# National Championships 2015 Thread



## Flying_Monkey (25 Jun 2015)

I thought it might be good to have a thread to keep an eye on and discuss all the National Championships that are starting about now...

First up, Malori has unsurprisingly retained his Italian TT crown...


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## User169 (25 Jun 2015)

NL TTs were yesterday.

van der Breggen for the women and Kelderman for the men.


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## raindog (25 Jun 2015)

Coppel is TT champ in France - Chava was "only" 3rd - his career is firmly in decline now.
http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-...france-du-contre-la-montre-chavanel-3e/569297


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## raindog (25 Jun 2015)

Brit championships live here


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxxO-JlIfLY


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## Pro Tour Punditry (25 Jun 2015)

Dowsett wins British TT title - Edmund Bradbury (I'd never heard of him either) takes second


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## Pro Tour Punditry (25 Jun 2015)

EBH wins Norwegian TT title for the 340th time


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## outlash (25 Jun 2015)

Marmion said:


> Dowsett wins British TT title - Edmund Bradbury (I'd never heard of him either) takes second



Ed rides for NTFO and is local round these neck of the woods (Cambridgeshire), needless to say he's pretty bleedin' quick but I'm quite surprised that he took second in the nationals. Chapeau!

Tony.


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## deptfordmarmoset (25 Jun 2015)

Marmion said:


> Dowsett wins British TT title - Edmund Bradbury (I'd never heard of him either) takes second


I know Dowsett rides best when he's angry but after the race he said he got stung on the inside of his thigh by a wasp. That wasp got him 3 1/2 minutes on Bradbury.


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## screenman (25 Jun 2015)

I rode out and watched it, in my opinion it should be illegal to go up hills as fast as they did today. 

If anyone thinks Lincolnshire is flat pop over and have a poodle around the Wolds, not huge hills but plenty steep enough to hurt the legs.


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## The Couch (26 Jun 2015)

It's only later today, but you can already note down Vandewalle as the Belgian TT winner

Unless he is hampered by the finger he broke in the Giro, there is just no other "TT specialist" available (especially who is close to his level in a long TT)


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## MisterStan (26 Jun 2015)

Not a single SKY rider entered in the TT? Wondering what Geraint Thomas could have done....


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## The Couch (26 Jun 2015)

MisterStan said:


> Not a single SKY rider entered in the TT? Wondering what Geraint Thomas could have done....


He might have had the same problem as Dumoulin anyway... being perhaps still too knackered from the TdS he might not have done so great


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## The Couch (26 Jun 2015)

The Couch said:


> It's only later today, but you can already note down Vandewalle as the Belgian TT winner
> 
> Unless he is hampered by the finger he broke in the Giro, there is just no other "TT specialist" available (especially who is close to his level in a long TT)


Unless Jurgen VDB proves that his Giro TT performance wasn't a fluke (or at least because it was a climbing TT and during a GT)?!? 
At the first intermediate he is leading 12s ahead of 2nd place, Vandewalle is only 7th at 21s


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## Hont (26 Jun 2015)

MisterStan said:


> Not a single SKY rider entered in the TT? Wondering what Geraint Thomas could have done....


You only get the jersey for coming first (I worked that out for myself )and beating a (comparatively) fresh Dowsett would be a big ask. I guess with the Tour around the corner (assuming he gets selected) it was probably not seen as worth the effort.

I see four Sky riders are lining up for the road race, though, which may (or may not) indicate that they've missed a Tour slot. Fenn, Kennaugh, Rowe and Stannard. Only other WT team riders are Orica's Yates twins and Adam Blythe plus Cav.


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## Hont (26 Jun 2015)

The Couch said:


> It's only later today, but you can already note down Vandewalle as the Belgian TT winner


Anyone got an eraser?


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## MisterStan (26 Jun 2015)

Hont said:


> I see four Sky riders are lining up for the road race, though, which may (or may not) indicate that they've missed a Tour slot. Fenn, Kennaugh, Rowe and Stannard. Only other WT team riders are Orica's Yates twins and Adam Blythe plus Cav.


According to the BC website Kennaugh, Fenn, Rowe, Stannard and Thomas will ride....


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## Hont (26 Jun 2015)

MisterStan said:


> According to the BC website Kennaugh, Fenn, Rowe, Stannard and Thomas will ride....


Conflicts with Cyclingnews...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/geraint-thomas-opts-out-of-british-championships

One of them is definitely wrong.


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## MisterStan (26 Jun 2015)

Also confirmed on Sky's website.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Jun 2015)

Go on, guess who won the German TT championship...


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## Poacher (26 Jun 2015)

screenman said:


> I rode out and watched it, in my opinion it should be illegal to go up hills as fast as they did today.
> 
> If anyone thinks Lincolnshire is flat pop over and have a poodle around the Wolds, not huge hills but plenty steep enough to hurt the legs.


That climb out of Ruckland is quite brutal. I was going to ride the back roads (Hemingby/Goulceby/Red Hill) before realising that the closure of the A153 meant that there'd be very little traffic on it from Horncastle onwards, and none after the actual closure at Scamblesby; the nice marshals confirmed that I was OK to ride on past the roadblock, and had the pleasure of a completely empty road. The hill at Cawkwell had me gasping, but I'm not built for ascents (see sig); I hit 67.5kph on the return journey.

Disappointing number of non-starters; I would have felt short-changed if I'd actually paid for entrance, when the Team Wiggins / Sky vehicles all departed en masse before the start of the men's TT. There were so many gaps that the big screen was showing live coverage of a rabbit for several minutes!


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## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Jun 2015)

Nelson Oliveira takes the Portuguese TT title


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## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Jun 2015)

Jan Barta, Czech TT.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Jun 2015)

They're coming thick and fast tonight*
Jonathan Castroviejo is the new Spanish TT Champion

* apologies to Miss Goodbody and @Fnaar


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## Supersuperleeds (26 Jun 2015)

Marmion said:


> Go on, guess who won the German TT championship...



Rosberg?

Vettel?


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## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Jun 2015)

A British win in the Belarussian TT championship for Vasil Kiryienka


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## User169 (26 Jun 2015)

Marmion said:


> Go on, guess who won the German TT championship...



Well I thought it was a surprise. I expected Brennauer to defend her title.


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## deptfordmarmoset (26 Jun 2015)

Delftse Post said:


> Well I thought it was a surprise. I expected Brennauer to defend her title.


Yes, no mention of the women until now. Mind, I have to confess I'd never heard of Hayley Simmonds until yesterday.


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## User169 (26 Jun 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Yes, no mention of the women until now. Mind, I have to confess I'd never heard of Hayley Simmonds until yesterday.



See post #2 in the thread!


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## deptfordmarmoset (26 Jun 2015)

Delftse Post said:


> See post #2 in the thread!


Ah yes, I missed that post.


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## Berk on a Bike (26 Jun 2015)

Marmion said:


> A British win in the Belarussian TT championship for Vasil Kiryienka


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## Berk on a Bike (26 Jun 2015)

Garmindale's Ramunas Navardauskas won the Lithuanian TT title.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Jun 2015)

Berk on a Bike said:


> View attachment 93593


Robin Cousins, Lake Placid, 1980


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## rich p (27 Jun 2015)

Stefan Schumacher was 3rd in the German ITT. Doping git.
So far, Movistar have three national TT champions in Dowsett, Castroviejo and Malori.
I'm not casting aspersions, of course, but I was surprised at how well a TTer like Castroviejo was climbing at the Dauphiné.


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## raindog (27 Jun 2015)

Jeannie Longo was back this year to ride the TT but there were problems with the gendarmes before the start
http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Les-gendarmes-perturbent-longo/569363
she was 13th in the end
never heard what happened to the charges against Ciprelli, or Jalabert come to that.


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## smutchin (27 Jun 2015)

Some chap called Steve Milton got to ride in the car behind Alex Dowsett yesterday and posted some nice vids on facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/stevemilton/videos/vb.609076824/10152845691106825/?type=2&theater


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## smutchin (27 Jun 2015)

rich p said:


> I'm not casting aspersions, of course, but I was surprised at how well a TTer like Castroviejo was climbing at the Dauphiné.



Tbh, I've always been more surprised how well a Basque like Castroviejo does in the TTs - he's not much bigger than Pozzovivo.


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## User169 (27 Jun 2015)

Lucinda Brand just won NL road race. Jumped the lead group with 4km to go. Boring parcours though - pancake flat circuits.


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## raindog (27 Jun 2015)

The French circuit is quite nice with some sharp peloton-breaking hills.
I'm watching the girls racing right now, and the world champ, Ferrand-Prevot, is out front on her own - can't see anyone catching her. Really strong ride.


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## Flying_Monkey (27 Jun 2015)

Nibbles wins the Italian road race title again...


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## deptfordmarmoset (28 Jun 2015)

As a prelude to the UK road race, here's a link to sunny Sweden...
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ueteknik


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## rich p (28 Jun 2015)

Lizzie Armitstead looks pretty relaxed up that hill


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## Pro Tour Punditry (28 Jun 2015)

Good race for British Women's RR


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## smutchin (28 Jun 2015)

Just switched the telly on. Lizzie is looking great!


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## HLaB (28 Jun 2015)

Hope the men's race is as good


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## Louch (28 Jun 2015)

Should be a good one


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## Pro Tour Punditry (28 Jun 2015)

Louch said:


> Should be a good one


it certainly is


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## Louch (28 Jun 2015)

Cavs looking really strong,


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## MisterStan (28 Jun 2015)

Standard looks like he's out for a ride with his son!


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## rich p (28 Jun 2015)

I can't see how Cav can possibly win this against Sky and with that steep finish.


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## User6179 (28 Jun 2015)

Marmion said:


> it certainly is



Are we meeting up the day buddy


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## Pro Tour Punditry (28 Jun 2015)

Eddy said:


> Are we meeting up the day buddy


?


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## User6179 (28 Jun 2015)

Marmion said:


> ?



Thought you were heading to Hampden?


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## Pro Tour Punditry (28 Jun 2015)

Eddy said:


> Thought you were heading to Hampden?


Ah right, yes. I'll send you my mobile number so you can txt - just about to set off


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## Bobby Mhor (28 Jun 2015)

Another divit with a camera


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## simo105 (28 Jun 2015)

There should be a law, if you stand in the way with a camera and hit a cyclist, the person next to you can shove the camera up your arse


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## Bobby Mhor (28 Jun 2015)

simo105 said:


> There should be a law, if you stand in the way with a camera and hit a cyclist, the person next to you can shove the camera up your arse


Sideways of course


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## HertzvanRental (28 Jun 2015)

Bobby Mhor said:


> Sideways of course


with a 3ft telephoto lens attached


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## deptfordmarmoset (28 Jun 2015)

I'm really not used to seeing Cav doing all the work.


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## Bobby Mhor (28 Jun 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I'm really not used to seeing Cav doing all the work.


Mark Renshaw will sneak on from behind a tree 2 mile from the finish


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## sleaver (28 Jun 2015)

Kennaugh going up the climb manages to look as calm as I do free wheeling downhill


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## raindog (28 Jun 2015)

Tronet wins in France - Bouhanni crashed a couple hundred metres from the line


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## Bobby Mhor (28 Jun 2015)

This is looking tasty..
Will PK outdrag Cav oop the hill?


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## raindog (28 Jun 2015)

feel a bit gutted for Cav - that was a mind-boggling ride from him


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## col1888 (28 Jun 2015)

Some of the idiot spectators on the Michaelgate climb need slapping with a pedal wrench !


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## sleaver (28 Jun 2015)

Was Kennaugh just knackered or did he look like someone who had just won the National Championship for the second year in a row but knows he won't be going to the Tour?


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## screenman (28 Jun 2015)

Just about to get in the shower, standing next to the podium is not a good idea, unless of course you want to get soaked in bubbly.


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## Flying_Monkey (28 Jun 2015)

raindog said:


> feel a bit gutted for Cav - that was a mind-boggling ride from him



It's confirmed to me something I've been thinking for a while, which is that as his sprinting speed slows down as he gets older, he still has a winning future as a more versatile one-day classics rider, should he choose to move in that direction - not for the really hilly races, but certainly for the others.


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## Flying_Monkey (28 Jun 2015)

Add the unexpected winners in the men's races in both Germany (Bora-Argon18's Buchmann) and France (Auber 93's Tronet), and this Championship season has already been more interesting than usual.


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## raindog (28 Jun 2015)

And let's not forget Owain Doull of Team Wiggins winning the under 23 prize in front of Simon Yates


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## rich p (28 Jun 2015)

That interview with Kennaugh at the end, sounded like a man who is ready to move to a different team, to me.


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## raindog (28 Jun 2015)

there's probably more wasted talent in Sky than any other team


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## cyberknight (28 Jun 2015)

raindog said:


> there's probably more wasted talent in Sky than any other team


I think its more a case of sky having riders that could be team leaders as super domestiques means they are not a threat to the lead riders..........hopefully ( thinks tdf 2012 )


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## raindog (28 Jun 2015)

cyberknight said:


> I think its more a case of sky having riders that could be team leaders as super domestiques means they are not a threat to the lead riders..........hopefully ( thinks tdf 2012 )


in other words "there's probably more wasted talent in Sky than any other team"


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## screenman (28 Jun 2015)

Or do Sky bring riders on to a higher level than others teams.


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## cyberknight (28 Jun 2015)

raindog said:


> in other words "there's probably more wasted talent in Sky than any other team"


If the team can win the prize then from a standpoint of sponsers they are not wasted , of course they need to stay upright 1st


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## deptfordmarmoset (28 Jun 2015)

I was especially pleased for Lizzie Armitstead after her ToB mishap a couple of weeks ago. 

And I don't think I've ever seen Cavendish perform as well as that, completely outside of his usual race conditions. It was an eye opener for me.


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## screenman (28 Jun 2015)

The atmosphere at the event was brilliant, I hope that the sound system suppliers waive their fee or give it to a local charity.


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## lyn1 (28 Jun 2015)

raindog said:


> And let's not forget Owain Doull of Team Wiggins winning the under 23 prize in front of Simon Yates


I do not think pros (WT & PC) are allowed to race U23


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## raindog (28 Jun 2015)




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## raindog (28 Jun 2015)

Bouhanni lost a bit of skin from his crash


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## deptfordmarmoset (28 Jun 2015)

raindog said:


> Bouhanni lost a bit of skin from his crash


I saw that photo earlier - it looks like he's had a skateboard implanted in his thigh.


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## iLB (28 Jun 2015)

rich p said:


> That interview with Kennaugh at the end, sounded like a man who is ready to move to a different team, to me.



Is this online anywhere Rich?


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## Louch (28 Jun 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I saw that photo earlier - it looks like he's had a skateboard implanted in his thigh.


Isn't that how everyone's thighs look?


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## rich p (29 Jun 2015)

iLB said:


> Is this online anywhere Rich?


No idea ilb. Basically, he said he hopes he's doing the tour this year but it still rankles that he was. overlooked last time. He said it showed that the team had a lack of trust in him.
I may be reading too much into it but coupled with past rumours of transfer gossip...


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## rich p (29 Jun 2015)

rich p said:


> So far, Movistar have three national TT champions in Dowsett, Castroviejo and Malori.
> .


Make that four, now ValvPiti has won the Spanish RR


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## smutchin (29 Jun 2015)

Lampre trump them with five national champions jerseys - road race for Costa (Portugal), Grmay and the 21yo neo-pro Pibernik (Slovenia), TT for Grmay and Oliveira (Portugal).


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## smutchin (29 Jun 2015)

MTN have five too -
Jacques JvR (SA), Berhane (Eritrea) and EBH (Norway) in the road race, EBH and Teklahaimanot (Eritrea) in the TT.


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## smutchin (29 Jun 2015)

iLB said:


> Is this online anywhere Rich?



Highlights are on itv4 tonight so it might be on there.


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## smutchin (29 Jun 2015)

Spare a thought for new Belarus road race champion Andrei Krisilnikau, who now needs a new bike. And team...
http://twitter.com/KraSy_blr/status/615393361457975296


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## Dogtrousers (29 Jun 2015)

I didn't understand why Rowe wouldn't work with Cavendish when they were chasing. Was his plan to get Cav to tow him back to the leaders and save energy?

Why wasn't Kennaugh wearing the national jersey? Is it a traditional thing? Does he cease to be champion when the race starts?

I remember Nicole Cooke complaining about team tactics in national champs a few years ago, but I'm not sure what the rules are. Was Rowe deliberately trying to get Cavendish to use up his energy to benefit his Sky team mates? Seems a bit rough on poor ickle Cav who was all on his lonesome Belgian ownsome surrounded by evil Sky droids.


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## raindog (29 Jun 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> Was his plan to get Cav to tow him back to the leaders and save energy?


Which is more or less what happened - talk about an armchair ride. If Rowe had won, I think I would've smashed my computer in rage.


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## JBGooner (29 Jun 2015)

Great races. What I don't get about the mens race is how Kennaugh and Cav managed to accelerate away from Stannard and Rowe on the flat. 

He'll hate it but I think Cav won that by coming second.


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## rich p (29 Jun 2015)

iLB said:


> Is this online anywhere Rich?


http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ken...t-be-overshadowed-by-tour-de-france-ommission


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## L Q (29 Jun 2015)

Great race thought Cav had nailed it when they broke away as the final two,

Shame about the people on Michaelgate, I have never seen crowds like it as I normally stand on Michaelgate for the Lincoln grand prix but no chance of getting close this year, They need barriers up if the crowds are going to be that big again.

Really well organised and top marks to all the helpers, Lets hope the Nationals come to Lincoln again in the next few years.


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## The Couch (29 Jun 2015)

Jolien D'Hoore defended her women's title despite being the only rider from her Wiggins Honda team
(she had some luck that other teams worked to stop a valiant solo-effort by Jessie Daams and Jolien was very clearly the strongest sprinter of the small bunch)

And I guess it doesn't happen often ever, that the name of the women national champion rings more off a bell than the one from the men, but it just happened:
Preben Van Hecke, a rider from Topsport Vlaanderen, has won the Belgian jersey
Interestingly, despite this team being focused on developing upcoming (Flemish) riders (this year E. Theuns and J. Wallays as 2 strongest examples), Van Hecke isn't a young rider at all, but actually their "road captain" and at almost 33 years old he basically won his first "decent" race
For the ones who have been following the cycling sport on close-hand, you might have heard the name before, since he often goes into long escapes. Like in 2014, he rode about 240K ahead during the Amstel Gold and 3 days later he rode another 180K in the Waalse Pijl (Fleche Wallone) or in 2009 at one point he was riding together with (the winner that year) Devolder towards the head of the race, but couldn't hold Devolders wheel on the Muur.
He also won this title by going into a monster escape, since he went away in the first round (of 14) in a group of about 25 people, in the end only him and Jurgen Roelandts (the guy from the monster escape in this years Gent-Wevelgem) managed to stay in front, despite OPQS and - later on - Van Avermaet giving them a hell of a chasing.

Ohh... and on a side comment, he's a bit of a skinnier-faced Simon Gerrans look-alike


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## Andrew Br (29 Jun 2015)

raindog said:


>



You've caught my best side. I'm 4th from the left in the white cap.

We had a good couple of days in Lincoln.
The races on Saturday night were very entertaining and it was eye-opening how much some parents had (seemingly) spent on equipment for their children.
I confidently predicted to Helen that Armistead would win the women's race and Kennaugh the men's. Judging by the crowd's reaction on the lap pictured above, it was obvious that Cav was their favourite. He'd made up about 30 seconds on Kennaugh from the previous lap.

The poor PA system was, IMO, a blessing; we couldn't hear the commentators rambling on.
Here's a few tips if you have a microphone:-

you don't need to speak continually
you don't need to comment on the action on a screen that we can all see
we don't need to know about your club rides and what gearing you use going up Michaelgate
"banter" with your fellow commentator is dull, baffling, cliquey and _really_ not funny
Apart from that, it was a great weekend and Lincoln seemed to embrace the whole event.


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## The Couch (29 Jun 2015)

Ooohh... I did wanted to share this ...

Boonen, who was again top-favourite for the Belgian win - at least for the "afar cycling fan", since he lacks pretty much any decent win in the last 2 years - had nevertheless some creative "fans" 

Since some might take offence, I'll just put the link and won't add the picture in my msg


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## The Couch (29 Jun 2015)

The Couch said:


> Ohh... and on a side comment, he's a bit of a skinnier-faced Simon Gerrans look-alike


For the ones wondering:


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## sleaver (29 Jun 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> Why wasn't Kennaugh wearing the national jersey? Is it a traditional thing? Does he cease to be champion when the race starts?


The commentators were saying that past champions can wear the flag around their sleeve and then went on to say that Kennaugh didn't have the flag on his sleeve because he is defending champion. If he didn't win, then he would wear the flag on his sleeve going forwards.

I've noticed that it is the same in every other championships as well be it road or track.

So by the sounds of it, he was still the champion during the race, other wise he would have had the flag on his sleeve as a previous champion, but I guess that it is tradition that you don't wear what you are trying to win.


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## deptfordmarmoset (29 Jun 2015)

sleaver said:


> The commentators were saying that past champions can wear the flag around their sleeve and then went on to say that Kennaugh didn't have the flag on his sleeve because he is defending champion. If he didn't win, then he would wear the flag on his sleeve going forwards.
> 
> I've noticed that it is the same in every other championships as well be it road or track.
> 
> So by the sounds of it, he was still the champion during the race, other wise he would have had the flag on his sleeve as a previous champion, but I guess that it is tradition that you don't wear what you are trying to win.


He still got to ride his white Pinarello though.

Meanwhile, I managed to miss the end of the women's on the day and the beginning of the ITV4 coverage this evening. Did ITV4 show the highlights of that race?


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## Alien8 (29 Jun 2015)

Andrew Br said:


> You've caught my best side. I'm 4th from the left in the white cap.



And another one of Andrew, oh, and someone riding a bike ....


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## sleaver (29 Jun 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> He still got to ride his white Pinarello though.


Don't shoot the messenger 

Are custom bike paint jobs governed by the UCI or National body as I guess a riders jersey is?


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## deptfordmarmoset (29 Jun 2015)

sleaver said:


> Don't shoot the messenger
> 
> Are custom bike paint jobs governed by the UCI or National body as I guess a riders jersey is?


No attack intended!


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## sleaver (29 Jun 2015)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> No attack intended!


I know, hence the emoticon 

I know it is off topic, but I don't get why past world track champions don't wear the rainbow stripes (on their sleeve or collar) like past world road champions do


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## rich p (30 Jun 2015)

sleaver said:


> I know, hence the emoticon
> 
> I know it is off topic, but I don't get why past world track champions don't wear the rainbow stripes (on their sleeve or collar) like past world road champions do


Yeah, it keeps me awake at night too


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