The main impression I have after watching these races is how much it looked like a World Cup on TV. Which is impressive- USA cycling, the city of Louisville, and everyone else involved pulled off a coup to produce a race of this caliber. No easy task given the weather conditions and having to make the painful decision to reschedule the races at the last minute in order to not have the whole event cancelled due to flooding. The course, the crowds, the number and quality of racers- all looked like a world championship or World Cup race in Europe. The only difference was hearing Richard Fries call the race in a language I can understand.
Another similarity to a European World Cup was, unfortunately, the lack of Americans at the front of the race. The exception being Katie Compton's silver medal and Logan Owen's gutsy ride to being about 40 meters short of a bronze. I don't think there was any catching little van der Poel but a small mechanical cost him a podium spot. He was quickly reeling everyone in but van der Poel at the end of the race. Page probably had the form for a good result, if not a podium, but suffered numerous mechanical problems.
It was demonstrative to see a train of orange and blue at the front, just like in Europe. And demonstrative to see Nys and Vantornout start flying like deranged poltergeists around the course in the last couple of laps when everyone else was starting to show signs of fatigue.
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