Brabantse Pijl 2013 **Spoilers**

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Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    How strong was Gilbert looking? ?
    _
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,243
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    How strong was Gilbert looking? ?
    Better. But not the Gilbert of old.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Sagan has done 7 single-day races this year... and hasn't finished below 2nd place in any of them.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    DeadCalm wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    How strong was Gilbert looking? ?
    Better. But not the Gilbert of old.

    He only last by half a wheel to sagan in a flat sprint, looked ok to me
  • Crozza
    Crozza Posts: 991
    afx237vi wrote:
    Sagan has done 7 single-day races this year... and hasn't finished below 2nd place in any of them.

    "How about Sagan? What a talent. The feeling in the peloton is that Sagan is making us all look like a bunch of cat 4s out there. He can climb, he can TT, he can do a mono, and he can sprint with the best of them."

    http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/2013/04/t ... -classics/
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,310
    Tour de Jose "Look. No Hands." :lol:

    756478793.jpg
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,310
    Lionel Birnie ‏@lionelbirnie 22m
    Just seen that Sagan isn't doing Flèche Wallonne or Liège. Presumably saving himself for the Giro-Tour-Vuelta-Worlds quadruple instead.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Bit surprised he's not doing Liege. He couldn't win Fleche Wallone though.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    afx237vi wrote:
    Sagan has done 7 single-day races this year... and hasn't finished below 2nd place in any of them.

    So I guess when Cancellara and Boonen get old it will be Sagan taking over their mantle of total dominance.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Lionel Birnie ‏@lionelbirnie 22m
    Just seen that Sagan isn't doing Flèche Wallonne or Liège. Presumably saving himself for the Giro-Tour-Vuelta-Worlds quadruple instead.

    Is this confirmed (3 GTs) or his speculation?
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    andyp wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Sprint. Voecker's win last year was more classy. Would have been better if Gilbert won. Good race though.

    Did you actually watch it?

    No. After watching the last two km, I can see it was a good effort by him in that short space of time. No idea whether him or any top flight riders did anything of note before then.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    frenchfighter wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Lionel Birnie ‏@lionelbirnie 22m
    Just seen that Sagan isn't doing Flèche Wallonne or Liège. Presumably saving himself for the Giro-Tour-Vuelta-Worlds quadruple instead.

    Is this confirmed (3 GTs) or his speculation?

    I dare say there is a drop of irony in it...
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Not read the posts - but that is mental ?????
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    "I was confident for the sprint because I was already on his wheel the last five kilometres and I was very focused," Gilbert said afterwards. "It was so close."
    :lol:
    Very happy he did not win then

    And for the people who were questioning Pip at Vasco:
    "I’m now certain that I made the right choice to add the Vuelta al Pais Vasco to my programme. My form seriously increased there, and hopefully it will deliver a nice victory in the upcoming races."
    Contador is the Greatest
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    frenchfighter wrote:
    "I was confident for the sprint because I was already on his wheel the last five kilometres and I was very focused," Gilbert said afterwards. "It was so close."
    :lol:
    Very happy he did not win then

    And for the people who were questioning Pip at Vasco:
    "I’m now certain that I made the right choice to add the Vuelta al Pais Vasco to my programme. My form seriously increased there, and hopefully it will deliver a nice victory in the upcoming races."

    I'm still not totally convinced, but i'd like to be proved wrong. Always good to see the WC stripes at the sharp end.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    frenchfighter wrote:
    And for the people who were questioning Pip at Vasco:
    "I’m now certain that I made the right choice to add the Vuelta al Pais Vasco to my programme. My form seriously increased there, and hopefully it will deliver a nice victory in the upcoming races."
    But, but, I thought doing training loops on a Canary Island was the thing to do to increase form, not short stage races :?

    :wink:
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    afx237vi wrote:
    Sagan has done 7 single-day races this year... and hasn't finished below 2nd place in any of them.

    Ridiculously good, fair play to him.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,452
    frenchfighter wrote:
    "I was confident for the sprint because I was already on his wheel the last five kilometres and I was very focused," Gilbert said afterwards. "It was so close."
    :lol:
    Very happy he did not win then
    He was marking Sagan who was trying to close the gap to his team mate, so did exactly the right thing. Sometimes you have to watch more than the last 2 kms to understand how a race was won.

    Chapeau to Sagan though, he was outnumbered and was being done over by BMC and OPQS in the final few kms but still managed to win.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,243
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    DeadCalm wrote:
    Puncture Gilbert.

    Funny fan, but Phil definitely not amused.
    Awful change...........time for the magic spanner.
    Phil finally seeing the funny side.

    https://twitter.com/PhilippeGilbert/status/322080717255356418/photo/1
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    afx237vi wrote:
    Sagan has done 7 single-day races this year... and hasn't finished below 2nd place in any of them.
    Similarly, Cancellara has been on the podium of the last nine monuments he's finished (his Flanders crash was the only one he didn't).

    Anyone still think these one day races are a lottery?
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    8637187395_570df66af3_c.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,160
    RichN95 wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    Sagan has done 7 single-day races this year... and hasn't finished below 2nd place in any of them.
    Similarly, Cancellara has been on the podium of the last nine monuments he's finished (his Flanders crash was the only one he didn't).

    Anyone still think these one day races are a lottery?

    Several people have commented that Sky don't do well because there are too many variables to control - the very small list of winners in the classics over the years suggest that there aren't many variables at all. Only a few riders of a very specific type are capable of winning. Compare this with MSR, where excellent riders of every style have won.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Love this photo. Note how Sagan doesn't look silky smooth on the bike but how Gilbert has that beautiful leg and foot extension. Just like at his LBL win when he was floating.

    8638570392_e1a9a95333_c.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    Sagan has done 7 single-day races this year... and hasn't finished below 2nd place in any of them.
    Similarly, Cancellara has been on the podium of the last nine monuments he's finished (his Flanders crash was the only one he didn't).

    Anyone still think these one day races are a lottery?

    Several people have commented that Sky don't do well because there are too many variables to control - the very small list of winners in the classics over the years suggest that there aren't many variables at all. Only a few riders of a very specific type are capable of winning. Compare this with MSR, where excellent riders of every style have won.

    It's rarer an outsider wins a GT than a monument.

    Look at the 2011 classics.

    Matt Goss - relative outsider - certainly not a favourite, wins MSR.

    Nuyens wins RvV

    Vansummeren wins PR

    Zaug wins Lombady.

    Only Gilbert won as a proper favourite - LBL.

    Then again, Gilbert won a lot besides.
    _
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,160
    ^^I shouldn't have said 'classics' - I really meant PR and Flanders, in which Boonen & Cancellera have won 12/18 races since 2005 (with Devolder taking another two Flanders). That isn't saying random to me & the contrast with MSR is striking.

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