[aengbretson]

Looks like the massive sprint in the U23 race bodes well for Cav.

But more interestingly there was a TIE for 3rd. Too close for the finish camera!

Good on Phinney and Boivin for putting North America on the podium (kind of makes me happy because I'm a dual US/Canadian citizen, grew up in the US, now living in Canada).

 

[Dan Gerous]

Yes Guillaume (I'm from the same province)! If he didn't bother to turn and look, he may have found the energy to surge one mm further ahead!

 

[pianopiano]

Congratulations to Guillaume Boivin for the bronze medal! Along with Ryder Hesjedal's big year, things are looking a little more promising for us here in the land of hockey. Not that I don't like hockey. (Go Habs!)

Michael Mathews looked pretty impressive leaving everyone behind in the sprint, but I was little surprised at the size of the group at the end, thinking that the course would be more selective. It should make for a very interesting Elite men's race.

I was just wondering, though: What would happen if two riders tied for first place at the world's? Would we be seeing two rainbow jerseys out on the road in the same year?

 

[Dan Gerous]

The U23 race was a much shorter 159km compared to the Elite race. the longer distance could spit an even bigger proportion of sprinters.

 

[Eric_H]

Congrats to Boivin! I watched the finale and when I went to bed it was Phinney 3rd, Boivin 4th. Nice surprise to check the news this morning and find out Boivin was actually tied for 3rd!

I think the U23 race will be a sign for the Elite race despite the differences in distance. Riders like Freire and Hushovd are capable of surviving, even Farrar and Cav could survive depending on how hard the race is before the final couple of laps. If the race is very hard before the final 2-3 laps then it does not favor the sprinters. In the finale yesterday, the Aussie U23s had no problem controlling the final 2 laps with only 5 riders and there were many attacks launched. On VeloNews, Jim Miller the US team manager says the climbs are only ~3.5 minute efforts which is well within the realm of many of the sprinters. And as witnessed in the U23, there is a lot of road between the last proper climb and the finish for regroupment. I can see 50 riders left after the last climb in contention, which does not guarantee a sprint by any stretch.

 

[rustybucket]

Matthews smashed them all, he was so far ahead he is not even in the photo.

 

[Undecided]

I was just wondering, though: What would happen if two riders tied for first place at the world's? Would we be seeing two rainbow jerseys out on the road in the same year?

I would argue for *no* rainbow jersey on the theory that no rider was better than all the rest on that day. But I'm always against the feel-good solution.

 

[Keski]