Many in the cycling world would argue that the pinnacle of the road racing season is the Tour de France, followed closely by the Giro d'Italia. Those events have long gone but there is still the final part of cycling's 'Triple Crown' to be decided at tomorrow's 2011 Road World Championships in Copenhagen.
Unlike the Tour and the Giro the World Championships is only a one day road race coming at the end of four or five days of different events including men's individual time trial, the women's individual time trial and road race, and junior events. As such it is perhaps not so well revered as the great stage races, the overall winner of which has to be well placed through a combination of flat, mountain, and time trial stages.
The larger tours are rarely won by a specialist of a particular discipline but rather all-rounders or General Classification men. The World Championships is anybody's race, however, making predictions impossible to call. That is not to say that the World Championships is a matter of pot-luck, and it does not detract from the value of reaching victory.
The Preparation Process
Like all of the big events there are a variety of small events that riders compete in beforehand to get the best possible preparation for them. The location of the World Championships can define which events are chosen as preparation grounds, depending on the route, terrain, and sometimes climate, but some riders will race the same events year in year out regardless.
In recent years the Vuelta a Espana has typically fallen just before the World Championships and so is deemed a valuable final effort in the lead up to the World Championships. This year big names like Vincenzo Nibali, Carlos Sastre, Denis Menschov, and Bradley Wiggins were all in attendance, but Spaniard Juan Jose Cobo won overall. Sky's Chris Froome came second and Wiggins third.
Wiggins, who crashed out of this year's Tour de France, was no doubt keen to get a big race under himself before the World Championships, where he came second in the individual time trial on Wednesday behind German Tony Martin. The Briton will be looking for a strong finish in Sunday's main event. Several of his Sky ProCycling team mates opted to ride in the smaller Tour of Britain instead of the Vuelta after a gruelling season in the Tour de France and Giro.
Geraint Thomas led Team Sky in the Tour of Britain, and several other celebrities were drawn to the eight day event because it gave a steady run out. An added bonus came with occasional low temperatures and drizzle, which were similar conditions to those that are expected in Denmark.
Current world champion Thor Hushovd added a spice of celebrity and took Stage 4, and Mark Cavendish made a welcome appearance for the home crowd after pulling of the Vuelta. He won the first and last stages and came home in second behind team mate Mark Renshaw on stage five.
Both the Vuelta and the Tour of Britain finished in plenty of time to give riders a welcome rest before the World Championships where the fruits of their preparation will be revealed. As ever, there is no telling who is likely to conquer.
The Form Guide
Mark Cavendish proved he is on great form in the Tour of Britain, and with a solid eight-man team behind him he has to be in with a serious shout of taking the Rainbow Jersey. A bunch finish is Cavendish's only real chance, and he could be derailed by the final ascent.
With a sliver medal in the bag, Bradley Wiggins will be set to work hard for the sprinter along with Geraint Thomas (who could himself mount a challenge), David Millar, Ben Swift, and Steve Cummings. London 2012 is in sight and this is a perfect opportunity for the British team to assess their preparation progress for the games.
After a strong finish in the Tour de France, Andy Schleck has pulled out of tomorrow's race, but Frank Schleck will lead the Luxembourg team, who, considering they have a population of half a million, are fielding quite a large team. The 2000m of climbing and uphill finish could allow Schleck to triumph, but only if he makes the break.
The Australians appear to be spoilt for choice and have the world at their feet. Mark Renshaw, Cavendish's trusty lead-out man and accomplished sprinter in his own right, has been left out despite being a consistent performer all year. Cadel Evans has already taken the World Championship title and this year added the Tour de France to his bag. With experienced hands such as Stuart O'Grady in his team he could well be sporting rainbow stripes next year.
Germany and Spain are also not to be forgotten. Tony Martin took gold for the Germans in the time trial as well as stage wins in this year's Vuelta and Tour de France, and overall victory in the Paris-Nice. Spaniard Oscar Freire is a three time world champion and could give Mark Cavendish a run for his money along with Rainbow Jersey holder Thor Hushovd.
Hushovd looked sharp in the Tour of Britain, winning stage four, but no one outshone the overall winner of that competition Lars Boom of the Netherlands. Boom showed great instinct and never missed a move, which could be a valuable asset tomorrow.
Whilst predicting an outcome is difficult there's no doubt tomorrow's race will prove exciting. The course presents many challenging climbs, but is also believed to be extremely fast. This will make it tough to make a break and sustain a lead. That being said, the climb to the finish could make a straightforward bunch sprint unlikely. The style of Lars Boom and Thor Hushovd's finishing in the Tour of Britain was superb, and if they can repeat it here then we could be in for a spicy end to the calendar's last great event.
Ralph Connolly - Ralph Connolly is a graduate in English and former milkman. He spends much of his time reading all kinds of detective fiction for it's a ...
Join the Conversation