BiciRace.com :: 2006 World Championships

2006 World Championships, Preview

World Championships, Austria

21 & 24 September

Preview

Races
21 September, Time Trial, Salzburg, 50.8K, Profile, Overall Map, Startlist
24 September, Road Race, Salzburg, 265.2K, Profile, Overall Map, Startlist
2005 Results

Road Race

Boonen, 2005 Road Champion in Action, photo: Makoto.Ayano/ CyclingTime.com

On 24 September all eyes of the cycling world will shift to the land of Mozart for the men's World Championship Road Race. The breathtaking alpine scenery will probably go unnoticed though as the riders will have their eyes glued to the rear wheel of the bike in front of them.

Will Boonen repeat as World Champion as Gianni Bugno did back in 1991 and 1992? It's doubtful to impossible. This year's course is definitely more selective than last year's in Madrid.

Each of the twelve circuits will cover about 22 kilometers with an approximate altitude gain of 2800 meters. In the middle of the parcours sits a nasty 14% grade section on the Elixhausen (547m), the second of two tightly packed climbs. Chalked full of sharp narrow turns, the course will make attentiveness crucial if one hopes to pull on the rainbow jersey at the end of the day.

Alexander Vinokourov, photo: Capture- The-Peloton.com

The other side effect of the technical nature of the course is that it will make it tough for the big teams to control affairs. That should play right into the hands of a rider like Alexander Vinokourov, who'll be leading the Kazakh squad with a mere two teammates. The smaller squads will be able to us the might of the big nations when it suits their needs, and in the other moments launch blistering attacks.

How the UCI came up with the number of riders allotted to each squad is a mystery to me, but the following is a quick look of how many riders each country will be allowed:

9 Members
Spain
Germany
Switzerland
France
Australia
USA
Belgium
Italy
Netherlands
Russia

6 Members
Poland
Ukraine
Slovenia
South Africa
Colombia
Czech Republic
Portugal

3 Members
Denmark
Great Britain
Ireland
Latvia
Kazakhstan

1 Member
Canada
Luxembourg
Finland
Hungary
Lithuania

Paolo Bettini, photo: www.ciclismovitamia.it

As always, all eyes will be on the Squadra Azzurra (team Italy) to do something big. Paolo Bettini has said, "This is a route for me! Similar to the championships in Zurich." Three of the nine places of the Squadra Azzurra have gone to Bettini, Di Luca and Paolini, with the remaining 6 slots to be announced in mid-September.

In spite of our Italian partiality, BiciRace.com thinks Italy will get it wrong yet again. Franco Ballerini, Italian national DS, says he won't make the same mistake of last year where all their hope was pinned on one rider, Alessandro Petacchi. Instead Ballerini will look toward Bettini and Di Luca, each of whom has openly stated his desire to win the coveted rainbow jersey. But Franco, look at Spain... They have proved time and time again that cohesiveness is the key ingredient in their winning formula. Pick one rider and sacrifice the whole team around that rider. After all, it worked for Postal Service for seven years, right?
- Paco

Past Winners (from 1960):

2005 Tom Boonen (Bel)
2004 Oscar Freire (Spa)
2003 Igor Astarloa (Spa)
2002 Mario Cipollini (Ita)
2001 Oscar Freire (Spa)
2000 Romans Vainsteins (Lat)
1999 Oscar Freire (Spa)
1998 Oscar Camenzind (Swi)
1997 Laurent Brochard (Fra)
1996 Johan Museeuw (Bel)
1995 Abraham Olano (Spa)
1994 Luc Leblanc (Fra)
1993 Lance Armstrong (USA)
1992 Gianni Bugno (Ita)
1991 Gianni Bugno (Ita)
1990 Rudy Dhaenens (Bel)
1989 Greg LeMond (USA)
1988 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita)
1987 Stephen Roche (Ire)
1986 Moreno Argentin (Ita)
1985 Joop Zoetemelk (Hol)
1984 Claude Criquielion (Bel)
1983 Greg LeMond (USA)

1982 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)
1981 Freddy Maertens (Bel)
1980 Bernard Hinault (Fra)
1979 Jan Raas (Hol)
1978 Gerrie Knetemann (Hol)
1977 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1976 Freddy Maertens (Bel)
1975 Hennie Kuiper (Hol)
1974 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1973 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
1972 Marino Basso (Ita)
1971 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1970 Jean-Pierre Monséré (Bel)
1969 Harm Ottenbros (Hol)
1968 Vittorio Adorni (Ita)
1967 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1966 Rudi Altig (W Ger)
1965 Tom Simpson (UK)
1964 Jan Janssen (Hol)
1963 Benoni Beheyt (Bel)
1962 Jean Stablinski (Fra)
1961 Rik Van Looy (Bel)
1960 Rik Van Looy (Bel)

Time Trial

Aussie Rogers, 3X TT Winner, photo: Makoto.Ayano/ CyclingTime.com

UCI officials have come up with a rather demanding technical course that offers little in the way of respite throughout its 50.8K duration.

Three ascents of similar length will rear their ugly heads throughout the course. The first climb, the Hallwang starts at about kilometer 6 and rises up to 530 meters at 8.3K. Next on the menu is the Ursprung totaling 575 meters (13.2K). The riders will then have approximately 15 kilometers to bring their heart rates down out of stratospheric levels before encountering the final ascent, the short, but steep Obertrumerberg, topping out at 572 meters (35.5K).

With the course having some fast descents the weather will of course be a factor. If the early starters have dry weather and the later starters get doused in rain we could see a real upset. Though, it could work the other way around.

Vai Millar, photo: BiciRace.com

BiciRace.com would love to see David Millar do something special and we think he has the attributes and confidence to do it. Yes he's an admitted doper, but he's one of the very few that has come clean on his own accord. The British rider has been exiled and is now, we think, back better than ever. Vai David!!!
- Paco

Past Winners:

2005 Michael Rogers (Aus)
2004 Michael Rogers (Aus)
2003 Michael Rogers (Aus)
2002 Santiago Botero (Col)
2001 Jan Ullrich (Ger)
2000 Serhiy Honchar (Ukr)
1999 Jan Ullrich (Ger)
1998 Abraham Olano (Spa)
1997 Laurent Jalabert (Fra)
1996 Alex Zülle (Swi)
1995 Miguel Indurain (Spa)
1994 Chris Boardman (UK)