Ronde van Vlaanderen 2015 *SPOILER THREAD*
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I've seen things you people wouldn't believe... But due to a surprise Blade Runner event I have no idea what you people have seen. If a kind person was to PM me a link to decent highlights I could get back to normal. Thanks....a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0
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This has been picked up on a lot but I'm not sure what else he could have done. He had the best part of a race in his legs so he couldn't drop Kristoff, if he didn't cooperate he'd risk getting caught by the bunch and possibly lose the podium. Sitting in for a podium isn't the worse result although I appreciate nobody remembers 2nd place (except GVA).thegibdog wrote:Just caught up with this, pretty poor race. Anyone worked out what Terpstra was thinking yet? Surely it can't have been "I'll just sit in for the last couple of km and then I'll be able to outsprint Kristoff"?0 -
smithy21 wrote:Can't help thinking it was all a bit bland today.
Break went, others didn't take it seriously, then realised it was serious but didn't really work together. Then Terpstra just didn't do anything to even make Kristoff work for it.
I know this is all a but simplistic, as they were knackered by the end but as a spectacle it was just a bit dull.
Watched the first 90 mins then went out for a family do, so Sky+ it. Just finished watching it, and thought it was a bit disappointing in the end. Why let two Monument winners go up the road? They were all looking at each other to chase....All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0 -
The moment the race was lost...
Etixx had one fleeting chance to maybe win that race in the finale but blew it again. Someone (Pross?) called it during the race. When Thomas dragged Stybar clear, Stybar should have cooperated with him. Terpstra should have been instructed not to work with Kristoff. If, as would have been likely, Thomas and Stybar caught the front two, Terpstra should then have launched an immediate attack. I know that they have don't have the best track record for exploiting superior numbers but at least they would have had a chance of the victory. Instead, they went with a strategy that was almost guaranteed to bring them second place.0 -
Not a memorable Ronde. Lots of missed opportunities, with Boonen and Cancellara out and their successors not fully clear yet. Roelandts, Van Avermaet, Vanmarcke, Sagan and Stybar should be kicking themselves. At least Thomas has his E3 win. Sagan especially; only one win this year. He basically has only two races left to lift his year above 'merely' a green jersey one. His move to Tinkoff doesnt seem to have helped, even Bodnar much less strong than previous years.
Etixx didnt really do much wrong tactically. Vandenbergh crashed twice, which didn't help. Terpstra made his move at a clever moment, but depended on dropping Kristoff on the Patersberg for the win. I was a bit surprised he didnt attack with 3 km to go, but that is rarely successful from a break with two. Kristoff was just way too strong. Showed you can ride De Panne and win.
Sky wasting way too much energy much too early. The only effect was to underline Thomas' role as main favourite and make other riders focus more on him in the finale. You only ride like that if your leader is super.
A couple of positive surprises. Benoot of course, but also Greipel riding super strong. More like that please. Oliveira looks very promising in his first Ronde. Rowe confirming.0 -
DeadCalm wrote:.. When Thomas dragged Stybar clear, Stybar should have cooperated with him.
I guess the thinking was that the group behind Thomas and Stybar wasn't that far behind them, so if Etixx let it all back together you run the risk of it being a bunch sprint. And Degenkolb was in there (I think).
For me the unfortunate thing was that no one in the bunch would do any work to bring it all back together. Maybe they were just knackered.
But Kristoff looked strong. It was a shame Terpstra helped him though. The last 30km were nicely balanced then nothing really happened*
* except the obvious that Kristoff won the sprint, GvA didn't win, and Sagan bonked.Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer0 -
I thought it looked pretty clear that Terpstra's only chance was to get the jump on Kristoff before the last km. I know with the form Kristoff had there would've only been a slim chance of making it stick, but a slim chance is better than the zero chance he had of wining the sprint*.curium wrote:
This has been picked up on a lot but I'm not sure what else he could have done. He had the best part of a race in his legs so he couldn't drop Kristoffthegibdog wrote:Just caught up with this, pretty poor race. Anyone worked out what Terpstra was thinking yet? Surely it can't have been "I'll just sit in for the last couple of km and then I'll be able to outsprint Kristoff"?
*ok, I accept he might have won the sprint, Kristoff could've dropped his chain or something.0 -
I know it had no great outcome on the race but watching Greipel yesterday was brilliant.
Actually thinking about it that shows how dull a version it was that my highlight was a sprinter trying to rip it up.It's not so much about winning, I just hate losing.0 -
This race had been pretty crap since they introduced the circuit at the end. Fortunately I've been to two of the last three so haven't seen how bad they were without the fast forward option."Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0
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LeePaton wrote:I know it had no great outcome on the race but watching Greipel yesterday was brilliant.
Actually thinking about it that shows how dull a version it was that my highlight was a sprinter trying to rip it up.
IIRC he did the same last year.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Terpstra obviously decided that a certain second place for himself was preferable to a possible win for the team (or he didn't think at all which let's face it is a possibility). From a team perspective as soon as he failed to drop Kristoff on the Paterberg he should have forced Kristoff to do the big majority of the work.
The problem was that Stybar didn't get on to the wheel of GvA and Sagan when they chased. So if he'd sat up with 5k or so to go he would have been joined by two more better finishers and could have finished 4th.
Funny translation of Vanmarcke's comments:"I was not well Taaienberg and I later tried to return." After his effort on the Cross Vanmarcke could almost come back to the head of the race. His yacht stranded However when the road up again started walking. "If they had a little doubt, I had come to" Vanmarcke said afterwards. "Maarten Wynants has done everything to succeed my pursuit. Eventually I tried to close the hole itself away, but it did not like. I came 30 meters short. That rate. I want to forget now and looking forward to Paris-Roubaix. "
Right. On to Roubaix.0 -
gsk82 wrote:This race had been pretty crap since they introduced the circuit at the end. Fortunately I've been to two of the last three so haven't seen how bad they were without the fast forward option.
Last year's race was excellent."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
TailWindHome wrote:]
IIRC he did the same last year.
I thought that, Was it Flanders he went solo from 70k?
*Edit, tried to go soloIt's not so much about winning, I just hate losing.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:gsk82 wrote:This race had been pretty crap since they introduced the circuit at the end. Fortunately I've been to two of the last three so haven't seen how bad they were without the fast forward option.
Last year's race was excellent.
At the risk of being labelled a phillistine, last year's race *was* good but I didn't feel it was the classic edition many others recognise it for.
And the other two races on this parcours haven't been great. Far from a massive sample granted, but...Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
Last year was brilliant.0
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Greipel should be awarded his weight in beer for his entertaining ride; was only in the last 15-20km that he faded. I don't normally bash Sky, and it seems harsh after winning Het Volk and E3; but, what were they doing 100km+ out. Get to the business end and they've been blown out. The other teams must love the work they do; i'll never understand that tactic in a 1 dayer.All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0
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Greipel's two attacks:
https://youtu.be/mmJWeS-NTuM
http://www.steephill.tv/players/720/spo ... 86&yr=2015Contador is the Greatest0 -
Degenkolb's father, Frank, surprised his son with this baby-foot sticker at the start in Brugge. Photo: Caley Fretz | VeloNews.comContador is the Greatest0 -
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https://youtu.be/RSkp07FgIsM
ON bike footage, uninspiring except from wiggins at the end, just interesting to see how he spins a light gear whilst others chugging away.0 -
Saw Iljo out for a spin this morning with Benoot and an unidentified Giant rider. A proper coffee ride through the city centre"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
ThomThom wrote:thegibdog wrote:Just caught up with this, pretty poor race. Anyone worked out what Terpstra was thinking yet? Surely it can't have been "I'll just sit in for the last couple of km and then I'll be able to outsprint Kristoff"?
He was hammered on Paterberg, the only place he could make a move.
Yeah, absolutely no reason for Terpstra to get any criticism for tactics.
Stybar was not on good form (got beaten in the sprint by more or less everyone) so no reason to wait and risk losing a sure fire 2nd, and the Paterberg showed that Terpstra was pleased to be there at all.
He did just enough to make sure it was a 2 man sprint, was in the best position for the sprint, but he was obviously totally cooked.
Not sure what else you expect. An attack? That's basically a sprint remember.0 -
Yes. Terpstra's only real chance was to catch Kristoff by surprise at some point between 3km and 1km to go. Although admittedly he might have needed someone in the crowd to distract Kristoff in order to get the jump on him!Rick Chasey wrote:Not sure what else you expect. An attack?0 -
thegibdog wrote:
Yes. Terpstra's only real chance was to catch Kristoff by surprise at some point between 3km and 1km to go. Although admittedly he might have needed someone in the crowd to distract Kristoff in order to get the jump on him!Rick Chasey wrote:Not sure what else you expect. An attack?
If he accelerates Kristoff could easily get back on his wheel.
Kristoff was always on the far right, was obviously stronger.0 -
Things that might have meant Terpstra would've won in the sprint: Kristoff mechanical/crampRick Chasey wrote:
If he accelerates Kristoff could easily get back on his wheel.thegibdog wrote:
Yes. Terpstra's only real chance was to catch Kristoff by surprise at some point between 3km and 1km to go. Although admittedly he might have needed someone in the crowd to distract Kristoff in order to get the jump on him!Rick Chasey wrote:Not sure what else you expect. An attack?
Kristoff was always on the far right, was obviously stronger.
Things that might have meant Terpstra would've won if he'd attacked: Kristoff mechanical/cramp/caught napping0 -
Terpstra opted for the only solution after not being able to get away on the cobbles; make Kristoff work most of time in the last 5km hoping to edge it in the sprint. Didn't happen. That's pretty much it.0
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RichN95 wrote:
I've seen Etixx ships on fire off the shoulder of Orica.Macaloon wrote:I've seen things you people wouldn't believe... But due to a surprise Blade Runner event I have no idea what you people have seen.
Very nicely done, especially with The Final Cut version coming to cinemas next week
Giant Trance X 2010
Specialized Tricross Sport
My Dad's old racer
Trek Marlin 29er 20120 -
Lets face it, there was nobody there that could have dropped Kristoff or taken him in a sprint. He was by far the strongest rider in the race.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0
