The world championship road race stands out among all other one-day races as the one where the winner is awarded both a curse and a jersey to carry for the next 12 months. It also inspires way too many riders to wear white bibs, which is an alarming trend in itself and one which I hope Brian Cookston, the new UCI President, prioritizes over the doping problem – let’s face facts: white shorts on rainy days does more damage to Cycling’s image than any doping scandal ever could.
Be that as it may, I often find myself wondering if its easier to win a Grand Tour or a one-day race. Certainly, winning a Grand Tour requires focus, discipline, and performance across a wide range of terrain and over a long period of time, but it also offers the opportunity to recover from a bad moment and to take advantage of the days where the terrain or discipline suits the qualities of the rider. A one-day race, on the other hand, is shorter but also less controllable. All in, no net; a moment’s inattention could be disastrous and in an instant your chances could disappear up the road.
The World Championships are also the only race which has brought Mary V to tears after narrowly losing the title. The Dutch don’t cry easily, especially not the ones who bleed pure V.
The Worlds are always a live wire of a race; the national teams mean the riders are riding for and against their usual teammates. Team unity is always a question, and loyalties are hard to predict. All for one and one for all, until a mate goes up the road and suddenly things start looking blurry. Throw in a circuit race, a big climb you ride 17 times, a steep ramp about V km from finish, and you’ve got yourself a race Nostradamus would have a chore predicting.
The Men set out in what is predicted to be horrendous weather on Sunday, September 29. Check the start list, rattle the bones, and put your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero. Good luck.
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Given infinite time, a thousand monkeys with typewriters will eventually recreate the works of shakespear. My picks? One monkey; five minutes.
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Horner
3. Thor
4. Valverde
5. Sagan
VSP PICKS:
1. CANCELLARA
2. NIBALI
3. SAGAN
4. FROOME
5. DA COSTA
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Nibbers
3. Valverde
4. Purito
5. Evans
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara, F
2. Sagan, P
3. Boasson Hagen, E
4. Froome, C
5. Nibali, V
I just want to know, as an uncabled denizen of the media desert that is lululemonland, where I might be able to stream a feed for this race on Sunday?
Hushovd, what? I am 47yr old, show me a big climb I will hang on till the near end. Show me ten hills, forget it. I am not Horners doctor but i think not. Spains 'tres capitan' sounds like a car crash waiting to happen. A day for a spoiler me thinks. So I give you ah ummm Valverde.....
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Uran Uran
3. Froome
4. Nibali
5. Quintana
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Valverde
3. Cancellara
4. Boasson Hagen
5. Gilbert
@Sauterelle
Fuck yeah! Did you kneel? Was there a parting of the skies? Perhaps a faint rumbling of the ground?
We should have a "powerball pick" for this race to predict the rider of the top 10 pre-race favorites that will DNF because of a schleckanical. It's gonna happen.
@Buck Rogers
Velominati are supposed to strategize all the way into the final moments -- to the line.