Professional Cycling For the Fans - UCI World Championships- Elite Men Road Race

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So, tomorrow is the last day of 2011 Worlds. It's time for the fight for the most prestigious of the rainbow jerseys. I have to admit given the easy course I'm not looking forward to it as much as usually but whatever- that doesn't mean I'm not excited.
Seeing U23, junior and elite women road races, it looked like it's almost impossible to get away here, but who knows, incredible things happen sometimes, especially when Phillipe Gilbert is racing.

What riders (and DSes) themselves say:
Sylvain Chavanel- "Sunday will be the saddest race in the world"
(While Quickstep manager, Lefevre, hopes "that Chavanel will win and Gilbert will die on his wheel".)
Phillipe Gilbert doubts anyone can finish alone on this course but says his team will do everything to make race hard from the beginning.
Team GB seems really fired up, they think for them it's now or never since at least the next three years Worlds should be much harder. Cav admits he's rarely nervous but now is one of those moments, Wiggins says it's their best chance but Cavendish will still need the ride of his life.

Favourites:
Mark Cavendish- The uphill finish isn't perfect for him but he'll have a very solid team, on a good day he can do it.
Thor Hushovd- Exactly the other way- finish is great for him but he could do with slightly harder course plus he has a poor team. His teammate Boasson Hagen could win as well, depending on who's the leader on the day. I heard many Norwegians came to cheer for them.
Oscar Freire- Few years ago, he'd be an overwhelming favourite on such course but he's getting old and it's been almost a year since his last big result (Paris-Tours). However he's proven before that he can win this thing out of nowhere and he's chasing the record.
Peter Sagan- His age and only two helpers can make it difficult but other than that it looks great for him and he's my pick.
Phillipe Gilbert- It may look too easy for him but among those 18 races he won this season, there were some which he won making a gap on the easier terrain. And after such a long race, even the sprint isn't such a terrible option for him. If sprinters can be beaten here, he should be the one to do it...
Fabian Cancellara-...unless it will be him. It's been a while since he's done something like that but he's an ambitious guy who may feel he has smth to prove.
Matthew Goss- Has a very good team behind him but he doesn't seem to be in great form. A shame as such course fits him like a glove. (Also I'd say not taking Renshaw wasn't the best decision.)
Andre Greipel- Has a good chance I think. He can count on great leadout, he isn't bad on such finishes and anyway he's one of the fastest guys out there.
Tyler Farrar- Would be a nice way to end a rough year. I wouldn't put money on him, when in great shape he would be a very serious contender... but you never know with his shape.
Bennati- Seems unlikely but I guess he deserves a mention.
(Others include Bole, Feillu, Germany back up options in Kittel and Dagenkolb, Rojas... or if the race turns out to be miraculously hard and messy Chavanel or Voeckler.)

Cavendish. Or maybe Greipel...

The GB team is remarkably strong and seems to be more or less a tribute band for Cav, celebrating his decision to sign for Sky. Were it not for the uphill finish I'd say it was a shoo-in, but Greipel is going to be a tough opponent on this terrain. I predict that it will be dull as hell for about 250km, then there'll be attack after attack until the end.

CAVENDISH! In a magnificent finish to a much better race than I had anticipated. Anyone who thinks he can't win without being delivered to the line needs to watch this, he was superb.

Saw it and I still don't think he can win without being delivered.

Cavendish & Greipel. You´re pro betters! All in all, a great WC for Germany.

Saw it and I still don't think he can win without being delivered.

You were clearly watching a different race from me, given that he was detached from his team pretty much from the final corner. Thomas even dropped back to look for him, and then ended up on Cavendish's wheel rather than the other way round.

Having said that, the GB team - especially Wiggins - did a great job of controlling the race until the closing stages. But the last kilometre was pretty chaotic.

You were clearly watching a different race from me, given that he was detached from his team pretty much from the final corner. Thomas even dropped back to look for him, and then ended up on Cavendish's wheel rather than the other way round.

Having said that, the GB team - especially Wiggins - did a great job of controlling the race until the closing stages. But the last kilometre was pretty chaotic.

Was there a photo finish at the end for Cancellara? If so then yes we saw the same race.

Sorry but I will never get excited for Cav, or sprinters in general, when they sit back and pretty much suck wheel for the entire race. I found more excitement in the Voeckler breakaway.

Sorry but I will never get excited for Cav, or sprinters in general, when they sit back and pretty much suck wheel for the entire race.

Tastes differ. But that's their job. He's good at his.

It was well done for Great Britain and Cav, but I also have to say that I generally prefer the hillier courses. Not just for the WC, but I also tend to view the hilly or mountain days in grand tours as the most exciting. I guess I'm just not a huge fan of the bunch sprints, although I understand that they are a part of cycling.

The whole British team did an unbelievable job for Cavendish. Froome was pulling for like >100 km, I hope he'll be in similar shape next season. Wiggo also great, he's awesome these days. And they started working for this long ago when they were counting every point in every race possible to have eight men team. Chapeau.
But it's also true that the job in the final was all Cav's. For a moment there I thought he's done but he managed on a messy uphill finish, with his train cooked- and it wasn't the first time when he showed he can do it. I don't even want to imagine how much pressure he was under which makes it all the more impressive, really well done.

Gossy did good, I thought he isn't strong enough at the moment and it was actually pretty close. Shame he didn't have Renshaw- who I imagine was throwing things at his TV seeing how the race panned out- but whatever, silver after Cavendish is fine anyway.

I suppose Cav, Goss and Greipel is the outcome you would expect on such easy course, they are probably the fastest (maybe along with Farrar and perhaps Kittel will join them soon). It was nice to see Cav and Greipel warmly congratulating each other having in mind their past differences. On the side note, HTC continues to impress.

Gutted for Cancellara though, awesome effort. And Voeckler-Hoogerland at the front were pretty epic, you gotta love them, no matter how hopeless it is they'll always have a go.

Was there a photo finish at the end for Cancellara? If so then yes we saw the same race.

Sorry but I will never get excited for Cav, or sprinters in general, when they sit back and pretty much suck wheel for the entire race. I found more excitement in the Voeckler breakaway.

You don't have to get excited for the guy, but he won this race without a leadout in the final stretch. I agree sprinters just sit in the group and get pulled to the finish, but that's what sprinters do. I think this course was a bore. Great to see hoogerland and voeckler have a go though.

Saw it and I still don't think he can win without being delivered.

Agreed. I'm glad he at least had to fight it out for himself the last km or so, but this race was a joke. What if Cav had to ride with nobody but Wiggins, and Thor and Boasson Hagen had six awesome teammates? It's possible he could win without a team, but this is about as close as he ever gets.

You don't have to get excited for the guy, but he won this race without a leadout in the final stretch. I agree sprinters just sit in the group and get pulled to the finish, but that's what sprinters do. I think this course was a bore. Great to see hoogerland and voeckler have a go though.

whether he had a lead out by team sky or some random guy bottom line is he had a lead out.

not that it matters but in my opinion he will never go down as an elite cyclist to me cause he can't win anything without the help of others. sure he has an awesome kick, sprint or whatever you want to call it but that's about it.

unfortunately in today's society that's whats deemed as successful or elite when all the real hard workers will go down as underpaid unknowns or in this case the pseudo team sky.

whether he had a lead out by team sky or some random guy bottom line is he had a lead out.

not that it matters but in my opinion he will never go down as an elite cyclist to me cause he can't win anything without the help of others. sure he has an awesome kick, sprint or whatever you want to call it but that's about it.

unfortunately in today's society that's whats deemed as successful or elite when all the real hard workers will go down as underpaid unknowns or in this case the pseudo team sky.

Well, your opinion is wrong. And you're pretty much talking about all sprinters then. Not just Cav. Sprinting is a discipline in cycling just like climbing and time trialing is. The WC course varies from year to year because there are many different types of cyclists. Cav is an elite sprinter. The guy has won over 70 races in his short career. He's won the green jersey at the TdF. Cav is the reigning world champion. Cav is an elite cyclist. You don't have to like sprinters or watching sprints, but that doesn't diminish the fact that the dude is a great sprinter. That "awesome kick," as you put it, is exactly what makes him great. Its not easy or anybody could do it. And he's shown that he CAN win without the great HTC leadout or Mark Renshaw. If you don't like Cav because of his antics or attitude, just say so. But to try and make a case that he's not an elite cyclist is nonsense. World Champion = elite.

whether he had a lead out by team sky or some random guy bottom line is he had a lead out.

not that it matters but in my opinion he will never go down as an elite cyclist to me cause he can't win anything without the help of others. sure he has an awesome kick, sprint or whatever you want to call it but that's about it.

unfortunately in today's society that's whats deemed as successful or elite when all the real hard workers will go down as underpaid unknowns or in this case the pseudo team sky.

The only road cycling discipline that is truly solo is solo time trailing. All other events rely on teamwork. there are a lot of team players, TeamPlayers.

So who do you consider "elite"? It's got nothing to do with "today's society". You need to go back a long long time to see unsupported riders winning.

Eugene Christophe was disqualified from the 1912 TdF when he mended his broken fork using a blacksmith's furnace but asked a kid to pump the bellows. Was that the good old days?

Well done Cavendish. Truly deserved.

Dont think I saw Gilbert attack or at the front today and he was way out of contention at the finish. Seems like he should have at least tried an attack at some point.

Well, your opinion is wrong. And you're pretty much talking about all sprinters then. Not just Cav. Sprinting is a discipline in cycling just like climbing and time trialing is. The WC course varies from year to year because there are many different types of cyclists. Cav is an elite sprinter. The guy has won over 70 races in his short career. He's won the green jersey at the TdF. Cav is the reigning world champion. Cav is an elite cyclist. You don't have to like sprinters or watching sprints, but that doesn't diminish the fact that the dude is a great sprinter. That "awesome kick," as you put it, is exactly what makes him great. Its not easy or anybody could do it. And he's shown that he CAN win without the great HTC leadout or Mark Renshaw. If you don't like Cav because of his antics or attitude, just say so. But to try and make a case that he's not an elite cyclist is nonsense. World Champion = elite.
You do know the great thing about an opinion is that it truly can't be right or wrong? Your reading comprehension on the other hand could leave a lot more to be desired cause I stated earlier that I wasn't a huge fan of sprinters in general and not just Cav. But I promise not to hold that against you.

The only road cycling discipline that is truly solo is solo time trailing. All other events rely on teamwork. there are a lot of team players, TeamPlayers.

So who do you consider "elite"? It's got nothing to do with "today's society". You need to go back a long long time to see unsupported riders winning.

Eugene Christophe was disqualified from the 1912 TdF when he mended his broken fork using a blacksmith's furnace but asked a kid to pump the bellows. Was that the good old days?

It honestly doesn't matter what or whom I think is an elite cyclist. My opinion on the subject won't change and I'm not here to change the opinion of anyone else.

Bottom line is Cav is an elite sprinter and probably the best this generation will ever see. I respect him for what he's good at and we can just leave it at that.

okay, let's not let this thread get hijacked by one bomb-thrower.

moving on, did anyone notice, after the finish, cavendish lifting up his bike and kissing it? that would be advertising gold for the bike manufacturer, i would think.

another thing: i find it really amazing how small countries like netherlands, belgium, denmark and norway produce such outstanding racers. i can only suppose it's b/c the residents of those countries (esp. belgium and netherlands) are absolutely fanatical about the sport.

--d.

okay, let's not let this thread get hijacked by one bomb-thrower.

moving on, did anyone notice, after the finish, cavendish lifting up his bike and kissing it? that would be advertising gold for the bike manufacturer, i would think.

another thing: i find it really amazing how small countries like netherlands, belgium, denmark and norway produce such outstanding racers. i can only suppose it's b/c the residents of those countries (esp. belgium and netherlands) are absolutely fanatical about the sport.

--d.

You assume correctly, especially with regard to Belgium, they're nuts about it. I find it more difficult to account for Norway, it may be a transient thing, they just happen to have a couple of top, top riders at present. But if you want a country that punches well above its weight, in this sport and in many others, you have to look at Australia. Only about 22m Australians (there are 18m Dutch) and they are among the top nations in a number of fields.

Incidentally, one of the many Australian jibes about the British is that the "poms" are only any good at sports you can do sitting down - cycling, rowing, sailing, horse-riding. Not too far from the truth...

okay, let's not let this thread get hijacked by one bomb-thrower.

moving on, did anyone notice, after the finish, cavendish lifting up his bike and kissing it? that would be advertising gold for the bike manufacturer, i would think.

another thing: i find it really amazing how small countries like netherlands, belgium, denmark and norway produce such outstanding racers. i can only suppose it's b/c the residents of those countries (esp. belgium and netherlands) are absolutely fanatical about the sport.

--d.

Cause I have a difference in opinion its called bomb throwing? Its not my fault people easily get their knickers in a bunch if someone doesn't agree with them.

Anyway, having once lived in Belgium for many years I have to admit that that country absolutely loves its cycling like no other. There's a reason a lot of pros train there. My only regret was not cycling more while I was there. I usually try to head back there for a sportive every year. I did fail miserably at the Koppenberg and Paterberg during the sportive a few years back and hoping to give it another go next year.

You assume correctly, especially with regard to Belgium, they're nuts about it. I find it more difficult to account for Norway, it may be a transient thing, they just happen to have a couple of top, top riders at present....

Anyway, having once lived in Belgium for many years I have to admit that that country absolutely loves its cycling like no other. There's a reason a lot of pros train there....I did fail miserably at the Koppenberg and Paterberg during the sportive a few years back and hoping to give it another go next year.

i can understand why the dutch would be fanatical, considering how cycling is such an integral part of the transportation mix. but i don't remember belgium being a cyclist's paradise like netherlands. and what about denmark? great country for cycling but they don't churn out champions like netherlands do (or am i wrong about this?) i agree about norway. it may be a transient thing. i don't remember any big name norwegians back in the 90's.

i have a biking buddy who is dutch, made enough money from racing to finance his studies at the university. both his daughter and son are excellent racers. he's in his 50's and can ride me off his wheel. (i'm about his age). he could probably finish with the pack in a cat. 3 (u.s.) race, maybe better. it's like he's made of steel... it was interesting watching him tutor his daughter in the pack--"hold back; go; go here; not yet; get on my wheel; go, go, go! etc.". i think his son could have gone pro but went to college instead and is doing crew.

how many take part in the koppenberg and paterberg sportives?

i can understand why the dutch would be fanatical, considering how cycling is such an integral part of the transportation mix. but i don't remember belgium being a cyclist's paradise like netherlands. and what about denmark? great country for cycling but they don't churn out champions like netherlands do (or am i wrong about this?) .


I haven't done a count, but I reckon the Belgians have "churned out" far more cycling champions than the Dutch. Merckx, Maertens, van Looy, van Impe, de Vlaeminck, Boonen, Van Steenbergen, Maes, Bruyneel... That's off the top of my head. There have been hundreds.

that's interesting. it appears that every single belgian you cite has a flemish (i.e. dutch) name, even though the country is 40% french/60% dutch.

that's interesting. it appears that every single belgian you cite has a flemish (i.e. dutch) name, even though the country is 40% french/60% dutch.

Yeah, that's true. There isn't really a belgian nation, it's a purely political construct. Separate Flemish and Walloon media, institutions, political parties, everything. As a result they haven't had a Government for over a year, they can't sort out a workable coalition. Just goes to show, maybe political leadership isn't required: but that's for another forum.

Tremendous effort by the British team, controlling so many bigger teams for so long and delivering Cavendish to the finale in good shape. It's a great achievement to win the worlds, as a lone wolf but just as daunting to handle favouritism, in what is traditionally a tough event to manage.

Congratulations to all!

Incidentally, one of the many Australian jibes about the British is that the "poms" are only any good at sports you can do sitting down - cycling, rowing, sailing, horse-riding. Not too far from the truth...

Not at all accurate, at the moment. The Aussies are still pretty dominant in the restricted world of Rugby league, however:-)

Agreed. I'm glad he at least had to fight it out for himself the last km or so, but this race was a joke. What if Cav had to ride with nobody but Wiggins, and Thor and Boasson Hagen had six awesome teammates? It's possible he could win without a team, but this is about as close as he ever gets.
Of course Geelong course wasn't that easy so fast men had to fight harder to just hang on. But Hushovd also won thanks to the work of others- if not for the Spaniards, his group wouldn't have made it back to Italians/Evans/Gilbert group. He spent time hiding behind Freire's helpers and only saw the front when he was sprinting. It was smart riding and he certainly deserved to get rainbow for it but same case with Cav.

Also, it's worth looking a bit deeper into it than just "Cav benefited from a better team". Unlike others Brits left nothing to chance. They came up with this 3 year plan as soon as they saw Copenhagen course. They themselves made sure the team was big enough- there normally aren't that many British cyclists scoring enough points to bring 8 men to Worlds, they aren't Italy or Spain, but they squeezed every opportunity (like good stage placings in Tour of Poland) to get there. They had clear tactics, everyone knew their place, there was a clear leader in Cav and clear captain on the road in Millar. The part of the team that didn't go/pulled out of the Vuelta went training together in Girona instead. It all clicked because they worked hard for it not because 8 super talented cyclists got together 2 days before the race and they were lucky. There's a reason why guys like Modolo say they all looked like amateurs compared to British team.
Norway on the other hand didn't even decide who they're riding for.

And all in all, what could have gone differently with Norwegians taking the responsibility instead of Brits? Sure even the smallest thing can make a difference. But GB team at the front was pretty much good for all the sprinters. It certainly didn't hurt Goss or Greipel's chances that Wiggins turned himself inside out in the final part- thanks to this they avoided sacrificing one of their potential leadout guys while their biggest rival lost one. In the end Goss got a better leadout but mistimed his sprint; it was Cav who was left alone. Boasson Hagen is possibly in bad shape right now and not that fast anyway; Hushovd even without misfortune wouldn't have beaten Cav on this finish, even with awesome Norwegian train.
Guys who were hurt by GB doing all this work were Gilberts and Voecklers of the peloton as when for example Wiggo was pulling it was impossible to get away. But Belgians, French, Dutch all had great teams anyway. Yes the course made it almost impossible but they will have their chances in the coming years, there won't be another flat Worlds until at least 2015. And IMO it's not bad to have them once in a while. They should've been at least slightly harder than Copenhagen though (Cav can win Milan-San Remo so sprinters like him could've still make it).

Dont think I saw Gilbert attack or at the front today and he was way out of contention at the finish. Seems like he should have at least tried an attack at some point.

I was thinking he or Fabian would try a flier as well. Particularly after Voeckler was brought back. But its been a long season for all of them. Its easy to sit back and wonder why someone didn't attack when we're sitting on our couch watching the race.

There was absolutely no way Fabian or Gilbert could attack. The pace was kept as high as possible the last couple laps to avoid exactly that.

They had no choice but to try for the sprint, or hope an error (crash) enabled them to sneak away in the last k

one of the amazing things about this race was the ability of the GB team to be at the front for such a looong time. not only that, but they also reeled in the break-away. on the universal sports channel (u.s.), they picked up coverage well into the race, maybe with only about one or two hours to go. so i don't know how long the GB team was on the front before that. but, as i recall, for the entire last one or two hours, they were on the front, except for one short moment when the italians took over, and at the very end when all hell broke loose.

i am amazed. it must have been a very, very strong team. and disciplined too. i can only think that those 7 or 8 guys were far more disciplined than the 11 or so who were in break. i suppose that it was because some of the 11 were just sitting in, or even disrupting the paceline so that it would be reeled in? average speed was about 28 mph, as i recall, on a flat course, on a cool day. i don't know, 28 mph is certainly high for the rest of us, but would that be high for professionals?

one of the amazing things about this race was the ability of the GB team to be at the front for such a looong time. not only that, but they also reeled in the break-away. on the universal sports channel (u.s.), they picked up coverage well into the race, maybe with only about one or two hours to go. so i don't know how long the GB team was on the front before that.... i don't know, 28 mph is certainly high for the rest of us, but would that be high for professionals?

Team GB were prominent at the front for virtually the whole race. They got help from the Germans early on but were on their own once the crash had split the field. The average speed was actually 46kph/29 mph. This is plenty fast. Yes, the course was flat, but it was also 266 kilometres long. 46 kph for well over 5 hours is a hell of a rate. Martin won the time trial by more than a kilometre by maintaining 51kph for under an hour.

There was absolutely no way Fabian or Gilbert could attack. The pace was kept as high as possible the last couple laps to avoid exactly that.

They had no choice but to try for the sprint, or hope an error (crash) enabled them to sneak away in the last k

I agree it was a fast pace. But not so much that nobody could have tried an attack. There were a few attempts that were brought back. But that is the norm in professional races. It wasn't like an HTC freight train that we've seen where the peloton strings out into single file or they actually cause a split in the field. In fact, at the end, the GB lost control of it. But they did there damage. It probably went a long way towards preventing the other teams from organizing a strong lead out. I think Fabian and Gilbert might have thought they would be strong contenders in the uphill finish. It was a great effort by Cav and he positioned himself well.

I agree it was a fast pace. But not so much that nobody could have tried an attack.

No, really, I'm sorry to labour the point but this is an interesting discussion. Look at the figures.

The peloton, led by GB, is averaging 46kph. Let's say Cancellara attacks. If he rode for an hour at 51 kph, the speed Martin rode the TT (and a speed that Cancellara could not match) he would gain a lead of less than seven minutes. And at the end of that hour he would be completely cooked, and they'd sweep him up in a few more kilometres.

It is phenomenally difficult to attack off a pace as fast as that on a flat course. The only real chance is to go close enough to the finish to have some hope of maintaining your effort to the line. And with Wiggins on the front in TT mode, that too becomes very difficult indeed - as Voeckler found out.

No, really, I'm sorry to labour the point but this is an interesting discussion. Look at the figures.

The peloton, led by GB, is averaging 46kph. Let's say Cancellara attacks. If he rode for an hour at 51 kph, the speed Martin rode the TT (and a speed that Cancellara could not match) he would gain a lead of less than seven minutes. And at the end of that hour he would be completely cooked, and they'd sweep him up in a few more kilometres.

It is phenomenally difficult to attack off a pace as fast as that on a flat course. The only real chance is to go close enough to the finish to have some hope of maintaining your effort to the line. And with Wiggins on the front in TT mode, that too becomes very difficult indeed - as Voeckler found out.

Oh, I agree that anyone going off the front early would have been caught. But that's never stopped guys from taking the chance in the past. And I really should have been more specific. I'm surprised they didn't try it, as you mentioned, closer to the finish. Especially given the finish wasn't flat. Towards the end GB lost control of the peloton. At that point, I think Fabian, Gilbert, Thor, etc., should have taken a shot because things were disorganized. The sprint finish was harder than people are give credit to. I'm pretty sure GB thought there would be able to lead Cav right to the end. But the fell apart. I don't necessarily think that someone would have made it, but why leave to the final sprint when Cav, and the other sprinters, are there?

Anybody who thinks Cav needs a lead out should watch the last stage of the Tour of Britain. Proof that Renshaw will struggle next year.

World Road Champion is a singular honor, won by one rider, in a one day race. The fact that the brits thought it important enough to put a concerted team effort into it gives us all room to speculate why those riders all worked towards that end. National Honor? Personal accomplishment? I don;t think I;ve heard a heart felt rationalization from any of those who were part of the effort. Not sure they'll , in the future, be able to reconcile it well in their own program.
Being World Champion has reinvigorated many riders. Cadel became the rider he had shown he could always be. Thor struggled early in the season, but through perseverance and effort, upheld his crown well by end of the year. There have been some who never successfully supported their title.
Winning the title is a one day effort.
Cav now has the 12 month opportunity to put a substantive foundation under the title. One that is not underwritten by 20 secs of sprinting effort. Proving worthiness is now a 12 month project.

World Road Champion is a singular honor, won by one rider, in a one day race. The fact that the brits thought it important enough to put a concerted team effort into it gives us all room to speculate why those riders all worked towards that end. National Honor? Personal accomplishment? I don;t think I;ve heard a heart felt rationalization from any of those who were part of the effort. Not sure they'll , in the future, be able to reconcile it well in their own program.

That's easy. Most of these guys came through British Cycling's development programme together, the programme that turned the UK into the dominant track cycling nation of the last decade and made many of them Olympic gold medallists and world champions. They are friends as well as teammates. Wiggins has an additional reason for working his guts out for Cavendish, because it was his lacklustre performance in the Madison at the last Olympics (he was already tired from winning golds in the individual and team pursuits) that meant Cav was the only member of the track team to leave the games without a medal. Plus, everyone who has ridden with Cavendish, for HTC as well as the UK track team, speak extremely highly of him as a leader.


Cav now has the 12 month opportunity to put a substantive foundation under the title. One that is not underwritten by 20 secs of sprinting effort. Proving worthiness is now a 12 month project.

This is a strange comment, in my view. He won the race, he deserved to win the race, that is all you have to do to deserve the title. Except, of course, in the eyes of people who are determined to refuse you any credit.

This is a strange comment, in my view. He won the race, he deserved to win the race, that is all you have to do to deserve the title. Except, of course, in the eyes of people who are determined to refuse you any credit.
Totally, man. What's with the (previous poster's) extraneous purism nonsense? The guy earned the win, he was on a pure sprinter's course, he's a pure sprinter, he's not going to win Roubaix or Liege or the yellow jersey of the Tour but he will honor the rainbow jersey. Why would anyone assume otherwise?

World Road Champion is a singular honor, won by one rider, in a one day race. The fact that the brits thought it important enough to put a concerted team effort into it gives us all room to speculate why those riders all worked towards that end. National Honor? Personal accomplishment? I don;t think I;ve heard a heart felt rationalization from any of those who were part of the effort. Not sure they'll , in the future, be able to reconcile it well in their own program.
Being World Champion has reinvigorated many riders. Cadel became the rider he had shown he could always be. Thor struggled early in the season, but through perseverance and effort, upheld his crown well by end of the year. There have been some who never successfully supported their title.
Winning the title is a one day effort.
Cav now has the 12 month opportunity to put a substantive foundation under the title. One that is not underwritten by 20 secs of sprinting effort. Proving worthiness is now a 12 month project.

Dude, that's just nonsense. Cav has proven he is the clear, dominant top dog of sprinting in professional cycling over the past few seasons. I'm not sure what you define as "substantive foundation". Go look at his record. He's won 20 stages in the TdF in 3 seasons, won the green in the TdF and the Vuelta, some 70 pro victories, won gold in track worlds, and he's only 26. If there is one guy out there with a foundation of winning, it Mark Cavendish. What does he need prove that his "worthiness"?

I don't get this banging on the sprinters thing. If it were easy everyone would be racking up the wins. Just like time trialing isn't easy. Not every race is a mountain top finish nor a time trial. Cav dominates his discipline in cycling like no one else. Contador as a GT rider is in the conversation. Gilbert, Fabian and Thor are in the conversation as classics riders. Sprint wins count just like the other races. Racing is about winning. Cav wins races. And he's the World Champion.