# World Championship Road Race Results



## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Woot, eat my dust all u haters!

First thing he says is to thank his teammates.


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

I just wish he was a more balanced cyclist. He's an excellent sprinter, but for the World Championship you'd hope it would go to a more rounded cyclist.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

This was a sprinter's course. Climbing or time trialling would not help. 
Kudos to Wiggins and Millar for all their work. They dragged the peloton around for most of the race. I thought it was over for GB when Italy and Spain showed up at the front after drafting all day. But the team that did all the work won. :thumbsup:


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

*"Don't you love it when a plan come together?"* :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Cinelli 82220 said:


> This was a sprinter's course. Climbing or time trialling would not help.
> Kudos to Wiggins and Millar for all their work. They dragged the peloton around for most of the race. I thought it was over for GB when Italy and Spain showed up at the front after drafting all day. But the team that did all the work won. :thumbsup:


Watching the last 100m from the air gave an excellent view of the riders Cav had to accelerate around *and* how he was able to hold off Goss' sprint.


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## Bones1 (Jul 23, 2010)

Awesome ride by GB, They did all the work and it payed off. Cav is unreal!!!!


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

nice spoiler moreon

on the other hand this is one of the lamest world championships I have seen in a long time.


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## Retro Grouch (Apr 30, 2002)

Hopefully the rainbow jersey will make Cav a more mature rider and temper his emotional outbursts.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Salsa_Lover said:


> on the other hand this is one of the lamest world championships I have seen in a long time.


I have to admit I got kind of bored after the 8th or 9th lap.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Retro Grouch said:


> Hopefully the rainbow jersey will make Cav a more mature rider and temper his emotional outbursts.


If he hasn't signed a new contract yet, it'll definitely boost his earning power.


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## T0mi (Mar 2, 2011)

congrats to Cavendish, first girl to ever beat the elite mens at the worlds. That's quite an achievement.

I predicted boredom, I'm glad I didn't watch it and did more important things looking at the live reports.


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

Despite the stupid spoiler fanbois post made in haste; I'm in love with the small brit...really


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

*Now, now*



T0mi said:


> congrats to Cavendish, first girl to ever beat the elite mens at the worlds. That's quite an achievement.
> 
> I predicted boredom, I'm glad I didn't watch it and did more important things looking at the live reports.


That sounds like sour grapes to me. I, like you, did not want to see Cavendish win. But he did, even in the absence of a leadout train. 
Calling him a girl won't undo the fact that we'll be seeing him in the rainbow stripes throughout 2012. And btw, it's a very sexist comment. 

Congrats to him and team GB.


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## Retro Grouch (Apr 30, 2002)

cda 455 said:


> If he hasn't signed a new contract yet, it'll definitely boost his earning power.


He's the best sprinter in the world currently riding, not sure what additional wage negotiation leverage he needs. I admit, world champ doesn't hurt.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Salsa_Lover said:


> nice spoiler moreon
> 
> on the other hand this is one of the lamest world championships I have seen in a long time.


Agreed on keeping it OUT of the title.

Sadly, universal sports seems gone on my cable service. 

I don't think anyone, other than the haters are surprised.


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## trobriand (Apr 2, 2009)

What a farce and a bore. World Championships shouldn't use a really flat course.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Retro Grouch said:


> Hopefully the rainbow jersey will make Cav a more mature rider and temper his emotional outbursts.


Cav has deflated his head a bit of late...OTOH this will make commentators go nuts over him even more. And idiots like Steve and Gogo on Universal sports will mention him even more when he isn't even riding the race they are presently commentating.



spade2you said:


> I don't think anyone, other than the haters are surprised.


What are you talking about? Virtually anyone knows that if it is a pure sprinter's finish, then Cav will most likely win it....and it is an upset and a surprise if he gets out ridden.


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## Maximus_XXIV (Nov 10, 2008)

Salsa_Lover said:


> nice spoiler moreon
> 
> on the other hand this is one of the lamest world championships I have seen in a long time.


I think more of a moron. :mad2:


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## Kevy Metal (Sep 30, 2008)

Retro Grouch said:


> Hopefully the rainbow jersey will make Cav a more mature rider and temper his emotional outbursts.


The question now is, "What sponsor's logo will be featured on that Rainbow Jersey?"


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Marc said:


> What are you talking about? Virtually anyone knows that if it is a pure sprinter's finish, then Cav will most likely win it....and it is an upset and a surprise if he gets out ridden.


Just the haters in denial.


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## T0mi (Mar 2, 2011)

MG537 said:


> That sounds like sour grapes to me. I, like you, did not want to see Cavendish win. But he did, even in the absence of a leadout train.
> Calling him a girl won't undo the fact that we'll be seeing him in the rainbow stripes throughout 2012. And btw, it's a very sexist comment.
> 
> Congrats to him and team GB.


Your wrong, I don't really care if he win or not. I respect the athlete in him, he did what he had to do and he knows how to take advantage of his talent. I just don't like his character, he is whining as much as he is winning.

And this is not sexist. My mother was a racing cyclist during the Longo vs Cannins era. She agrees with me.

I would have liked a more challenging course. Imho a world champion should be a complete athlete and not a specialized one. That's my only real complain.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

T0mi said:


> I would have liked a more challenging course. Imho a world champion should be a complete athlete and not a specialized one. That's my only real complain.


This is hardly the first time they've done such a course. They've had courses like you described for the last couple years, might as well throw one to the sprinters. 

I would like to see more of a summit finishes to give one to the climbers one of these years.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

spade2you said:


> Just the haters in denial.


Tell me again where I've been a "hater" and where I've been in "denial"?


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Marc said:


> Tell me again where I've been a "hater" and where I've been in "denial"?


I'm not calling you a hater, but there were a few like Don whose hatred only disqualified Cav by wishful thinking.


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

trobriand said:


> What a farce and a bore. World Championships shouldn't use a really flat course.


What course should they use?

What type of rider would you design the course for? Which riders would you leave out of contention for a World Championship? Please support your arguments.


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## sir duke (Mar 24, 2006)

T0mi said:


> congrats to Cavendish, first girl to ever beat the elite mens at the worlds. That's quite an achievement.
> 
> I predicted boredom, I'm glad I didn't watch it and did more important things looking at the live reports.


You thought it important enough to be churlish (and childish) with your reaction to his victory. The best man won, and the best man right now is a Brit. As a Brit myself I'm delighted. Well done, Cav. :thumbsup:


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

spade2you said:


> I would like to see more of a summit finishes to give one to the climbers one of these years.


First, you don't give anything to a "climber"...they _take_ it. Second, when France and Italy manage to shape a G-tour like Spain did this year...then give the climbers a shot at Worlds. Third, never mind the climbers; the Worlds need to quickly put more roller coaster on the course just to get some separation opportunity and interest.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

sir duke said:


> You thought it important enough to be churlish (and childish) with your reaction to his victory. The best man won, and the best man right now is a Brit. As a Brit myself I'm delighted. Well done, Cav. :thumbsup:


Say rather the "best man" when the road is absolutely flat and has a team towing him all day.

He's great at what he does...but he's a more than a bit of a one trick pony.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

It will be funny to see the world champion stripes on the autobus and hoping it's big enough to make it even out of the cutout time...


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## sir duke (Mar 24, 2006)

Marc said:


> Say rather the "best man" when the road is absolutely flat and has a team towing him all day.
> 
> He's great at what he does...but he's a more than a bit of a one trick pony.


One trick, winning! Only he's done it quite a few times. Know of any better tricks? :thumbsup:


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

sir duke said:


> One trick, winning! Only he's done it quite a few times. Know of any better tricks? :thumbsup:


Yea, not needing to get a tow from the team car up mountains. :thumbsup:


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

Marc said:


> Say rather the "best man" when the road is absolutely flat and has a team towing him all day.
> 
> He's great at what he does...but he's a more than a bit of a one trick pony.


Watch much racing? From what I see, the racers that win have a combination of form and opportunity. Seems that Cav had both today.

And the profile of the course will have a significant determination on opportunity. Look at the profiles of the GT stages and you can have a pretty good idea of what bunch of racers will be most likely to win. There are some crossovers but generally they need a little extra opportunistic nudge to put them over.

GB was a marked team. They selected their team to deliver Cav to the line. They worked all day to set him up. And Cav finished off all of their hard work with a sprint to beat all the sprinters.

In other words, Cav did everything he needed to do with the race opportunities afforded to him. Just like any other winner.


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## sir duke (Mar 24, 2006)

Marc said:


> Yea, not needing to get a tow from the team car up mountains. :thumbsup:


Barrel, meet scraper. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

Marc said:


> Yea, not needing to get a tow from the team car up mountains. :thumbsup:


Hmmm. So you are saying that climbers don't really need teams to be successful on big mountain stages, huh?


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Gripped said:


> Hmmm. So you are saying that climbers don't really need teams to be successful on big mountain stages, huh?


Did I say that, signor?

As Salsa_Lover alluded to...having a world "road race champion" title go to arguably one of if not the best sprinters in the peloton, who inevitably gets spit out the back once the road starts going uphill and struggles to make the cutoff...and who usually drops out of the grand tours after week one...is well, pretty funny.

We'll see what happens to Cav with the folding of HTC. Without his lead-out machine of HTC, he may be hard put to it. IIRC, many of the Cav sprint losses occurred where HTC's train got popped apart in/before the leadout.


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

Marc said:


> As Salsa_Lover alluded to...having a world "road race champion" title go to arguably one of the best sprinters in the peloton, who inevitably gets spit out the back once the road starts going uphill and struggles to make the cutoff...and who usually drops out of the grand tours after week one...is well, pretty funny.


Like in the TdF this year where he dropped out?

How about when the climbers are just hanging on at the back and are not factors in the flatter stages of GTs?

Why don't you just say that you prefer watching races where the climbers are the factors instead of trying to piss on the sprinters.

BTW, a mountain top finish is just like a really slow motion sprint ...



> We'll see what happens to Cav with the folding of HTC. Without his lead-out machine of HTC, he may be hard put to it. IIRC, many of the Cav sprint losses occurred where HTC's train got popped apart in/before the leadout.


Strange, then, that he was able to win today with only one man left in his train while the Ozzies were cranking along with 4 dudes and a hot sprinter (Goss).

Before you make any fanboi comments, I picked and was rooting for Sagan. But I like bike racing and appreciate a sprint finish as much as a mountain top one and just about everything in between.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

cda 455 said:


> I have to admit I got kind of bored after the 8th or 9th lap.


I found it intriguing. But I like Milan-Sanremo too. The Norwegian team was great, btw. Arvesen leaving with colours flying. Pity about Hushovd's mishap.

I predict that next year the rainbow jersey will be first over the line much more often than has been customary since 2003...


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## sir duke (Mar 24, 2006)

Marc said:


> As Salsa_Lover alluded to...having a world "road race champion" title go to arguably one of if not the best sprinters in the peloton, who inevitably gets spit out the back once the road starts going uphill and struggles to make the cutoff...and who usually drops out of the grand tours after week one...is well, pretty funny.


You do pretty well for someone who insisted earlier that he isn't a hater. Ever heard of a guy called Cippolini? Couldn't climb for toffee either, got a rainbow jersey and most people were able to live with that. To make an analogy using cricket, your position is akin to criticizing a front line fast bowler for not making a century with the bat. Some sports have specialisms, or would you rather we just have climbers winning stuff? The contrast is what makes the sports interesting. Your horse is dead, accept it.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

has it occurred to some of you that the locations are chosen from year to year in such a way that different rider profiles actually has a chance to win? 
Sure it's impressive to see Gilbert win from the attack on a hill 10km out, but some variation has never hurt anyone (well some feelings it seems  )
by the way, it's funny how many did not predict Cavendish for the win, many insisted on Gilbert, and yet now it was a shoe-in for Cavendish......


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Great. Now we have to hear an entire year of "the World Champion Man from the Isle of Man!" crap from Phil and Paul.

Bah. Cav did a nice job, but he's still irritating.


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

That was an exciting race. Team BG were magnificent, Wiggins' pull on the last lap was incredible and Cav was his usual brilliant self. GB and Cav against the World and the world lost.

Now.......... what was all that talk about Farrar ..................


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

robdamanii said:


> Great. Now we have to hear an entire year of "the World Champion Man from the Isle of Man!" crap from Phil and Paul.
> 
> Bah. Cav did a nice job, but he's still irritating.


This.
I agree that he rode a great race and is unquestionably the fastest man, etc...
But I wasn't happy to see him win. (I was actually hoping for a repeat from the defending champion! Or, better yet, Gilbert to come thru- the best all rounder).
Ah well.

I'm with Kevy Metal; How long until Sky announces their latest acquisition?


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

albert owen said:


> Now.......... what was all that talk about Farrar ..................


He chose the wrong side of the road out of the last turn and got boxed in.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

albert owen said:


> That was an exciting race. Team BG were magnificent, Wiggins' pull on the last lap was incredible and Cav was his usual brilliant self. GB and Cav against the World and the world lost.
> 
> Now.......... what was all that talk about Farrar ..................


thank god there was something left for the haters to gather on.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

kbwh said:


> He chose the wrong side of the road out of the last turn and got boxed in.


probably would not have hurt with a slightly more seasoned person taking him to the finish than Phinney.....


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## Chainstay (Mar 13, 2004)

*Awesome Cav*

Well done GB and Cav. They had a great team and rode a perfect race. Cav came through in the clutch to win a difficult sprint using his kick and his head. 

He will look great in the rainbow jersey winning stages next July.

The Aussies missed Renshaw. Could have made the difference for Goss. Griepel in typical fashion finished like a bullet train but started too far back.


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## Chainstay (Mar 13, 2004)

Marc said:


> Say rather the "best man" when the road is absolutely flat and has a team towing him all day.
> 
> He's great at what he does...but he's a more than a bit of a one trick pony.


You obviously don't appreciate what it takes to win sprints. Every sprint is different and to win as many as Cav does you need to be a talented and versatile sprinter. 

Here he was faced with an uphill sprint against an incredibly strong field. Because there was little speed in the lead out, there was a lot of traffic in front of him. He was in danger of getting boxed in but stayed patiently behind Goss. He had to go early because when he saw an opening he couldn't take the chance of it closing up. He made the most of the opportunity to hold off Goss and a surging Griepel

BTW the road was not absolutely flat and his sprint opponents had been protected all day as well


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

albert owen said:


> That was an exciting race.....


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

Salsa_Lover said:


> It will be funny to see the world champion stripes on the autobus and hoping it's big enough to make it even out of the cutout time...


From Nick Roche's blog ...

I lost more time today than I lost in the last two Tours put together | Nicolas Roche



> A kilometre and a half further up, I made contact with the back of the grupetto. In Italian, grupetto means little group, but there were 75 riders in it, including green jersey Mark Cavendish, world champion Thor Hushovd and world time trial champ Fabian Cancellara.


So what's different from this year?


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## carbonLORD (Aug 2, 2004)

Maybe all of these "well rounded" cyclists should learn how to sprint.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

T0mi said:


> congrats to Cavendish, first girl to ever beat the elite mens at the worlds. That's quite an achievement.
> 
> I predicted boredom, I'm glad I didn't watch it and did more important things looking at the live reports.


Congrats to T0mi, first moreon to post something totally moreonic.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

*Htc*



Cinelli 82220 said:


> Woot, eat my dust all u haters!
> 
> First thing he says is to thank his teammates.


HTC cleans up by taking three out of four titles in "grown up" races: women's time trial and both men's road race and TT!
And in road race it is Cav and Goss (both HTC) with Greipel (former HTC) in second.

and the team couldn't get funding and had to fold. go figure.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*and in all honesty there isn't much difference*



spade2you said:


> This is hardly the first time they've done such a course. They've had courses like you described for the last couple years, might as well throw one to the sprinters.
> 
> I would like to see more of a summit finishes to give one to the climbers one of these years.


climbers and sprinters are both 'specialists' who ride all day protected and let their team deliver them to where they make a final move. One does it on a flat, the other on an incline.


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## cervelott (Mar 18, 2010)

Was in Denmark for the race. Great crowd, beautiful weather, very well organized, 250,000 fans, no need to buy tickets, nice exhibits, and a host nation that but on a fine event. Great job Denmark, had a blast! This country is cycling crazy, nice to see.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

albert owen said:


> That was an exciting race. Team *GB* were magnificent, Wiggins' pull on the last lap was incredible and Cav was his usual brilliant self. GB and Cav against the World and the world lost.


You said it. I fixed a typo in your 2nd sentence. They planned this one from 3 years out, got the placings/points to get maximum riders in the team, took control of the race for the whole day and won it. What would have been surprising, given the palmares of every team member, was if they hadn't won the race.

This from Brailsford -

"Cavendish never had any doubts. When I arrived at the hotel, he pulled me to one side, sat me down and told me he was going to win. It has to be his biggest win. He's done something that very few people do. It will go down in history and puts him down as an all-time great."

It makes me smile reading what the Cav haters have to say and those who think all championship courses have to be designed for one type of rider (Oscar & Co). As an ex-Brit *and* a multi-time visitor to the Isle of Man I could only have been happier if I had won that race myself. 

Cav for Olympic Gold please.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

That was a convincing sprint from a lousy position. I don't get what his personality has to do with it.


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

Mike T. said:


> You said it. I fixed a typo in your 2nd sentence. They planned this one from 3 years out, got the placings/points to get maximum riders in the team, took control of the race for the whole day and won it. What would have been surprising, given the palmares of every team member, was if they hadn't won the race.
> 
> This from Brailsford -
> 
> ...


+1 

The GB Team's performance was outstanding. The preparation and attention to detail overlooked by most. Masterminded by Brailsford who turned GB track cycling into a dominant force at the 2008 Olynpics. Anyone notice Cav didn't wear his HTC helmet but a black one making him harder to differentiate from his team at a distance.
Road cycling is often compared to poker but there was no bluffing or covering off alternative scenarios. GB had one plan, didn't care who new it and were prepared to take on all comers. Every rider played their part and the team won.
Whilst Cav will wear the rings for my money Wiggins was outstanding. Combined with his TT silver he would be my pick as rider of the Championships,. What do you award after the Super Bowl MVP?


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## jtimmer1 (Mar 28, 2009)

What's up with his helmet? It looked like he had a cover on it or something. He also wore a skinsuit for 266km, kudos for that.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

Marc said:


> Yea, not needing to get a tow from the team car up mountains. :thumbsup:


We're still waiting for any evidence of this other than whining statements from Ventoso. Plenty of pics of other riders but not a single one of Cavendish. i wonder why?


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

trobriand said:


> What a farce and a bore. World Championships shouldn't use a really flat course.


I will say this again. Do you want a course like the one that was ridden in 1980? 18 riders finished the race because it was such a hill climb. It was designed for a climber to win the race. You can't have it both ways. They have to use circuits. How do you put hills on a circuit that don't make the course a hill climb with decent course. You can't have a six mile climb on the course becuase what goes up must go down. If you make the course too big, fans have a hard time watching and it costs a fortune to televise.

And to quell another complaint here...the courses are picked three years out. Thus they are looking for the 2015 course right now. So you are all saying the course was picked for Cav to win in 2008? They have raced the Worlds in Copenhagen many times. It isn't their first rodeo there.


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

Salsa_Lover said:


> nice spoiler moreon
> 
> on the other hand this is one of the lamest world championships I have seen in a long time.


Even though a moderator stepped in and wrongly edited the title...just like during the Tour de France, there are no spoilers in the Pro Cycling forum. If you don't want to know who wins before you watch it, don't come here. No need for folks to wait for every member to watch the race before discussing it. Guess all of the moderators don't know the rules for the forum though.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

didn't even watch it, as the impending boredom was inevitable. looked at one still photo of the finish and read the headline, saved me 6 hours. the race could have been held in december and run around the local Walmart parking lot: same effect. Can the UCI doing anything more to ruin the idea of the World Championships?


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## sir duke (Mar 24, 2006)

robdamanii said:


> Bah. Cav did a nice job, but he's still irritating.


Then go start a thread in Teh Lounge about how the very thought of Cav upsets you.  He may drown puppies in his spare time for all I know but as a cyclist he's unbeatable right now. Some people around here are mature enough to applaud his sporting achievements and leave the pettiness to those who just want fluffy, clean cut losers who love their Mummy.

Is this irritating enough for you?

View attachment 241565


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## pcs2 (Sep 4, 2006)

sir duke said:


> ..........
> 
> Is this irritating enough for you?


ZOMG!!111!

Cav signs with Sky! The pic says it all


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## EDUC8-or (Jan 2, 2009)

Was out riding this morning and just got done watching it on the DVR, I thought it was exciting and I was impressed with GBR's team tactics, they took the reins and went with it. While you knew the attacks probably weren't going to stick on such a flat course it was good to see Thomas Voeckler take a dig and I will always cheer for Johnny Hoogerland even if you know he's not going to win. And didn't it seem like Wiggins was on front for about a lap and a half at the end of the race? That was a monster pull, just the right pace to reel everyone back in, discourage a whole bunch of attacks, and keep things strung out, impressive!


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## sir duke (Mar 24, 2006)

Fignon's Barber said:


> didn't even watch it, as the impending boredom was inevitable. looked at one still photo of the finish and read the headline, saved me 6 hours. the race could have been held in december and run around the local Walmart parking lot: same effect. Can the UCI doing anything more to ruin the idea of the World Championships?


Would you be happy if they just made it a hill climb with spectators allowed to throw things at the sprinters? That would be interesting, wouldn't it? Or why not just say that the winner of the TDF is also World Champion by default? Goodbye boring circuits, goodbye pesky sprinters. No chance of Cav irritating anyone. Easy, isn't it? :idea:


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

sir duke said:


> Then go start a thread in Teh Lounge about how the very thought of Cav upsets you.  He may drown puppies in his spare time for all I know but as a cyclist he's unbeatable right now. Some people around here are mature enough to applaud his sporting achievements and leave the pettiness to those who just want fluffy, clean cut losers who love their Mummy.
> 
> Is this irritating enough for you?
> 
> View attachment 241565


Howabout...no.

Cav's a douche, world champion or not.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

I'm also rolling my eyes at those who found the course too one-sided. Best man did win, and just because it's a sprinter's course doesn't mean it was easy in general. 

Only things "easy" about it is that Cav ended up not being isolated and was able to cooperate with the German team to keep it a sprinters race. His own team didn't suck either, apparently. God what a cheap-o...


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## sir duke (Mar 24, 2006)

robdamanii said:


> Howabout...no.
> 
> Cav's a douche, world champion or not.


Cav consistently wins, you consistently whine. Keep on whining, it's what you're good at. :cryin:


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

sir duke said:


> Cav consistently wins, you consistently whine. Keep on whining, it's what you're good at. :cryin:


Boo hoo. Someone doesn't kiss Cav's ass, and you get hurt by it.

Cry me a river.


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## 88 rex (Mar 18, 2008)

sir duke said:


> but as a cyclist he's unbeatable right now.


He's very very beatable. He's not a "hard man" racer, he's a fantastic sprinter. This was a race where a fantastic sprinter with great support could take his shot at a WC jersey. He's earned his jersey for next year and I hope he does the jersey justice next year.


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## johnlh (Sep 12, 2008)

Lots of sour grapes here. I never paid much attention to pro cycling until a couple years ago, but from what I have seen in post race interviews, Cav seems to be a very appreciative champion. He is always praising and thanking his teammates.


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## sir duke (Mar 24, 2006)

88 rex said:


> He's very very beatable. He's not a "hard man" racer, he's a fantastic sprinter. This was a race where a fantastic sprinter with great support could take his shot at a WC jersey. He's earned his jersey for next year and I hope he does the jersey justice next year.


Spot on. Doesn't pay to throw generalisations around. Cav is unbeatable in sprints right now, sucks on anything vertical, of course. Definitely not a 'hard man', comparisons to a former points winner like Sean Kelly would be laughable. Can't knock the guy for winning in ideal conditions, with his team behind him 100%. He had to earn it in the last 100 meters though.


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## Kevy Metal (Sep 30, 2008)

Wasn't there a time in the Worlds when the trade teams rode in support of their contender regardless of nationality? The way all of team GB rode for Cavendish surely turns that tradition on its head. Might it be because of the latest generation of British cycling to continually pursue excellence on the international stage? I honestly haven't noticed when tactics at the Worlds changed from professional allegiance to national.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

jtimmer1 said:


> What's up with his helmet? It looked like he had a cover on it or something. He also wore a skinsuit for 266km, kudos for that.


Aerodynamics. Riders with Kask helmets wore covers too. Cav's Spesh had a clear cover.
Most of the GB team wore speedsuits btw. Smart choice for a team that knew they would have to ride tempo all day.
Also many Italians were wearing the Castelli Speedsuit. Did Castelli SpeedSuit Help Van Summeren Win Paris-Roubaix? - BikeRadar

What you wear and how is more important to aerodynamics than wheels.


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## 52-16SS (Dec 16, 2002)

I commute on parts of the course daily and I wouldn't categorize it as flat by any means. It's always hard to determine grades on TV. Please accept my invitation to come ride the course for, a relative easy 10 laps, and tell me that you that you don't notice the hills!


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

52-16SS said:


> I commute on parts of the course daily and I wouldn't categorize it as flat by any means. It's always hard to determine grades on TV. Please accept my invitation to come ride the course for, a relative easy 10 laps, and tell me that you that you don't notice the hills!


and therein lies the difference between a pro and the rest of us. Any of the sprinters everyone here says cannot climb worth sh!t would blast by us like we were standing still. 
and yes I've ridden the course, used to do repeats on s. slotsvej. I've also been riding worse hills with sprinters. 
for them it's flat.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Salsa_Lover said:


> It will be funny to see the world champion stripes on the autobus and hoping it's big enough to make it even out of the cutout time...


Keep in mind that Wold Champion Mario Cippolini would climb off his bike at the first hill and never finished the TdF.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

sir duke said:


> Would you be happy if they just made it a hill climb with spectators allowed to throw things at the sprinters? That would be interesting, wouldn't it? Or why not just say that the winner of the TDF is also World Champion by default? Goodbye boring circuits, goodbye pesky sprinters. No chance of Cav irritating anyone. Easy, isn't it? :idea:



I don't believe I ever mentioned Cavendish. Please don't put words in my mouth. It is my opinion that the World Champ should be the best all arounder that exhibits the 3 main skills (rolleur,climber,and sprinter) and the course should be carefully thought out to select the best. 
You understand that cyclists are not all designated "climber" or "sprinter", right?


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## MattSoutherden (Jun 24, 2009)

Retro Grouch said:


> Hopefully the rainbow jersey will make Cav a more mature rider and temper his emotional outbursts.


Hopefully not.


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

52-16SS said:


> I commute on parts of the course daily and I wouldn't categorize it as flat by any means. It's always hard to determine grades on TV. Please accept my invitation to come ride the course for, a relative easy 10 laps, and tell me that you that you don't notice the hills!


From the course profile I noticed that they didn't have more than 20-30m of climbing to do on any of those hills (altitude difference). Now granted a 20m climb on 200m length would translate into a 10% gradient. 

At least on that climb up to the finish line, can you give us an idea of the gradient? How long is that climb up to the summit? On the screen it didn't look to be more than 400m long and the gradient looked something like 4%. Am I off?


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## jtimmer1 (Mar 28, 2009)

kbwh said:


> Aerodynamics. Riders with Kask helmets wore covers too. Cav's Spesh had a clear cover.
> Most of the GB team wore speedsuits btw. Smart choice for a team that knew they would have to ride tempo all day.
> Also many Italians were wearing the Castelli Speedsuit. Did Castelli SpeedSuit Help Van Summeren Win Paris-Roubaix? - BikeRadar
> 
> What you wear and how is more important to aerodynamics than wheels.


I wasn't sure if he was testing a new helmet, or if it was just a cover- interesting. It must have worked!


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

jtimmer1 said:


> I wasn't sure if he was testing a new helmet, or if it was just a cover- interesting. It must have worked!


With the giant vents of the helmet, it can be a little chilly on a cold day, too.

As for his success, probably had a lot to do with GB's team than the helmet.


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## jtimmer1 (Mar 28, 2009)

spade2you said:


> With the giant vents of the helmet, it can be a little chilly on a cold day, too.
> 
> As for his success, probably had a lot to do with GB's team than the helmet.


Nope, it was all helmet


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## MattSoutherden (Jun 24, 2009)

@MarkCavendish comes first. Luckily he had a giant condom on his helmet, so there wasn't much mess.


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## Topher (Jun 5, 2005)

I know its been mentioned that they were wearing skin suits... but I'd like to complain about it! They just look terrible. Road kit is bad enough, no one needs to see cav in a skin suit. This must violate Rules 15-19 at least in spirit, as they all assume that Road kit means bibs and a jersey. Save them for the TTs.


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## quadrat (Aug 26, 2011)

I still remember how Cavendish trailed the peloton in the recent Vuelta on the first hill which barely deserved the name, and dropped out. A couple of weeks off from racing were worthwhile. Excellent work of the GB team. Gilbert was a dissapointment. Voeckler wasn't, trying to get away. Evans, Contador and Andy Scleck didn't bother to start. I recall a scene after the TdF time trial where Cavendish hugged Martin when Evans almost beat Martin's time, now they're both world champions.


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

Fignon's Barber said:


> I don't believe I ever mentioned Cavendish. Please don't put words in my mouth. It is my opinion that the World Champ should be the best all arounder that exhibits the 3 main skills (rolleur,climber,and sprinter) and the course should be carefully thought out to select the best.
> You understand that cyclists are not all designated "climber" or "sprinter", right?


I understand that you prefer to watch races of a different character. Clearly there are people who love the sprints and others who like the hills. Why should the WC cater always to the type of rider you prefer?

Personally, I don't think it's desert if it doesn't have chocolate in it. However, I will grant the others in my dinner party leeway to select deserts bereft of chocolate and not chide them about the folly of their ways.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Wow some people are getting way too worked up about a "bike game" they were not even in.

As far as races go i thought it was pretty boring. Team GB did a fantastic job of controlling the race, no one else really showed much moxie to make it go down as anything other than a sprint. That could have been because of the course or their team strength but that's just the way it went down.

I don't really like Cav very much but he won that race.


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## ph0enix (Aug 12, 2009)

Despite his theatrics, I like Cav but when you think of the world champ, more versatile riders come to mind. I think Thor Hushovd was/is the most perfect example.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

ph0enix said:


> when you think of the world champ, more versatile riders come to mind. I think Thor Hushovd was/is the most perfect example.


Wasn't versatile enough to get his wheel across the line first on Sunday eh?


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Mike T. said:


> Wasn't versatile enough to get his wheel across the line first on Sunday eh?


The question is : why didn't they wait for the World Champion ?


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

Thor didn't realize it was a race because the stage was so flat. That's why its unfair, and why Cavindash isn't the champ, half the people in the race weren't _really_ racing.


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

This is a *TEAM *sport and the best team on the day won. All 8 riders rode magnificently all day. If you found it boring I can only assume you don't appreciate the sport. [ The womens elite race was by contrast boring. The difference was here nobody tried very much to get away and nobody needed to ride against the break. ]
Do you cry foul when your favourite quarterback fails to end up on the winning side?


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Salsa_Lover said:


> The question is : why didn't they wait for the World Champion ?


You're only supposed to do that if they attack and drop their chain?


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Watching the field strung out with guys hanging on for dear life at the back, yeah they were racing all right.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Topher said:


> This must violate Rules 15-19


Please stop quoting those stupid rules. Srsly.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

Cinelli 82220 said:


> Please stop quoting those stupid rules. Srsly.


Relaaax, those rules have an important purpose. They let you know who the pro-seurs are. Not so easy on a message board.


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## sir duke (Mar 24, 2006)

:idea:


Fignon's Barber said:


> I don't believe I ever mentioned Cavendish. Please don't put words in my mouth. It is my opinion that the World Champ should be the best all arounder that exhibits the 3 main skills (rolleur,climber,and sprinter) and the course should be carefully thought out to select the best.
> You understand that cyclists are not all designated "climber" or "sprinter", right?


You are right, you didn't mention Cav and I wasn't specifically implying any particular viewpoint on him from you. I don't like putting words in anyone's mouth so I'm sorry if you feel hard done by. I would like to know when, if ever, the WC was specifically intended to be a competition to find the best all rounder. Surely if that were the case then pure climbers or sprinters would be wasting their time entering. Does that seem fair to you? Cancellera, a t/t specialist and a rolleur more than anything else was fourth by the thickness of a tubular. He had nothing but praise for the way Team GB got the win for their man and I didn't hear him gripe about the fact that he was shut out by the sprinters. He's a pro who knows there will be courses when he will win. He said the course was too short and fast for anybody but a sprinter to win. Did he moan 'not fair'? No, he showed up, gave it full gas and just missed out on the podium. It's called professional cycling, you take the rough with the smooth, and,over time, if you are good enough you win stuff.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Topher said:


> I know its been mentioned that they were wearing skin suits... but I'd like to complain about it! They just look terrible. Road kit is bad enough, no one needs to see cav in a skin suit. This must violate Rules 15-19 at least in spirit, as they all assume that Road kit means bibs and a jersey. Save them for the TTs.


When one is at the caliber that Cav is at, one can write or rewrite said rules.


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## Kai Winters (Aug 23, 2009)

Cav raced very well and won fair and square...congratulations for a great win.
What I enjoyed more was reading the lame a s s excuses by the other top racers that did not win...wow what a bunch of cry babies...


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

Okay, I gather Cav is not the most popular person on this board and many of us, including myself, would have liked to see someone else win - but Cav was faster on the day - seems crazy to debate his worthiness.
He won the race - what more is he supposed to do?

Cav is deathly fast and a great interview - should be an interesting season. I hope he remains his out-spoken self and does the jersey proud with lots of wins.


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