2014 Worlds - Elite Men RR *SPOILERS*

Art Vandelay

254.8km or 14 laps of this 18.2km circuit:


The hills in detail:


The startlist:
http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html ... d=MjUyMTY=

The bookies favourites:...........INRNG choice
1. Gerrans ..........................1. Fab
2. Cancellara........................2. GVA/Kristoff
3. Sagan..............................3. Dan Martin/Gerro/Valv.Piti/Kwiatek
4. Valverde...........................4. Swift/Bling/Degenkolb/Gallopin
5. Kristoff.............................5. Honey Badger/Colbrelli/Bouhanni/Greipel
6. Degenkolb
7. GVA
8. Matthews

Race starts 10am CET and finishes c16:35CET

reallyarunner

Looking forward to this.... had £10 double on Gerrard to score first goal today and Cancellara to take road race...I'll be going on a wiggins-esque bender if it comes in...

pinno

There's no spoilers yet!

Any live streams instead of the shyte beeb option?

blazing_saddles

Everything that has happened so far suggests a Kristoff/Degenkolb/Bouhanni showdown.

Don't really think it's an out and out course for the classics types.

specialgueststar

GVA and Gallopin my choices too - but really it is a lottery - can't see France or Germany controlling it for a sprint with that Spanish team - others will benefit

rick_chasey

Come on Boonen....i live in hope.

rick_chasey

Rain forecast all day tomorrow....on Spanish roads..

thomthom

Thank f*** for that.

FJS

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Everything that has happened so far suggests a Kristoff/Degenkolb/Bouhanni showdown.

Don't really think it's an out and out course for the classics types.

Kristoff is a classics type, isnt he?
I agree it looks built for Kristoff, Degenkolb or Sagan, but not to sure about their current form. Or has Sagan just been hiding to avoid everyone looking at him? It could be just a bit too hard for Bouhanni. Matthews could be a safe bet, but he's not done much over this kind of distance, and the Aussies may focus more on Gerrans. Swifty has a real chance here

rick_chasey

Boonen of the view that in the rain the descent will be more selective than the climb on the last couple of laps.

Yellow Peril

FJS wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Everything that has happened so far suggests a Kristoff/Degenkolb/Bouhanni showdown.

Don't really think it's an out and out course for the classics types.

Kristoff is a classics type, isnt he?
I agree it looks built for Kristoff, Degenkolb or Sagan, but not to sure about their current form. Or has Sagan just been hiding to avoid everyone looking at him? It could be just a bit too hard for Bouhanni. Matthews could be a safe bet, but he's not done much over this kind of distance, and the Aussies may focus more on Gerrans. Swifty has a real chance here

I wouldn't write Bouhanni off. IIRC he appeared in the mix of the finish of one of the Vuelta stages which wasn't sprinter friendly.

one thing's for sure the climbs haven't made huge selections so far

Moontrane

Spartacus.

blazing_saddles

*hilly classics type.
I reckon they will leave it until a lap or two, too late to force a real selection of those above.

Rain should liven things up........................hopefully.

hammerite

So which nations will send a rider in to a break? I reckon we'll see Morocco, Colombia, Poland and Ukraine. Actually Russia too if Ukraine get in the break.

rick_chasey

Everyone's worried about the descent it seems (all mention it in interviews, apart from Valverde...), especially in the wet.

I suspect rain will not liven it up but make it a bit like last year.

rick_chasey

hammerite wrote:

So which nations will send a rider in to a break? I reckon we'll see Morocco, Colombia, Poland and Ukraine.

I except the Belgians will make sure most moves in the second half are covered with a man.

hammerite

And for what proportion of the first 100km will GB ride on the front?

rick_chasey

BBC coverage starts at 1.20... probably not the best advert given nothing will happen until around 3:30-4:00

hammerite

Anyone know if the UCI channel will be showing the race? Nothing showing on there yet.

niknak1

coverage on BBC red button, just started

thegibdog

Rick Chasey wrote:

BBC coverage starts at 1.20... probably not the best advert given nothing will happen until around 3:30-4:00

It's actually on the red button now. Liggett appears to be commentating. :shock:

thegibdog

Can't decide which is uglier, the location or the Spanish kit.

above_the_cows

The location is dire. Coupled with Liggett on the commentary. These worlds are really aesthetically and aurally unlikable.

rick_chasey

Above The Cows wrote:

The location is dire. Coupled with Liggett on the commentary. These worlds are really aesthetically and aurally unlikable.

Some of us like gritty cycling locations .

FJS

Spain already trying to make it a hard race by sending someone in the break.

above_the_cows

Rick Chasey wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

The location is dire. Coupled with Liggett on the commentary. These worlds are really aesthetically and aurally unlikable.

Some of us like gritty cycling locations .

I particularly like the burnt out landscape at the top of one of the speed bumps.

hammerite

thegibdog wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

BBC coverage starts at 1.20... probably not the best advert given nothing will happen until around 3:30-4:00

It's actually on the red button now. Liggett appears to be commentating. :shock:

These two have been commentating on the UCI feed all week on the youtube channel, so I'm guessing the BBC have just taken this. I think the youtube feed is blocked for us in the UK.

above_the_cows

I can't get the UCI feed today in NL, well I can I get pictures for a brief second and then 'live pictures will start soon' pops up and nothing.

I wanted to watch the early break form.

hammerite

Croatia, Ukraine, Colombia and Lithuania in the break with a processional peloton 1.31 down. The Croatian annoyingly with a gilet/jacket flapping behind him.

tailwindhome

Britain aren't leading.

above_the_cows

NZ definitely have the best kit in everything.