The classics thread

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  • gweeds
    gweeds Posts: 2,613
    Sep has to be up there for PR and Flanders, along with GVa (for the latter), Stybar, Kwiat, Ciolek (who flew up the Poggio) as an outsider, Degenkolb.....
    Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Given how superbly Degenkolb rode MSR, the others will need to put in a serious effort to dislodge him. If he gets to the end in the front group then I don't see anyone outsprinting him in Oudenaarde or Roubaix.

    I'm not saying that he can hold on to anything, but that it ll need to be a specific "move to drop sprinters" type move
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Have we all listened to the Cobbles edition of the Cycling Podcast? Friends version.

    Pretty good stuff. I knew I'd backed the right guy with Boonen.

    But I fully expect Sep to rip peoples legs off this year in Roubaix. He's the only guy I can see who can do a Boonen / Canc and ride away from everyone.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I'd happily put money on Sep winning neither Roubix or Flanders this year.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,821
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    Is anyone going to be more heavily marked than Sep though? Personally, I think he'll do a shitload of work in forcing selections, only to have someone else benefit from it. I'll predict a double podium, but no cigar.

    This. I think he's probably done too much work already. I was going to pick him for E3 but think he's cooked, or at least he will be by the time they reach the velodrome in the North of France.

    iainf72 wrote:
    Have we all listened to the Cobbles edition of the Cycling Podcast? Friends version.

    Pretty good stuff. I knew I'd backed the right guy with Boonen.

    But I fully expect Sep to rip peoples legs off this year in Roubaix. He's the only guy I can see who can do a Boonen / Canc and ride away from everyone.

    The paparazzi story was my favourite. He's an all round good egg in my eyes, really do like him
  • chadders81
    chadders81 Posts: 744
    Milton50 wrote:
    Chadders81 wrote:
    I'd have a few people in front of Cancellara right now.

    He didn't get to the front at all in MSR and I can't believe he thought he'd win the sprint.

    You're discounting the guy who's won Flanders for the last 2 years because he was 5 meters further back than usual in Milan San Remo?
    What's Sep done to make anyone think he has an level of form to win a monument this year? I'd have, Thomas, Stannard, Degenkolb, GVA, Fabs, and most of Ettixx ahead of him.

    Vanmarcke has to be the stone cold favourite for me. Particularly for Paris Roubaix. Everything we've seen suggests he can at least match Cancellara for absolute power.

    When it comes to Flanders the two things that could go against him are the fact that he hasn't got a sprint to speak of and Cancellara has so much more experience. When it comes to Paris Roubaix I think the only thing that will stop him is bad luck.

    I'm not discounting Cancellara. I've been a massive fan for many years and the way he dropped Boonen at the 2010 Ronde is possibly my favourite ever cycling moment. I'd love to see him win both but he's not the Fabs of years gone by and that's clear to me even with my rose-tinted specs.

    Having seen Vanmarcke singlehandedly almost reel two breaks in at OHN and Strade Bianche already this year after he got flats, he looks to be in phenomenal form.

    I'm going to mention Thomas. I don't think he will win, but I expect him to shape Flanders at some point if he stays upright. Not sure whether he'll get the nod to have a go at Roubaix but could be a useful foil for Wiggings' (ultimately doomed) bid. He's going like a train at the moment.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Quintana is riding E3, did a cobbles recce this week. I think Valverde did the same last year. Well done movistar for letting them get a taste of the cobbles in an actual race
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    FJS wrote:
    Quintana is riding E3, did a cobbles recce this week. I think Valverde did the same last year. Well done movistar for letting them get a taste of the cobbles in an actual race

    I think the others are too scared to do it and get injured and miss the race altogether. I remember Froome pretty much saying this last year.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    sjmclean wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    Quintana is riding E3, did a cobbles recce this week. I think Valverde did the same last year. Well done movistar for letting them get a taste of the cobbles in an actual race

    I think the others are too scared to do it and get injured and miss the race altogether. I remember Froome pretty much saying this last year.
    Didn't he do well last year. ??
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    deejay wrote:
    sjmclean wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    Quintana is riding E3, did a cobbles recce this week. I think Valverde did the same last year. Well done movistar for letting them get a taste of the cobbles in an actual race

    I think the others are too scared to do it and get injured and miss the race altogether. I remember Froome pretty much saying this last year.
    Didn't he do well last year. ??

    I don't get your point, of course he didn't he crashed out. He did recon, but thought racing on the cobbles was too dangerous.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    FJS wrote:
    Quintana is riding E3, did a cobbles recce this week. I think Valverde did the same last year. Well done movistar for letting them get a taste of the cobbles in an actual race
    Movistar haven't got much of a cobbled classics team though, so it's easier for them accommodate them (Valverde's probably actually their best bet anyway).
    I'm not sure that Cancellara/Sagan/Terpstra would be particularly welcoming of Mollema/Contador/Uran messing about in their team.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    sjmclean wrote:
    deejay wrote:
    sjmclean wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    Quintana is riding E3, did a cobbles recce this week. I think Valverde did the same last year. Well done movistar for letting them get a taste of the cobbles in an actual race

    I think the others are too scared to do it and get injured and miss the race altogether. I remember Froome pretty much saying this last year.
    Didn't he do well last year. ??

    I don't get your point, of course he didn't he crashed out. He did recon, but thought racing on the cobbles was too dangerous.

    Froome never even made the cobbles. His Tour effectively ended on stage 4 when he got taken out by the swerve of as far as I'm aware a still mystery rider. Even if he'd actually made the cobbles, which he didn't, he withdrew on stage 5 before they even go to the first cobble section, I highly doubt he'd have finished the Tour with the injuries he sustained.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Wasn't Cancellara quoted when asked about Wiggins riding E3 he replied with' Yes, and also Quintana' ?

    Haaaa.
    _
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Above The Cows wrote:

    Froome never even made the cobbles. His Tour effectively ended on stage 4 when he got taken out by the swerve of as far as I'm aware a still mystery rider.

    Wasn't a mystery - It was Keukeleire.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    iainf72 wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:

    Froome never even made the cobbles. His Tour effectively ended on stage 4 when he got taken out by the swerve of as far as I'm aware a still mystery rider.

    Wasn't a mystery - It was Keukeleire.
    He wasn't the one that swerved though. He got hit by the guy who swerved and then Froome hit him. I think it was a Belkin rider.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    RichN95 wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:

    Froome never even made the cobbles. His Tour effectively ended on stage 4 when he got taken out by the swerve of as far as I'm aware a still mystery rider.

    Wasn't a mystery - It was Keukeleire.
    He wasn't the one that swerved though. He got hit by the guy who swerved and then Froome hit him. I think it was a Belkin rider.

    It was Jeremy Clarkson, man's a menace.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Ashbeck
    Ashbeck Posts: 235
    Above The Cows wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:

    Froome never even made the cobbles. His Tour effectively ended on stage 4 when he got taken out by the swerve of as far as I'm aware a still mystery rider.

    Wasn't a mystery - It was Keukeleire.
    He wasn't the one that swerved though. He got hit by the guy who swerved and then Froome hit him. I think it was a Belkin rider.

    It was Jeremy Clarkson, man's a menace.

    He's been sacked by the BBC now. His new job is manager of Saxo Tinkoff.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Ashbeck wrote:
    He's been sacked by the BBC now. His new job is manager of Saxo Tinkoff.

    High-waisted jean star in a cycling team car!
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Ashbeck
    Ashbeck Posts: 235
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Ashbeck wrote:
    He's been sacked by the BBC now. His new job is manager of Saxo Tinkoff.

    High-waisted jean star in a cycling team car!


    You're a poet, and you don't even know it!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Quintana was quite racey with 50km to go.

    Didn't seem to enjoy the wet cobbles though...
    _
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    iainf72 wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Froome never even made the cobbles. His Tour effectively ended on stage 4 when he got taken out by the swerve of as far as I'm aware a still mystery rider.
    Wasn't a mystery - It was Keukeleire.
    Ah, what a shame. !


    I find it odd on this forum that with the many races this week, there is no PTP till Saturday and that race seems less difficult than today's Dwars door Vlaanderen. ??
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    deejay wrote:
    I find it odd on this forum that with the many races this week, there is no PTP till Saturday and that race seems less difficult than today's Dwars door Vlaanderen. ??
    Friday, deejay. E3 is on Friday these days.

    (I think Catalunya has been missed out of PTP historically because I don't think Eurosport used to show it when PTP started)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,821
    I remember doing a Catalunya PTP a couple years ago, probably 2012 when Albasini won the first two stages then the last two stages got called off for snow
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    RichN95 wrote:
    deejay wrote:
    I find it odd on this forum that with the many races this week, there is no PTP till Saturday and that race seems less difficult than today's Dwars door Vlaanderen. ??
    Friday, deejay. E3 is on Friday these days.

    (I think Catalunya has been missed out of PTP historically because I don't think Eurosport used to show it when PTP started)
    There you go. :- It's Friday now, thanks ! ,With Critérium International on Saturday.
    I must keep my eye on the new racing calendar.
    They have squeezed Wevelgem into the same weekend when it was midweek "after" RVV and that day is now Scheldeprijs leading onto Roubaix.
    They have kept the 3 days De Panne in front of RVV next week.

    In the days (90's) that Dwars door Vlaanderen was Dwars door Belgium and it wandered all the way down the canals to near Tournai and then on it's way to Waregem it had the climbs and 3 circuits of Waregam around the Nokereberg. I used to pop over for midweek races.
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Is Vanmarcke's contract up next year?

    For those of you more au fait with team dynamics and rumours how likely is it that he might sign for EQS as Boonen's replacement?
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    Milton50 wrote:
    Is Vanmarcke's contract up next year?

    For those of you more au fait with team dynamics and rumours how likely is it that he might sign for EQS as Boonen's replacement?

    yep, he re-signed for 2 years in 2014. If he were to join a new team it would be in 2017...
  • norvernrob
    norvernrob Posts: 1,448
    Is E3 live anywhere on TV? I can only see it on at 4.15pm on Eurosport, but I'm sure that at the end of today's Catalunya stage they said it was live at 3pm :?
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    NorvernRob wrote:
    Is E3 live anywhere on TV? I can only see it on at 4.15pm on Eurosport, but I'm sure that at the end of today's Catalunya stage they said it was live at 3pm :?
    You will get it when the Live Tour of Catalunya finishes.
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,821
    Weather forecast for Ghent Wevelgem on Sunday is classicaly Wevelgem weather.

    Strong wind coming off the North Sea and lots of rain.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    Weather forecast for Ghent Wevelgem on Sunday is classicaly Wevelgem weather.

    Strong wind coming off the North Sea and lots of rain.
    Yep, Museeuw saying it's going to be more for a strong printer as degenkolb than pure sprinter like Cav

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