UCI 2006 World Road Championships

 

Salzburg (Austria), 19 - 24 Sept. 2006

British Cycling World Road Championships Home Page

Larry Hickmott reports and photographs

 

ROAD RACES (Elite Women and Under 23 Men)

 

After a long day at the World Road Championships, Great Britain came out of the road races with many a success story, with the highlight being a Bronze medal for Nicole Cooke. It was her Third World Championship medal at senior level in four years after a Silver in Madrid and Bronze in Hamilton (Canada).

 

Earlier in the day, Mark Cavendish was 11th in the Under Mens Road Race, his best placing at the Worlds so far whilst the rest of the Under 23 teams, all performed their roles to the letter. We have post race reactions and photos from the two races and will have many more pictures next week.

 

RESULTS

Elite Women
1. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) 3.20.26
2. Trixi Worrack (Germany)
3. Nicole Cooke (Great Britain)

Under 23 Men
1. Gerald Ciolek (Germany) 4.00.50 (44.146 km/h)
2. Romain Feillu (France)
3. Alexander Khatuntsev (Russia)

11. Mark Cavendish (Gbr)
65. Daniel Martin (Ireland) 12
125. Ian Stannard (Gbr) 8.02
127. Ben Greenwood (Gbr)

 

POST RACE INTERVIEWS

 

Nicole Cooke: The Bronze medal winner spoke to us after being presented with a celebration  cake by the hotel. As Nicole cut the cake for the team around the table, she told us what it felt to win the bronze medal. "The difference to how I felt last year to this year was that in Madrid it was a silver and so close whereas today, even though it came down to a final sprint and was close, I knew after we came back together that I had played my big card and it was going to be a lot harder to control".

"The race kicked off properly when Rachel lead it out and that was a really good move and worked well. Nobody among the favourites had taken the race on until then and then when Brandli, Vos and myself got away, it forced the strong riders to come to the front, like the German team, and start working. And it did shell out a lot of riders who were happy sitting in the wheels but didn't have the legs to be there."

 

"There was the moment when Vos and Arndt were away in a break (above) and that was out of my control. It came together though and so I felt I had to use the climb to make a difference which I did and we got away. We managed to open a bigger gap than the previous attacks so we knew the others were getting tired and I think we just needed a little luck because you need that for a World Championship."

"Brandli stopped working for example which I struggle to understand because in the break she was assured of a medal and her team didn't have a strong sprinter and she also had two teammates blocking. We were also up against a strong German team that had a lot of riders there and were able to change the course of the race. Once it came together, I knew I wouldn't be able to go with every attack but also realised there were riders there covering the moves and so didn't need to follow each one".

"With just under 2k to go, I thought that one would be a good one so I went with that and then it came to the sprint and I knew the German team would have their train there. So I thought it would be better to be on the outside rather than being boxed in and not able to sprint. So I took that risk and the two riders who beat me came up the inside whilst I took the longer route."

"I think the attacks I made did take part of the sprint out of my legs but had I not made those attacks, we would have had so many more riders and so many more numbers from the other teams there. So it was best to take the race to them and make sure they had tired legs if they made that front group."

Nicole finished by saying it was back to the drawing board as she looks ahead to the next Olympics and that next year she expects to be stronger and wiser and is looking forward to more success.

Rachel Heal: "I'm happy with my ride today. It wasn't perfect and my legs didn't feel as good as I would have liked but my job was to on the 5th lap, take it from the top of the first climb and string it out as much as I could so Nicole had a strung out bunch to attack from. And it worked so I'm happy with a job well done."

"It was hard for me being in a bunch that size. The bunches in America tend to be smaller so I found on the first lap my nerves were getting in the way a lot." Rachel then confirmed that she will be heading back to the States next year for another season there.

Tanja Slater: "I am pleased as well with my race as I did what I had to do. My job was to lead up the climb on the third lap and try and just make sure it was wearing down the field at the back end. I got to the front before the hill and did a turn then and then did another on the hill."

"I also found it difficult on the first lap after crashing but got back on. But once we got through the first lap and into it, I felt a lot happier. It was a step up for me but I felt alright in there."

Mark Cavendish: One look at the result and people will make their own assumptions on the GB team performance but this ride by them collectively was one of the best by the young team who all had specific roles to play. Anyone looking at the results and judging the riders from that is not doing them justice.

Mark showed today he could compete with the best roadmen in the world over a course that a good professional has to take in their stride. What he didn't have was the luck he needed. A crash to his friend and team-mate Geraint Thomas may well have been the difference because GB did lack a rider in the final to chase down the break and give Mark the launch pad he needed to win those rainbow stripes. Luck also to be 100 per cent which he isn't as well.

Back at the hotel before he headed out with the lads who had given everything for him, he said that after today's ride he knows for sure he was capable of winning a medal or even the jersey had everything fallen into place. "I had to gamble and wait for a sprint and if it had come down to it, there was no-one faster than me. This gives me massive confidence for next year when I move up to ride the Elite Mens race.

"I knew if the course today was too hard for me I wasn't go to make it with the pros but I handled it well. In one day racing everything has to go right for you. It doesn't matter how strong you are because you need an element of luck. The lads did their jobs 100 per cent for me but other things got in the way."

Asked did anyone take up the chase for the final break, Cav replied "No. All the riders in the break were from strong sprint nations and in my group no-one really wanted to take it up. Then, we were going down a fast descent we got held up by a motor bike in the road. That messed up the chase quite a bit. The motorbike just came down on its own and took down some of the riders behind me. I was fortunate that I only hit my foot on it but if I had been a couple of centimetres left I'd have gone down too."

On whether he was capable of going with the break up the climb, he said "not really. I was 25 back but even if I had been six back I would not have risked going with it and to be honest, I didn't anticipate Ciolek going with it either."

"I'd say the course today wasn't as tough as Madrid last year. You had the climbs but you had 10k of rolling in between. To be honest, the flat part was the hard bit. I have trained hard and am going well even though I could be going better. On the second hill, I was making 10 or 15 places up there just using the gears correctly." He then explained that it was windy along the top of the hill and praised Ian and Ben for the work they did for him on this section.

Mark's road season continues next week with a stage race starting next Thursday (Franco Belge) and that is followed by a one day race. That is then his road season done and dusted.

He won't be hanging up his wheels though as he'll be doing some track work for GB with the goal of riding the Track Worlds. "I'm proud of the program and Great Britain and I still want to be part of that and go to the Olympics." In the meantime, he says he's hoping to get some time with his girlfriend Melissa on the Isle of Man who he doesn't get to see anywhere near enough, a drawback to this life he leads and the life we all lead in the cycling world on the road. Good Luck to Cav over the winter.

 

Andy Tennant: It went okay. Unfortunately I wasn't there at the end to help Cav as much as I could. With three laps to go, I got dropped. I had nothing left after doing a chase earlier on when the group split after someone sat up. So it went okay but you always want to be there at the end to help".

"There was a real bun fight at the start for positioning. For the first couple of laps you were really fighting for position and then it settled down and started taking on the style of the Italian racing where it got faster and faster. I came here as best I could after some ups and down. After the Tour of Britain I have been a bit ill and had a few crashes so overall, I am reasonably pleased."

Geraint Thomas: "I was pretty crap today to be honest. Since the Euro's I don't think I have been on it and then getting ill last week was the final nail in the coffin. I'm peeved that I didn't get to help Cav at the end. After about three laps I had a crash which didn't help."

Ian Stannard: It was a rough day for Ian as he rode a brilliant race on a bike he had never ridden before. After breaking his team bike, GB pulled out all stops to bring another over from base but the airline messed that up so they went with plan C which was to use a borrowed bike from Sebastian Lang of the Gerolsteiner team. "I was pretty happy to be there at the end doing a job for Cav and enjoyed doing it" Ian says.

"On the last lap, before the final break got clear, there was another up the road. "I (with Ben) had to get that break back and it was us and the Aussies doing the bulk of the work to get it back. After that I went bang. I was comfortable in the race and the only problem I had was having my legs ache in different places which I can only put down to the different bike but I'm grateful to Max (Sciandri) for getting me it. The squad did a really good job to get a bike out here with less than 24 hours to the race and I'm grateful for all their efforts."

"My role was to duck and dive for the first five laps and save myself and then the last three laps cover moves and bring breaks back which we did. It was hot but not that bad compared to Italy. I was having a bottle a lap (22k) and feel quite used to the heat now."

"The level of the race wasn't any more of a challenge than the races in Italy. It was a bit more aggressive like no-one would let you into a space which they would normally but then it's the World Championships. There are also a lot of people we haven't raced against and so didn't know what to expect from them. I can't wait for next year now!"

Ben Greenwood: "My role was to sit in for the first five laps and then hopefully with everyone there we could start doing something. That's what happened. The climbs were not as nearly difficult as I expected and with three to go, it was Andy and my job to get active a bit so I tried to cover a few moves. Then with two to go, I got told to ride to chase a break. Then I cracked when the attacks started so I dropped to the back."

"Then, Ian and myself got called to the front again to bring another break back and we went as hard as we could to catch it at the bottom of the climb and then both just totally blew. After that we cruised in." On the second steep climb, he says "you get up it halfway before you have to pedal. It's more the bit after, the draggy bit which is where it lined out. It wasn't a mega selective course."

"I enjoyed the experience though and saw my dad out there and some British people. We gave it 100 per cent and I have to be happy with that".

 

Photos

 

Elite Women's Podium

 

Sprint for the Elite Women

 

Nicole Cooke in the mix with two laps to go.

 

The sprint for 8th and Cav rolls over in 11th.

 

Gerald Ciolek wins the sprint for Gold.

 

Mark Cavendish showed he is among the best roadmen with a super performance for a rider not feeling 100 per cent.

 

 

Nicole Cooke on the second climb.

 

Rachel Heal.

 

Tanja Slater fights her way back after a crash on lap 1.

 

Tanja all smiles at the start of her first World Championships in Cycling.

 

Helen Wyman who afterwards admitted it wasn't a good day for her and she was dropped after lap 1.

 

Ben Greenwood doing his job for GB.

 

A crash and not feeling 100 per cent made the day a dissapointment for Geraint Thomas.

 

Andy Tennant.

 

Start of the Uner 23 Road Race.

 

A pensive Cavendish at the start.

 

 

GB were called up second to the line.

 

Nicole signs on ahead of her medal winning ride.

 

A slap of the hands between Tanja and Helen at the start of their race.

 

 

 

The four Brits pose for a picture at the start. 

 

Ben Greenwood takes his food from Luc De Wilde of the GB Team.

 

Luc De Wilde of the GB team has the mussettes ready for the GB riders.

 

Geraint Thomas on the second time up the second climb, the steep one. 

 

The Russian Olympic Points Champion goes for a long one on his own.

 

A team photo after signing on.

 

Andy Tennant pinning his numbers on.

 

Under 23 GB pit at the start of their race.

 

Race radio arial is put in place outside the tent.

 

Breakfast at 6am with many a story from Shane Sutton keeping the young lads amused.

 

Irish Brit, Daniel Martin, former British Junior champion.