Worlds build up.

rick_chasey

Let's start off with the obligatory Freire dark horse article.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/freire- ... for-worlds

greasedscotsman

Gotta be Sagan vs Gilbert innit...

Richmond Racer

I'm holding out hopes for EBH...he's looking good in the lead up to next week

Turfle

Can't write off Gerrans in this form. Nordhaug either. Nibali too is riding well.

I fear Sagan may lose out tactically again unless a decent sized group gets to the line together.

Turfle

Vanendert not making the Belgian team strikes me as odd.

RichN95.

The Colombians will have plenty of cards to play - watch out for them.

greasedscotsman

Oh and Pooley for the women's race!

(failing that, Vos...)

No_Ta_Doctor

Someone post the parcours up for me, I'm too lazy to look for it myself.

Thanks.

Turfle

tailwindhome

Thanks Turtle.


Is it unusual for the Worlds not to be multiple laps of a circuit?


Am I being thick here? Is 100km not a very short race?

thomthom

It's not really that hard to predict the winner.

2008:
1 Alessandro Ballan
2 Damiano Cunego
3 Matti Breschel

2010:
1 Thor Hushovd
2 Matti Breschel
3 Allan Davis

2012:
You see a pattern?

RichN95.

TailWindHome wrote:

Thanks Turtle.


Is it unusual for the Worlds not to be multiple laps of a circuit?


Am I being thick here? Is 100km not a very short race?

The profile at the bottom is incomplete. That's just the blue bit on the map. After that they get to the red circuit, which is 10 x 16.5km and includes Valkenburg.

RichN95.

ThomThom wrote:

It's not really that hard to predict the winner.

2008:
1 Alessandro Ballan
2 Damiano Cunego
3 Matti Breschel

2010:
1 Thor Hushovd
2 Matti Breschel
3 Allan Davis

2012:
You see a pattern?

The winner ends up at BMC (see also 2009). Seeing as Gilbert is already there....

thomthom

TailWindHome wrote:

Thanks Turtle.


Is it unusual for the Worlds not to be multiple laps of a circuit?


Am I being thick here? Is 100km not a very short race?

Those are the first 100 km of the race. (the blue)

After the 100km they do 10 laps of 16,5 km (the red)



This is the profile for the last 10x16,5:

Turfle

TailWindHome wrote:

Thanks Turtle.


Is it unusual for the Worlds not to be multiple laps of a circuit?


Am I being thick here? Is 100km not a very short race?

No, that profile has me entirely confused too.

The description is this:

"The first 100 kilometres of the elite road race will not be run on a fixed circuit. By introducing a long preliminary course through a number of Limburg cycling municipalities, the Province of Limburg wishes to involve the entire region in the Road World Championships. Only after the preliminary course will the riders complete 10 laps of 16.5 kilometres on a fixed circuit that is largely the same as the course used during the 1998 Road World Championships in Valkenburg. The elite men road race will start in Maastricht and finish on Cauberg Hill in Valkenburg. This is the same location where the Tour de France stage ended in 2006. The rolling and technically demanding preliminary course for the men’s elite road race is the same as the first part of the WorldTour Amstel Gold Race. Two climbs have been included in the course, Bemelerberg Hill (a difficult, winding climb with a length of just over 900 metres and a maximum gradient of 7%) and the renowned make-or-break Cauberg Hill with a total length of 1.5 kilometres and a maximum gradient of 12%. The finish is located 1,700 metres beyond the summit of Cauberg Hill."

alihisgreat

I'm going for a British winner. JTL?

also I'm in Ghana on the big day.. don't think I've got much of a chance of catching it live -> gutted!

LangerDan

A mate has been out to see the circuit already - its apparently its tougher than it even appears on the profiles. The fact that the finish is 1km downhill after the Cauberg might make the likes of Gilbert a little cautious against giving their all last time up up the climb. When the course was announced, I thought Gilbert would p!ss it - I think his work will be cut out for him now.
I think valv.piti will be in with a good shout - he seemed to get through the Vuelta without having to do too much heavy lifting.


For the rest, Vos for the womens race, Warren Barguil for the U-23

iainf72

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

I'm going for a British winner. JTL?

Paging andyp.....

clanton

On current form surely Boonen must be one of the top favourites. Or is it considered too hilly for him?

TheBigBean

Can't see Sagan winning.

Anyone think Contador has a chance?

FJS

TailWindHome wrote:

Is it unusual for the Worlds not to be multiple laps of a circuit?

Since Beijing and Geelong a larger route followed by a finish circuit is the in thing.

If you want to know how tough this can be, have a look at the results in 1998 on exactly the same circuit, the gaps between the top 15 and how many finished
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_UCI_R ... pionships_–_Men%27s_road_race

thomthom

TheBigBean wrote:

Can't see Sagan winning.

Anyone think Contador has a chance?

Not only a slight chance. I'd count him among the favorites.

No_Ta_Doctor

Thanks Turfle & ThomThom.

No_Ta_Doctor

Really don't think Cav is going to make it over those hills..

frenchfighter

Lookin forward to this a lot. I like the course and think it will throw up a few surprise front runners.

Contador definitely there and Joaquim if he is riding. I quite fancy Moser also.

Don't want Sagan to win. Don't want Boonen either. Would be happy for Gilbert.

Either way it has to be a certified champion. Really not good if a 2nd tier rider or lower wins. And the winner has to do so with class, preferably long range small group or solo.

alihisgreat

No tA Doctor wrote:

Really don't think Cav is going to make it over those hills..

haha that's brilliant!

One of the forum users? too much time posting in the pro race they forgot about riding?

iainf72

frenchfighter wrote:

Lookin forward to this a lot. I like the course and think it will throw up a few surprise front runners.

Remember when you used to say the Worlds was a rubbish chipper race? :P

The last couple of KM's means you need to be strong, but also need to be clever.

RichN95.

TheBigBean wrote:

Anyone think Contador has a chance?

Not me. In his ten seasons as a pro he has never won a one-day race of any kind so I don't expect him to start now. Spain have better options (personally I wouldn't even pick him - tell him to focus on the TT)

frenchfighter

Haha yes I seem to recall there was a pretty long thread discussing its status. Me stating it was just a race for sprinters or something like that.

I'm not a big fan tbh of the ones I have seen but never watched any of the epic races of the past.

esv

A bit too hard for EBH perhaps? unless he gets away early. Think Nordhaug has a better shot, Gilbert even better.

Is Vino racing?

rick_chasey

esv wrote:

A bit too hard for EBH perhaps? unless he gets away early. Think Nordhaug has a better shot, Gilbert even better.

Is Vino racing?

EBH - no form.

Vino retired.