World Championships 2011 (spoilers)

[David Martin]

Why a circuit? Because you have 30 nations and the larger nations would want multiple support vehicles. That is not going to happen, so if it is on a circuit you have a pits area where all the handups can happen.

A circuit provides for a better spectacle, less resource usage and a more even playing field for the smaller nations.

[giropaul]

I'm serious, but obviously don't know enough about racing.

Actually I was thinking as much about the tours as the WCs.  What other Brits could be major players in next year's TDF (green or yellow).  Sorry for going OT.

Wiggins and Froome, possibly Thomas for GC.  Thomas and Millar for stage wins.  Wiggins/Froome/Millar/Dowsett ? for the TTs.  Sky for the TTT if there is one.

I agree that Britain needs strength in depth for the future.

However, in addition to all those mentioned, there are some seriously good young riders coming through the BC Academy and other systems.

I was in Belgium last month, and a lot of races are being won by UK riders. I can remeber when UK riders were regarded as a novelty in Eropean races - now they are the ones to watch. UK cycle racing has come a very long way.

[cuddy duck]

All the comments about how long it's been since Britain had a world road champion  Tom Sipson in 1965 is cited) seem to be ignoring Graham Webb's win in 1967...

And Nicole Cooke's in 2008.

[citoyen]

Who is the next-best British road sprinter, and has he got a chance of winning anything major - say, within the next three years?

Cav is a phenomenon, a one-off, the best in the world at what he does, and the best there has been for some time - or ever? It's not fair to use him as a benchmark.

But Ben Swift is no slouch. And there are other race winners in the ranks. Peter Kennaugh is one. And would you bet against Geraint Thomas being the next British world champion? I wouldn't.

Things are looking pretty good for British cycling at the moment.

d.

[citoyen]

It looked to me as though he was waiting for his team mates, but just shaking hands as everyone else passed.

It looked to me like he had it in the bag as soon as he latched onto Matt Goss's wheel. Very much a case of the devil you know...

He definitely owes Goss a pint.

d.

[citoyen]

How good is this? I can't believe that we have a world champion road cyclist!

If Lizzie Armitstead hadn't crashed, we might have had two...

d.

[onb]

Cav may regret winning tomorrow if he is going out on the piss tonight with Millar and Wiggins.

[David Martin]

We do have two.. Cav and Hannah Barnes, Junior ladies world champ..

If you would have said 5 years ago that Briatin would top the medals table at the world road champs, who would have believed it possible..?

[Nuncio]

I think you mean Lucy Garner.

[citoyen]

Don't wish to belittle Lucy's achievements but do juniors count?

[gonzo]

Congrats to Cav and all that, but I'm following Millar's progress with interest. He was team capt' out on the road today & he's clearly got charisma. I wonder what position he's lining himself up for?

[David Martin]

You are absolutely right..
Lucy Garner - World Junior Road Champion

[Andrew Br]

I thought that was a seriously impressive performance by the men's team today. It seemed to me that they had a plan and they stuck to it despite the other team's attempts to disrupt it with breaks and attacks*.
Cav was right (IMO) to say that the whole of the team should get a jersey because it was, truly, a team effort.
Even if the closing part of the race didn't go according to the script, it showed that they got Cav near enough for him to finish it.

<Grump>
Anyone else irritated by the commentator repeatedly saying "Team UK are on the back foot" ?
FFS. I'm no expert but it seemed, even to me, that Team UK were working to a plan.

<Grump>

*Most seem to come directly after the food/drinks pickup. WTF ? Shouldn't there be a truce about that or put the pickup on an innocuous part of the circuit ?

[Ray 6701]

Don't wish to belittle Lucy's achievements but do juniors count?

Of course they count 

They still have to put in the hours of training & racing same as the elites!

[woollypigs]

Will he get the BBC Sports Personality this year ?

[citoyen]

Unlikely. It'll probably go to one of the crickets or golfs. The British public being what they are, I suspect a racehorse is more likely than a cyclist to win spoty.

d.

[Recursived]

According to Wikipedia, the current score is Racehorses 0, Cyclists 2 (Simpson in 1965, Hoy in 2008). I was surprised that Red Rum hadn't won it.

[Dinamo]

According to Wikipedia, the current score is Racehorses 0, Cyclists 2 (Simpson in 1965, Hoy in 2008). I was surprised that Red Rum hadn't won it.

Didn't Princess Anne win it one year ?

[David Martin]

Zara Phillips.

[Rig of Jarkness]

My SPOTY nominations would be Cav for individual, his team for, um, the team, Dave B for manager, and Philippe Gilbert for overseas.

[rafletcher]

Given that the main headline on the BBC Sports page this morning is Tiger Woods getting a new caddy, followed by Lewis Hamilton not winning, I don't rate Cav's chances very highly.

[woollypigs]

They have been pretty good on radio one this am. Even when they said he was the world road rage champion

[JT]

I was at the race yesterday* (and the women's snoozefest on Saturday) and it was amazing to see GB on the front every time the peloton came though. We were about 45m from the finish line so when Cav came though in front at the finish I was sure he'd win and when I saw his arms in the air at the line, I have to say I lost my normal British reserve and went a bit mental for a moment.

The DCU and the army of volunteers deserve a huge pat on the back for superb orgnaisation: trains every 5 minutes, for example, loads of jumbo screens, English/Danish commentary relayed around the whole course, and loads of food/drink outlets (and portaloos).

It was strange leaving the race as loads of people (especially Norwegians) came up and congratulated us. One French guy even posed for a photo with Mrs JT despite her protest of "What are you doing you weirdo?". 

*The big Union Jack waving near the finish was mine.

[David Martin]

*The big Union Jack waving near the finish was mine.

Image 38 in the gallery at the bottom of this page? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/8787735/UCI-Road-Cycling-World-Championships-2011-Mark-Cavendish-sprints-into-history-books-with-world-title.html

[JT]

*The big Union Jack waving near the finish was mine.

Image 38 in the gallery at the bottom of this page? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/8787735/UCI-Road-Cycling-World-Championships-2011-Mark-Cavendish-sprints-into-history-books-with-world-title.html

Nice one - thanks. 

Need to find one that I can embiggen for use as desktop wallpaper.