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Regarded as the toughest WCS event, Madrid will provide quite a good show come Saturday. With a lot of top athletes (Frodeno, Kahlefeldt, Whitfield etc.) having higher than normal start numbers, the potential to have a motivated break out of the water and on to the hilly 8 lap bike will be higher than usual. The Blue/white/red uniforms (FRA, RUS) should litter the front of the swim. With my pick of Aurelien (FRA) leading out as a pre-rehersal for some team tactics at next weeks Euros.
If a group like last year can form on the bike right away I think we will see it stick this year, and carry a 45-60'' gap into T2.
Those in the lead group with strong legs may be able to minimize being 'run thru' from the chase while the others in there may be seeing more names and countries going by than they would like.
In the past 7 years of the Madrid WC/WCS event the only non-euro to medal has been Atkinson (09 and 10). What does this say? It may say that the euros pay more attention to the bike than others, leaving them fresher come T2? Perhaps it also can be attributed to it being the first Euro WC/WCS each season causing 'outsiders' to carry some jet-lag into it?
Either way I think we see the same result of Euros on the podium with the most likely candidate to play spoiler being Sexton (AUS).
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