The least consequential world championship road race ever - 2011

Simply Fred wrote:
Anton Berlin wrote:
In 1980 Anquetil predicted only only 15 riders would finish.

Yesterday, the entire peloton sauntered into the finish line more
gentler than an old man eases into a hot bath.

No one will remember this group training ride and sprint for the city
limit sign.

The sprint would have been a lot more fun for neutrals if Abdoujaparov
was still around.

Or Graeme Brown.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

On Sep 27, 11:16*pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
wrote:
Oh. Were you in there somewhere? I didn't notice. In the past, to be
in
the Worlds, you had to be one of the few very best riders in your
country. In the past, the weakest climber/strongest sprinter would
blow
any of us away on our local "HC" climb that we're so proud of. So to
blow riders off the back in the Worlds takes some doing. That was...
in
the past.

When did it change?

Right after Cavendish won?

Not to mention, I remember seeing the average speed for Worlds RR in
Colorado Springs, USA in 1986.
Not all that fast. That was a miserable cold wet day, where the day(s)
before had been bright and sunny.
The men didn't go that much faster than the women did (of course, the
men went further) but what was noteworthy was the combat occurring
among members of the bunch, which I saw from very close, on a climb on
the backside of the course. Sean Kelly fighting to keep his place is
the image I remember best, and fighting is not an exaggeration. "It's
not all about speed".
--D-y

You got a better view than I did! You're right about the weather, aside
from the daily 4pm thunderstorm that rolled in. I was at the velodrome
when everything got blown over & tossed. Was Eki really really really
young then, or really old now?

Lessee... 2011 minus 1986 = um, young then, old (in Cyclist Years) now
g.
I didn't understand what they were fighting over at the time. Duh,
maybe they were just trying to stay somewhere in the middle of the
pack, to try to stay warm?
Very glad I'd had Colorado living experience, although coming from
Texas, and brought my winter clothing, including heavy down jacket,
long johns, gloves, etc.
Many didn't. (Huddled masses, yearning to be warmer. And dry.)
One of the Mexican team helpers tried to get me to "loan" him my
gloves when we walked by the pits. Sorry, amigo, I only have the one
pair...

I got to see Laurent Fignon (RIP) fly through that corner at the top
of the hill where other, much slower riders were falling, pulling the
pack along in a vain attempt to get something going, and catch
Argentin and Motet. He took a very different line through there...
Pretty good for a guy with glasses and a ponytail (referring obliquely
to your "what happens when the big boys show up", earlier).
--D-y