Yes and yes @photos:Tim de Waele/Corbis and CyclingWeekly
Before we move on to the last Monument of the season, let’s reflect on what happened in Richmond. My deeply held fears of the American organizers making a mess of things were unrealized. The two cobbled climbs were spectacles and the resulting road races were pretty damn fine.
Personally, I don’t think the Worlds should ever end up in a bunch sprint. Sprinters should have their chance but the race should be so tough that even a flat course ends up in a fractured gasp for the line. The women’s finish was not a field sprint. Lizzy Armitstead led from the bottom of the last hill and made sure no one got past her for very long. Anna VDB was there but she was not going to win this one. Armitstead was probably the strongest/fastest in her field and kept it together to prove that.
Peter Sagan won from kilometers out, gaining time with each corner. He might not have been the strongest or fastest but he was most definitely the smartest. He sat in the field the whole race and then jumped everyone with a move that won the day.
Neither winner had a strong team for support. When it comes down to the final kilometers, it’s all legs, brains and heart.
It will be a pleasure seeing the rainbow stripes on these two for the next year.
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@dpalazzo
Great shot! I love the big ringing up a 23% grade.
@Mikael Liddy
And, of course, Vos rides the black bibs.
Libby hill was electric. We arrived at the top of the hill on Sunday at 7:15 and by the grace of Merckx grabbed the last sliver of space on the rail that didn't have a camp chair or body on it. Here's my shot of Stybar getting it started on the last trip up. What a race! You could feel it ripping apart right in front of your eyes.
Just re-posting this one from the British National Championships - our Lizzie smashing it on the big ring up Michaelgate in Lincoln. Cobbles and gradient >20% in places.
@Mikael Liddy
@Matt
Libby Hill was cool but the gutters are way too generous. They should have stuck the barriers down there.
@dpalazzo
Awesome!
The whole white shorts thing is two issues to me - for a start most pros and elite women look a fucksight better in them than any amateurs or MAMILS, and secondly the latter categories don't have the luxury of fresh shorts for every race so they're usually slightly grey and often too thin.
I don't mind a pair of white shorts done well at all ... but I wouldn't wear them!
@brett
Except they're not from the same race. Top photo is the podium of the final 2014 World Cup winners. Bottom photo is the finish of the 2015 GP de Plouay with PFP in the rainbow jersey. Very similar bibs though since they're teammates. I think PFP's had a bit more white than Vos' did.
I knew I liked this girl.