Varese World Championships...

Ok, in the authority conferred to me by no one, I would like to open the official thread on the WC.

I noticed that Boonen, Valverde and Bettini have all three demonstrated through their wins in the Vuelta that they are in excellent shape and will have to be reckoned with in the WCs.

Comments? Thoughts?

 

the squadra azzuri has been announce. No Pozzato or Di Luca.

 

...barring the crash/ped positive my predictions usually result in, i'm thinking bettini again. thinking an outside chance for menchov 'cause he's been a big flop this year...

 

Menchov is rubbish in one day races. If you look up 'Deisel' in the dictionary they have a picture of him.

 

Is Jose Rujano going to be there? If he is, of course he's my number one pick. Or Lance if he does it on his mountain bike.

 

I'm going to stick this thread, PP.

 

My guess is that Kolobnev is the captain for Russia. He did very well both in last years WC, and the olympics.

 

My initial thoughts are, like yours, that Boonen, Valverde and Bettini will all feature.

As with every year, the team which rides best as a squad will determine who wins.
In the 2007 World Road Race in Stuttgart, the Italian squad rode as a team and tactically in the last few kilometres the team made sure that Bettini was correctly positioned for the win.

For 2008, I think that the Spanish squad present a serious threat and could provide the winner.
The Spaniards could decide to work for Freire.

But there are other riders who have hard a superb season and could feature for the podium places - Schleck brothers, Cancellara, Schumacher, O'Grady.

Let me have a look at the provisional start list before going in to more detail.

 

I think the Italians have by far the most powerful squad, followed by the Spanish who won the olympic RR. I'd put in a prediction that the Italians control the race but valv.piti has the strongest kick at the end and takes the win ahead of Bettini.

 

I think I favor Bettini more then Valverde, I believe Valverde targetted the TDF and the Olympics more, while Bettini targetted the Classics in the Spring and fall.

I like the pick of Kolobnev as a dark horse. I like Leipheimers chances, with his form based aroud the Vuelta. From what i have heard though, I dont know what ot make of the course. We have heard of it being a hard course, but i have read several riders talk about it not being as difficult as they are saying.

My Dark horse though I will go with Chavanel, others will be marking Bettini and Valverde, and he is always agressive, so he could get away with a lap to go and be able to hold off the charge by the end.

 

Yep, because Leipheimer has such a stellar record in one day races and packs a killer sprint.

 

The squadra azzurra will definitely attempt to control the race. Whether anyone else helps out depends on who is away in the breaks.

I would be more afraid of Boonen that Valverde. He is much fresher having not raced most of the year and would love to have an important win to 'salvage' the second half of his season.

 

By the way, the official website of the championships is here for those that may be interested.

 

If the pack stays almost completely together then Boonen'll take it, or if he makes one of the larger breakaways then I pick him too. But if it's a small group then Bettini or Valverde. Is it an uphill finish?

 

They have about 4.5km of uphill on each 17km lap. They can make it a tough race if they want. There is quite a technical downhill after the Montello hill which could favor a breakaway also. It will not be so easy to keep the group together.

 

First race and first gold to the host nation! Malori, reigning European ITT champion, wins the U23 ITT. Forza Italia!

1. Adriano Malori (Italy) 41.35.98 (48.389 km/h)
2. Patrick Gretsch (Germany) 0.49.67
3. Cameron Meyer (Australia) 1.04.36

(results from cyclingnews)

 

I have Matti Breschel (Denmark) as an outsider. He showed great form in the Vuelta.

 

Anyone got any bets for the road race title?????

Looking at the Vuelta, Valverde rode very very well, especially during the second half of the Vuelta.

Spain have a strong squad : depending on who they ride for, I'm going for Valverde and/or Freire

 

Johan Bruyneel had some interesting comments on Levi and Lance in Varese...

http://cycleto.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=561

 

Grabsch (who is he?) wins the ITT world championships. Second is the Canadian Svein Tuft, who makes it to a silver despite changing to his road bike halfway through the course due to a mechanical on his TT bike. And then we have David Zabriskie, who seems to be coming back to his usual TT performances.

1. Bert Grabsch (Ger) in 52'01"60, 43,7 km at an average speed of 50,397
2. Svein Tuft (Can) in 52'44"39
3. David Zabriskie (Usa) in 52'53"87