World Championship Predictions?

sy

Specifically the elite mens. So we know that the following are all going well
Cunego
Valverde
Sanchez
Evans
Boasson Hagen
Gilbert
Ballan
Schleck (Andy)
Pozzato
Cancellara
Kolobnev
Gerrans
Kirchen
and of course our 3 lads.

262.2 kilometres and 4655 metres of climbing! Sounds like a Liege-Bastogne-Liege twin and it will be this type of rider who will win in the end. However the big difference is that the national squads are not all equal. The Spaniards and Italians have really strong teams. Valverde and Cunego start as strong favourites but sometimes this can lead to them effectively cancelling each other out and I think Sanchez may benefit from this situation. He showed in the Olympics that he can do it so he's my prediction. Love to see Evans win but just hasn't the kick or the team. Pozzato(if he gets his head right on the day) may be the Italian who benefits from the Cunego/Valverde duel. Andy Schleck seems to be injured but Kirchen might be a surprise packet. An out and out duel between Valverde and Cunego would be exciting finish and of course our boys will hopefully show well. Unfortunately if you only have 3 on a team versus Oscar Freire, Juan Manuel Gárate, Alejandro Valverde, Joaquím Rodríguez, Daniel Moreno, Samuel Sánchez, Juan José Cobo, Carlos Barredo and Rubén Plaza! it would be a supreme achievement to get a medal. Cmon the boys! Its the best team we have representing us since 87 Worlds

PS Lars Boom might be worth an outside bet.
Now how many is that I've mentioned:rolleyes:

Over to you

Captain Havoc

Nicky Roche :rolleyes:

Esroh

jerseyeire wrote: »

Nicky Roche :rolleyes:

SK was saying during the week that course will suit the 3 lads if form holds so maybe the rebirth of Irish ProTour cycling will continue;)

niceonetom

I have no idea...

Has anyone got a profile for the course? that's usually what I base my predictions on.

Captain Havoc

Esroh wrote: »

SK was saying during the week that course will suit the 3 lads if form holds so maybe the rebirth of Irish ProTour cycling will continue;)

It would be great, Martin, Roche and Deignan the new, Kelly, Roche and Earley. I think they'll be respected that's for sure, Martin is ranked in the 40s, Roche finishing 23rd (I think) in the TdF with 5 or so top 10s and Deignan finishing 9th in la Vuelta plus taking a stage. I've also booked next Sunday off work

Tawfee

niceonetom wrote: »

I have no idea...

Has anyone got a profile for the course? that's usually what I base my predictions on.

http://www.mendrisio09.ch/percorso.asp?nid=63&lid=1

Caroline_ie

i predict menchov will crash
and
andy shleck will win a medal

niceonetom

Here's a link to the course in mapmyride...

There a two climbs per lap each of about 2km wiht about 100m of gain and (according to the stats on Tawfee's link) there are points where it gets up to 11%. That doesn't sound too bad but I bet it'll hurt as the laps clock up...

Boasen Haagen (sp?)
Cunego (who is testing my faith these days)
Sanchez

One of those three.

Too lumpy for Cancellara (who should just concentrate on the TT I think) and not lumpy enough for Andy Schleck.

That actually looks like an ideal course for our three .

Chips Lovell

Cunego is my form pick at present. Sanchez too could win.

But knowing cycling, it'll be Valverde who wins the rainbow jersey and then a month later we'll hear that his Italian ban has been extended to a worldwide ban.

sy

el tonto wrote: »

But knowing cycling, it'll be Valverde who wins the rainbow jersey and then a month later we'll hear that his Italian ban has been extended to a worldwide ban.

I fear this as it would be a disaster for the sport

Nova_era

My prediction is Cancellara to end up on the podium for both the TT and road race. He's by far the best TT rider in the world, can't see him getting beat at his own game. His overall riding this season has been solid, for which reason I see him putting up a good fight in the Road race. He's been working towards it too, it's just going to come down to recovery after the TT. I don't think he'll blow his load too much during the TT though, so the road race will be interesting.

Ballan has'nt impressed me this season, but then neither did Bettini before he defended his title, so you just don't know.

It's too hilly for Cavendish, and I imagine he'll go into it as team leader, so that puts the British out of it.

I think we're being over ambitious to think an Irish rider can win, but I'm sure most of us would'nt have predicted a Vuelta stage win for Deignan this time last week.

Evans has a season to save, but then he always does.

Andy Schleck is the best bike rider in the world, and did take a very early exit from the Vuelta, so he could well mean business. I think he'd be the number one rider who I'd hope could win, I'm a really big fan.

Oooh I don't know. :P

tunney

For the win? I'm thinking a doper.

TinyExplosions

Cunego I reckon

Raam

OK, with no small amount of plagarism and influence from others, here is my amateur and more than likely, entirely flawed outlook...

Alejandro Valverde: I like his style of riding and he has a nice sprint on him at the end. He won't win against pure sprinters, but I doubt there will be any of them left at the end for him to worry about. That assumes Sanchez hasn't already gone up the road. What white elephant?

Samuel Sanchez: he rode a good vuelta and did well in La Flèche Wallonne. What else has he done all season? He can descend like no mans business, but will the course be technical enough for that? Can't see him riding away from Andy Schleck.

Andy Schleck: a rider I woud like to see win. He should have won La Flèche Wallonne expect for Davide Rebellin, and we all know what happened to him. He did a cracking attack to win Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Definitely one to watch. Go Andy!

Cadel Evans: If Andy can't do it, I'd like to see Cadel win something, because he seems to be the eternal bridesmaid. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

Damiano Cunego: a great rider and I reckon he has a serious chance. The only problem here is all the other Italian contenders. If one of them goes, the others can't do anything apart from hope that another team brings them back or they run out of gas. Then if a team-mate stays away they have to smile through gritted teeth and pretend they are happy that another team mate won.

Fabien Cancellara: yet another rider who I like (it seems I like them all). Surely the TT is his aim and not the road race. A great ride in the Olympics to get bronze, but from what I recall it looked like he totally cooked himself in order to do so.

Edvald Boasson Hagen: I think he's too young to win this one. Why? I dunno, but I always associate the Worlds with canny wise riders. I'm sure there are plenty of victors who go against that. He had a good win in Gent-Wevelgem, so he is certainly a great rider.

Philippe Gilbert: likes to attack and is good to watch. Had a go in a few Vuelta stages but they amounted to nothing. Does that mean he hasn't got it?

Alessandro Ballan: I was surprised when he took the jersey last year, but that may only show how little I know about the sport than Ballan's ability. A terrible season this year due to illness, but he did take top spot in Poland.

Please be gentle!

TinyExplosions

Raam wrote: »

Cadel Evans: If Andy can't do it, I'd like to see Cadel win something, because he seems to be the eternal bridesmaid. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

You got bloody weddings on the brain man!

Dura Ace

Any chance of a top-10 for McCann in the TT? Great performance at the weekend from him. His previous best is 15th.

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/uk-time-trial-round-up-boardmans-25-record-falls-23293


It has stood for more than 16 years, but Chris Boardman's 25-mile competition record was finally beaten on a perfect day on the R25/3L course in South Wales on Sunday.
After going within three seconds of Boardman's 1993 time on an adjacent but slightly slower course earlier this season, many expected In Gear Quickvit RT's Michael Hutchinson to beat the old record in the Port Talbot Wheelers event. But it was Belfast's David McCann who beat Boardman's time, the Phoenix CC rider clocking 45min 54sec and taking three seconds off the previous best.
Hutchinson was second with 46:07, but was clearly upset by having gone so close to the record on what was a superb day for time trialling.
"It began overcast for the overflow event," said event organiser Michael Edwards. "But by 10.30 the sun had come out and warmed the day up, and what wind there had been had gone so it was perfectly still."
Following the event, 36-year-old McCann left for Switzerland, where he is due to ride the World Road Race Championships at Mendrisio next week.