Alex Dowsett

EPO Delivery Man
EPO Delivery Man Posts: 271
edited September 2013 in Pro race
Just read he's going for the Worlds TT.

As much as i would love to see him get it, what are his chances realistically? 4th? 5th?
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Comments

  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    I think he rode it last year, can't remember where he came. Depends on the course I suppose.
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  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,547
    He was 8th last year, on a hilly course that probably didn't suit him.

    Realistically, he'd probably finish around the same position again this year, given the riders who seem to be targeting this.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Martin, Wiggins and Cancellara will all beat him. Phinney quite possibly will. I don't think anyone else will, apart from perhaps Durbridge on a good day.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    Is Pozzovivo riding?
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    He won the TT at the Giro. Wasn't it on a similar course?
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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Ms Tree wrote:
    He won the TT at the Giro. Wasn't it on a similar course?
    Not particularly. This more suits him more, though, as it's completely flat.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,431
    Does the TTer have to be in the RR team?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Does the TTer have to be in the RR team?
    Nope. That's just an Olympic thing as each sport is limited by how many competitors it can have overall.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    RichN95 wrote:
    Ms Tree wrote:
    He won the TT at the Giro. Wasn't it on a similar course?
    Not particularly. This more suits him more, though, as it's completely flat.
    Well it must have suited him as well 'cos he won - and beat your precious Wiggins! :lol:
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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Ms Tree wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Ms Tree wrote:
    He won the TT at the Giro. Wasn't it on a similar course?
    Not particularly. This more suits him more, though, as it's completely flat.
    Well it must have suited him as well 'cos he won - and beat your precious Wiggins! :lol:
    I originally wrote a big rant about this - I'm now deleting it.

    Some points though:

    1. Don't come with that 'precious Wiggins' crap. You haven't earned it.
    2. The WC is completely flat and doesn't have the technical sections and the big final climb that the Giro did. You might want to listen to people rather than mock them, particularly when they clearly know more than you.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    Ms Tree wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Ms Tree wrote:
    He won the TT at the Giro. Wasn't it on a similar course?
    Not particularly. This more suits him more, though, as it's completely flat.
    Well it must have suited him as well 'cos he won - and beat your precious Wiggins! :lol:
    If I recall correctly, I think AD benefitted from setting a blistering pace on the flat sections in the dry. Later riders were much slower in the damp but were able to claw back time on the climb.
    Not certain about the wet but that's definitely the case with the climb. With no climb, AD would have had a much bigger winning margin. So yes, a flatter course is better for him.
  • vs
    vs Posts: 468
    Looks like Dowsett can climb a bit too: he recently destroyed a brilliant time on a notorious local climb in the middle of a 80 mile ride.
    http://www.strava.com/segments/878996

    For reference:
    Rider 2 on Joses Lane, Will, is an amazing climber; here's his time up the brutal Porlock Hill (I have ridden with him and know this is genuine and not depo):
    http://www.strava.com/segments/847912
    and Porlock Toll Road
    http://www.strava.com/segments/894936

    Rider 3 on Joses Lane Pete Vincent is a pro
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Yeah, this is his local climb, that is bloody quick and this is the most contested hill in Essex (Also probably the only real hill in Essex) http://www.strava.com/segments/723218

    Thing is, even people who "Can't climb" like Cav would still obliterate most riders on this forum so it's all relative.
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Ms Tree wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Ms Tree wrote:
    He won the TT at the Giro. Wasn't it on a similar course?
    Not particularly. This more suits him more, though, as it's completely flat.
    Well it must have suited him as well 'cos he won - and beat your precious Wiggins! :lol:

    Surely the point being made is that he is even more at home on a flat course as is being used in the Worlds? But then so are Martin, Canc and probably Wiggins (who lost all his Giro time on the descent from memory and pulled a load back on the final flat section).
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    Paul 8v wrote:
    Yeah, this is his local climb, that is bloody quick and this is the most contested hill in Essex (Also probably the only real hill in Essex) http://www.strava.com/segments/723218

    Thing is, even people who "Can't climb" like Cav would still obliterate most riders on this forum so it's all relative.

    This^ National road race at Barley a few years back which was and endlessly undulating course, I have a pic of Cav climbing at the front of the peloton on about the 4th lap. A pro bike rider who is regarded as a slow climber is not the same thing as a slow climber. In a similar vein, I wouldn't much fancy my chances TTing against that well known dreadful TTer Andy Schleck.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    I don't suppose he'll win but unlike the other contenders he's been doing pretty much only TT training since the Giro so he obviously thinks he can do a ride. He's only young so if not this year then it's good experience for the future.
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  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    inseine wrote:
    I don't suppose he'll win but unlike the other contenders he's been doing pretty much only TT training since the Giro so he obviously thinks he can do a ride. He's only young so if not this year then it's good experience for the future.
    I'll bet he's thinking podium! And why not, big ask but pro's are motivated by success. Every chance he could become the best of his generation if he continues working at it. Be interesting to see how he does vs Phinney as they are probably the 2nd tier just behind the 3 favourites.
  • gpreeves
    gpreeves Posts: 454
    Worth also noting that Dowsett is only 24, at that age Martin (2009) managed third at the Worlds - behind Canc and Gustav Larsson. In my opinion, he and Phinney are still a bit young to be challenging for the top spot, but Top 5s by both would suggest they'll definitely be well established in the top tier in a few years.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Out of interest, If he won, with him being the British TT champion, what happens to that jersey, does it get passed to second place or does he just not wear it.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    sjmclean wrote:
    Out of interest, If he won, with him being the British TT champion, what happens to that jersey, does it get passed to second place or does he just not wear it.

    He just wouldn't wear it.
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    vs wrote:
    Rider 2 on Joses Lane, Will, is an amazing climber; here's his time up the brutal Porlock Hill (I have ridden with him and know this is genuine and not depo):
    http://www.strava.com/segments/847912
    He ain't that good - he's only 11 places above me....

    (and 4 minutes faster. on a climb that took him 11 minutes :cry: )
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  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    afx237vi wrote:
    sjmclean wrote:
    Out of interest, If he won, with him being the British TT champion, what happens to that jersey, does it get passed to second place or does he just not wear it.

    He just wouldn't wear it.

    Yeah, the UCI have rules for that (like everything else!) and the WC trumps a NC jersey so you wear the highest one your entitled to.
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  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    Nah, I think I'm saying top world tour riders are pretty good at riding bikes as they're better than some bloke called Will who's quite considerably better than me. Or just idly trying to fill up the internet. Congrats on your junior national 25 win by the way. Get any KOMs? :D
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  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    madasahattersley wrote:
    Are we really rating top World Tour riders by their times on Strava now? Really?

    Yeh, he's obviously a well good climber as he did a 10 min hill round the corner quicker than a bunch of 3rd cats! Agree with you, some of the nonsense is staggering.

    He will do a good ride I hope, but he is not in the same league I don't think as Wiggins, Martin, Cancellara, its fairly obvious he also wouldn't have won that Giro TT if Wiggins had not switched bike
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  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    okgo wrote:
    madasahattersley wrote:
    Are we really rating top World Tour riders by their times on Strava now? Really?

    Yeh, he's obviously a well good climber as he did a 10 min hill round the corner quicker than a bunch of 3rd cats!
    Is it true he was racing in a sportive at the time? :twisted:
  • brettjmcc
    brettjmcc Posts: 1,361
    andyp wrote:
    He was 8th last year, on a hilly course that probably didn't suit him.

    Realistically, he'd probably finish around the same position again this year, given the riders who seem to be targeting this.

    He was also coming back from injury as well and not truly on form. If you remember he had a massive off at the begnning of the year and had all kinds of steel etc in it. He only had it taken out a few weeks before the worlds.

    My avatar to the left was taken end of the 3rd week of August last year at the test track here at Ford where he showed up for some practice. He still had all the pins/screws etc in his arm then. I hear a rumour Brailsford was surprised by the result having already made the decision to let him go
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  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    I like Dowsett, but I think at this stage of his career - and given the competition lining up this year - a top 6 would be a terrific result for him
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    I like Dowsett, but I think at this stage of his career - and given the competition lining up this year - a top 6 would be a terrific result for him

    I agree, but I'll still bet he's thinking about and working on a plan to podium! Clearly very motivated.
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    I think he could podium. He is incredibly strong and getting better.

    I also here he is incredibly good atrock paper scissors which must be an indicator of TT success.
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  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    I think he could podium. He is incredibly strong and getting better.

    I also here he is incredibly good atrock paper scissors which must be an indicator of TT success.


    If Cancellara decides to forgo the TT, I'd put Dowsett on the podium as I think he has the beating of Phinney...but I cant see him beating one of Martin, Wiggins or Cancellara to make the podium.

    Cant wait to find out though, really looking forward to it :)

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