Worlds Copenhagen 2011

[Hugo Koblet]

I think Sagan or Hagen will win...

 

[Mambo95]

100 km 4 man TTT as they used to have.

be interesting you would think GB and Aust 1 - 2

and while Germany would be good I would put my money on New Zealand for 3rd

It's funny to argue about a race that's never going to happen.

But I think the four contenders would be UK, USA, Germany and the Aussies.

Best teams? (I've not thought too hard about these)

UK: Wiggins, Millar, Thomas, Dowsett/Stannard
USA: Zabriskie, Leipheimer, Vande Velde, van Garderen/Phinney
Germany: Martin, Grabsch, Kloden, Gretsch/Voigt
Oz: Porte, Evans, Rogers, Bobridge/Meyer

Of course, at least half of these would actually be bothered to do it, which is why UK would win, because they're really into this sort of thing.

 

[Jolleh]

a 100 km TTT with 4 members on the team. i would pick Cancellara and 3 dudes that can hold his wheel

 

[JRanton]

Has the GB short (long) list been announced?

 

[RedheadDane]

I have to say I'm really cool with the TTT being for trade-teams. After all the riders ride on national teams for, what? Worlds and Olympics? Everything else is on trade-teams.

Gotta wonder though if the team that wins get to wear a special kit during TTTs then... suppose not though as it very likely won't be the same riders that were involved with winning the Worlds TTT which take part in TTTs in races such as GTs. Take Leopard; they'd probably avoid having the Schlecks on their TTT-team... they'd probably still be in the Tour...

 

[Nielsa]

TTT for trade teams at the World Champs just seems like a money/sponsorship decision to me. The charm with World Championships (in any sport otherwise dominated by trade/city teams) is that teams can't buy reinforcements, they have to make do and compose a team from their national talent pool.

 

[Andy99]

Has the GB short (long) list been announced?

Don't think so

 

[greenedge]

I think Britain would be quite good as well at a TTT. All the Aussie riders would be in GE and get to practice so they would be able to wear the jerseys as a team. I wish they would hold the TTT. Germany, Australia and USA would all i think lose to GBR.

 

[Eric8-A]

I have to say I'm really cool with the TTT being for trade-teams. After all the riders ride on national teams for, what? Worlds and Olympics? Everything else is on trade-teams.

Gotta wonder though if the team that wins get to wear a special kit during TTTs then... suppose not though as it very likely won't be the same riders that were involved with winning the Worlds TTT which take part in TTTs in races such as GTs. Take Leopard; they'd probably avoid having the Schlecks on their TTT-team... they'd probably still be in the Tour...

I was about to say something about that. It would be confusing to have like 9 guys with the rainbow stripes during a TT.

 

[RedheadDane]

I was about to say something about that. It would be confusing to have like 9 guys with the rainbow stripes during a TT.

Well... I was thinking that it would only be during a TTT that the entire team wore special jerseys.
The argument for would be that it would show that TTT =/= TT.
The argument against would be what I mentioned before; the riders which took part in winning at the worlds wouldn't necessarily be in other races with a TTT.

 

[woodie]

Well... I was thinking that it would only be during a TTT that the entire team wore special jerseys.
The argument for would be that it would show that TTT =/= TT.
The argument against would be what I mentioned before; the riders which took part in winning at the worlds wouldn't necessarily be in other races with a TTT.

I'd say that the riders who won the world TTT would wear the jersey whenever they did a TTT. Kinda like what they do with the team pursuit on the track

 

[Eric8-A]

Yeah. But the problem would also be that the reigning champion in the TT would also be wearing a special kit.

But if it's to be, the idea of infusing the rainbow stripes with the national flag of the winners sounds like the best idea.

 

[RedheadDane]

Yeah... I know the various ITT champs wear their special kits during a TTT. But is a TTT really the same as an ITT? Maybe having the ITT-champs not wear their championship kit during a TTT...

And maybe we should move this to another thread... feel like we're sorta hijacking this...

 

[woodie]

Yeah... I know the various ITT champs wear their special kits during a TTT. But is a TTT really the same as an ITT? Maybe having the ITT-champs not wear their championship kit during a TTT...

And maybe we should move this to another thread... feel like we're sorta hijacking this...

Yeah I agree. The ITT champ wouldn't wear his in a TTT unless he was a part of the winning team. Maybe we should lol.

 

[abbaskip]

It's not just the cooperation that would put the Aussies ahead of Germany (in my eyes), but also the nature of a TTT.

It's about smaller, more powerful efforts. Because you don't do 50km by yourself like in an ITT. You do a turn on the front, swing up, then hold the next guys wheel. Yes, it's still a bloody big effort going that fast, for that long, but it's a different kind of effort.

That is why HTC always do well when they have guys like Goss, Renshaw, and Cavendish in the team. All former team pursuit riders (Goss and Renshaw world champions).

Australia would have loads of depth, with guys like Meyer, Bobridge, Durbridge all great Team Pursuiters, and really handy ITTers too (not great, but decent, and will be good in a few years).

Porte and Evans are the big engines, and even O'Grady would be great in a TTT. He can do big long turns, everyone knows how strong he is, and he isn't slow!!

 

[Eric8-A]

I need to shut my brother up and clear this. My brother's and extremely huge HTC/Cavendish fanboy. He was so confident that Cavendish was going to win the Worlds last year. We know that didn't happen, and he's saying he's going to win again. He's saying this about this year and said it last year. Should Cavendish be left with few teammates, if there are any of his HTC teammates at the finish (doesn't matter what nation), they'll set up the HTC train and work for him if the riders they're working for aren't there. This ain't right is it? And I doubt they'll do it. It might **** off the directors.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

IThis ain't right is it? And I doubt they'll do it. It might **** off the directors.

That is extremely unlikely to happen. Riders have been known to help their team mates rather than their country in the WC, but not on that sort of scale. And apart from anything else, HTC is dissolving so "the HTC train" wouldn't even be helping their team by helping him.

 

[woodie]

I need to shut my brother up and clear this. My brother's and extremely huge HTC/Cavendish fanboy. He was so confident that Cavendish was going to win the Worlds last year. We know that didn't happen, and he's saying he's going to win again. He's saying this about this year and said it last year. Should Cavendish be left with few teammates, if there are any of his HTC teammates at the finish (doesn't matter what nation), they'll set up the HTC train and work for him if the riders they're working for aren't there. This ain't right is it? And I doubt they'll do it. It might **** off the directors.

He'll have 7 team mates from GB to help him and it wouldn't benefit HTC at all considering they are folding

 

[Midnightfright]

He'll have 7 team mates from GB to help him and it wouldn't benefit HTC at all considering they are folding

Theoretically speaking it could be that someone would be willing to help Cav if they wanted to secure a contract with SKY ( presuming that's were Cav is going) or someone who would also be on Cavs team nxt year whos nation has little to no chance themselves eg Eisel. Unlikely but u never know.

 

[Winterfold]

GB/Sky and Millar plus Eisel is plenty. Bernie will help Cav get the rainbow jersey I have no doubt.

GB can send a mighty team of rouleurs and have a spare place to send eg Swifty up the road

And it's clear who the leader will be

On the other hand I can hear the Aussies bickering already

 

[Midnightfright]

GB/Sky and Millar plus Eisel is plenty. Bernie will help Cav get the rainbow jersey I have no doubt.

GB can send a mighty team of rouleurs and have a spare place to send eg Swifty up the road

And it's clear who the leader will be

On the other hand I can hear the Aussies bickering already

They shouldn't be bickering it should be every man behind Matt Bros

 

[clipperton]

They shouldn't be bickering it should be every man behind Matt Bros

t'is a sad state of affairs brought about by having more than one good rider. wouldn't expect you poms/jocks to understand.

 

[Tuarts]

@Eric8-A

The help given by those outside your Nation may be a little overstated I think. The fact that these guys race all year on trade teams and then for a national team can make for interesting viewing and alliances but nothing completely and overtly obvious. It may mean that if 2 riders from the same team are in the break away, they'll work together better than a usual break or maybe someone will give an extra water bottle away to someone who's on their trade team.

That said, I seem to recall that in Geelong one of riders on a smaller team worked entirely as a domestique for someone from another nation. Can't remember who, if it was mentioned on here then it'd probably be a anglophone rider, possibly a Brit working for the Yanks?

 

[Eric8-A]

I still think it's safe to say Cavendish won't win. He'll either abandon or do what he did in the Commonwealth Race.

 

[palmerq]

I still think it's safe to say Cavendish won't win. He'll either abandon or do what he did in the Commonwealth Race.

he will have a much bigger team of professionals this time, compared to the commonwealth games... I can't fully remember what happened there but I think he was with 2 australians 2 new zealanders and david millar, although he did get dropped on the flat, bad situation though.... I dont think cavendish will win either but I think he will make it with a fairly big group of 30-40 but not finish in the top 10 :S My guess is the powerfull fellows like gilbert, cancellara, hushovd and so on will dominate this, i am an idiot though ...