Road World Championship 2010

[Ball]

Nice blog - thanks.

Thanks raindog

 

[Team Fiwip]

And I truly 'appreciates' your wonderful command of the English language, and all your worthwhile contributions to this forum. We are blessed by your presence: birds sing and the stars shine just a little brighter when you post here. Thank-you. Really.

Wow! I didnt fink yew card. That aside… I av always helled yew in high hesteem az the watchman of the watchmen but it terns owt your just a gramer Nazi. Btw when posting views on pro cycling a learn-ned man such as yourself shouldunt ignore Wittgenstein's 7th Proposition from the Tractatus.

 

[montage]

just had a look at the start list, some teams have 14 people!
Cav will have to be hands down the best rider there to win, and I am not just talking about the sprint. Teams of 14 vs teams of 3. If Cav does win then millar and hunt deserve a biscuit or two

 

[Keith Oates]

Much as I want Cav to win I think it's not so likely with the team numbers involved, but having Millar and Hunt as his two team mates means that he is getting the best that's available.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

when posting views on pro cycling a learn-ned man such as yourself shouldunt ignore Wittgenstein's 7th Proposition from the Tractatus.

By the way you're using the reference here, it's pretty clear you don't get what Wittgenstein was actually saying... the 7th Proposition is not a normative statement, but a logical statement derived from previous propositions. if you follow the train of the 6th Proposition you will see where he's coming from - I direct you to 6.5 and 6.51 in particular. Now, I don't actually agree with several of the assumptions that underlie them from further back in the Tractatus, but enough of this philosophical banter...

I'll tell you something - if you know so much about pro-cycling (and I am pretty certain you do know a thing or two), why don't you take a step back, stop the tedious trolling and draw on that knowledge to contribute a bit more positively to the forum? I don't claim to know much about pro-cycling, I simply enjoy the pleasure of watching it and discussing it in an entirely inconsequential way (read the sign on the door - and if you don't like it maybe you should find another venue for your particular, if not peculiar, talents).

So who do you fancy for the World's then?

 

[raindog]

just had a look at the start list, some teams have 14 people!
Cav will have to be hands down the best rider there to win, and I am not just talking about the sprint. Teams of 14 vs teams of 3. If Cav does win then millar and hunt deserve a biscuit or two

Other, bigger teams should be able to control breaks in the peloton. All Cav has to do is sit tight and make it over those two lumps each lap. Don't think only having two team mates will really change much, it's the nature of the course that will scupper him more than anything else. Whatever, I reckon it's going to be great veiwing.

 

[yello]

Did someone mention Wittgenstein? It's not a circuit for him methinks. And since that bust up with Popper (I reckon it was a chain whip btw and not a poker) he's just not been a team player. So he'd get little or no support from either Popper or Russell. No, these are not philosophical problems we have here but merely ones of tactics.

Cavendish is in with a shout I reckon. I'm sure I recall reading recently that he described the circuit as 'not that hard'. Clearly, one has to take into account that Cavendish is a bit of a lippy sod but I'm sure he's also adept at playing the head games too; for both himself and to try and physce out others. What I'm saying is, I reckon he fancies his chances...

Interesting quotes from the above article...

"It's not really an uphill finish, it is a flat finish in terms of professional cycling," he said.

"That's going to make the race, I think that bridge."

"We will just do our best, I've got two really strong guys with me and you know we will hopefully bank on the other teams wanting to do the same as we want to do," Cavendish said. "We will have to ride off the back of that. I think a lot of the other smaller teams want the same situation as we do so maybe it will work out like that."

A much more measured interview here

The Isle Of Man sprinter says he can figure in world title medal calculations only if there is a reasonably big group together at the end of the 262.7km. "It's a tough circuit, a hard circuit", he said. "But there's enough recovery not to be on your knees. I don't regard myself as one of the main contenders unless there's the possibility of a bunch sprint.

Bigger teams can control the pace/peleton but they can't control (as easily) who takes benefit. If Hunt and Millar can keep Cavendish in the frame (with our without the assistance of smaller teams) then I reckon Cavendish is right to think about his chances.

I guess we're just going to see how it pans out, just play the conjecture game until then.

 

[raindog]

Interesting to see the difference of opinion between Bettini and Cipollini. Cipo has been criticising Bettini's selection saying a sprinter like Bennati should be included in the squad, but Bettini insists it's not a sprinter's circuit and guys like Cavendish won't be in contention at the end. Cipo's favourites for the win are Cav, Gilbert and Freire.
hmmmmm........

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bettini-rejects-cipollinis-worlds-criticism

 

[rich p]

Monty, I believe the squads are 14 but the maximum in a team is 9 but I could be mistaken. It's still an unfair advantage in my opinion.

 

[rich p]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/7594114/Cycling-on-television.html

 

[Rassendyll]

Wise words, if Pooley can FM is vindicated but if she cant FM is vindicated. I for one truly appreciates your cycling intellect. A strong team may be able to offer support its leader when chasing down a break or riding tempo, it cannot disrupt the pelotons chase of its leader, pro riders dominate or chase they don’t disrupt!

I've seen riders disrupt a group plenty of times. Not coming through, sitting at the back. OK they don't actively get in the way but they don't contribute to the rhythm and as anyone knows from riding in a group that in itself is disruptive. Harder in the full peloton but if a group of pursuers tried to chase her down then they'll try to get a rider in there to make it less effective.

 

[BigSteev]

Monty, I believe the squads are 14 but the maximum in a team is 9 but I could be mistaken. It's still an unfair advantage in my opinion.

Yes, that's right.

 

[Sambu]

Newb question. wy has cav only got 2 teamates?

 

[lukesdad]

Tactics in the worlds are always interesting and, history tells us that the Italians and Spanish usually have the edge, due mainly to superior numbers. last years worlds were a one off due to Fabs efforts to do the double which gave Evans the oppurtunity which he took wonderfully well. As to Cav s chances I think they are very very slim. Miller is a great road captain, but he needs some troops to bring his man to the line, he ll need outside help and its hard to see where that would come from. The US being really the only possible allies IMO, But only if the deal has been done before the race starts.

The Italians will send men up the road accompanied by a Spaniard a Frenchman a Belgian etc. So none of those teams will work on the front (unless to slow the pace down ). The only fly in that particular ointment would be if a sprinter from one of the smaller teams got into a break. The bigger names will keep their powder dry. My own choice ?.... Hard one as ever, but, I d keep an eye on Tommy if ever their was an oppurtunist to pull it off its Tommy.

 

[rich p]

Newb question. wy has cav only got 2 teamates?

It's all to do with how many points your nation has racked up during the past year in pro races. Last year, Cav and Wiggins got enough ranking points with the MSR and TdF to entitle GB to 9 riders. This year we only have Cav's stage wins so we only get 3.