Worlds Copenhagen 2011

[TeoSheva]

Demare for the title on the road.

I agree with this

 

[sublimit]

British team announced.

Cavendish
Froome
Wiggins
Cummings
Thomas
Hunt
Millar
Stannard

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/530153/british-world-champs-team-announced.html

 

[shalgo]

montreal maybe

http://gpcqm.ca/uploads/images/parcours/GP_MTL_Parcours_zoom.png

in the pic says 560m at 4% in the finish

I think that Gilbert was seeing what kind of uphill sprint he could launch from the peloton in Montreal precisely as preparation for Copenhagen.

 

[ParfaitAmour]

British team announced.

Cavendish
Froome
Wiggins
Cummings
Thomas
Hunt
Millar
Stannard

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/530153/british-world-champs-team-announced.html

Nice line up

 

[sublimit]

Seems like Alex Dowsett doesn't figure in the time trials and even the under 23 ITT.

 

[mb2612]

Seems like Alex Dowsett doesn't figure in the time trials and even the under 23 ITT.

PT riders can't do U23

 

[royalpig180]

I think that Gilbert was seeing what kind of uphill sprint he could launch from the peloton in Montreal precisely as preparation for Copenhagen.

And what's your opinion of that sprint? He went from quite a ways out to try and catch the leading riders. Looked impressive but not strong enough to win if there are strong sprinters like Hushovd, Sagan, or even Goss still around at the finish.

 

[royalpig180]

montreal maybe

http://gpcqm.ca/uploads/images/parcours/GP_MTL_Parcours_zoom.png

in the pic says 560m at 4% in the finish

If the finish is as tough as Montreal, I can't see Cav winning it. The finish suits Sagan really well, but I'm not convinced that he can genuinely contend at the end of such a long race in his young age. Hushovd also has a great chance to defend his title. Gilbert would need to go from quite a long way out (500 meters out probably, at the foot of the hill) and hold off the sprinters. It's definitely possible if he keeps up the form he's had this season, but it's certainly not the ideal course for him. And if he breaks away before the final km, there should be several very motivated nations (UK, Australia, maybe USA) willing to work together to chase him down.

The curse of being so strong is that everyone will always watch him. Half the time he just wins anyway, but maybe not so here.

 

[taiwan]

British team announced.

Cavendish
Froome
Wiggins
Cummings
Thomas
Hunt
Millar
Stannard

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/530153/british-world-champs-team-announced.html

No Swift WTF? Could have had a train that worked together all year and a good plan B for the sprint itself. Maybe he's not fit or something.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

No Swift WTF? Could have had a train that worked together all year and a good plan B for the sprint itself. Maybe he's not fit or something.

Not fit enough and not really good enough either

 

[Hugo Koblet]

If the finish is as tough as Montreal, I can't see Cav winning it. The finish suits Sagan really well, but I'm not convinced that he can genuinely contend at the end of such a long race in his young age. Hushovd also has a great chance to defend his title. Gilbert would need to go from quite a long way out (500 meters out probably, at the foot of the hill) and hold off the sprinters. It's definitely possible if he keeps up the form he's had this season, but it's certainly not the ideal course for him. And if he breaks away before the final km, there should be several very motivated nations (UK, Australia, maybe USA) willing to work together to chase him down.

The curse of being so strong is that everyone will always watch him. Half the time he just wins anyway, but maybe not so here.

I agree completely. Hagen should do well here aswell.

 

[Nielsa]

And if he breaks away before the final km, there should be several very motivated nations (UK, Australia, maybe USA) willing to work together to chase him down.

USA will definitely want to do that if Farrar is in the finale, look at this vuelta stage where Farrar was the only one who could follow when Gilbert attacked 600m out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xwSleWeOqs&feature=player_detailpage#t=527s

And Farrar has won Vattenfall 2x so he can do this kind of long race.

 

[El Pistolero]

I hope Gilbert waits for the sprint, I think he could win it. There's too many teams that want it to end in a sprint anyway, so breaking away will be impossible.

 

[maltiv]

USA will definitely want to do that if Farrar is in the finale, look at this vuelta stage where Farrar was the only one who could follow when Gilbert attacked 600m out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xwSleWeOqs&feature=player_detailpage#t=527s

And Farrar has won Vattenfall 2x so he can do this kind of long race.

Vattenfall is 220 km so that's not a particularly good example. His reasonably good results in RVV are much better examples.

 

[maltiv]

I hope Gilbert waits for the sprint, I think he could win it. There's too many teams that want it to end in a sprint anyway, so breaking away will be impossible.

Gilbert has way too much panache to wait for the sprint...and that's why I think he won't win. He'll burn all his energy attacking on the flat only to get reeled in, while still getting 3rd in the sprint (but being so close that it's painfully obvious that he would have won if he rode more defensively).

 

[Christian]

Is the German selection for men's RR already known?

 

[shalgo]

Gilbert has way too much panache to wait for the sprint...and that's why I think he won't win. He'll burn all his energy attacking on the flat only to get reeled in, while still getting 3rd in the sprint (but being so close that it's painfully obvious that he would have won if he rode more defensively).

See, that's why I think Montreal was so telling. Gilbert was invisible in that race; he didn't attack at all. It was as though he was seeing whether he could resist the temptation.

As mentioned earlier, however, it is hard to say what his sprint in that race means, because his top competition for Copenhagen were not there.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gilbert did attack in montreal. In the penultimate lap on the big climb. But there was too much headwind to get away. Everyone was still following.

So that's why Gilbert did nothing in the final lap. The headwind would ensure a sprint, or so, that was the idea. But in the downhill there was no organisation and Costa and co slipped away and stayed away to general suprise.

 

[shalgo]

You're right; I should change that to "he didn't attack at all in the last lap."

 

[search]

Is the German selection for men's RR already known?

according to Sporza it's

Gerald Ciolek
Andre Greipel
Fabian Wegmann
Marcel Kittel
Tony Martin
Danilo Hondo
Robert Wagner
Paul Martens
Marcel Sieberg

but I don't now if it's confirmed/final

 

[GODUCKS]

Gilbert coming down with mono after GP Wallonie. Official news breaking tomorrow on cyclingnews. With mono he wont be able to attack, but shouldnt affect sprint too much

 

[taiwan]

Not fit enough and not really good enough either

Well he wouldn't win, but if Cav does get dropped, they don't really have anyone that can sprint.

 

[taiwan]

Gilbert coming down with mono after GP Wallonie. Official news breaking tomorrow on cyclingnews. With mono he wont be able to attack, but shouldnt affect sprint too much

Sandbagging?

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Well he wouldn't win, but if Cav does get dropped, they don't really have anyone that can sprint.

I know where you're coming from. A crash or mechanical and it could be over but I don't see any choice - it's Cav or nothing. I really doubt whether Swift is strong enough at this stage of his career to make it to the finale let alone be competitive against Hushovd and co - Thomas would probably be a better bet. Better to have the extra domestique.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

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