Omloop Het Nieuwsblad *spoilers*
Comments
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What an odd sprint.
Flecha either in the wrong gear or dead on his feet."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
That's what, the 10th win for Rabo this season so far?
Thought Langeveld seemed a little overconfident rolling past Flecha at the start of the sprint.'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'0 -
Nice touch by Flecha to shake hands...Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs0
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That was really, really great!"I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)0
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what a finish - impressive start to the year!Your Past is Not Your Potential...0
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Well done by Langeveld.
He is the better sprinter, but I initially thought he had gone too early.0 -
Don't think anyone got him in the PTP, plenty for Flecha though0
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Kuurne Brussels Kuurne tomorrow!
Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs0 -
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Were any teams using radios? Is this race going to be nullified?0
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Radios or not,that was some awesome racing,and a great start to the classics season.
Wish i could ride my bike like that!0 -
pottssteve wrote:Kuurne Brussels Kuurne tomorrow!
Same starters as yesterday (no surprise there)::
http://www.kuurne-brussel-kuurne.be/KBK/Deelnemers.pdf
And the start is live on cycling.tv from 11:000 -
If there was a PTP K-B-K I'd have Roger Kluge.0
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csp wrote:If there was a PTP K-B-K I'd have Roger Kluge.
Devolder for me today.0 -
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Like this:
Contador is the Greatest0 -
Btw he attacked a similar distance out to the one and only Gilbert.Contador is the Greatest0
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Thanks all, hadn't seen the result and read the thread from the start. It gave all the tension of watching live! Sounds like a great race and another sign that the lack of radios is producing more exciting racing perhaps? Looks like proper Spring Classics conditions too.0
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There's always a little faint disapointment when the big favourites get thrown out of the running for a small tactical error.
I secretly always hope for a big gun showdown.
As much as I like a man against man race, it does leave few tactical options on the table.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:There's always a little faint disapointment when the big favourites get thrown out of the running for a small tactical error.
I secretly always hope for a big gun showdown.
I'm not sure that what we got wasn't a big gun showdown. Flecha has been a big gun in de Omloop for a while, and this might well have been Langeveld's break-through into these ranks.
I'm not 100% convinced it was just a tactical error - last year Gilbert was left for dead by Flecha, and this year he told Roelandts halfway he could ride for himself; Boonen's riding and talking is increasingly that of someone unsure how to keep underwriting his popularity with actual results in the coming years. Did they send Roelandts and Terpstra with Flecha as mistaken tactical move, or because they weren't strong enough themselves?0 -
FJS wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:There's always a little faint disapointment when the big favourites get thrown out of the running for a small tactical error.
I secretly always hope for a big gun showdown.
I'm not sure that what we got wasn't a big gun showdown. Flecha has been a big gun in de Omloop for a while, and this might well have been Langeveld's break-through into these ranks.
I'm not 100% convinced it was just a tactical error - last year Gilbert was left for dead by Flecha, and this year he told Roelandts halfway he could ride for himself; Boonen's riding and talking is increasingly that of someone unsure how to keep underwriting his popularity with actual results in the coming years. Did they send Roelandts and Terpstra with Flecha as mistaken tactical move, or because they weren't strong enough themselves?
Possibly. If Langeveld was a proper favourite no-one would have let him go at 50km or whatever it was.
I think in this particular case, they sent them up them at 50km to go or whatever it is because it's always advantageous for the team to be represented without their lead man expending too mcuh energy in the last 50km or so. It's pretty standard. In this instance, the break was so well represented team wise that there wasn't engguh impetus behind to chase.
I do think though, that some tier 2 riders might be aiming to peak earlier to get a chance to win these races, rather than an anonymous top 10 in de Ronde.0 -
Sure, but not if it's another big favorite who attacks (see Boonen and Cancellara testing each other in Paris-Roubaix last year from who knows how far out), and Flecha definitely was a favorite, after last years and after impressive riding in Oman/Qatar.Rick Chasey wrote:I think in this particular case, they sent them up them at 50km to go or whatever it is because it's always advantageous for the team to be represented without their lead man expending too mcuh energy in the last 50km or so. It's pretty standard.
Perhaps, but I'm not sure that's true for either Flecha or Langeveld, who are more likely to be their team's leaders later on in April. It migth be true for someone like Roelandts, Steegmans, De Gendt or Keukeleire who need a Flemish semi-classic break-through win; but if they peaked, it didn't really show this weekendRick Chasey wrote:I do think though, that some tier 2 riders might be aiming to peak earlier to get a chance to win these races, rather than an anonymous top 10 in de Ronde.0 -
FJS wrote:
Sure, but not if it's another big favorite who attacks (see Boonen and Cancellara testing each other in Paris-Roubaix last year from who knows how far out), and Flecha definitely was a favorite, after last years and after impressive riding in Oman/Qatar.Rick Chasey wrote:I think in this particular case, they sent them up them at 50km to go or whatever it is because it's always advantageous for the team to be represented without their lead man expending too mcuh energy in the last 50km or so. It's pretty standard.
Perhaps, but I'm not sure that's true for either Flecha or Langeveld, who are more likely to be their team's leaders later on in April. It migth be true for someone like Roelandts, Steegmans, De Gendt or Keukeleire who need a Flemish semi-classic break-through win; but if they peaked, it didn't really show this weekendRick Chasey wrote:I do think though, that some tier 2 riders might be aiming to peak earlier to get a chance to win these races, rather than an anonymous top 10 in de Ronde.
I think it's true for Flecha, and I think it was true for Gilbert when he was younger.0 -
hmm, perhaps. Last year definitely, but this year? He already has a win in de Omloop, and he'll still be Sky's main man in Roubaix.Rick Chasey wrote:I think it's true for Flecha, and I think it was true for Gilbert when he was younger.0 -
FJS wrote:
hmm, perhaps. Last year definitely, but this year? He already has a win in de Omloop, and he'll still be Sky's main man in Roubaix.Rick Chasey wrote:I think it's true for Flecha, and I think it was true for Gilbert when he was younger.
I'm not convinced you can put in a performance like Flecha did in Omloop and be 100% for Roubaix.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:
I'm not convinced you can put in a performance like Flecha did in Omloop and be 100% for Roubaix.
What about Flecha last year? He won the Omloop and was third in Roubaix. He'd have been second if he'd used his head and dropped Hushovd (who was definitely suffering).0 -
andyp wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:
I'm not convinced you can put in a performance like Flecha did in Omloop and be 100% for Roubaix.
What about Flecha last year? He won the Omloop and was third in Roubaix. He'd have been second if he'd used his head and dropped Hushovd (who was definitely suffering).
Must confess - I didn't notice his performance. I'd imagine the 3rd was mainly due to a lot of wheel sucking and picking the right move.
Then again, maybe i'm being teleological.0 -
