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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@Gianni
I'm gutted for J Rod, love the way he races. He is a class act. Well done by Rui, very smart race.
Well, that was a Rule #9 race for sure, but I can't quite figure out what J-Rod was doing by chatting to Rui Costa when he should have just kept riding; or am I missing something?
Slightly embarrassed to be British this morning. Purleeeze - weather like that is our typical autumn, winter and spring. HTFU you pussies. As for Geraint Thomas's quote, I'm sad to say "Choad".
@Sauterelle - strong work Sir!
@Mike_P
He was trying to get Costa to pass and come through in front of him, but Costa was having none of it.
That's from a friend of Costa's who lives out here and has spoken directly to him - we asked him to find out. He works at the LBS which sponsors our team and is basically our DS.
@Bianchi Denti
Hehehheeee. That's the VSP generator rubbing it in. Still, very unlike you to end up with nothing.
@strathlubnaig
I have to say when I saw the interviews and their riding I was shouting Rule #5 at the screen. It was like "We can't win so why bother". G stayed out there until there was really noone left but when you compare the commitment with Nibbles fall and work ethic to return to the peloton I am pretty disgusted at the British Team.
Although it is my home country, I will be voting this for the anti V moment of the year. As has been said elsewhere many times..."Pain is temporary...Quitting lasts forever"! These boys need to HTFU!
@PT Good question PT. I thought it a beauty. Costa too clever by half.
@Deakus
I concur! Although Cav worked his heart out early on, as he always does when he pulls on a national jersey and I'm sure would have always expected to drop out when it reached the circuit. Luke Rowe also put in a good show early on as a late replacement for JT-L who is apparently suffering from a lack of "form". I got to say though, I'm surprised by one of my favourite riders Stannard calling it a day early as he's not exactly soft:
http://bigringriding.com/post/594885013/wheelsucking-at-the-kbk
@V-inden
This goes to the whole "I work so my leader can kill himself going for victory" ethic. The Italians shit bricks working for Nibbles. If I were Cav, IS, or G this morning I would be thinking "Why the fuck did I bother".
The point is the domestiques do not suffer so that the primadonnas can bail out if it "does not feel good". These boys blow chunks so that they can see their leaders do the same when the time comes...win...lose...or fall off!
Cav gets it....he always has...he demands a great deal of his lead out men but time again we have seen him bust his balls on non sprint stages working for the team...as far as I can see Froggins have got their heads so far up their SRMS they may as well not bother...
O btw that may be worth a lexicon entry...
FROGGINS - A morphed pair of TdF winners lacking moral fibre and the courage to lead by example
@ChrisO
Fuck'in cool!!! Between you and Sauterelle the ol' V site can claim, like, two or three degrees of separation from the pros!
Costa road a very smart race. Great race but the Anglo's cannot claim to have really shown up at all. Not the best showing by USA or GB. Someone said it earlier but I was surprised at Ian Stannard. His type of conditions. I wonder if he jusy cooked himself early for Wiggo and had nothign left or what? He is normally a true hardman.