Author Topic: World Championships 2018 (Read 3584 times)

paddyirish · « **on:** 29 September, 2018, 10:28:21 pm »

Really enjoying these championships, even though there haven't been many close results - The location is stunning and infra for cycling holidays is exceptional. Have ridden a lot of the RR courses including the two finishing circuits and the Gnadenwald climb and both are a great experience, especially Hoell.

Very impressive performances by Van Vleuten and Dennis in the ITT, Evenepoel in the Junior races and Anna van der Breggen today. Men's race has many potential winners; will be very interesting to see how early the winning move forms.

mattc · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 September, 2018, 03:58:03 pm »

Both RR's were great entertainmanet - in quite different ways!

I don't think anyone would be surprised by Valverde's win, but it's afact that the 3 favourites were outside the top 5 ( I'm not even sure where the Yates boys finished? )

What was the theme/reason of the crazy caveman outfits on the Hoell climb??

spesh · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 September, 2018, 04:15:08 pm »

Quote from: mattc on 30 September, 2018, 03:58:03 pm

I don't think anyone would be surprised by Valverde's win, but it's afact that the 3 favourites were outside the top 5 ( I'm not even sure where the Yates boys finished? )

Peter Kennaugh was GB's best finisher in 16th, with Adam Yates 37th and Simon Yates 47th.

rafletcher · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 September, 2018, 04:53:23 pm »

The results I saw say Simon Yates DNF.

spesh · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 September, 2018, 04:58:14 pm »

I was going off the BBC's report as it was at the time of posting. I see it's been updated since then.

TigaSefi · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 September, 2018, 05:15:36 pm »

An ex doping 38 year old won! If that doesn’t ring bells....

paddyirish · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 September, 2018, 05:33:12 pm »

@Tigasefi

Surely not. Don't you know he's been to the Chris Horner school of red wine cycling and it is all totally above board?

The Circuit was stunning and the Hoell climb everything expected, but just a shame about the winner.

psyclist · « **Reply #7 on:** 30 September, 2018, 06:04:34 pm »

Quote from: paddyirish on 30 September, 2018, 05:33:12 pm

The Circuit was stunning and the Hoell climb everything expected, but just a shame about the winner.

You echo my thoughts. Switched off as soon as he crossed the line.

αdαmsκι · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 September, 2018, 06:37:06 pm »

With 10 km to go I was getting seriously worried Gianni Moscon may be the person representing cycling for 12 months.

mattc · « **Reply #9 on:** 30 September, 2018, 07:59:51 pm »

Quote from: αdαmsκι on 30 September, 2018, 06:37:06 pm

With 10 km to go I was getting seriously worried Gianni Moscon may be the person representing cycling for 12 months.

I'm wondering just who WOULD have been a popular winner!

For me - Dumoulin. But his zig-zag climbing and chase back-on clearly "burned all his matches" as they now say. He wins my Heroic Nearly award.

Perfectly happy with the Valverde win - he's always seemed likeable, is very popular in the pro world, and is always "there or thereabouts" in this kind of race.

paddyirish · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 September, 2018, 08:18:41 pm »

@mattc, I liked Dumoulin's approach and I think he gained time on the 2nd half of the climb so the zigzagging worked- think he started too far back in the pack at the bottom. Also think he should have gone all or nothing about 1km out, but he bailed at the key moment and never got another chance.

Also think Pinot deserves great credit - he rode selflessly, covered a number of moves and still finished alongside Alaphillipe.

I rode the 3 main climbs in July. Hoell really was something- especially as it just kept on getting steeper. I stopped twice by driveways so that I could get going again, but I finally burst about the same point Moscon did and had to walk the last 100m. Igls and Gnadenwald were much more scenic and quite doable.

Karla · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 September, 2018, 10:46:46 pm »

Can't Valverde just go away? He bores me. I'd have far preferred a Bardet win.

Legs · « **Reply #12 on:** 01 October, 2018, 06:42:01 am »

Good race, 'piti about the winner.

yoav · « **Reply #13 on:** 01 October, 2018, 07:43:12 am »

Valverde is a very clever rider, nowhere to be seen until the last vital moments of a race, one day hilly races being his speciality, such as his multiple Liege-Bastogne-Liege wins.

However, he is an unrepentant doper, got caught, served his ban, returned with not an ounce of contrition. I admire him but I don’t like him

spesh · « **Reply #14 on:** 01 October, 2018, 12:32:18 pm »

Quote from: Legs on 01 October, 2018, 06:42:01 am

Good race, 'piti about the winner.

ISWYDT.

Peter · « **Reply #15 on:** 02 October, 2018, 12:10:13 pm »

I was absorbed by this race more than by any previous ones. Am I alone in thinking that this is the kind of course there should always be for a World Championship? It's just my feeling that a World Championship should never be set up so that a pure sprinter can win it. A stage in a tour maybe - but not a World Championship.

Why no Peter Sagan? Has he been injured? Did he just get bored? Time out because of the break-up of his marriage? Or was he riding but didn't show?

Peter

mattc · « **Reply #16 on:** 02 October, 2018, 12:20:45 pm »

https://binged.it/2y9MBMK

Dropped out about halfway - never the same after his Tour crash, but clearly he stood little chance of retaining the jersey.

(He was more visible than Froome or Thomas - both better climbers!)

Peter · « **Reply #17 on:** 02 October, 2018, 12:32:28 pm »

Ah, thanks, Matt! I never even heard Froome or Thomas mentioned, though I only saw the last three hours or so.

TigaSefi · « **Reply #18 on:** 02 October, 2018, 12:33:51 pm »

They weren’t chosen to represent GBR!

yoav · « **Reply #19 on:** 02 October, 2018, 01:06:17 pm »

I think they declined selection rather than not being selected.

citoyen · « **Reply #20 on:** 02 October, 2018, 01:13:39 pm »

Quote from: mattc on 30 September, 2018, 03:58:03 pm

What was the theme/reason of the crazy caveman outfits on the Hoell climb??

They were Krampusse...

https://www.innsbruck.info/en/innsbruck-city/events/advent-and-christmas/krampus-and-st-nikolaus.html

citoyen · « **Reply #21 on:** 02 October, 2018, 01:19:27 pm »

Quote from: yoav on 01 October, 2018, 07:43:12 am

Valverde is a very clever rider, nowhere to be seen until the last vital moments of a race, one day hilly races being his speciality, such as his multiple Liege-Bastogne-Liege wins.

However, he is an unrepentant doper, got caught, served his ban, returned with not an ounce of contrition. I admire him but I don’t like him

I was backing Alaphilippe for the win but the final climb was clearly just that bit too hard for him. The French had a great race apart from that - interesting to see Pinot on domestique duties, shame Bardet couldn't finish the job as he would have been a worthy winner. I'd love to see those three racing for the same trade team.

Michael Woods has had a great season and would also have been a worthy winner.

Dumoulin is just a fantastic rider, always good to watch, and again would have been a very worthy winner. Top 5 in both the TT and RR is a great achievement though.

I'm still happy enough that Valverde won though. I like him. Even if he is a big fat unrepentant doping nobber.

I'd also much rather see an unrepentant doper win than an unrepentant racist like Moscon.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #22 on:** 03 October, 2018, 07:42:42 pm »

Quote from: yoav on 01 October, 2018, 07:43:12 am

Valverde is a very clever rider, nowhere to be seen until the last vital moments of a race, one day hilly races being his speciality, such as his multiple Liege-Bastogne-Liege wins.

However, he is an unrepentant doper, got caught, served his ban, returned with not an ounce of contrition. I admire him but I don’t like him

https://cyclingtips.com/2018/10/the-weekly-spin-the-alejandro-valverde-conundrum/