If you placed a bet who would your money be on? Including a dark horse (in a Leicester type season)
Thinking of a double... double bet. Danny and Rachel for both. Just as a fun bet.
Can't see past Atherton for the women's (much as I'd like to see Carpenter and Seagrave taking some wins).
In the men's I reckon Hart could have a storming year.
Dark horse(s)? Any of the Canyon riders.
Rachel for the womens, outside Tracey Hannah for the worlds in Cairns
Mens? Loic back on form, Greg to win one, and Troy to get one in there too.
The men's is so utterly unpredictable at the moment, that's half the fun.
I could put a good case for about 10 different riders to win.
Should be amazing!
Gwin vs Hart vs Bruni vs Brosnan is going to make it an awesome season in the men's. My head would put my money on Gwin, heart on Hart (pun intended).
You'd have to be mad to bet against Rachel.
Bruni or Brosnan for the mens. Danny will be up there but has the curse of the rainbow jersey to contend with!
Gwin for world champs.
Vergier for dark horse.
Womens you can't bet against Rachel but hopefully we will get some tighter results this year.
Gwin and Rachel. But in the mens' there's at least 10 people in with a shot, and with the womens' it mostly depends whether she can be arsed. If Rachel decides to win it all she will.
Rachel and Loic for the overall. Rachel and Danny for the rainbow stripes.
Laurie Greenland for the dark horse, picking up some podiums, I think he will be the superstar of the scene in a few years time but still a little too soon for him this year.
There are so few races one injury could put you out completely.
It's great to see the next generation getting on the podium already - I agree Greenland and Vergier are the two standout young prospects as future series winners (along with Bruni of course).
Huge shame there's not so many younger women coming into it.
Where can you bet on this?
Where can you bet on this?
Not sure you can :/
Ladbrokes usually do the Fort William World Cup each year, but I don't know that any of the other betting exchanges do DH at all.
Shame, as it's the one sport where I really know the "form" and it's not just a random punt...
I hope the UCI won't be holding a World Cup for the correct use of apostrophes - that thread title is an instant DQ.
Bruni for the mens with Hart right on him - Rachel for the women's, obviously.
Dark horse for the men (quite leftfield - Neko Mullaly fit again and on the same bike as Gwin).
@antennae I thought I knew what I was doing putting £10 on Nadal to win the Aussie Open. A loss of £10 and 5 nail biting sets later, I regret nothing!
That £1 on Australia to beat NZ in the cricket hurt though 🙁
I'd put money on Tahnee beating rachel once this year.
I'd probably stick on a second bet that she'll be the only one...
I know Manon and Tahnnee are training like mad this winter, Manon seems to incorporated her training into her degree course (perhaps I've got that wrong but that how it looks from her social media output) but of course she started the winter with a nasty shoulder break. Rachel has been under the knife too this winter, but it doesn't seem to have slowed her down much. I'd like to see more variation in the Women’s and I guess seeing Danny Hart being so fast last year tell you that you don't need to have a big muscular build to be very fast, it's relative of course, but Harts not built like Gwin. I fancy it might be Tahnee's year this year.
In the Men’s, Gwin will be fast, Danny will be fast, Minnar the silent assassin will ALWAYS be in the mix, but I reckon it'll be the 2 new Synicate lads who are going to throw the cat amongst the pigeons and they'll help Minnar - I don't think he benefited from a season with a retiring Peaty taking his swansong and Ratboy who in hindsight didn't 100% want to be there. I reckon Loris Vergier.
Tahnee Seagrave and Loris Vergier for the over-all, what sort of odd would I get for that?
Lots of interesting little bits going on, not least the Canyon team. Really looking forward to this season coming...
I reckon Rachel will win comfortably again.
She just looks hard as nails - you would bet on her even if you had never seen any of them race. Mannon is at Uni - that's a distraction you don't need at a pro level, the others might get close, or even win one, but not more than that.
Will be interesting to see how Gee does now he's got to the bottom of his injury that plagued last season. Hopefully some podiums for him.
My money is on it being the most split season so far. I'll take Gwin, Bruni, Hart and Gee for at least one win each. Any Rach for the women's with maybe one event going elsewhere.
Fight off between Loic and Danny all year long.