Olympic Road Race

[Crockett]

No no, that is to scale. Those are 92% climbes...they are allowing full-on EPO use, as well as fixed ropes....it is going to be CRAZY!

Team support will be key, as every rider is virtually assured of puncturing cresting the climb each and every time.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Team support will be key, as every rider is virtually assured of puncturing cresting the climb each and every time.

The other problem is at the base of each descent. If you come in with any speed... you can wedge your wheel into the valley between the peaks.

 

[EvilJediJ]

lol at crockett.

Contador is there for the TT.

 

[frost]

i think when zabel admited he haved try epo

"I only tried once but didn't like it"

 

[adamastor]

Rogers is riding in handy form at the moment.

Leipheimer, Cancellara, Contador, Valverde, Kirchen, Askari, Krueziger, Schumacher, Rebellin, Rogers.

The winner will come from that list.

What? No Bettini?

 

[adamastor]

Contador doesn't appear to be in very good form. He couldn't make the final selection at San Sebastian so it's unlikely a really hard course would be of any great benefit to him.

Valverde would seem to be the #1 favorite, with the likes of Bettini, Rebellin and Schumacher as other likely winners.

Contador said himself his aim is not the Olympics but the Tour of Spain. I think he will focus on TT at Olympics, who knows maybe help Valverde win this on the road.

 

[adamastor]

I changed my mind on Andy Schleck after seeing him at Clasica. Won't win Gold, silver or bronze. He's too young and inexperienced. At Clasica he was strong, but had to struggle with Valverde and Karpets to return to the top40 with all favourites (except Sastre).

Then in jaizkibel he looked good (well they all looked ok), but in last uphill why the f... did he go chasing Sioutsu. Once Sioutsu caught, Bettini, Rebellin and Co placed an attack and Mini Schleck just got lost 10kms from the end. Duh...

So what I discover is that at 23 Andy not ripe enough for these highly strategic one-day races.

 

[RAGT]

Teams at the olympics, from hln.be:

CSC 15 (oa. Cancellara, Schlecks, Kolobnev, Arvesen, Sastre, Voigt)
Columbia 10 (oa. Sivtsov, Kirchen, Ciolek, Rogers)
Credit Agricole 7 (oa. Pauriol, Rolland)
Silence 7 (Evans, Van Summeren, Brandt, Aerts, Popovych, Van Den Broeck, Lloyd)
Liguigas 6 (oa. Kreuziger, Nibali)
Ag2r 5 (oa. Vladimir Efimkin)
Astana 4 (oa. Contador, Leipheimer)
Rabobank 4 (oa. Gesink)
Barloworld 4 (oa. Hunter)
Garmin 4 (oa. Vande Velde)
Caisse 4 (oa. Valverde)
Gerolsteiner 3 (oa. Rebellin)
Bouygues 3 (oa. Pineau)
Lampre 2 (oa. Bruseghin)
Cofidis 2 (oa. Monfort)
Milram 2 (oa. Knees)
Quickstep 1 (Bettini)

Must be some time ago when QuickStep only had one single rider at the Worlds or Olympics? CSC looks really dangerous, even though Haedo won't be very useful

 

[Geoff Vadar]

I have not read this thread so my apology if I am repeating anything. There are only three teams that can win this: Australia, Spain and USA. I just dont think Germany has the goods. Nor do I particularly rate USA but their ability to successful cheat at Olympics cannot be understated. Is Marion coming? Awwww.

The Australian team is beautifully balanced lead by O'Grady. It is O'Grady's last roll of the Olympic dice and he will absolutely lead from the front. Evans has his own axe to grind and did state in his program he wanted a second peak here. Rogers needs no introduction and has had a frustrating year. Motivation and focus should be very very high for Michael Rogers. Both Gerrans and Lloyd are perfectly suited for the task at hand.

O'Grady is also far more tactically aware than most and I wonder if we will see an Australia/Luxemburg/Switzerland alliance at stages.

I will do a nudie run down beach rd if Australia dont medal in the Olympic RR.

 

[Runitout]

I

I will do a nudie run down beach rd if Australia dont medal in the Olympic RR.

I'll be going to Kinglake that day.

 

[Crankyfeet]

I will do a nudie run down beach rd if Australia dont medal in the Olympic RR.

I love these win/win deals. Either Australia gets a medal... or GV has to run naked up Beach Road. It's impossible to lose...

 

[adamastor]

I have not read this thread so my apology if I am repeating anything. There are only three teams that can win this: Australia, Spain and USA. I just dont think Germany has the goods. Nor do I particularly rate USA but their ability to successful cheat at Olympics cannot be understated. Is Marion coming? Awwww.

The Australian team is beautifully balanced lead by O'Grady. It is O'Grady's last roll of the Olympic dice and he will absolutely lead from the front. Evans has his own axe to grind and did state in his program he wanted a second peak here. Rogers needs no introduction and has had a frustrating year. Motivation and focus should be very very high for Michael Rogers. Both Gerrans and Lloyd are perfectly suited for the task at hand.

O'Grady is also far more tactically aware than most and I wonder if we will see an Australia/Luxemburg/Switzerland alliance at stages.

I will do a nudie run down beach rd if Australia dont medal in the Olympic RR.

Ha, forget Luxembourg to help O'Grady win this...with potential winners like Kirchen and Andy Schleck, no way ! It's the Olympics, man, not Paris-Tours.

And so, according to you, Italy with Rebellin and Bettini sucks?

 

[Geoff Vadar]

Ha, forget Luxembourg to help O'Grady win this...with potential winners like Kirchen and Andy Schleck, no way ! It's the Olympics, man, not Paris-Tours.

And so, according to you, Italy with Rebellin and Bettini sucks?

yo man ****er yo. like mannnn like yoooo man, ****a. LOL

I think there will be a fair bit of working for each other (between countries) early on and mid section of the race. No need to state the obvious it will be every man for himself to the line...

And so like yo man yo yeah I dont rate teh Italians. I cant like yo man pick everyone. Yo, man.

 

[JAPANic]

I think O'Grady is going to surprise a lot of people in this race. Not sure if he can win it though. He has had a bad run of injuries. He has been a sprinter in the past. His hill climbing has improved immensely over the last 2 or 3 years. He has not had much of a chance to race for a win since he moved to CSC.
He has usually done track races at the Olympics before. Is he doing any track this time?

The Italians are strong... can the Aussie team out do them? Only a few days to go to find out....

Lots of speculation on this thread and we haven't even seen a start list yet...

 

[Geoff Vadar]

I'll be going to Kinglake that day.

This is a good point. Only hot chicks should come watch my nudie run. I will need at least one to run beside me and carry my gigantic snake.

 

[JAPANic]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/olympics08/?id=startlistrr

 

[limerickman]

I think the sprinters are going to struggle. Even the better climbers like Freire and Zabel. Just my opinion. The effect of doing seven climbs of 10km each at 4% one after another is going to build-up the lactic in those legs... just trying to keep up with the better climbers. That's about 80km of climbing if you factor in the climb on the initial phase to the circuit. Admittedly it's only at an average grade of 4%.

and add in the heat/humidity factor too.

The Guardian described the Olympic parours as "equivalent to a mountainous TDF stage".

 

[Crankyfeet]

and add in the heat/humidity factor too.

The Guardian described the Olympic parours as "equivalent to a mountainous TDF stage".

The heat/humidity factor is good for the Australian team. O'Grady loves the heat. But it's probably too hilly for him.

 

[cam99]

Yeah I would think a little too hilly for O'Grady, but not for Evans, Lloyd and Gerrans & Rogers

 

[Crankyfeet]

Yeah I would think a little too hilly for O'Grady, but not for Evans, Lloyd and Gerrans & Rogers

That's your post for the year... Cam... Better hang up your lap top now....

BTW - welcome...hope you want to participate in here more. The FID thread (This forum is dying) at the top is the social-anybody-welcome thread where any subject goes.