World Championships

[David Martin]

It's looking good for GB at the moment, as the stunning performance at the Tour has pushed us into the top ten nations. This gives us rank 1 status so we can have a team of 12 riders in the race (and 6 named as reserves from which 2 can be selected)
We just have to hang onto that spot in the top ten till at least 15th August.


So, who to ride and who to not ride? If a rider is in a trade team then they have to ride Elite mens rather than u23. Who would be left to ride the u23?

Clear riders:
Millar
Wiggins
Cav
Thomas
Froome
Bellis
Cummings
Swift

Others:
House
Downing
Downing
Clancy
Hammond
Kennaugh
Oliphant
 

[gonzo]

I was wondering if we'd make rank 1 just after the tour, but then figured that we might not actually have enough riders to clover all the places!

What's the circuit like? Is it a sprinters or climbers course?

I would imagine that Cav could get a pretty good lead out from Millar, Wiggins and Swift if it gets to that situation. Hammond would also be a favourite for Cav as he used to be part of his old leadout train.

[rdaviesb]

I would definitely take Hammond as road captain. Then Ed Clancy, Russ Downing. Ian Wilkinson would be my other pick.

[gonzo]

9 Starters : Spain, Italia, Australia, Germany, Russia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Great Britain, Norway, United States of America.
6 Starters: South Africa, Colombia, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, France, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Poland, Ukraina, Denmark, Switzerland
3 Starters: Tunisia, Argentina, Brasil, Canada, Iran, Japan, Portugal, Estonia, Austria, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Sweden, Serbia, Latvia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Ireland, Belarus
1 Starter: Lithuania, Finland, Namibia, Cuba, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Uruguay, Bulgaria, Chile

I never thought I'd see that in my life!

[MSeries]

Higher placed that the Netherlands and France ? Fantastic.

[matthew]

Apparently it is a hilly course.

Cav showed at the tour that he can win on a hilly stage but I suspect it is more of a Wiggins stage. Have we got anyone who can play the role of Armatige to Cooke? e.g. go off the front and make everyone else chase.

edit: 4,600+m climbing in 262km

profile on last page of this doc http://www.uci.ch/includes/asp/getTarget.asp?type=FILE&id=NTQwNDY

[JT]

Have we got anyone who can play the role of Armatige to Cooke? e.g. go off the front and make everyone else chase.

David Millar or Chris Froome perhaps?