2018 World Championships thread (spoilers)

[bikinchris]

I don't know why we don't already have a thread for the worlds in Austria. The racing so far has been great. Two days left as of this posting.
So who do you think will win the men's road race?

[MattTuck]

Most up to date startlist that I'm aware of: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/world-championship/2018/startlist

I have a funny feeling about Mollema, but I'm cheering for Dan Martin.

[Clean39T]

Most up to date startlist that I'm aware of: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/world-championship/2018/startlist

I have a funny feeling about Mollema, but I'm cheering for Dan Martin.ABV - anyone but Valverde...

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Plum Hill]

No opinion, but I recently found out I had the Olympic channel on my cable package. Race coverage so far has been fantastic, with live coverage and repeats in the evening.

[GregL]

If today's U23 race is an indication, Sunday's elite men's race is going to be brutal. Nearly 50% of the U23 field were DNFs. Looking forward to watching the race Sunday morning.

Greg

[Andy sti]

If today's U23 race is an indication, Sunday's elite men's race is going to be brutal. Nearly 50% of the U23 field were DNFs. Looking forward to watching the race Sunday morning.

Greg

That's fairly typical of any circuit race. If you're not in the front there is no point in continuing. For sure we'll see that in the elite race. After you're job is over pull out at the team tent. Especially in a 250km race and those crazy hills!

[FlashUNC]

One of the Yateses maybe?

[MattTuck]

betting odds if anyone is interested.

[ultraman6970]

IMO is valverde's race. TD is not as fast this year, but the sucker well could go solo the last lap w/o any problem, he's climbing more, wonder if he could actually win this thing. Sagan? You never know, havent seen pictures of him lately but there is a reason he finished the vuelta, get climbing form...

BTW, why f... froomey is not there?? this one was ok for him... GB's team looks weak.

[osbk67]

I think this course is two or three years too late for Valverde, making Alaphillipe one of the clearest favourites in years. Picking him is too easy, so I'm going with Kwiatkowski, Poels and Benoot. Whoever wins I'd like to see the race made so selective that no more than 12-15 arrive together at the foot of the final climb. That would seem to be in the interests of at least the Colombian and GB teams, and perhaps the French and Belgians too depending on how GVA and Alaphillipe are travelling on the day.

GVA to ride well but not into the top placings.

Froome for all his strength, skill and determination has had a long and deep season and is due a spell. I'm also not sure he's previously finished a World Pro Road Race Championship.

[saab2000]

GVA to ride well but not into the top placings.

Froome for all his strength, skill and determination has had a long and deep season and is due a spell. I'm also not sure he's previously finished a World Pro Road Race Championship.

Froome would be a very interesting dark horse. I haven't closely followed the teams racing but I would pick Kwiatkowski for the win personally, with Alaphillipe in with a strong, strong chance. I'd like to see Nibali with a chance too. All these three have strong chances.

I think the idea that the final hard climb will be reached by just 10-15 riders is accurate and anyone at the front at the top of this climb is in with a chance for the win.

[oldpotatoe]

Nib's article, 'like a blind date'..

I like Nibs and Valverde..

https://www.velonews.com/2018/09/news/nibali-the-worlds-will-be-like-a-blind-date_479479

[ultraman6970]

Can you imagine that woods wins this thing??? No team race links now... fast enough, climbs enough, tough enough.

[echappist]

The Dutch just sent a cat amongst the pigeons. 1-minute worth of lead just gone for the front group.

Rivera doing quite well, given she's a sprinter, but Anna VdB is on a charge today, trying to capture the only medal she hasn't won to date.

I think she'll solo it home, though Spratt is spritely

[echappist]

and boom goes the dynamite; Anna VdB wins, unless something horrific happens

[harlond]

Last year, Chantal Blaak gets away in a counterattack, same thing this year with AVdB. That Dutch team is amazing.

[choke]

Go Anna Go!

[echappist]

Last year, Chantal Blaak gets away in a counterattack, same thing this year with AVdB. That Dutch team is amazing.

on another board, i quipped that the Dutch takes the Californian podium. Still could happen though ;)

[choke]

I would love to see Emilia take the bronze....it's not likely though....

[echappist]

damn, that was essentially a 40-km coronation procession. well deserved, too

[Jaybee]

Dutch women's cycling - what a machine.

[ultraman6970]

2 more hours... 2 more hours!!!

[weisan]

You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. In what world could you possibly beat me?

[oldpotatoe]

You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. In what world could you possibly beat me?

adios peter....fan boys are weeping...:eek:

[livingminimal]

This break is interesting. With so many riders getting shelled, organizing a solid chase is gonna be difficult.

[ultraman6970]

Just woke up, surprise me that the peloton is still that big. The last 50 will be hell.

Sagan? after all 200km in that course is more than I though he could last...

[oldpotatoe]

Just woke up, surprise me that the peloton is still that big. The last 50 will be hell.

Sagan? after all 200km in that course is more than I though he could last...

Lead group will implode..no way anybody is gonna bridge up a 8 minute gap..

Sagan won't even finish..

Gonna be an almost 7 hour day..good course for the 'world championships'...

[ultraman6970]

Spain will press the gas soon... looks like are doing it now....

[KarlC]

Got Links to how you all are watching it ?
.

[kramnnim]

Someone said it was on the Olympic channel... I’m watching on Eurosport Player with the help of a vpn. Can also watch on the UCIs YouTube channel with the help of a vpn. (Canadians don’t need the vpn)

[oldpotatoe]

Got Links to how you all are watching it ?
.

NBC gold. Buy it and get a year of stuff..included spring classics and TdF/Vuelta

[livingminimal]

Someone said it was on the Olympic channel... I’m watching on Eurosport Player with the help of a vpn. Can also watch on the UCIs YouTube channel with the help of a vpn. (Canadians don’t need the vpn)



Same here. IPVanish + Eurosport Subscription. Best combo out.

[livingminimal]

Also I want Nibali to win this SO BAD.

[ultraman6970]

GvA??? interesting development there.

[moobikes]

Youtube has a live feed, but probably only available in certain geographic areas.

[livingminimal]

GvA??? interesting development there.

Brazil, 2016.

[livingminimal]

MAL hanging in there despite having no chance. Lombardia training for free!

[jlwdm]

Way too big a peloton left with 50k to go.

Jeff

[ultraman6970]

I do not see teams wanting to pursuit hard enough...

[bobswire]

Got Links to how you all are watching it ?
.

Here you go, http://tiz-cycling.live/

[oldpotatoe]

Way too big a peloton left with 50k to go.

Jeff

and no Americans in pelOton..oh well(unless I missed him)...

[ultraman6970]

IMO if the big teams dont get at least 30 secs behind before getting to the hall climb the big teams wont get a world champion this year. Those 2 looks very good to win the race.

[KarlC]

Here you go, http://tiz-cycling.live/

That works thx !

.

[weisan]

.

[bobswire]

Hello Valverde.

[weisan]

.

[ultraman6970]

Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhh

[bobswire]

Whoa,Dumoulin.:banana: Go man go....

[ultraman6970]

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thegunner]

ugh, anyone but him.

[HenryA]

Great finish!
Great chase.

[Veloo]

Ooooohhhh (so close) Canada!

[bobswire]

Bravo,Valverde! Dumoulin made a try.....too bad, would have made up for losing TT but I like Vaverde and happy for him, he's always a gamer.

[glepore]

Wow. I'm exhausted. That last 10k... . What a ride by all.

[weisan]

.

One of the most consistent and complete pro cyclist ever.

[fignon's barber]

Dumoulin looked to have recovered from bridging. He should have went at 350m and turning it into a tt ( said as I sit here eating a blueberry muffin).

[oldpotatoe]

VAL VER DE!!! BRAVO..another win for an 'old guy'!!

GREAT finish, great course!!

[weisan]

That brutal climb forces the elite selection. Moscon's lack of racing got found out, so did the rest.

Michael Woods - Cyclist of the Year 2018

[oldpotatoe]

That brutal climb forces the elite selection. Moscon's lack of racing got found out, so did the rest.

Michael Woods - Cyclist of the Year 2018

:eek:

2018
1st Stage 17 Vuelta a España
2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Road race, UCI Road World Championships
9th Overall Tour of Utah

http://www.alejandrovalverde.es/en/


Bardet

Top 10:

- 5 top 10 of the Tour de France (6th in 2014, 9th in 2015, 2nd in 2016, 3rd in 2017, 6th in 2018)

Other major wins
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège (3rd in 2018)

- Critérium du Dauphiné (2nd in 2016, 3rd in 2018)

- Strade Bianche (2nd in 2018)

Dumoulin
2018
UCI Road World Championships
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Time trial
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Team time trial
4th Road race
2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
1st Stage 1 (ITT)
Held Jersey pink.svg & Jersey violet.svg after Stage 1
2nd Overall Tour de France
1st Stage 20 (ITT)
4th Overall Deutschland Tour

[thwart]

Great shot of Valverde crying after the finish.

Got to say he gave his all.

[bobswire]

I would have been happy for any of those four to have won.

[StephenCL]

So thrilled for him after last years accident...he is a truly class rider as well...i remember a number of years ago supporting Costa at the final to give up his own chances...

What a great ending after a disappointing finish to the Vuelta.

[echappist]

So thrilled for him after last years accident...he is a truly class rider as well...i remember a number of years ago supporting Costa at the final to give up his own chances...

What a great ending after a disappointing finish to the Vuelta.

That was supposed to be sarcastic, right? Rui Costa rode for Portugal. Piti f***ed up that race

[Chris]

One of the greatest dopers of all time

[echappist]

One of the greatest dopers of all time

it's a Piti i woke up to watch this...

Woods did Canada proud though

[GregL]

Definitely ambivalent about this year's race. Glad that Moscon was dropped, but not sure how I feel about Valverde. He's one of the last Armstrong era riders still competing, implicated in Puerto, and served a two-year suspension. Certainly a talented rider, but not one I admire.

Greg

[azrider]

ugh, anyone but him.

Totally onboard with this sentiment

Ugh.

[echappist]

that said, Moscon would have been worse

what a talent, and what a twerp of the first degree

[Vientomas]

Yay Valverde!!! :banana::banana::banana:

[Clean39T]

One of the greatest dopers of all time

Proving to a new generation that you should dope early in your career, serve a ban, then ride that physiology to glory as your hair falls out..

What a sham(e).

:no::butt::no:

[72gmc]

A new era.

[echappist]

Proving to a new generation that you should dope early in your career, serve a ban, then ride that physiology to glory as your hair falls out..

What a sham(e).

:no::butt::no:

from the bantering after 2017 Liege
https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=6730

A new era.

late 30's is the new early 20's ;)

[FlashUNC]

There's an empty blood bag or two somewhere in Innsbruck tonight.

Why'd it have to be Valverde? Shame Bardet couldn't pull it out.

[ultraman6970]

When TD got to the group I thought he was going ITT mode full gas... off course he was dead but anyways to wait there w/o going long killed him because the best finisher from all of them at least in paper was valverde... Woods was one of my picks aswell and nobody knew how he was going to finish it.

Either way, great win overthought many dont like him, the man is as consistent as you can get, previous years he lost the thing because spain as a team was way too competitive... they were arriving with 3 guys which wanted the jersey... that was killing them...

Why TD stopped the attack he started?? a curve was coming??? need to check the race again....

[Dino Suegiù]

I did not care yes/no regarding Valverde, really did not want Moscon, do not like Dumulin so much, and would have liked a new face (so not Kwiatkowski or Sagan). Bardet would have been good, for some reason mre interesting to me than Alaphilippe, but I guess Valverde gets a kind of cherry on the cake.

Anyway, it was a good, interesting race, worth watching, better than recent years.


Michael Woods - Cyclist of the Year 2018
Really? Maybe you are joking?

He was OK, but not even Cyclist of the Day, really.
Certainly not Cyclist of the Year.

[GonaSovereign]

[Michael Woods]

Really? Maybe you are joking?

He was OK, but not even Cyclist of the Day, really.
Certainly not Cyclist of the Year.

Clearly an enthusiastic moment led to that comment, but he had a heck of a fine few weeks, following the Vuelta stage win.

Up and coming cyclist of the year? Maybe!

Plus, he gets extra points for launching the attack that cracked Moscon.

[Dino Suegiù]

Clearly an enthusiastic moment led to that comment, but he had a heck of a fine few weeks, following the Vuelta stage win.

Up and coming cyclist of the year? Maybe!

Plus, he gets extra points for launching the attack that cracked Moscon.

OK, sure, but a few good weeks is not a Year.
Others like Moglic and Yates had good weeks after the Vuelta too.
Anyway, I can understand enthusiasm in the moment, sure.

But the test is the performance over the whole year.

The press is now already calling Evenepoel "the next Merckx". Maybe we can wait a few weeks (x 52 x 5 or more) or so?

[ultraman6970]

Was watching again the last 25km and looks like TD just did not have the legs when he tried to attack... sucks you try to go for it and the legs hurt so much that you have to just sit, sucks.

Wonder what could have happened if woods didnt cramp today...

[oldpotatoe]

Was watching again the last 25km and looks like TD just did not have the legs when he tried to attack... sucks you try to go for it and the legs hurt so much that you have to just sit, sucks.

Wonder what could have happened if woods didn't cramp today...

Yup, sometimes funny to hear the 'when he bridged up he should have attacked right then'...righto, after 230 some KMs of this course..ya know, maybe he didn't have the legs to do anything but get with the lead group..maybe..:)

[KonaSS]

First elite Worlds won on a disc brake bike (Womens). Very climby course too. Guess we can put to bed all that "too heavy" talk.

[bikinchris]

Sagan giving out medals was bizzare.

[oldpotatoe]

First elite Worlds won on a disc brake bike (Womens). Very climby course too. Guess we can put to bed all that "too heavy" talk.

Pretty easy to get any pro, disc bike to the UCI minimum, particularly a small one..Yup, they are at the 14.87 pound minimum but still strangely scarce in the pelOton tho?? Hmmmmm:)

[MattTuck]

OK, sure, but a few good weeks is not a Year.

Yeah, but worlds is a one day race. If you want to award it based on year results, just look at palmares or uci points and don't hold a race.

I am not surprised by Dan Martin's performance, and (sadly) I think the next year is going to be tough for him.

[saab2000]

I personally was at the race and because of all the histrionics here and elsewhere about disc brake road bikes I sort of paid attention to this.

Lots of spectators had bikes. Many were disc brake bikes and fairly high level disc brake bikes. A number of pros were on discs, including all Trek sponsored riders.

Nobody cared. That was the takeaway. Only people on forums seem to care about this stuff.

FWIW, attending an event like this is a ton of fun. Great atmosphere.

[Dino Suegiù]

Yeah, but worlds is a one day race. If you want to award it based on year results, just look at palmares or uci points and don't hold a race.

I am not surprised by Dan Martin's performance, and (sadly) I think the next year is going to be tough for him.

Yes, of course I know that WCs are one day.

I did not say at all that "Cyclist of the Year" should be based on one day or even a few weeks; the other fellow did. "Cyclist of the Year" should be pretty much about the entire year, no?

[weisan]

http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2018/10/09/1/bettiniphoto_0363002_1_2000px_670.jpg

[MattTuck]

I saw a story that said Michael woods missed his finish bottle, and he was cramping during the Sprint.