World Championships

TinyExplosions

Italy, Belgium and France name world's teams

So, who do you guys think is going to win the Worlds this year? Can Bettini make it three in a row?

My money's on Boonen I think

Raam

I was thinking about this not two minutes ago, and Boonen is my choice also.
I reckon he really wants it because he couldn't ride the Tour. Also, he is pulling out of the Vuelta in order to target it...

http://www.velonews.com/article/83295

“This win will give me confidence ahead of Varese,” said Boonen, who won the worlds in 2005. “I am coming out of the Vuelta strong. I will pull out tomorrow, so to win again is just what I needed before heading to Italy. The truth is that I am feeling very strong.”

TinyExplosions

Raam wrote: »

I was thinking about this not two minutes ago, and Boonen is my choice also.

What is it they say about great minds.....?

I think the course suits a strong classics type rider, and Boonen fits the profile -he also has a good team, so if he can keep his nose clean in the first part of the race, he's got a great chance

*crap pun I know, but has to be done

Chips Lovell

It's a hilly course, which I think would suit the guys who do well in the Ardennes races more. When the course was first published, I was thinking that it was like it had been designed for Bettini. Of course his form has been crap all year and I really think he's on the decline now. There was talk a while back of Cunego being the Italian captain for the Worlds. Since then Cunego's faded a bit and Bettini seems to have found a new lease of life at the Vuelta. He's won two stages and its obvious he's working hard to build his form. He's out in front, drilling it at the end of every second stage. I still think it will be hard for him to pull another one out of the bag.

If Boonen can stay with the main bunch until the end, then he's got a chance. But at the moment I'd be more inclined to look to elsewhere. It would be perfect for Valverde, but I'm wondering if he wouldn't be too knackered after the Vuelta. Rebellin had a quiet Vuelta, but seems to be in good form. He was near the front on the Angliru stage. The course would suit him too. Freire can get up the hills better than most sprinters and he's looking good at the moment. Samuel Sanchez is racing in Poland at the moment, so I've no idea about how well he's going. Could see him in the mix too.

cantalach

el tonto wrote: »

It's a hilly course, which I think would suit the guys who do well in the Ardennes races more.

Beat me too it! I was just about to post the following link to the profile and make the point that it would suit an LBL type of rider more than a Ronde type of rider.

http://www.varese2008.org/upload/allegati/all404_143684_200709231440.pdf

Funkyzeit

Valverde for me - providing he doesn't decide to go back and get a raincoat again....what an stupid error that was...

Failing him maybe Cancellara might TT away from the pack.

Will be interesting to see if Roche can get a top 20 finish.

Chips Lovell

Would also suit Stefan Schumacher if he's in form.

crashoveroid

im all for Cancellara this is a good course for him

amjon

Funkyzeit wrote: »

Will be interesting to see if Roche can get a top 20 finish.

I thought Roche had surrendered his Irish passport?Does it not come into affect till the end of the calendar year or something?

Chips Lovell

amjon wrote: »

I thought Roche had surrendered his Irish passport?Does it not come into affect till the end of the calendar year or something?

That happened three years ago. He was, mistakenly, informed by the French authorities that he couldn't have dual nationality. It was sorted out within a few weeks.

Junior

Irish Team has been announced

Please find below details of the Irish team competing next week in Varese.

Elite Women's TT, Wednesday 24th, 14:00-16:40
-Heather Wilson
-Olivia Dillon

U23 Road Race, Friday 26th, 12:15-17.00
-Dan Martin,
-Ronan McLouglin
-Conor McConvey

Elite Women's Road Race, Saturday 27th, 13:00-17.00
-Siobhan Dervan
-Louise Moriarty
-Heather Wilson
-Olivia Dillon

Elite Men's Road Race, Sunday 28th, 10.30-17.15
-Nicolas Roche
-Philip Deignan
-Roger Aiken

dave2pvd

Surely Dan Martin has a great chance! Other favorites may have better team support though. Andy Schleck....

Interesting to see Roger Aiken on there. He has been very strong this year, no doubt about it.

Can't see Roche having any gas left in him....

Raam

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//worlds08/

They don't mention Boonen once. I'm beginning to rethink my choice!

In other news, Cancellara won't be doing the time trial
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/21092008/58/cancellara-worlds.html

World and Olympic time-trial champion Fabian Cancellara will not take part in next week's world cycling championships in Varese, Italy, due to fatigue.

"After my success in Beijing, I have not been able to find enough energy to keep myself motivated," Swiss Cancellara said. "I don't have enough energy to take part in the world championships and try to defend my title."

Cancellara, 27, won time trial gold at the last two world championships and in Beijing.

He also took bronze in the road race at the Beijing Olympics.

The world championships start on Tuesday.

TinyExplosions

Raam wrote: »

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//worlds08/

They don't mention Boonen once. I'm beginning to rethink my choice!

Sure what do they know -they're only the cycling press, us totally unconnected everyday Joe Soaps know more than them!

Anyone think Roche can get into the top 10? Given his display in the Veulta I think he's capable, but has he had his purple patch for the year?

I'm still sticking with Boonen, though the point about the strong Spanish squad is fair -but will the peloton try to neutralise (at least) Contador (iirc he's not particularly liked by the majority)... the worlds seem to run far more along team lines than nationality

Junior

Roche has a good chance if he can get in the right breaks again, I think this could go one of two ways, with Italy and Spain having two big teams in it, both will be wanting to send riders up the road to soften up the field and keep the big men in reserve until it's time, the thing that could happen is that one of these breaks stays out..

However the other thing is that the two big teams could cancel each other and it could be down to a group finish ..

Tackleberry

Junior wrote: »

Irish Team has been announced

-Dan Martin,
-Ronan McLouglin
-Conor McConvey

Elite Men's Road Race, Sunday 28th, 10.30-17.15
-Nicolas Roche
-Philip Deignan
-Roger Aiken

It'll prob be Bettini and the usual fools in the mix at the end but I'll still keep dreaming about Deignan supporting Roche and then Roche putting in a top 10 performance or something crazy. Also would hope for something great from Martin.

On a bit of a critical note, and I'm being very cynical here - I think as a result of having two such classy riders and wanting the best for them - but I would've thought there were a few other guys far better placed to support Roche and Deignan than Aiken? And to a lesser extent McLaughlin & McConvey for Martin?

Obviously everyone's tired at this point in the season and maybe everyone above them were out of form, but the question begs to be asked even just for arguments sake! And in Martin's case I'm not sure what riders we have who'd be eligible for that race anyway so that could be a moot point.

I know Power and O'Loughlin have probably gone off the boil after the long year but I'm sure if they had been told a few months ago to focus on a place in the world's they would've given it a serious go? Especially Power after the disappointment of the Olympics selection, they're both class riders and I think on their day would've been the 1st choice for supporting Roche & Deignan.

Looking beyond them, we've got class riders like Paul Griffen, and the An Post lads like Stephen Gallagher and Paidi O'Brien, surely these guys after a season competing in the big races are much better placed than Aiken? Am I wrong in thinking he's a domestic rider?

Just a bit of banter to chew on - the race is just a war of attrition anyway so there's not a huge amount the team can do for the leader aside from grabbing grub and a bit of drafting. Just hope they have the legs.

Chips Lovell

TT results today were interesting. Won't name names in case anyone was taping it. 2nd place guy, never heard of him until today. And I see Vlad Gusev was racing, despite being kicked off Astana, and placing fairly well too.

psycholist

roger aiken was the 1st irishman in the tour of ireland....
and that was one of the selection races...
whos better?!

Tackleberry

psycholist wrote: »

roger aiken was the 1st irishman in the tour of ireland....
and that was one of the selection races...
whos better?!

Ciaran Power, David McCann & Stephen Gallagher, according to cycling ireland rankings for the season....you his no.1 fan?

Harkev

David McCann is particularly unhappy with his non selection:

http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_3427.shtml

I've also heard rumblings about the general selection policy from some of the other cyclists involved, but none of them have gone public about it as yet, it will be interesting to see over the next few days if any of them choose to join McCann going public...

dave2pvd

el tonto wrote: »

TT results today were interesting. Won't name names in case anyone was taping it. 2nd place guy, never heard of him until today. And I see Vlad Gusev was racing, despite being kicked off Astana, and placing fairly well too.

2nd place guy: Svein Tuft has pretty much exploded onto the US Conti circuit this season. He is with a mere conti-pro team, Symmetrics, who hail from Canada. The guy is one tough b*stard. He has shown great results in the big races against ProTour teams (eg Tour of Missouri).

The problem for Svein is, at 31 he may be too old to ride with a ProTour team.

Looks like Zabriskie is back to form. He'll be tough competition for Dan Martin next year. They have some similar strengths, although Z can TT (obviously!). DM is still but a young lad though; who knows what his future strengths will be.

Regarding the selectors' decision. It's hard to please all the people all the time. Picking a team can't have been easy this year. That 3rd pick in the mens' RR was always going to be controversial.

What about the Irish womens' results in the TT?

psycholist

Tackleberry wrote: »

Ciaran Power, David McCann & Stephen Gallagher, according to cycling ireland rankings for the season....you his no.1 fan?

aiken finished 2nd in the rás..
beating mc cann... power and o loughlin ...
aiken was picked for the rr not the TT
why wouldnt he have been picked... whats power or o loughlin done recently to deserve to be selected over him?

quietobserver

Quote

On a bit of a critical note, and I'm being very cynical here - I think as a result of having two such classy riders and wanting the best for them - but I would've thought there were a few other guys far better placed to support Roche and Deignan than Aiken? And to a lesser extent McLaughlin & McConvey for Martin?

I know Power and O'Loughlin have probably gone off the boil after the long year but I'm sure if they had been told a few months ago to focus on a place in the world's they would've given it a serious go? Especially Power after the disappointment of the Olympics selection, they're both class riders and I think on their day would've been the 1st choice for supporting Roche & Deignan.

Looking beyond them, we've got class riders like Paul Griffen, and the An Post lads like Stephen Gallagher and Paidi O'Brien, surely these guys after a season competing in the big races are much better placed than Aiken? Am I wrong in thinking he's a domestic rider? END QUOTE

Hmmm just being cynical and with no homework done, Yes your very wrong in thinking he's just a domestic rider, he won a stage of the ras a few years ago when he was JUST a "domestic" rider.
Brillant form and was in the moves all week in the tour of ireland, was actually in a 5 man move chasing the 2 on the first lap of Patricks hill. A very classy and underated bike rider.
I know its banter but im glad to take a bite:D

Raam

Martin gets a mention here...

http://www.velonews.com/article/83681

Others who could get in to the winning break on Friday include Irish national champion Daniel Martin (who was fourth in the recent Tour of Britain), South Africa’s John-Lee Augustyn (who had a spectacular crash descending the Cime de la Bonette at this year’s Tour de France) and Ukraine’s Vitaliy Buts (who has had a string of victories in Italy this year and just signed for ProTour team, Lampre).

If it comes to a breakaway group having to sprint for it, and he's in the group, does he have a chance? He doesn't look like a sprinter to me

Tackleberry

psycholist wrote: »

aiken finished 2nd in the rás..
beating mc cann... power and o loughlin ...
aiken was picked for the rr not the TT
why wouldnt he have been picked... whats power or o loughlin done recently to deserve to be selected over him?

But thats the point tho, as McCann said, there was no communication of selection procedures and thats my bone of contention, Aiken is class, I'm not disputing that, but if the selection procedures were properly set down for the top riders I think there would have been more competition for the spot.

Aiken finished 2nd in the Ras? Gallagher WON it?! O'Loughlin AND Power both won stages in that same race, they were both in contention for Olympics spots, O'Loughlin got one, and over recent years they've shown to be the most successful domestic pros, Power has won the Ras twice, O'Loughlin finished 2nd and has won stages aswell, McCann has also won the Ras and taken a couple of stages, he should have been picked for the TT, so that further questions CI's selection procedures. McCann may have been able to transfer the training and power to the road race.

My argument is that on their day, fully prepped, I'd happily take either Power, O'Loughlin, Gallagher or McCann over a fully prepped Aiken.

quietobserver wrote: »

Hmmm just being cynical and with no homework done, Yes your very wrong in thinking he's just a domestic rider, he won a stage of the ras a few years ago when he was JUST a "domestic" rider.

So did O'Loughlin, so did Power, so did McCann, Gallagher won it, do your own homework you tool.

quietobserver wrote: »

Brillant form and was in the moves all week in the tour of ireland, was actually in a 5 man move chasing the 2 on the first lap of Patricks hill. A very classy and underated bike rider.
I know its banter but im glad to take a bite:D

As I said above, I know he's class, but look at the palmarés of the other riders and I don't see how you can dismiss their potential capabilities so easily. Power was consistently the highest placed Irish rider during the 1st 3 stages of the tour of Ireland, and Gallagher was one place HIGHER than Aiken on the GC going into the final stage in Cork.

I'm not saying Aiken isn't the guy in the best form at the mo, I'm questioning the whispering selection process that seemed to alienate some of our other top riders, and then defending them against you two founders of the Aiken fanclub who seem to think they're ****e

psycholist

sounds like you should be bringing this up at the cycling ireland AGM

not bad mouthing the people who were legitimately picked...

Tackleberry

psycholist wrote: »

sounds like you should be bringing this up at the cycling ireland AGM

not bad mouthing the people who were legitimately picked...

Are you joking?!! How is calling Aiken a class rider and acknowledging he could be the guy with best form "bad mouthing him"??!!?

As I've said, I'm questioning the clarity and fairness of the selection process and then defending the other riders from your own hypocritical "bad mouthing"

If you aren't arsed reading the points I'm making then don't bother your arse posting responses, just makes you seem like a complete bell-end

Chips Lovell

This debate is going to look rather silly when Roger Aiken is the new world champ.

Tackleberry

el tonto wrote: »

This debate is going to look rather silly when Roger Aiken is the new world champ.

Haha awesome!!:D

Junior

Well it looks like everyone sat on Martin today and he didn't have anyone around him to do some work - must have been very frustrating to get close to the break only for the lazy bastards behind you to chase you down and then drop you.

petethedrummer

eurosport coverage was fairly terrible, how ****ing hard is it to get regular split times of cyclists doing laps of the same course? then not noticing martin being caught.