2014 world championships...

[RolandsuperX]

Nys, Muessen, LVDH are my picks for the podium..

 

[User169]

Nys and Vos to win.

 

[The Couch]

I am going for Nys, Peeters and LvdH in that order (Meeusen looses the sprint for 3rd place )

I know... Peeters is a reach, but he was looking good till the Belgian Championship. But I believe he has been intentionally resting his legs and if he gets a good start (which he seems to have problems with lately) I give him a good shot at 2nd place. Of course he needs to drop just about everyone before the finish-line because he ain't the fastest of sprinters

Can't see many people not going for Nys ... although of course he has to make sure to drop Meeusen and LvdH cause he can't outsprint either of them

If Compton is 100% (no asthma troubles) I'll go for her, Vos hasn't seem 100% (yet) since coming back.

 

[oldroadman]

Course condition will play a part, it's often "horses for courses" at a worlds. That said, class counts for a lot. Compton and Vos in the women, and wouldn't it be nice to see a Brit on the podium Harris or Wyman, take your pick.
For the men, hard to see past Nys and Peeters, third is a bit of a lottery.
And watch for young Van Der Pohl at U-23 level, he's almost unstoppable (and has impressive genetic pedigree!).

 

[oldroadman]

Special note. All the above will probably be wrong - what do I know?

 

[The Couch]

For the men, hard to see past Nys and Peeters, third is a bit of a lottery.
And watch for young Van Der Pohl at U-23 level, he's almost unstoppable (and has impressive genetic pedigree!).

Nice to see someone backing up my Peeters claim

Van Der Poel is magnificent and at the beginning of the season I would have agreed... but Wout Van Aert has shown huge improvement throughout the year and should be as high a favourite as Mathieu is
.Vermeersch, Adams, Vanthourenhout have all showed that they can peak to certain races as well, but it should be between the 2 above,

 

[The Couch]

Stybar is in... and he was actually saying the track is very easy.
There is only 1 hill where he needed to get off his bike and he had changed the rhino-tyres immediately for grifo.

So I guess the ground is quite porous and isn't really absorbing much of the rain.
Let's hope that the rain predicted for Saturday can still have a big impact on the track to make it heavier.

 

[VamP]

Stybar has just announced he's going to ride

He might not win it - Nys is looking imperious - but it won't be for lack of trying! I am expecting fireworks.

Nobody expecting Mourney to do well? And Meeusen for third. K-Pau to have a mechanical (again), Peeters to make a tactical blunder, LvdH to run out of puff in the mud... Walsleben? Klaas?


Styby rode the course today and said it was quite dry and fast - that was a big factor in his decision - so it might turn into a tactical battle.

 

[VamP]

Snap

 

[VamP]

Just thought, not a single suggestion that Niels might make the podium?

 

[oldroadman]

Now Stybar is decided, if the going stays fast I'll agree there may well be some interesting racing. If we get wet weather over the weekend, then the game changes and I still can't see past Nys. That change to Grifos might be a bit premature!

 

[VamP]

I think that if the course has stayed dry with all the rain Northern Europa has had, rain on Saturday (some is forecast) will not dramatically change things. Maybe for the women, if it rains while they are out...

 

[RolandsuperX]

Just thought, not a single suggestion that Niels might make the podium?

I know ....

 

[RolandsuperX]

All races live on UCI`s youtube channel.....

 

[The Couch]

Nobody expecting Mourney to do well? .

Nys does, he said this week he has his eyes on Mourey as his biggest opponent

Just thought, not a single suggestion that Niels might make the podium?

Would be a surprise (even to himself) and the same applies to Van Tornout, neither of them (although Klaas probably worst) have show much of form as of late