2008 Beijing Olympic Road Race

[Walrus]

Who is strong enough to win this?

Details: (http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/beijing/2008/sport_sto1015981.shtml)

The preliminary course is said start in the centre of Beijing in the "Forbidden City, pass through Tiananmen Square and then leave Beijing, probably via the expressway, towards the Great Wall of China"

Total distance: 140km
Profile: Half of it flat, then a circuit to be covered 6-7 times including an 11km climb from 80 - 600m altitude.
Finish: 700m ascent of 7%

Names that spring to my mind are Valverde, Bettini, Schleck, Sanchez....

Thoughts?

 

[sogood]

How appropriate! Climb the Great Wall and be the man amongst men (and women of course)!

That's it. I am going to hit tickets for this road race in 2008. I am really excited just reading about it. The hard part would be knowing where to place oneself to watch such a race.

Aug in Beijing and up north in the mountains could be real hot. I see real pain!

 

[Walrus]

How appropriate! Climb the Great Wall and be the man amongst men (and women of course)!

That's it. I am going to hit tickets for this road race in 2008. I am really excited just reading about it. The hard part would be knowing where to place oneself to watch such a race.

Aug in Beijing and up north in the mountains could be real hot. I see real pain!

It will be an awesome race...kind of like a Classics profile with the repetitive climbs sapping all the energy of the riders. The difference is that in Belgium it would be 4c and raining, in Beijing it would be 30c and 95% humidity. Me thinks that will favour the warmer climate riders...maybe a Spanish rider who resembles a Green Bullet?

 

[sogood]

Already have plans to go to the BJ Olympics since our Sydney Olympics. Now it'll be even more exciting. The other question is, should I bring my bike along. I have always enjoyed riding in BJ on its flat boulevards, but just never with my own bike. It would be fantastic!

 

[Walrus]

Already have plans to go to the BJ Olympics since our Sydney Olympics. Now it'll be even more exciting. The other question is, should I bring my bike along. I have always enjoyed riding in BJ on its flat boulevards, but just never with my own bike. It would be fantastic!

Definitely take your own bike. Try and sneak on to the course for a taste of what the pro's will be riding.

 

[sogood]

Definitely take your own bike. Try and sneak on to the course for a taste of what the pro's will be riding.

You've read my mind, and I even have time to train for it!

I understand that BJ is more bike friendly than modern Shanghai these days and it should be great fun to have my road bike with me. In the past, I could only pump those heavy 28"/26" borrowed local commuters. Maybe I'll have some real fun with my own bike this time around.

Sneaking on the course shouldn't be difficult given that there are so many cyclist locally but just not sure if the cyclists are permitted on the freeways segment during regular hours. In any case, the roads around the Great Wall are surely open to cyclist, just have to somehow get there and avoid all the tourist buses from running you off the road. I'll see if I can find the local road cycling club and see if they have some info and activities around that time. It would be much easier to follow a local bunch.

Now, I wonder who actually know the proposed route. Would be very interesting to map it onto GoogleEarth.

 

[Walrus]

You've read my mind!

I understand that BJ is more bike friendly than modern Shanghai these days and it should be great fun to have a road bike with me. In the past, I could only pump those heavy 28"/26" local commuters. Maybe I'll have some real fun with my own bike this time around.

Sneaking on the course shouldn't be difficult given that there are so many cyclist locally but just not sure if the cyclists are permitted on the freeways segment during regular hours. In any case, the roads around the Great Wall are surely open to cyclist, just have to somehow get there and avoid all the tourist buses. I'll see if I can find the local road cycling club and see if they have some activities around that time. It would be much easier to follow the locals.

Now, I wonder who actually know the proposed route. Would be very interesting to map it onto GoogleEarth.

In the days leading up to the race, there'll probably be some barriers in Beijing that will give some inidication of the route. They usually have markers out on the course to help the riders as well.

 

[sogood]

In the days leading up to the race, there'll probably be some barriers in Beijing that will give some inidication of the route. They usually have markers out on the course to help the riders as well.

Yes I am sure that would be the case just like what they did here in Sydney. However, given the extrodinary need for crowd control there, I suspect there'll be a lot more access restrictions than we had here in Sydney. But you never know, the 2008 committee is trying darnest to make it the perfect game along with a lot of regulatory powers. We'll just have to hope and wait.

In any case, thanks for bringing up this news item. I'll report back if I can dig up the proposed course from somewhere.