Oh sure, agree with all of that. I think there was ambiguity in the thread above around the use of ‘alone’ meaning ‘with no other team mates from the same nation’ and the alternate meaning ‘without any in-race collaboration with other riders’. I was referring to the former.
That is not correct. Pedersen won in Yorkshire 2019.
2015 Sagan
2016 Sagan
2017 Sagan
2018 Valverde
2019 Pedersen
2020 Alaphalippe
2021 Alaphalippe
Well the one thing in his favour is it is a very weak Worlds with people not willing to travel plus having trade team obligations.
Happy for Keegan to have an opportunity to go race. It will an interesting experience I’m sure. Hopefully they bring him on the podcast and talk about things he learned and what was different than what he expected, etc etc.
This guy would like a word….who cares if it was over 30 years ago?
Have to disagree with @Jonathan re: Keegan at Roubaix. He is WAY too small to be at the front over the cobbles. Didn’t Jonathan say he was 140lbs?
Strade Bianche could fit his capabilities, expect for the fact that it is much shorter than the other classics.
WvA, Remco and Pogi?
Ah, I think you missed someone… MVDP
266kms with 12… repeat 12 city circuits. The city circuit has a short punchy climb of 1.1km with up to 14% gradients.
Basically, the solo winner or small group will likely break away on this climb. I imagine it’s a two minute full gas effort.
Pogacar doesn’t appear to be on prime form.
MVDP seems over his Tour fatigue issue. He just raced 2 pro kermesse’s in Belgium and won both. They are actually very hard races. Additionally, the Netherlands team is very strong.
I’d call the favorites the following, on current form…
- Wout and MVDP
- Matthews
- Pedersen
- Girmay
- Cosnefroy
- Laporte
Obviously, if Remco gets separation, he can win. However, I don’t think this course really suits his current diesel grand tour form.
On paper, Alaphilippe would be the outright favorite on this course. After his recent crash, who knows.
I do think Keegan could do well on this course. All told, the winner will need incredible fatigue resistance and nuclear 2min power.
That sounds like the two cyclocross boys to me
One of my favorite cycling photos of all time!
Do you think that the WT teams use camelbacks and attack during the feed zones?
Probably referenced somewhere upthread, but the recent AACC podcast with Matteo Jorgenson was pretty good. Keegan is a guest. I’m behind on AACC’s andI binge listened to a bunch of AACC’s today while wrenching on my bikes.
World Tour Racing with Movistar’s Matteo Jorgenson - Ask a Cycling Coach 379
Show notes on You Tube: Premiered Sep 1, 2022 Team Movistar’s Matteo Jorgenson joins Coach Jonathan Lee, Coach Chad Timmerman, and Santa Cruz Bicycles’ Keegan Swenson for a wide-ranging chat about pro racing, Tour de France breakaways, grand tour peaking and fueling, and the pro peloton’s opinion on gravel racing. The crew also answers listener questions about race day nerves and cramping, this week on Episode 379 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!
Well that didn’t last long.
Better add Pogacar back to the top of the favorites list.
Yeah - holding off WvA in a long sprint. So his forms picking up again!!
Pedersen is not going to Worlds, so you can scratch him off that list.
It’s actually up to 18%, I rode it the other week.
- be at the start line healthy
- get in to the break
- attack from it and bank camera time
- profit
Was really surprised that Keegan and others raced the Chequamegon 40 instead of the XCM World Championships.
I’m not a MTB guy, so i don’t know much of the scene for this race. Just thought something like Worlds would be on people’s A-listed races… long distance MTB on non-technical course seemed like right up Keegan’s alley.
Is Cheq 40 not part of a series?
It’s part of the Lifetime Series this year.
Thought so. Pretty good explanation as to why it was a priority.
Gotta follow that LifeTime $. Probably more incentive for him to stay here, do that race, go to road worlds, then finish up with Big Sugar. Payout for overall Grand Prix is most likely better than going to Europe for this.