World's 2017

dastardly00

pelevin wrote: »

Haven't really seen any of the Worlds till now. I'e a cousin living in Bergen - looks a nice place. Great also to see the event so well supported in terms of crowds.

You really should have made the trip over pelevin.
Bergen looks great and the crowds have been fantastic.
The climb at the finale of the Men's Elite TT on Wednesday looked amazing

pelevin

pelevin wrote: »

Pat McQuaid on commentary

neris

dastardly00 wrote: »

You really should have made the trip over pelevin.
Bergen looks great and the crowds have been fantastic.
The climb at the finale of the Men's Elite TT on Wednesday looked amazing

Wonder how many people theyve had out over the week watching all the races compared to last year. <SNIP>. Last year was a joke of an event and this years has just proved that money shouldnt buy the event alone

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

I'm looking forward to the Men's race tomorrow. So many riders have a genuine, realistic chance of winning it. It should be fascinating.

I am looking forward to it too ....esp since the Belgian team are so strong and cannot leave the race to end in a sprint ....and also will be looking to do a job on Sagan , Kwaito and Matthews ....This scenario alone will make it very interesting
Plus the Italians with a mish mash of rider types including sprinters, roulers and TTers may have some way out tactics ...

I am guessing Connor Dunne for the initial break along with Alexander de Marchi :D:D

going with alaphilippe or teuns to take it or trentin as an outside hope. For no other reason than recent form. Course is a lottery tomorrow 260km + mucho climbing. Quintana will be there but has he a chance?

MPFGLB

Deleted User wrote: »

going with alaphilippe or teuns to take it or trentin as an outside hope. For no other reason than recent form. Course is a lottery tomorrow 260km + mucho climbing. Quintana will be there but has he a chance?

Finale not suited to Quintana ... He will help Uran or Gaviria
Probably tuning up for Lombardia and Italian classics ..

Nicolas Roche will be one of the few riders ( if only rider) who rode the Tour and Vuelta (GC) and is riding the RR tomororow ...he is going to be knackered

I quite fancy Tony Gallopin
I also think Niki Terprestra is a longshot as is Michael Valgren

Michelin

Will Dan be fit enough tomorrow? How has his comeback from injury been like? Any thoughts? Great to see a large Irish team compete at the Worlds.

dastardly00

MPFGLB wrote: »

I am guessing Connor Dunne for the initial break along with Alexander de Marchi :D:D

Surely Thomas De Gendt also!

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

Surely Thomas De Gendt also!

de Gendt is not in the race ...rode back to back GTs in Tour and Vuelta

MPFGLB

Michelin wrote: »

Will Dan be fit enough tomorrow? How has his comeback from injury been like? Any thoughts? Great to see a large Irish team compete at the Worlds.

I'd say Dan is fit enough....course though not hard enough ...well the climbs anyway .... for him to get an advantage ....will see...he is very good on long hard courses

One rider ...Damian Shaw is not riding ...injured (must be in training)
So Ireland down to 5....pity they have no sub

Michelin

Michelin wrote: »

Will Dan be fit enough tomorrow? How has his comeback from injury been like? Any thoughts? Great to see a large Irish team compete at the Worlds.

Don't know is the honest answer. He rode the tour of Britain a few weeks back and looked ok for his role there in that he finished and helped out but that was his first race since the tour. He's likely healed and fresh as a daisy but not got the km's in the legs since to compete I think. So for tomorrow likely in a help others win role.

dastardly00

MPFGLB wrote: »

de Gendt is not in the race ...rode back to back GTs in Tour and Vuelta

D'oh

dastardly00

As predicted by MPFGLB, Conor Dunne is in the breakaway. So is Sean McKenna though. I don't really understand the tactics of the Irish team... only Ryan Mullen left to help Martin & Roche in the peloton. I haven't read any update on the unspecified injury for Damien Shaw that stopped him from competing.

Anyway, the breakaway have 9'45" on the peloton with 239 km remaining.

Willem Jakobus Smit (South Africa), Alexey Vermeulen (USA), Matti Manninen (Finland), Kim Magnusson (Sweden), Andrey Amador (Costa Rica), Conor Dunne (Ireland), Sean McKenna (Ireland), Elchin Asadov (Azerbaijan), Eugert Zhupa (Albania) and Salaheddine Mraouni (Morocco).

Lusk_Doyle

MPFGLB wrote: »

I quite fancy Tony Gallopin

Sadly for you, he is very happily married.

pelevin

dastardly00 wrote: »

You really should have made the trip over pelevin.
Bergen looks great and the crowds have been fantastic.
The climb at the finale of the Men's Elite TT on Wednesday looked amazing

Yeah I saw snippets of the TT climb which was spine-tingling in terms of the crowd and excitement but that was about it. The town looks very appealing & looks like it'd have been a great trip, you're right. All I'd really heard of Bergen before that was it rained alot and the electronic band Royksopp come from there.

brianhalpin

With the exception of Eurosport, anywhere to watch this live? Even UCI's YouTube channel doesn't seem to have it available for Ir.

Some BS not one Irish channel can't show it.

fryup

isn't it on bbc2 ?

Pudsy33

fryup wrote: »

isn't it on bbc2 ?

From 1pm.

brianhalpin

Thanks, Pudsy33.

Fair play BBC. RTE are more interested in showing a Winning Streak repeat.

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

As predicted by MPFGLB, Conor Dunne is in the breakaway. So is Sean McKenna though. I don't really understand the tactics of the Irish team... only Ryan Mullen left to help Martin & Roche in the peloton. I haven't read any update on the unspecified injury for Damien Shaw that stopped him from competing.

Anyway, the breakaway have 9'45" on the peloton with 239 km remaining.

Willem Jakobus Smit (South Africa), Alexey Vermeulen (USA), Matti Manninen (Finland), Kim Magnusson (Sweden), Andrey Amador (Costa Rica), Conor Dunne (Ireland), Sean McKenna (Ireland), Elchin Asadov (Azerbaijan), Eugert Zhupa (Albania) and Salaheddine Mraouni (Morocco).

Maybe Roche & Martin arent feeling too hot ? Just a guess ...but I think once they start racing these 2 will spring in to action...cant help themselves

Felexicon

pelevin wrote:

Yeah I saw snippets of the TT climb which was spine-tingling in terms of the crowd and excitement but that was about it. The town looks very appealing & looks like it'd have been a great trip, you're right. All I'd really heard of Bergen before that was it rained alot and the electronic band Royksopp come from there.

Looks great but the talk of €12 beers would put me off!

Keeks

dastardly00 wrote: »

I don't really understand the tactics of the Irish team... only Ryan Mullen left to help Martin & Roche in the peloton.

Dont understand why there is two there either....

Also, without draging this into another Kirby thread, but it just seems like he gets more idiotic with each race.....

pelevin

Felexicon wrote: »

Looks great but the talk of €12 beers would put me off!

Sorry for showing off my ignorance, but does that denote currency or percentage?! I presume it's expense.

neris

Is Kirby doing eurosport commentary? Matt Stephens is on now

robyntmorton

Kirby is on a break they said.

Lock the door Matt! Lock the door!

All My Stars Aligned

I don't really understand why riders would want to be in the breakaway in the worlds. It's not like it as any chance of staying away for the length of the race. Would the riders not be better off keeping their powder dry so they can work as a full team towards the end of the race? Am I missing something?

neris

Anyone else watching eurosport online have the feed skiping back a mgs forward a few seconds during the ads?

robyntmorton

Philippa Yorke's how to ride a worlds as read out by Brian makes it sound oh so simple. I could do that nearly*

*Well nowhere near nearly, but it broke down the sections of the race so well.

dastardly00

All My Stars Aligned wrote: »

I don't really understand why riders would want to be in the breakaway in the worlds. It's not like it as any chance of staying away for the length of the race. Would the riders not be better off keeping their powder dry so they can work as a full team towards the end of the race? Am I missing something?

It is a bit difficult to rationalise or justify I agree.

For riders who are the sole competitor from their country and who maybe are with a Pro-Conti team, I can understand that being in the breakaway means a decent chunk of TV coverage so that may help to put them in the shop window.

But for the Irish team, I just don't understand at the moment. We have a decently sized team for the first time in a long, long time (probably ever) and we decide to send two of the guys up the road. It's even more bizarre considering Shaw was a DNS.

StevieGriff

All My Stars Aligned wrote: »

I don't really understand why riders would want to be in the breakaway in the worlds. It's not like it as any chance of staying away for the length of the race. Would the riders not be better off keeping their powder dry so they can work as a full team towards the end of the race? Am I missing something?

Not really. Dunne and McKenna wouldn't have much of a hope of holding on when the racing really kicks off at the end. May as well get up the road to get their names out there and maybe even be there if another group bridges over.