Dave Brailsford coy on British world road race medal hopes

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Mark Cavendish

GB cycling boss Dave Brailsford has played down Britain's chances of defending the men's world road race title on Sunday.

In 2011 Mark Cavendish, 27, became with victory in Copenhagen.

But this year's hilly 261km Netherlands course will not favour the sprinter.

Brailsford said: "We're here with an opportunistic mentality. After a four-year Olympic cycle, we could not be at the top of our game."

Tour of Britain winner Jonathan Tiernan-Locke has a riding style better suited to a course that requires competitors to tackle a 1,200m climb up the Cauberg hill 10 times and could be GB's best prospect.

The repeated ascents will make it tough for any team to control the race, as Britain did on a flatter course in Denmark last year to set up Cavendish's win.

In addition to Cavendish and Tiernan-Locke, the British team for Sunday's race will include Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins and runner-up Chris Froome.

Spain's Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez are among the favourites to win the race, as is Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert.

Also in the running are three-time champion Oscar Freire of Spain, Slovakia's Peter Sagan, Tom Boonen of Belgium and France's Thomas Voeckler.

In the women's race, Great Britain's Emma Pooley will aim to overhaul Marianne Vos.

Vos beat Britain's Lizzie Armitstead to gold in the 2012 Olympic road race and Pooley admits that the Dutch rider is favourite in front of a home crowd in Limburg.

"There's a lot of climbing in it but I don't think it's got my name all over it," she said.

"It's got Vos's name all over it, but it's another opportunity and I'll give it a good crack.

"She's going to want to win so badly. Her only weakness is her strength. She's so, so good."

Armitstead has withdrawn from the race due to illness, and has not been replaced in the British squad.

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6 comments

  • Comment posted by U15126675, at 13:10 22 Sep 2012

    Who ever thought we'd see the day when our cyclists are becoming better known than our footballers.

    In Brad, Cav and Froome, we already have 3 sporting superstars.

    In JTL, Luke Rowe and Ben Swift, we have superstars in the making.

    Cummings and Stanard have both won a stage of France/Spain this year. Dowsett came a very respectable 8th place in the time trails.

    The dream team.

  • Comment posted by U15433939, at 18:18 22 Sep 2012

    Brads and Chris's seasons are over, cav just won't make it up the hill at the front, so that leaves Rowe or Locke who would have to beat boonen or gilbert on the line.Can't see it myself.

  • Comment posted by Spaced Invader, at 14:56 22 Sep 2012

    I don't think Brailsford would ever accept anything less than us being at the top of our game - he'll expect success as usual!

    Is there a more unheralded coach in GB sport?

  • Comment posted by Buggleskelly Wednesday, at 13:06 22 Sep 2012

    I've just looked up the Cauberg at;

    http://www.climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=Cauberg&MountainID=7190

    It's 1,200m in length, only 133m in height gained, about the same as Box Hill, unless I'm much mistaken.

    So hopefully if team GB actually have a 'plan B' we could have another winner. We've got at least 3 riders who could win depending on how the race develops, touch wood!

  • Comment posted by U5003087, at 12:40 22 Sep 2012

    Yes but it's also the number of times it's climbed and the race distance. Would be nice to see Cav win again but I don't think so. I wouldn't be too surprised to see Mr Wiggins pull off a surprise here and, from what I've seen of JTL in the ToB, he's a good punchy climber. We really can't be too greedy though, GB cyclists have given us enough this year already.

  • Comment posted by U14435643, at 11:38 22 Sep 2012

    I think we need to be clear that this is the Netherlands, not the Pyrenees.

    The 1,200 metre climb is not in terms of accent (as it might be in a grand tour) but is the actual distance to be climbed at an average of less than 10%. And so, while it doesn't suit Cav - he's certainly not out of it. And he might even get 'help' from other teams who'll more fancy their sprinters / stage racers.

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