# Il Falco Rages in California!



## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

I was bummed he didn't make the start list last year, but it's really cool to see that Paolo Savoldelli is riding the Red Bull Road Rage downhill roadbike event this year.

How d'ya think he'll stack up?


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## I am The Edge (Jul 27, 2004)

time, place, date?


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

That's sweet. Guess we'll see if he is "all that"


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

November 11th, Mailbu California. That's from cyclingnews.com


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## Stasera (Mar 6, 2006)

I'll be pretty shocked if Paolo doesn't run away with this one. From the looks of the helmet-cam video on the Road Rage website, this descent is not overly technical by Italian standards, and the road is wider than many that you see in Italian races. 

http://www.redbullroadrage.com/action.php

Il Falco should have no trouble with the course. Also, it looks like the winner last year (as well as the third-place finisher) was a mountain biker. While mountain bike downhill racers certainly have nerves of steel and great bike handling skills, the specific skills of a road bike downhill specialist should take the day on a paved road. According to cyclingnews, the top recorded speed last year was 58 mph. That's damn fast, but Savoldelli has been clocked at 70 mph.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2005/nov05/redbull_roadrage05


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## I am The Edge (Jul 27, 2004)

The event is closed to the public for the safety of the riders.


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

Stasera said:


> I'll be pretty shocked if Paolo doesn't run away with this one. From the looks of the helmet-cam video on the Road Rage website, this descent is not overly technical by Italian standards, and the road is wider than many that you see in Italian races.
> 
> http://www.redbullroadrage.com/action.php
> 
> ...


The reasons you stated are the very reasons why it could be closer than you think.


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

You gotta love Bob Roll's vision on the event: "This took courage, balance and power - a lot of things that you don't normally associate road racing with."  :mad2: :mad2: ut: :incazzato:


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## terzo rene (Mar 23, 2002)

High average speeds and a non-technical course don't favor Paolo at all so I rather doubt he will win. But if it was a steep technical 180+ degree switchback course ridden sight unseen he's the guaranteed pick of the century.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

I don't know if Savoldelli has got the same wrecklessness as these other guys. He doesn't know what he's getting into. These guys are bonkers.


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## tron (Jul 18, 2004)

Will he at least wear a helmet


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

dagger said:


> I don't know if Savoldelli has got the same wrecklessness as these other guys. He doesn't know what he's getting into. These guys are bonkers.


salvodelli has a history of crashes on descents...


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## MaestroXC (Sep 15, 2005)

dagger said:


> I don't know if Savoldelli has got the same wrecklessness as these other guys. He doesn't know what he's getting into. These guys are bonkers.



If he were just reckless, it wouldn't be a problem, but he doesn't have the lack of wrecklessness to back it up. :wink:


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## magnolialover (Jun 2, 2004)

*I'd still say...*

I'd still say one of the DHers will take this event again.

They've got the skills to go downhill really fast, and without rocks and ledges in the way, they're even faster. I remember seeing this coverage last year, and the guys who rode standard road bikes got smoked I think.


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

If it was a TT only, Paolo would win, IMO.

The finals are like a four-cross heat though, so it's about the hole shot and staying in front. That benefits the downhillers and 4X riders bigtime,

Silas


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## MaestroXC (Sep 15, 2005)

magnolialover said:


> I'd still say one of the DHers will take this event again.
> 
> They've got the skills to go downhill really fast, and without rocks and ledges in the way, they're even faster. I remember seeing this coverage last year, and the guys who rode standard road bikes got smoked I think.


I think the top two, Myles Rockwell and Dave McCook, were on standard road bikes; Rockwell on his Giant training bike and McCook on his team-issue Orca with Mavic Cosmic wheels.

At least last year, there was a pack start 4X style race, which Rockwell also won, in conjunction with the solo TT.

VeloNews coverage of last year's race; 
http://www.velonews.com/race/dom/articles/9135.0.html


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## Cruzer2424 (Feb 8, 2005)

terzo rene said:


> High average speeds and a non-technical course don't favor Paolo at all so I rather doubt he will win. But if it was a steep technical 180+ degree switchback course ridden sight unseen he's the guaranteed pick of the century.



Unseen? I was under the impression that they at least had an idea of the descent-- if not ridden over and over. 

I know they know the climbs, and they have to get down somehow...


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

do they have a maximum weight for the bike? and would he put on lead bibs to add weight?


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

weltyed said:


> do they have a maximum weight for the bike? and would he put on lead bibs to add weight?


perhaps the perfect out-of-season race for Ullrich?


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## MaestroXC (Sep 15, 2005)

Last year many bikes did have added weight, from waterbottles full of pennies to some more sophisticated stuff. Generally, bikes aided in this manner did not perform much better than un-aided bikes.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*Paolo will take them to school*

he can pedal faster and longer than any downhiller known to man. those guys will blow in a couple minutes and no frickin' way can a MTBer handle a roadbike as well as Il Falco.
He ain't crazy, he's fast and clean and uses every inch of thhe road.


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## terzo rene (Mar 23, 2002)

bas said:


> salvodelli has a history of crashes on descents...


Can you post some links to those? Last thing I read said none of his many injuries had ever been from a crash on a descent, and I haven't seen him crash on a descent in any coverage I have seen him in since 1999.

But I am thinking of Paolo Savoldelli. I don't know who Salvodelli is. ;-)


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## Brick Tamland (Mar 31, 2006)

MaestroXC said:


> I think the top two, Myles Rockwell and Dave McCook, were on standard road bikes; Rockwell on his Giant training bike and McCook on his team-issue Orca with Mavic Cosmic wheels.
> 
> At least last year, there was a pack start 4X style race, which Rockwell also won, in conjunction with the solo TT.
> 
> ...


And I remember reading that Rockwell admitted that he won because he watched McCook's lines....


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

dagger said:


> I don't know if Savoldelli has got the same wrecklessness as these other guys. He doesn't know what he's getting into. These guys are bonkers.


Hes reported to absolutly fearless and totally at the edge on descents (thats coming from some old team mates of his I know). Thats said I am not sure he will win this I agree with others that a downhiller will likly win.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

bas said:


> salvodelli has a history of crashes on descents...



Would you care to present some evidence to back that up? You are putting this forward as if you are saying hes a poor descender when in fact hes one of the best around know for making up mins to people on descents and dropping people who try and stay with him (see two years agos Giro when he drops Basso/Simone on the descent and buts almost a min into them before the final climb. 

His nick name is not The Falcon for nothing.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

*awesome*



den bakker said:


> perhaps the perfect out-of-season race for Ullrich?


lol...great idea. Ulrich and his "Winter Circus" show.


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## powerdan5 (Apr 27, 2006)

Bummer. They cancelled the event because of fire safety concerns. Despite my road pedigree, I was excited to see gravity guys like Greg Minnar, Rockwell, and Lopes tear up the road against Savoldelli and McCook. 

http://www.redbullroadrage.com/assets/pdf/06_RR_Press_Release_103106.pdf

On a side note, I think some of those downhill guys would easily make decent NRC crit riders. I know Lopes is a Cat. 1, lead off man on the US 'Olympic Sprint' team and Rockwell won the damned thing last year just by doing a few spinning classes. They have a ton of leg speed and talent. Bet Lopes would have given the Navigators guys a run for their money this year. Too bad he makes too much money doing 4x.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

my guess is the fire issue is just an excuse the Malibu folks gave for closing this down. They are hostile to organized bike events-they also voted down hosting a stage of the Tour of California (despite great inland roads the ride up the coast is supremely dangerous and Malibu doesn't seem to care about being bike friendly-although Lance and his hollywood pals are frequently seen riding up the coast).

The course is anything but non-technical. It has a number of switchback corners, made all the more dangerous by the fact that overshooting a turn could mean a 1,000 foot sheer fall and frequent slides that put lots of rocks onto the road. All in all a nasty descent (it's a one-way road going down, though that doesn't stop lots of cyclists from riding up it)


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## terzo rene (Mar 23, 2002)

NIMBY is a common limo liberal affliction.


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## powerdan5 (Apr 27, 2006)

terzo rene said:


> NIMBY is a common limo liberal affliction.


Limo liberals in SoCal? In Malibu no less? You don't say.....................I don't believe it.

Whatever it was, I still feel deprived.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Awww, horseapples.


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

This sucks. Only thing to look forward to this winter. Can't get into Track events personally.


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