Track world championships

[Brucey]

the GB team's results in the World's have never been spectacular in an Olympic year, presumably because they are on a longer, er, cycle. However even by that benchmark this year's have been a bit worrying.

In 2016 the results in the world's were a bit grim but they played an absolute blinder in Rio.

cheers

[thatsnotmyname]

So the results are 'worrying', but also 'not worrying'..??

[Marcus Aurelius]

the GB team's results in the World's have never been spectacular in an Olympic year, presumably because they are on a longer, er, cycle. However even by that benchmark this year's have been a bit worrying.

In 2016 the results in the world's were a bit grim but they played an absolute blinder in Rio.

cheers

Thousandths and tenths aren’t disastrous, seconds are though. We are dealing with elite level riders here. The move away from short sharp bollockings if their stopwatch results dip is an issue. “You can’t start calling them useless tossers, if their times are down by several tenths because they spent the previous night up ‘till god knows when watching Netflix ( if your lucky ) and were jaded” really? Some people didn’t like Shane’s approach, but it worked. Giving them the ‘ahh didums, never mind, do you want your mummy?’ approach isn’t going to achieve anything, other than getting their arses whipped in competition ( metaphorically speaking ).

[thatsnotmyname]

Thousandths and tenths aren’t disastrous, seconds are though. We are dealing with elite level riders here. The move away from short sharp bollockings if their stopwatch results dip is an issue. “You can’t start calling them useless tossers, if their times are down by several tenths because they spent the previous night up ‘till god knows when watching Netflix ( if your lucky ) and were jaded” really? Some people didn’t like Shane’s approach, but it worked. Giving them the ‘ahh didums, never mind, do you want your mummy?’ approach isn’t going to achieve anything, other than getting their arses whipped in competition ( metaphorically speaking ).

Please stop. You don't know what you're talking about and it's just embarrassing drivel...

[mattheus]

Has anyone mentioned the new GB bikes? They are quite a radical step in design. I don't believe anyone used them in Berlin, so if past Secret Squirrel Successes can be relied on (?), then the pursuit riders can expect quite a boost in Tokyo.
________________________________

Some great Berlin pics here:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/galle ... n-pictures

This is the best action pic:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/galle ... res#img-23

[thatsnotmyname]

Seemed to be mostly on T5GBs in Berlin, even the sprinters...

[Marcus Aurelius]

Has anyone mentioned the new GB bikes? They are quite a radical step in design. I don't believe anyone used them in Berlin, so if past Secret Squirrel Successes can be relied on (?), then the pursuit riders can expect quite a boost in Tokyo.
________________________________

Some great Berlin pics here:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/galle ... n-pictures

This is the best action pic:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/galle ... res#img-23

The bikes they’ll be using in Tokyo are very experimental, they don’t want to be pinning all their hopes on the effect from the bikes though. Overall I wasn’t overly bothered about how the medal table looked at the worlds, I was more concerned about the times being put in. I hope team GB get their fingers out a bit, and get the medal targets they’ve been set. We shall see.

[thatsnotmyname]

The bikes they’ll be using in Tokyo are very experimental, they don’t want to be pinning all their hopes on the effect from the bikes though. Overall I wasn’t overly bothered about how the medal table looked at the worlds, I was more concerned about the times being put in. I hope team GB get their fingers out a bit, and get the medal targets they’ve been set. We shall see.

The bike isn't 'very experimental' - it's UCI approved and has already been ridden at World Cup level. The 'experimentation' and testing has already been done.

[mattheus]

It's all about socks.

[Marcus Aurelius]

It's all about socks.

That’s true, if we put socks over the heads of the team USA and team Denmark riders, we might win something.

[mig]

I've just seen the Danish team set 3' 44.672" in the team pursuit; their third new world record in two days.

Bimey!

cheers

i only managed to see a teeny bit of these championships. so the question is is there anything startling that the danes are doing to achieve these times? any radical pacing strategies? very round wheels? or a set of incredible riders at the same time?

[Brucey]

ah, if we knew that we'd presumably know more than British Cycling do...

The Danes do have funny 'big ears' helmets, but that won't be the only difference. There are some things you can see, like turn lengths and the exact method of changes, when to shed the fourth rider etc, and plenty of other -possibly more important- things you can't see so easily.

The whole game has moved on apace; it isn't that many years since the WR in the team pursuit was about 9s slower. I've not checked this fully but I think the speeds in the sprint events for flying laps were phenomenal; about 45mph or something, faster than has ever been seen before in more competitors.

FWIW Chris Hoy's comments indicated that he was very concerned about the 'catchup' required before the Olympics; even allowing for the usual factors, in his eyes, team GB's performance wasn't up to muster.

cheers

[thatsnotmyname]

Those POC aero lids should be outlawed on grounds of good taste.

I don't think the F200 record got broken, but the Dutch sprint team were clearly on form. The thing that nobody on this board will be able to answer is what Team GB/BC's expectations were for the WC, and whether the team met, exceeded, or fell short. We will all have our own opinions on that, but the only one that matters is in Manc. As I said earlier, the focus for performance in Olympic year will be August, not February. It's quite possible that some of the 'established' riders at the worlds won't actually make it to the Olympics in any case..

[mig]

frankly we need to get our heads together on their behalf and suggest equipment upgrades!

how many if those supple 35c vittoria tyres do planet x have left i wonder? semi fluid grease in hubs etc a fraction of a second per lap right there.

how aero are their saddlebags?

[Marcus Aurelius]

I've just seen the Danish team set 3' 44.672" in the team pursuit; their third new world record in two days.

Bimey!

cheers

i only managed to see a teeny bit of these championships. so the question is is there anything startling that the danes are doing to achieve these times? any radical pacing strategies? very round wheels? or a set of incredible riders at the same time?

They have a former formula 1 aero technician on their team. He’s been working on their positions and kit. There’s a huge advantage to that. You expend 85 percent of your effort moving air out of the way. As per usual, some people at B.C. “didn’t see the benefit / point of going hard on the wind tunnel” and Team G.B. got mugged. The proof of the pudding is in the eating ( yet again ). These aren’t “marginal gains” they’re seconds.