A clatter of the metal grate rolling up signals another opening of the Velominati Bookmaker’s Office. The gaggle of skinny (and not so skinny, you know who you are) jabbering cycling addicts rush the door, each with their dream of a bumper sticker dancing in their heads. Before the office opened the bookies have consulted the oracle; a garbled audio of Sean Kelly’s predictions where he maybe tipped the little known Gullaume Van Keirsbulck, or did he say Phillip Gilbert. Bettini likes Cavendish’s chances while Cavendish likes Thor’s chances and Thor likes Keirsbulck’s chances or did he say Roelandts?
Since Geelong everyone has been saying this was a sprinters course, so a sprinter won’t win. It is only 266km with no serious grades and a total of 1785m of climbing. I could finish this course, if I could ride 266km and there was no time cut. For the professional road championship it does not sound long or grueling enough but the weather could be cold, windy and wet, if so the Spanish will suffer and the Italians will have to race with neck gaiters.
Looking back this year Cancellara should have won the 2010 world title so his less-than-spectacular season could be blamed on the curse of the rainbow jersey. Gilbert cannot have another season as good as this one so he better not win on Sunday or the jersey will be blamed in 2012. I started to feel bad for Thor when the yellow jersey came off his back and went to Voeckler during the Tour de France until I remembered he had the rainbow jersey underneath it! Who needs that trashy yellow one when you are already have the rainbow? I stopped feeling bad for Thor.
It’s late in the season, many have packed it in for the year, others have ridden the Vuelta to gain form. Are they good or cooked? Will the British team work together to bring Cav to the line or go down in flames like the Italians used to? The thought of Cavendish wearing the rainbow hoops for the next year has caused some anxiety in the office. His propensity for white tube socks with black shoes would diminish the aura the rainbow jersey brings to any worthy rider. The Aussi team looks unbeatable and yet…The bottom line on bookmaking is this will be another impossible race to pick the winner, unless you choose Gilbert.
Here is a link to the start list. As always, if you are inclined to enter, simply post your predictions for the top five placings in the form below. Make your picks by 5am Pacific Sunday morning, regular VSP Rules apply.
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This is the last thing I'll say about Worlds this year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksUhMa2eFTo
That's how you do rainbows.
Nice job Cavendish. Meh.
Can someone stick a pump in Nate's spokes already?
@Ron
2 pts, I just held serve today.
What's left, just Lombardia? Are we doing Paris-Tours?
@Marcus
All Pommy bastards are still aglow with the last remnants of the sunset of the Empire. Physics had no explanation for why light from this sunset has taken many decades instead of the theoretical speed of light to travel to most inhabitants on the British Isles. This demanded a reworking of our basic understanding of the universe. Latest research at CERN is making progress.
First Newtonian physics:
F=ma
is now known to mean
Force = merckx * adversity
The relativistic refinement of Einstein:
E=mc2
is updated to be Energy = merckx*cycle2
It is left for the student to follow in the path of the Prophet to learn the truth in these equations.
@Nate
Lombardia. A maximum of 20 points on offer, in theory (5,4,3,2,1 plus bonus 5 for all 5). But in reality I think you need to Delgado and someone else needs a blinder. So it's really yours to lose, Mate. But no pressure ...
@scaler911
Fuck yeah. Just what I was thinking too.
Do you think we will ever see the Rainbow Jersey in a breakaway this year?
Maybe he should give a one stripe to each of his leadout train.
Let's hope he proves us all wrong.
On another note: Bradley Wiggins has shot up in my estimation. I wasn't quite sure about the skinny Mod with the 'burns thing, but fuck me he showed he's got a pair last night. Chapeau!
@roadslave
Jesus man, not prescient, maybe insane. I was lucky.
@Rob
What a face on Maertens! I was thinking of him because he was a sprinter and hardman and there was so much talk of a sprinter winning this year. We both must have admiration for these old buggas as we were the impressionable youth when Freddy et al were showing everyone how it was done. Does that make us old as dust?
@Marcus
Sour grapes indeed, ha! It's good to get this off your chest, here among friends, and even some British friends.
Fuck, it would be nice to come on here and see some unadulterated celebration of what was a classy victory in the World Championships by a guy most of you wrote off, but instead (apart from a few knowledgeable Poms) there's nothing but sour grapes and grudging acceptance.
To me it just confirms that the actual substance of the racing is secondary here to the wanky made-up women's magazine hero-worshipping. Have a read of the many, many rider comments praising Cav and the GB Team for what was a great win and perhaps you might realise that winning a race like this isn't some sort of fluke.
I'm sure Cavendish won't be winning the Tour of Flanders anytime soon, but last I checked Milan-San Remo is still a Monument and I'm putting my money on the Rainbow Stripes crossing the line there in first place...I hope that meets your criteria for wearing the jersey with honour.
@Oli
From a Pom in NZ, A-Merckx brother. Cav took the time to thank so many other people (plus some of his HTC mates) and interviewed with huge humility. Dude gets it, and we should all be applauding someone delivering under what i imagine was neuron crushing levels of pressure to deliver. Praise for Geraint and Stannard for flipping Wiggos switch to "Crush Allcomers TT" mode for the last 1.5 laps. So impressive at 65kph.
Hail the Hoops, they are Coming Home.
@scaler911
That's not what I mean. Sprinters muscles are different so when you think they are sitting in having an easy day, they are always struggling to keep up on hills, in the crosswinds, and any sort of obstacle where a typical hardman would come out on top. Every day is a hard day for sprinters even when they sit in, then they are asked to go fast at the end. This usually works out but often you see them failing spectacularly because their legs are gone by the end.