Ronde van Vlaanderen 2015 *SPOILER THREAD*

thegibdog

I'd be pleased to revise my "poor" verdict to "not as exciting as I'd hoped" if it makes anyone any happier? Stand by my Terpstra comments though on the basis of a+b+c > a+b given c>0. This isn't meant to take anything away from Kristoff, or indeed Terpstra, they both performed very impressively.

No_Ta_Doctor

It wasn't a bad race, but it was fairly mediocre, in terms of excitement.

No problem with the winner - strongest rider and played it perfectly.

I think the thing that made it slightly disappointing was that the winning move was essentially the first serious attack, and that there was very little response to it. What else was there? Greipel? Van Avermaet? Having watched a couple of hundred km, the race ended "just like that".

I don't think Sky's tactics helped. They did a shed load of work early on, but without ever making it hard enough to thin the peloton all that much. Maybe they kept Thomas out of trouble, but at a cost to their riders.

As for Terpstra/Etixx tactics - he either seriously misjudged Kristoff or was happy with the 2nd place. Probably the former, but it wasn't until they got to the Paterberg that he found out, and by then it was too late to do much about it.

Anonymous

EKIMIKE wrote:

Yes there was Boonen in Roubaix 2012 and Cancellara went long in Flanders twice in 2010 and 2011 but each of those was at around 50 to go - Canc's second Ronde sortie was 60. The first time worked, the second time he bridged to Chava, who sat on while Canc ran out of gas/bonked, before Nuyens went on the nab the sprint.

The question was for a move that went before then ie. 70/80 to go. It just doesn't happen in the modern-era in Monuments. The likes of Merckx did it but that was Merckx and another era of racing altogether.

I thought it was common knowledge that if you want the excitement and defining moves, tune in at around 50 to go. Yet we keep getting 'it's a boring race' comments at 80 to go. Why bother?

It's like putting bread in the oven and then opening the door 5 minutes later and saying it's not done.

No it wasn't: "Give me a modern-era Monument where the race-defining move went before 50/60km to go... thought not."

EKIMIKE

sjmclean wrote:

No it wasn't: "Give me a modern-era Monument where the race-defining move went before 50/60km to go... thought not."

Do you struggle with simple sequences? When counting down from large to small, in rough increments of ten, what comes before 60?

Honestly :roll: I'd rather talk about the racing than this pedantic BS.

RichN95.

EKIMIKE wrote:

sjmclean wrote:

No it wasn't: "Give me a modern-era Monument where the race-defining move went before 50/60km to go... thought not."

Do you struggle with simple sequences? When counting down from large to small, in rough increments of ten, what comes before 60?

Honestly :roll: I'd rather talk about the racing than this pedantic BS.

I think you may have got the wrong end of the stick. You're both saying exactly the same thing.

EKIMIKE

Indeed we are saying the same thing but I read it as sjmclean juxtaposing the following two statements(which cannot be juxtaposed):

"The question was for a move that went before then [50/60 to go] ie. 70/80 to go."

"Give me a modern-era Monument where the race-defining move went before 50/60km to go... thought not."

If i'm wrong. My bad.

frenchfighter

FYI Paris Roubaix 2014. The move went close to 70kms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9kg3x-4-cg

70kms.

frenchfighter

Anonymous

EKIMIKE wrote:

Indeed we are saying the same thing but I read it as sjmclean juxtaposing the following two statements(which cannot be juxtaposed):

"The question was for a move that went before then [50/60 to go] ie. 70/80 to go."

"Give me a modern-era Monument where the race-defining move went before 50/60km to go... thought not."

If i'm wrong. My bad.

All I'm saying is you said in the original question "Give me a modern-era Monument where the race-defining move went before 50/60km to go" I gave you one, Boonen went with Trepstra with 57k to go.

If you meant something else then I didn't get that.

tailwindhome

Cosmo's analysis
https://youtu.be/YkFcytXwGUk?list=UUw9w ... 3v7RPF7vNg

Tepstra: "played a bad hand well"

takethehighroad

frenchfighter wrote:

FYI Paris Roubaix 2014. The move went close to 70kms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9kg3x-4-cg

70kms.

This is wrong, the move went at 6 k

Terpstra has been off the back from Camphin en Pevele until after Carrefour de l'Arbre.

Indeed, he only caught on with about 7 k to go. Wiggins (who'd bridged at the same time) 'attacked' first and then Terpstra countered that move

The_Boy

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

FYI Paris Roubaix 2014. The move went close to 70kms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9kg3x-4-cg

70kms.

This is wrong, the move went at 6 k

Terpstra has been off the back from Camphin en Pevele until after Carrefour de l'Arbre.

Indeed, he only caught on with about 7 k to go. Wiggins (who'd bridged at the same time) 'attacked' first and then Terpstra countered that move

*cough*

EKIMIKE wrote:

Read again: "race-defining move" (and that's not the same as race-winning move either)

Not sure 2014 qualifies, but FF wasn't referring Terpstra's attack. Or at least he shouldn't have been if he's been paying attention.

frenchfighter

Yep thanks, race defining not race winning.

jimmythecuckoo

I really enjoyed the race.

It wasn't G-W in terms of excitement but that was mainly down to the weather. If the RVV had been on Saturday it would have painted a similar picture.

There was plenty for the purist to enjoy and the likes of Griepel did plenty to make the race. Sadly my over riding memory will be of Sep going out of the back on that tough little road climb.

Maybe it's just me but I can find plenty to enjoy in the landscape and surroundings even if the race isn't on full gas.

ddraver

Whole UK ES broadcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvY4PPWmXhI

Some thoughts whilst I made my Stoverij and rewatched the last 50k

*Sky needed to "protect" a few helpers for Gee in the end. Arguable that person was Wiggins but he has all his mishaps so...

*One of the reasons that we don't really see Terpstra and Kristoff make the gap stick is that the cameras focus on Sep being dropped for an age (it's a good 2 minutes). Once again from Nikki, it's hardly an attack, they chase down Olivera and Gee (left to chase by the bunch again) just doesnt quite shut the gap

*BMC needed to get the chase on immediatly but they wait until between the OK and the Patterburg for some reason. The chase group splinters and people start to break away alone rather than chase properly - most of that group are also incapable of REALLY chasing

*Stybar (once again) played his role perfectly and Terpstra did everything right, he just did not have the legs to distance a Kristoff in Superlative form

*Once Gee couldnt bring it back on the Kwaremont it was really all over for him. Sagan and GvA should have gone with them but were positioned badly, Possibly the same applies to Gee on the Paterberg but Sagan has to barge past him so i suspect Gee couldnt have gone with them

Finally, Even knowing exactly what happened I still found enough in the race to keep me watching it. It was a decent race.