Varese World Championships...

[RdBiker]

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

Iiiinteresting, veeeery interesting...

Either the peloton is cleaning up or then it's the other way around. By the way, my bet is on the latter.

 

[limerickman]

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

Bert Grabsch is a strong ITT performer : I don't think that his win is all that surprising PP.

I thought Larsson did a good ITT but he was pipped for a podium spot.

And my nap bet, Pinotti came in further down the field than I had thought too.

Looked like a very scenic course, I have to say.
Varese is on my "places to visit" list.

 

[limerickman]

I thought that Tony Martin did a superb ITT ride.
(forgot to add that to my earlier post).

 

[Flyer]

on drugs

 

[classic1]

Startlist

Get serious you lot. Who are your picks? Bettini, Valverde and Freire are the obvious favorites. I'll go with Allan Davis and Phillipe Gilbert as my rough picks.

 

[Powerful Pete]

Startlist

Get serious you lot. Who are your picks? Bettini, Valverde and Freire are the obvious favorites. I'll go with Allan Davis and Phillipe Gilbert as my rough picks.

Well as the token Italian here I will have to go with Bettini. Interesting that he has indicated that the other rider who is most 'dangerous' is Freire, not Valverde.

 

[Powerful Pete]

Bert Grabsch is a strong ITT performer : I don't think that his win is all that surprising PP.

I thought Larsson did a good ITT but he was pipped for a podium spot.

And my nap bet, Pinotti came in further down the field than I had thought too.

Looked like a very scenic course, I have to say.
Varese is on my "places to visit" list.

Lim, fine, he may be a strong rider in TTs, but world champion? And the guy who placed second... either there was a significant change in wind/local weather patterns or something is weird.

And I agree with you, I was surprised by how poorly Pinotti did.

 

[Jono L]

Lim, fine, he may be a strong rider in TTs, but world champion? And the guy who placed second... either there was a significant change in wind/local weather patterns or something is weird.

And I agree with you, I was surprised by how poorly Pinotti did.

Svein Tuft is an absolute freakin beast of a man with all meaning of the phrase. Dont doubt him.

 

[Denia]

Women's Road Race just served up an absolute classic. Nicole Cooke rode a superb race against Marianne Voss after a tremendous last 30 kms or so that saw all sorts of attacks and counter attacks that saw them on the rivet throughout. I thought Cooke was brilliant by managing to stay calm while Voss tried time and time again to break her - what a year for her, Olympic and World Champion.

 

[Rolfrae]

Women's Road Race just served up an absolute classic. Nicole Cooke rode a superb race against Marianne Voss after a tremendous last 30 kms or so that saw all sorts of attacks and counter attacks that saw them on the rivet throughout. I thought Cooke was brilliant by managing to stay calm while Voss tried time and time again to break her - what a year for her, Olympic and World Champion.

Cooke used to be raw talent butnow she's matured and is racing with her head too. She was absolutely brilliant in what was the best bike race I have seen in a long time.

 

[Denia]

Cooke used to be raw talent butnow she's matured and is racing with her head too. She was absolutely brilliant in what was the best bike race I have seen in a long time.

Couldn't agree more - bike racing at its best. She had to really dig in on the final lap to not lose ground on the climbs when Voss went off the front and then not panic when the two Germans were working the group over.

I was watching it on Eurosport and something that did surprise me was that with 2-3kms to go the commentators did not pick Nicole as the likely winner out of the leading group of 5 riders. The co-commentator, Emma someone, actually wanted a Swede to win because it was her friend while the comentator reckoned Voss had it sewn up - so much for patriotism! It was clear to me that if Cooke was still there after the climbs then she was going to be there at the finish. Unlike the others, she had done next to no work pulling at the front and didn't waste too much energy in speculative attacks.

Hope tomorrow serves up something equally good. Watch out for Kolobnev - he could surprise the favourites especially if he's in the small lead group at the end.

He lives and trains around my town here in Denia, Spain, and when we last spoke he said he would be going for it.

 

[whiteboytrash]

Cooke used to be raw talent butnow she's matured and is racing with her head too. She was absolutely brilliant in what was the best bike race I have seen in a long time.

Yep just watched the BBC coverage & a cracker of a race ! Really good course....... but by god she's fugly.....

 

[Denia]

Yep just watched the BBC coverage & a cracker of a race ! Really good course....... but by god she's fugly.....

You'll be a Brad Pitt-lookalike yourself?

 

[whiteboytrash]

You'll be a Brad Pitt-lookalike yourself?

No really but she's still farking ugly..... good rider thou..... ugly chics tend to throw themselves into sport than the good looking ones...... similar to fat chics liking sex more... cos they always think its the last time....

 

[rob of the og]

No really but she's still farking ugly..... good rider thou..... ugly chics tend to throw themselves into sport than the good looking ones...... similar to fat chics liking sex more... cos they always think its the last time....

Actually just a normal looking girl, for sure no super-model but you're way over the top. Who gives a **** anyway, she's the best female road racer in the world.

 

[Andrija]

Actually just a normal looking girl, for sure no super-model but you're way over the top. Who gives a **** anyway, she's the best female road racer in the world.

She's your wife, isn't she?

 

[whiteboytrash]

She's your wife, isn't she?

Slam dunk ! Nice one....... looks a bit like Chelsea Clinton.... In other words mutton dressed up as lamb......

 

[Powerful Pete]

Great rider. But mamma mia, a face only a mother could love.

 

[Flyer]

steroids!

 

[nonameboy]

Cancellara can spring a surprise.