2014 Worlds - Elite Men RR *SPOILERS*

Art Vandelay
Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
edited October 2014 in Pro race
254.8km or 14 laps of this 18.2km circuit:
ponferradaprofile2014.jpg

The hills in detail:
ponferradaprofile2014c.jpg

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
«13456714

Comments

  • 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...
    When a true genius appears in this world, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,195
    There's no spoilers yet!

    Any live streams instead of the shyte beeb option?
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • 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.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • 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
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,242
    Come on Boonen....i live in hope.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,242
    Rain forecast all day tomorrow....on Spanish roads..
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Thank f*** for that.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    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
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,242
    Boonen of the view that in the rain the descent will be more selective than the climb on the last couple of laps.
  • FJS 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
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • Spartacus.
    Infinite diversity, infinte variations
  • *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.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    edited September 2014
    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
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,242
    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
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,242
    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
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    And for what proportion of the first 100km will GB ride on the front?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,242
    BBC coverage starts at 1.20... probably not the best advert given nothing will happen until around 3:30-4:00
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Anyone know if the UCI channel will be showing the race? Nothing showing on there yet.
  • niknak1
    niknak1 Posts: 528
    coverage on BBC red button, just started
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    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
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    Can't decide which is uglier, the location or the Spanish kit.
  • The location is dire. Coupled with Liggett on the commentary. These worlds are really aesthetically and aurally unlikable.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,242
    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
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Spain already trying to make it a hard race by sending someone in the break.
  • 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.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    thegibdog 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.
  • 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.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    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.
  • Britain aren't leading.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • NZ definitely have the best kit in everything.
    Correlation is not causation.