2017 UCI Road World Championships

[find_bruce]

The 2017 world championships are on in Bergen, Norway in 2 weeks. Australia has announced its teams. The men's team is "focused on providing Michael Matthews 100% commitment in the road race". No surprise then that Simon Gerrans didn't make the team.

Setting low expectations for the women's team, "we are confident they will be in the mix to get near the podium." Not sure why we only taking 5 women given Australia was qualified to 7.

Elite Men: Simon Clarke (Cannondale Drapac), Rohan Dennis (BMC), Mitchell Docker (Orica-Scott), Luke Durbridge (Orica-Scott), Jack Haig (Orica-Scott), Heinrich Haussler (Bahrain–Merida), Mathew Hayman (Orica-Scott), Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb), Jay McCarthy (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Rory Sutherland (Movistar).

Elite Women: Gracie Elvin (Orica-Scott), Katrin Garfoot Orica-Scott), Shara Gillow (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), Sarah Roy (Orica-Scott), and Amanda Spratt (Orica-Scott).

Under 23 Men: Lucas Hamilton (Mitchelton-Scott), Jai Hindley (Mitchelton-Scott), Callum Scotson (BMC Development Squad), Robert Stannard (Mitchelton-Scott) and Michael Storer (Mitchelton-Scott).

[MichaelB]

HH is a surprise given he's only raced once (or any more) since double knee surgery - albeit he did OK, but still ....

What is the course like ?

[find_bruce]

Road race is long - 276.5km, with 19km loops featuring Salmon Hill - 1.5km long averaging 6.4% but with some pitches up to 8% Should be tough enough to rule out the pure sprinters, not tough enough for the pure climbers. Supposedly a bit like Geelong a few years ago.

Time trial is something else - only 31km & the last 3.4 km is a climb averaging 9%

[bianchi928]

Any ideas on coverage? I can't find on sbs or Foxtel. Cheers

[find_bruce]

Setting low expectations for the women's team, "we are confident they will be in the mix to get near the podium." Not sure why we only taking 5 women given Australia was qualified to 7.

Detailed explanation: Why Cycling Australia left women’s Road Worlds spots unfilled short story - they aren't going to win so no point wasting time & money.

Cyclingtips also reports that Chloe Hosking to appeal Road Worlds non-selection: “This is bigger than my personal ego”

Any ideas on coverage? I can't find on sbs or Foxtel. Cheers

According to SBS

Sunday 17 September - Sunday 24 September
UCI Road World Championships
All events streamed live with Elite men's and women's roads races LIVE on SBS.
Details TBA.

[bianchi928]

Cheers Bruce.

[MichaelB]

Setting low expectations for the women's team, "we are confident they will be in the mix to get near the podium." Not sure why we only taking 5 women given Australia was qualified to 7.

Detailed explanation: Why Cycling Australia left women’s Road Worlds spots unfilled short story - they aren't going to win so no point wasting time & money.

Read the interview, and "wordsmithing" seemed appropriate.

Can understand the approach, but not the result.

If the same approach was used for the Men's team, as much as I like HH, how the hell did he get in ? Mind you, I'm not the only one who thought that ....

[fat and old]

The 2017 world championships are on in Bergen, Norway in 2 weeks. Australia has announced its teams. The men's team is "focused on providing Michael Matthews 100% commitment in the road race". No surprise then that Simon Gerrans didn't make the team.

Like.

[AUbicycles]

I was also wondering about Haußler, likely is out there to support but he has been chasing this type of success for a long time so if he is in form, has a good day and chance, I will him a good ride.

Interesting about the womens selection, there is still a bit of dissapointment among those who feel they missed out. Timing is perfect to keep the energy up for womens cycling.

[find_bruce]

Chloe Hosking and Rachel Neylan won their appeal against non selection, but it seems winning doesn't necessarily mean they will be selected.

[G@v]

Individual Time Trial events on SBS streaming live: http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/

Tuesday 19 Sep, 11:35pm - Women's Individual Time Trial

Wednesday 20 Sep, 9:00pm - Men's Individual Time Trial



Watch SBS free to air TV (SBS Viceland) for Road Race events on:

Saturday 23 Sep, 9:30pm - Women's Elite Road Race

Sunday 24 Sep, 6:00pm - Men's Elite Road Race

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/ar ... and-online

[find_bruce]

If you told me Michael Matthews would win a world championship, I never would have guessed TTT. Winning men's & women's TTT tops off a great year for Sunweb

[MichaelB]

So Tony Martin doesn't like the fact that the TT has a climb at the end ? Boo hoo.

Just like sprinters not having a chance on most of the RR courses because of the climb. That's life.

Mind you, I think the bike change stuff is stupid. You can have a bike change, but only on the same type that you start on, i.e. TT bike or Road bike with TT bars. Being able to change from TT to road for the climb means that they have to introduce silly rules like a designed area for a change (with red carpet ....), and someone blowing a whistle when to stop pushing ...

Watch the various teams with top competitors set up a camera to record it and be ready to protest if it affects the results !!

[MichaelB]

Blimey - (warning - not for the squeamish re blood).

They make some of them pro's REALLY tough !!

Lauren Dolan - tough as !!

[fat and old]

The quote on why we were not sending a full womens team? "Not unless we’ve got a clear goal of winning the bike race".

Womens TT result? Australia 3rd. I guess he was right

[Thoglette]

Detailed explanation:

They mention the Olympics eight times. And point out that this is the only real goal.

Worst thing that can happen to any sport is getting a slot at the Olympics.

[find_bruce]

Blimey - (warning - not for the squeamish re blood).

They make some of them pro's REALLY tough !!

Lauren Dolan - tough as !!

Happy 18th Lauren Dolan!

[find_bruce]

No surprise as to the winner of the mens TT. After all the debate about swapping bikes, 2 of the top 3 stayed on their TT bike. Shame about Dennis crashing, he must have been in with a good chance given he recovered to finish just 16s off the podium.

[MichaelB]

Yeah, bugger about Rohan

[MichaelB]

Saw this elsewhere (WW forum) and had to share

'16 vs '17 Worlds......

Just a little bit different .....

It almost would have been an ITT that I could have watched

[find_bruce]

The quote on why we were not sending a full womens team? "Not unless we’ve got a clear goal of winning the bike race".

Womens TT result? Australia 3rd. I guess he was right

Garfoot done good in the road race as well. Seems their strategy was to mark specific riders. Strength of the dutch team showed with 3 riders in a break of 7.

[trailgumby]

Just saw this from the U23 race. Another team car-involved rider crash.

Those trackside barriers are just ridiculous. Those legs jutting out at the bottom are a serious injury risk for riders. There needs to be some kind of rider union, because the UCI clearly isn't doing a whole lot to protect their interests.

[DavidS]

Yep, that is an accident which should never have happened.

DS

[Strawburger]

So the streaming has finished and we are into the SBS feed now...

Has anyone found a link to the eurosports coverage?

I reckon we've lost 20 mins from the SBS intro, chit chat, cross promotions and ads.

[fat and old]

3 in a row. He's good.

Wonder when Hinault will tell us he's not a complete champion until he wins Paris-Robaix?