no one.

Luxembourg: nobody

USA: Farrar

Netherlands: umm... I can't think of a Dutch sprinter that would be good after 280km, hope I'm not just being dumb and overlooking someone obvious, but guys like Bos and Van Hummel are definitely out of their element at the worlds.

France: Feillu, but that doesn't look good at this point. Voeckler is punchy, but can't win a bunch uphill sprint and I don't think it's tough enough for him to clip away in the final km.

In terms of the teams from the Africa, America and Asia tour I don't know of anyone.

As far as other teams with several starters, I can think of the following:

Switzerland - Canc or bust

Slovakia - I mean, it's Sagan's for the taking if he has the legs after 280km, which is a big question.

Denmark - Breschel has a good shot at another podium, but not sure about the win.

Norway - Hushovd or Boasson Hagen are great choices.

Portugal - Manuel Cardoso's got a good kick, haven't seen it in awhile though.

Slovenia, Russia, Ukraine, Croatia, Turkey, Lithuania, Czech, Estonia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Sweden, Canada, Ireland, and the others I can't think of anyone.

All told, I can think of about 12-15 guys who could conceivably take a bunch sprint from about 10 different teams. Who else can we add? Or who am I maybe overrating?