Olympic time trial

[rob of the og]

Rogers would be the only guy with a shot. Skillset required would be a few months to develop.

Cancellara would win by a bit if he had one years experience riding world cups.


If G Thomas goes 4'17" in only his third ever individual pursuit cos there are no velodromes in Wales then Cancellara could go sub 4'10". I think Wiggins best, would be about 4'13" or 4'14" potentially. His pb in a 4'16" I think. Riding to win gold, and setting a pb, is not perfectly in accordance.

We have three velodromes in Wales: Maendy, Carmarthen and the indoor Wales National Velodrome in Newport. Trust me, Gez has been riding individual pursuits on the track since he was a young child. He's also a World Champion at the team pursuit so he knows exactly what he's doing over 4000m on the track. Perhaps that was his 3rd properly timed ip since being on the Olympic squad, but he's got all the skills to ride it very quickly.

It would take FC quite a while I think to adapt to the ip and I doubt he would be particularly interested in it (especially while he's winning on the road) but all the form suggests that if you gave him Wiggin's track experience then he would be significantly quicker than Wiggins.

Your Wales correspondant

 

[huboon]

After watching this race on the Tivo last night, I think Contadope should replace Cadel as The Official Wheelsucker -- at least Cadel only does it in road races. AC has now shown that he can do it both on the road and ITT disciplines. It was so blatant that even Paul Sherwen mentioned it. Then he was like a gnat around Clement like it was a road stage -- in front, in back, beside, to the back again to draft some more... wtf were the referees thinking by not even warning him?

 

[limerickman]

It was so blatant that even Paul Sherwen mentioned it. Then he was like a gnat around Clement like it was a road stage -- in front, in back, beside, to the back again to draft some more... wtf were the referees thinking by not even warning him?

I noticed that too : Contadore drafted particularly on the second circuit when he began to tire.
Commissars did nothing as you say.

 

[Anticyclone]

Schumacher rides best on the dead flat, like Levi.

Maybe but i would have expected him to do better in this TT

Ok, so the Tirreno-Adriatico is top of many people's objectives at the start of the season but he won the TT last year on a course that wasnt too dissimilar

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/mar07/tirreno07/?id=results/tirreno075

 

[jhuskey]

"Cancellara usually lost about 1 minute to 2 in a 50 km time trial against Schumacher".
This is a quote from another pro a year or so ago but I think Cancellara has gotten better.

 

[thunder]

We have three velodromes in Wales: Maendy, Carmarthen and the indoor Wales National Velodrome in Newport. Trust me, Gez has been riding individual pursuits on the track since he was a young child. He's also a World Champion at the team pursuit so he knows exactly what he's doing over 4000m on the track. Perhaps that was his 3rd properly timed ip since being on the Olympic squad, but he's got all the skills to ride it very quickly.

It would take FC quite a while I think to adapt to the ip and I doubt he would be particularly interested in it (especially while he's winning on the road) but all the form suggests that if you gave him Wiggin's track experience then he would be significantly quicker than Wiggins.

Your Wales correspondant

Rob, it was facetious.

My point was, why did the guy not ride the pursuit more than 3 times in his career, and why did he never contest jnr world 3km pursuit. My theory, he was riding road, winning Paris Roubaix jnrs and they preferred to keep him on that path. They rode him in the teams pursuit.

I dont think the GB staff pay a big heed to jnr tts and jnr pursuits. They look at the youth to develop them foremost, not for jnr medals.

Yeah, Stannard and Tennant are a little different in they contested, and won some medals.

 

[thunder]

It would take FC quite a while I think to adapt to the ip

Rob, I have always said this, said the skillset required was 12 months...

however, Taylor Phinney is indication it can be done potentially with ease, and perhaps a rider like Cancellara can do it in one off season.

The problem is, the offseason sees a drop in form, so how can Cancellara know how his power will be, his pacing, in peak form.

But Cancellara is an experienced prologue rider, he should use this experience to know his limits.

All points to FC winning is Riis allowed him to ride. But Riis quashed it in the off season.

 

[thunder]

"Cancellara usually lost about 1 minute to 2 in a 50 km time trial against Schumacher".
This is a quote from another pro a year or so ago but I think Cancellara has gotten better.

jhusk, can you please clarify.

Cancellara has always been a gun tter. Where does that pro get his info.

 

[thunder]

I was away in London yesterday - but I taped our national television stations coverage of the ITT.
We got over 1 hours live coverage of the ITT - which was pretty good.

Just watched the tape.
Contador was blasted away on the first circuit of the course - he was up considerably on the entire field and he had the guts of 30secs on Canc/Larsson/Evans etc.
His cadence looked really smooth over the first circuit.
On the second circuit however, his cadence was less smooth and he seemed to be struggling somewhat.

Larssons ride was something else : to be honest I wasn't aware that he could TT.
Great performance.

As for Canc - what can one say.
He's been the strongest rider throughout this season in my opinion.
He had a great early season - worked superbly at the TDF and now has an Olympic bronze and gold medal.
Rider of the season in my opinion.
In interview after the race, Canc said that he was at a training camp in the US earlier in the season with Larsson and that Larsson had put the Olympic ITT race as his seasons objective.
Interesting.

Lim, think Larsson has a 4th or 5th in the worlds tt, as far back as circa 2004. I sometimes confuse that ride with the Athens tt. But I think it was 2004 worlds, may be, 2005 worlds.

 

[thunder]

Pursuits and TT's are stupid. Only poms and abos ride them.

Cancellara was talking about riding IP but ruled it out with some lame excuse about not having time to ride one world cup to qualify. I suspect he tested and didn't do well.

I know fark all about all the little techniques they use. I do know that in the last 6-7 years in the IP that the gearing has gone up, I think 98-103". I don't think anyone rides below 100" in the teams pursuit. You need to be smooth too so you don't lose time wobbling up and down the track.

FWIW, O'Bree was riding some huge gear in 1993, 118" IIRC. Strong man. He'd get flogged at the start, get into that tuck and wind the ****er up. Impressive, stupid tuck position or superman position or not. Even a Collinelli doped to the eyeballs wasn't really beating him by much.

Road does not always translate to track. Armand De la Cuevas was good on the road (only man to get within 3 minutes of Big Mig in the 'extraterrestrial' TT in the 92 Tour) but in the pursuit couldn't win an IP at the worlds. Thierry Marie was an awesome prologue rider but IIRC no good at the IP. Hinault too, his pursuit times weren't that great. The track has become extremely specialised.

Personally, I don't think there would be many harder events than an individual pursuit, except maybe for a mountain TT. The kilo sucks but its only a minute and a bit. Reminds me of how tough rowing must be, or a 1500m athletics.race.

thanks for your input classo

 

[Crankyfeet]

Who's going to start some threads on the upcoming Olympic track events? I don't know enough to even make an OP.

 

[thunder]

Who's going to start some threads on the upcoming Olympic track events? I don't know enough to even make an OP.

you

 

[rob of the og]

Rob, it was facetious.

My point was, why did the guy not ride the pursuit more than 3 times in his career, and why did he never contest jnr world 3km pursuit. My theory, he was riding road, winning Paris Roubaix jnrs and they preferred to keep him on that path. They rode him in the teams pursuit.

I dont think the GB staff pay a big heed to jnr tts and jnr pursuits. They look at the youth to develop them foremost, not for jnr medals.

Yeah, Stannard and Tennant are a little different in they contested, and won some medals.

Don't mind me, it's been a stressful few days here... and it hasn't stopped raining in about a month now, I'm getting fed up of getting soaked riding in to work.

 

[Drongo]

Lim, think Larsson has a 4th or 5th in the worlds tt, as far back as circa 2004. I sometimes confuse that ride with the Athens tt. But I think it was 2004 worlds, may be, 2005 worlds.

2004.

Results:
1 Michael Rogers (Australia) 57.30.12 (48.78 km/h)
2 Michael Rich (Germany) 1.12.43
3 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) 1.25.04
4 Gustav Erik Larsson (Sweden) 1.34.47
5 David Zabriskie (USA) 1.36.86
6 Marzio Bruseghin (Italy) 1.37.26
7 Marc Wauters (Belgium) 1.56.33
8 Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) 2.10.67
9 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spain) 2.23.12
10 Uwe Peschel (Germany) 2.28.75

CN course description:

For the Elite Men, who complete a distance of 48.75 kilometres, riders head north in a clockwise direction from Bardolino (68m alt.) for a flat first run out to Garda (68m alt.). A right-hand turn then sees them tackling the course's most difficult climb up to Costermano (253m alt.), where the road continues to rise ever so slightly until Caprino Veronese (256m alt.), before reaching the northernmost point in Pazzon.

From here, it's due south for almost 10 k's down into Sega (98m alt.) via Rivoli Veronese (195m alt.). Once at Sega, it's uphill once again to Pastrengo (186m alt.), before a medium right takes them east for a downward run into Lazise (71m alt.). One more right brings the chrono men back along the seafront for a fast, flat-out run back to the start/finish line via Cisano (67m alt.).

 

[limerickman]

Lim, think Larsson has a 4th or 5th in the worlds tt, as far back as circa 2004. I sometimes confuse that ride with the Athens tt. But I think it was 2004 worlds, may be, 2005 worlds.

Thanks for this.

Drongo's post shows that Larsson beat Canc by a sizable margin back in 2004
at the worlds ITT.

better widen my raydar!

 

[thunder]

Thanks for this.

Drongo's post shows that Larsson beat Canc by a sizable margin back in 2004
at the worlds ITT.

better widen my raydar!

yep, folks oughta listen to me

I see Larsson like Vansummeran, super domestique.

Will come into the Tour team next year.

Not sure if Sastre will be there. but.

Sastre
Schleck
Schleck
CA Sorensen
Larsson
Voigt
Cancellara
Arvesen
OGrady

Kolobnev and Gustov reserves on the bubble

 

[limerickman]

yep, folks oughta listen to me

I see Larsson like Vansummeran, super domestique.

Will come into the Tour team next year.

Not sure if Sastre will be there. but.

Sastre
Schleck
Schleck
CA Sorenson
Larsson
Voigt
Cancellara
Arvesen
OGrady

Kolobnev and Gustov reserves on the bubble

Vansummeran is a superb domestique.

I agree with your view about Larsson - he is probably a good fit for CSC.

 

[thunder]

Vansummeran is a superb domestique.

I agree with your view about Larsson - he is probably a good fit for CSC.

he was high up on the GC quite deep into the Giro, top 15. His climbing is not surprising from his form, it is surprising wrt to his size.

 

[jhuskey]

jhusk, can you please clarify.

Cancellara has always been a gun tter. Where does that pro get his info.

I'll send you a PM.

 

[Bro Deal]

Oh, this is rich. The Spanish are complaining about Leipheimer's time trial bars. It would not surprise me if they were illegal, but to have the federation of Alberto "El Drafter" Contador complain about it is a little much.