Flèche Wallonne *spoiler thread*

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  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Arguably one of the dullest races in the calender but somehow still has a bit of prestige to it. Let's go.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    ThomThom wrote:
    Arguably one of the dullest races in the calender but somehow still has a bit of prestige to it. Let's go.


    ThomThom, its the way you build the excitement ahead of the race....hold me back, I cant wait :P
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    :lol:
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,259
    I would replace this race with a Muy de Huy challenge competition. Basically just get them to ride up the Mur de Huy in a series of heats (like the 100m in the Olympics) until you get a final of about 6-8 riders
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Wow ThomThom, is this some sort of reverse psychology you've got going on. Tell everyone it will be crap and then even the sight of a gurning yet ultimately doomed Voeckler attack will seem like the most exciting thing to happen to the Sport of Professional CyclingTM all year?
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    ThomThom wrote:
    Arguably one of the dullest races in the calender but somehow still has a bit of prestige to it. Let's go.

    It's a one-day race, so perhaps the attrition trumps tactics, but isn't this the sort of opportunist parcours that has provided great GT stages in recent years? Is a classic different in that all teams need to chase, which is not the case in GTs?
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Map:

    14041436841-streckenverlauf-la-flegraveche-wallonne-2014.jpg

    The women have it shorter (127 km) but arguably harder as more intense. They are only doing the circuits at the end (so without the preliminary ride from Bastogne) but slightly different circuits - they ride the Mur only twice (compared to the men’s 3 times), but on the other hand they ride the Bohisseau and Bousalle both twice (the men only ride them once each). So overall, the women actually have one more climb than the men.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Yes Arredondo is racing. I hope he fires two rockets up the final sprint and comes out on top. Yates and Slagter may be good outside bets. I would expect Ulissi and Valverde to be right up there. I'd like to see Bardet and Barguil there but suspect they are not explosive enough. You would still have Gilbert, Moreno and JRod right up there as favourites. If PG does the triple again that will cement his status forever.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,455
    Any word on JRod?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Confirmed as a starter by CW and the team.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    The only good thing about this race is that you often get the GT guys slugging it out with some of the classics guys ...

    When was the last time there was a breakaway winner?
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,259
    Crankbrother wrote:
    When was the last time there was a breakaway winner?
    2003. Astarloa beat Osa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjMN_pHuT7w
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    We don't even have the Trentino mountain stage televised to take some attention away from the first 195km this year.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    When was the last time there was a breakaway winner?
    2003. Astarloa beat Osa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjMN_pHuT7w

    This really isn't a race where you'd want your name on the winner's list ... Reads worse than the TdF for busted winners ...
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,259
    edited April 2014
    Crankbrother wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    When was the last time there was a breakaway winner?
    2003. Astarloa beat Osa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjMN_pHuT7w

    This really isn't a race where you'd want your name on the winner's list ... Reads worse than the TdF for busted winners ...
    That's a job for a nerd with some time on their hands (like me). Which major race has the most confirmed dirty winners in the last 20 editions (only guilty verdicts, positive tests or confessions count)?

    For Fleche:
    Argentin
    Jalabert - retroactive positive from 1998
    Armstrong - enough said
    Jalabert - see above
    Hamburger - positive for EPO
    Bartoli
    Casagrande - tested positive
    Verbrugge
    Aerts
    Astarloa - passport ban
    Rebellin - positive for Cera
    DiLuca - three time sanctionee
    Valverde - banned for Puerto
    Rebellin - see above
    Kirchen
    Evans
    Gilbert
    Rodriguez
    Moreno

    10/20
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Ed-tron
    Ed-tron Posts: 165
    Will be interesting to see how Emma Pooley goes in the ladies race. Suits her abilities, but hard to bet against Vos.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    rubbish race, just fast forward to the last 2k and watch the slowest uphill sprint in the world.

    could take a leaf out of Amstel and move the finish line 2k down the road, might make it better.

    i'll still watch mind :-)
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    When was the last time there was a breakaway winner?
    2003. Astarloa beat Osa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjMN_pHuT7w

    This really isn't a race where you'd want your name on the winner's list ... Reads worse than the TdF for busted winners ...
    That's a job for a nerd with some time on their hands (like me). Which major race has the most confirmed dirty winners in the last 20 editions (only guilty verdicts, positive tests or confessions count)?

    For Fleche:
    Argentin
    Jalabert - retroactive positive from 1998
    Armstrong - enough said
    Jalabert - see above
    Hamburger - positive for EPO
    Bartoli
    Casagrande - tested positive
    Verbrugge
    Aerts
    Astarloa - passport ban
    Rebellin - positive for Cera
    DiLuca - three time sanctionee
    Valverde - banned for Puerto
    Rebellin - see above
    Kirchen
    Evans
    Gilbert
    Rodriguez
    Moreno

    10/20

    So hindsight isn't 20/20 :wink:
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,455
    Quick count TDF is 12/20 or (5/13)

    Riis
    Ulrich
    Pantani
    Bertie *2
    Armstrong*7
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Crampeur
    Crampeur Posts: 1,065
    Crankbrother wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    When was the last time there was a breakaway winner?
    2003. Astarloa beat Osa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjMN_pHuT7w

    This really isn't a race where you'd want your name on the winner's list ... Reads worse than the TdF for busted winners ...
    That's a job for a nerd with some time on their hands (like me). Which major race has the most confirmed dirty winners in the last 20 editions (only guilty verdicts, positive tests or confessions count)?

    For Fleche:
    Argentin
    Jalabert - retroactive positive from 1998
    Armstrong - enough said
    Jalabert - see above
    Hamburger - positive for EPO
    Bartoli
    Casagrande - tested positive
    Verbrugge
    Aerts
    Astarloa - passport ban
    Rebellin - positive for Cera
    DiLuca - three time sanctionee
    Valverde - banned for Puerto
    Rebellin - see above
    Kirchen
    Evans
    Gilbert
    Rodriguez
    Moreno

    10/20

    So hindsight isn't 20/20 :wink:

    Disregarding concrete evidence, Bartoli was implicated in Puerto and Rik Verbrugge, Aerts and Moreno were nabbed in the Blitz raids, making that 14/20.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,259
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Quick count TDF is 12/20 or (5/13)

    Riis
    Ulrich
    Pantani
    Bertie *2
    Armstrong*7
    12/20 for the Vuelta too. (Unfortunately, my strict criteria excludes the likes of Rominger and Menchov who I wouldn't bet my p1ss on).
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,259
    Crampeur wrote:
    Disregarding concrete evidence, Bartoli was implicated in Puerto and Rik Verbrugge, Aerts and Moreno were nabbed in the Blitz raids, making that 14/20.
    Sure. But it's my game and I'm applying a strict criteria. I need confirmed, not implicated.

    Paris-Nice is probably the leader. 14/20 - the only one before 2009 that is 'clean' is Kloden.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    We need to include Landis in any TdF stats ... It's just he was busted extremely quickly ...

    Apologies to anyone miffed about derailing this thread (it was kinda me that started this) ... Maybe we should start a separate one and copy over the relevant posts ...
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    dave milne wrote:
    rubbish race, just fast forward to the last 2k and watch the slowest uphill sprint in the world.

    could take a leaf out of Amstel and move the finish line 2k down the road, might make it better.

    i'll still watch mind :-)

    I don't think there is a road, 2k down the road.

    I used to think LBL was the dirtiest but it's had a couple of years clean. Post Vino clearly.

    Whatever happened to Vino and his ghost?
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    calvjones wrote:
    dave milne wrote:
    rubbish race, just fast forward to the last 2k and watch the slowest uphill sprint in the world.

    could take a leaf out of Amstel and move the finish line 2k down the road, might make it better.

    i'll still watch mind :-)

    I don't think there is a road, 2k down the road.

    I used to think LBL was the dirtiest but it's had a couple of years clean. Post Vino clearly.

    Whatever happened to Vino and his ghost?

    He's running for office in Kazakstan isn't he?
    _
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Quick count TDF is 12/20 or (5/13)

    Riis
    Ulrich
    Pantani
    Bertie *2
    Armstrong*7

    Yeh, but no one officially won the '99 - '05 editions. So technically the last 20 races extends through the Indurain, Hinault, LeMond and Fignon eras. Not so bad after all eh? :wink:
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    Back on topic, and the usual suspects should do well. J-rod, Moreno, Gilbert, Betancur.... the puncheurs.... think that Phil Gil will take it, but may also be saving himself for LBL....
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    135km remaining, Navardauskas, Van Hecke and Clarke have 7.30 mins. Katusha on the front.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    I think Paris-Nice would be pretty bad (no time to check)

    Edit: just saw Rich's post. Same thought
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    I could have sworn the women's race was being shown live by someone, but now I can't find it anywhere. Was it all a beautiful dream?

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