Canada at World Cycling Championship

[Jeffery S.]

The World's start tomorrow in Madrid, so I thought I'd look up some stuff on the Canadian contingent. Since Michael Barry came in the top ten in the World's in Hamilton I have sort of followed his career, with Armstrong in Discovery Channel. He has just raced the Vuelta, the Tour of Spain, ending in Madrid, and is back in the same city for the road race, men's going this weekend.

The Women's time trial is tomorrow, Canada has two riders.

The men have brought five for the road race and four for the time trial.

I see Alison Sydor is still alive and kicking, on the team for the road race.

Regarding Barry, I just learnt that he actually lives in Girona, near Barcelona, for much of the year, since Armstrong and US Postal chose it as a European base years back. Most of the regulars on the team ended up buying apartments, many in the old city like Armstrong himself. Not sure if Discovery will keep up the city as their base now that the champion has said good-bye. In any case, reading Barry's diaries on www.velonews.com it is clear he is a very knowledgable rider.

For those curious, this is his wife's diary on the same web, she is a US national team member I think.

http://www.velonews.com/diaries/rider/articles/8936.0.html

[Jeffery S.]

Women's Elite Time Trial, Palmar-Kolmar was 19th and Greer 28th in a field of just under 40. U-23 Men's Time Trial also goes today. We have a good "junior" contingent.

[Jeffery S.]

Women's Elite Time Trial, Palmar-Kolmar was 19th and Greer 28th in a field of just under 40. U-23 Men's Time Trial also goes today. We have a good "junior" contingent.

[Jeffery S.]

Elite time trial today, Ryder Hesjedal was 22nd and Wolberg was 34th in a field of 49. Our junior results yesterday (U-23) were not that good either.

Let's hope Barry can get a good result this weekend. And Sydor, who I would say is the best women's cyclist we have ever produced, incredible that she can compete on the road and in mountain bike on a high level. And she must be getting on in age as well.

[Bxl Boy]

Will it be possible to watch the road mens race sunday somewhere on TV ?

[Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by Bxl Boy

Will it be possible to watch the road mens race sunday somewhere on TV ?


Maybe a US channel will click in late in the race. In any case, the course is a bit weak, no hills, so the only way to avoid the best sprinters from taking it (like the Italian Pettachi, or the Aussie McGee) is for teams to impose a lightning pace and even then try to break away as a way of breaking down the discipline of teams trying to keep together, protect their best sprinter, and "launch" them into the last straight.

Looking back Hamilton 2003 was a wonderful course, with that brutal escarpment stuck in there, great for a World Championship.

[Bxl Boy]

Yeah but as usual at the world Champioships, you'll have individual races inside some teams
Like the italians :P World champions when the time comes to avoid a teammate to win !
That's the fun of this race
Hope Boonen will win

[Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by Bxl Boy

Yeah but as usual at the world Champioships, you'll have individual races inside some teams
Like the italians :P World champions when the time comes to avoid a teammate to win !
That's the fun of this race
Hope Boonen will win


I don't know, I think usually riders are used to being in teams, and they are usually designated a role in function of the type of course you are facing. Another thing is if you have poor team attitude, or bitter rivalries, but I think the Italians are usually quite disciplined. So are the Spaniards, but they don't have anyone who can win this unless the pace is so fast they can eliminate some direct rivals.

Usually you try to set up a few options, a main one and an alternative or two. Hamilton was a great course as it had a lot of possibilities, someone could have gotten away in a small group, it would have been hard to catch a strong break. It was not really a sprinter's course but the end was a kind of two mile dog fight. It was hard to prepare for, but if you could be there in the end you could win it as for sure many rivals had fallen off.

In Madrid I think it is coming down to a sprint with most of the riders arriving together. If the Italians can get their best man to the front in the last few kms I think Petachi will take it, he just won five stages in the Vuelta, he is on form. Actually usually it is kind of dumb to prepare a course on your home turf that does not favour you, but that is more or less what the Spaniards have done in Madrid, more to show of the capital thinking about their Olympic bid than anything else.

[Jeffery S.]

In the women's elite road race we had two riders in the group that came down to the sprint, out of almost 30. Sydor was in a second group a few seconds back.

IN men's u-23 race we had a rider in a group well back from the winning pack.