World Championships

tcklyde said:

Who is going to win?

if the course is flat enough - and it is.
and if the weather is good enough - and it is likely to be,

Perm one of three

Petacchi
Boonen
McEwan

or maybe Ferier if he's fit enough or Zabal if he's quick enough.

How's about that for fence-sitting.

edit: ok i'll take Ali-jet (broken hand or not) over McEwan with Boonen third

Mate, more choices than Brad Pitt in a nightclub............. Petacchi broke his wrist today in the HEW so no chance..... (i know this is not TDF news but you guys are allowed to follow other races)......... its a tough course so I don't see a sprinter winning it apart from Bonnen......

Chris_E said:

if the course is flat enough - and it is.
and if the weather is good enough - and it is likely to be,

Perm one of three

Petacchi
Boonen
McEwan

or maybe Ferier if he's fit enough or Zabal if he's quick enough.

How's about that for fence-sitting.

edit: ok i'll take Ali-jet (broken hand or not) over McEwan with Boonen third

I dont know the course at all. I heard its sorta flat and suited to sprinters but not as suited as Zolder was. If it really is suited to the fast guys then it i think Belgium, Italy and Australia will have a pretty tight leash on breakaways. I think if it ends that way, Petacchi, McEwen and Boonen. The Australian team will be strong and flexible this year. Strong domestiques but also many options too. If its an all out sprinters affair, McEwen will be getting a damn fine leadout. With guys like Cooke, Vogels, OGrady (assumming he gets over his little tiff with McEwen), Davis and the real specialist McGee (Though i have some doubts over McGee at that distance). Id put that up against Fassa´s, i mean Italy´s train. Belgium too. Also if it does eventuate into something more selective and the Bettini´s go, OGrady, Davis and even Cooke of late will be up for it.

There has to be some question marks over Freire taking part or if so, in what sort of shape. I know hes done special things here before but if its a true bunch kick then i dont see him on the podium.

Outside chance: Flecha.

Petacchi broke his wrist at the HEW Classics.

You can only have three riders ! You listed 487 aussies !

oely said:

I dont know the course at all. I heard its sorta flat and suited to sprinters but not as suited as Zolder was. If it really is suited to the fast guys then it i think Belgium, Italy and Australia will have a pretty tight leash on breakaways. I think if it ends that way, Petacchi, McEwen and Boonen. The Australian team will be strong and flexible this year. Strong domestiques but also many options too. If its an all out sprinters affair, McEwen will be getting a damn fine leadout. With guys like Cooke, Vogels, OGrady (assumming he gets over his little tiff with McEwen), Davis and the real specialist McGee (Though i have some doubts over McGee at that distance). Id put that up against Fassa´s, i mean Italy´s train. Belgium too. Also if it does eventuate into something more selective and the Bettini´s go, OGrady, Davis and even Cooke of late will be up for it.

There has to be some question marks over Freire taking part or if so, in what sort of shape. I know hes done special things here before but if its a true bunch kick then i dont see him on the podium.

whiteboytrash said:

You can only have three riders ! You listed 487 aussies !

Actually i said Petacchi (to assume he is fit enough), McEwen and then Boonen. I was merely highlighting the leadout that McEwen would get and the strength of the Australian team for the course.

Allan Davis

The award for the most overrated sprinter goes to Alan Davis. :p

ed073 said:

Allan Davis

I think the world title road race has lost a lot of prestige in the last decade or so. I would prefer to see it raced in late August as it used to be. When was the last time a grand tour contender was World Champion? Olano? That must be 10 or so years ago.
The days of the tour riders mixing it with the best one day riders for the rainbow jersey appear to be gone. Oscar Freire is a great rider but it seems a little strange to rank him alongside Merckx as a 3 time World Pro Road Champion.
All that being said if it is as easy as the experts are saying then it is hard to go past Petacchi.

Ullefan said:

The award for the most overrated sprinter goes to Alan Davis. :p

Them's fighting wordz!!!! 😄

ed073 said:

Them's fighting wordz!!!! 😄

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

😉

Ullefan said:

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

😉

Just wait....he'll be up there in the final.

ed073 said:

Just wait....he'll be up there in the final.

Him and his can of coke. 😉

Petacchi. If he is a motivated for this race as he was for Milan-San Remo he'll take it at a canter. If a break goes i could see the Italians allowing Di Luca to go with them as 9 times out of 10, in a break, Di Luca would win the Sprint. But Petacchi is my number one choice. I wonder what kind of abomination a Domina Vacanze Palm tree Rainbopw jersey would look like. :eek:

Petacchi, has the best team, experience with cippolini (zolder 2002).........Boonen loses to the real explosive sprinters like Mcewen and Petta...........!!

El Loto said:

Petacchi. If he is a motivated for this race as he was for Milan-San Remo he'll take it at a canter. If a break goes i could see the Italians allowing Di Luca to go with them as 9 times out of 10, in a break, Di Luca would win the Sprint. But Petacchi is my number one choice. I wonder what kind of abomination a Domina Vacanze Palm tree Rainbopw jersey would look like. :eek:

oely said:

... McEwen will be getting a damn fine leadout...

...from Fassa 🙂

oely said:

McEwen will be getting a damn fine leadout.

McEwen doesn't do lead-outs. tcklyde your right. Ballerini should just selct the Fassa train. Ale-Jet will win no problem.