De Brabantse Pijl ***Preview & Spoilers***

RonB
RonB Posts: 3,984
edited April 2015 in Pro race
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Escaping the PTP is this midweek race. Gilbert won last year, ahead of Matthews. This year my pick would be the man who came third last year, Tony Gallopin.

Livestream lottery in terms of coverage though, as far as I can see.
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  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    Gallopin is my pick as well. Fingers crossed!
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    From Velonews ... "With John Degenkolb and the rest of the cobble-bashers cooling their jets following two weeks of hard racing across the pavé, a different profile of rider steps to center stage — leaner, lighter, and faster for when the grade pitches upward. It’s time to switch gears into the Ardennes classics.

    Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race is backed up by Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the “doyenne” of the hilly spring classics, the following weekend.

    To ease the transition from cobbles to the hills is Wednesday’s Brabantse Pijl, a one-day battle geographically located, appropriately enough, between Flanders and Wallonia.

    Two-time winner and defending champion Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing) headlines a solid start list that blends WorldTour and second-tier teams.

    The 55th edition of the race, also called Flèche Brabançonne, officially closes the Flemish classics. The route features a finishing circuit and is far from flat, with 26 climbs along the 205.4km course that winds from Leuven to Overijse.

    The race starts in the bar-lined Grote Markt in the region’s capital of Leuven, a bustling college town. There are a dozen climbs until the peloton hits three, 23.4km circuits, with five climbs per lap.

    The race favors a fast kicker who can get up the climbs and win out of a reduced bunch sprint, so it’s no surprise that such riders as Oscar Freire and Peter Sagan have won here over the past decade.

    “The race is a pretty predictable race, especially because the weather forecast is optimistic. In the first loop, there shouldn’t be an escape of a big group or a group with teammates of the favorites. Probably the peloton will be still big and racing at high speed at the beginning of the circuit. From that moment on, it will be an elimination race. Because of all the climbs on the route, it will be hard to get back in the race once you had to let go,” said Lotto-Soudal sport director Bart Leysen. “I think there is only one favorite: Philippe Gilbert. BMC will have to control the race and he will be the man to beat. Besides Gilbert, Belgians like [Jan] Bakelants, [Gianni] Meersman and foreigners [Michael] Matthews and [Thomas] Voeckler will be present.”

    Lotto-Soudal will line up with Tony Gallopin, and as Leyden mentioned, riders such as Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge), Jan Bakelandts (Ag2r La Mondiale), and Wilco Kelderman (LottoNL-Jumbo) will be in the mix.

    Ten WorldTour teams start out of the field of 25 squads, meaning that the professional continental teams will be riding for a big result ahead of the Ardennes classics.

    In 2011, Gilbert won Brabantse en route to sweeping all three Ardennes classics. Last year, he won again ahead of claiming another victory at Amstel Gold. Will three times be a charm for Gilbert?"
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    I have updated the startlist as there are numerous late changes. Perhaps most notably Jan Bakelants and Wout Poels have withdrawn from EQS.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    RonB wrote:
    I have updated the startlist as there are numerous late changes. Perhaps most notably Jan Bakelants and Wout Poels have withdrawn from EQS.

    I'd hope so, as he rides for Sky and all that :D
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    There might be a slight possibility that I have been looking at the 2014 startlist from Procycling stats before that last update. Thanks Iain :D
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,535
    Is this being shown anywhere? I'm off sick and bored senseless so could do with something to watch.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Pross wrote:
    Is this being shown anywhere? I'm off sick and bored senseless so could do with something to watch.

    Yes, you can find the links in all the usual places:
    http://www.steephill.tv/classics/brabantse-pijl/#live
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Sporza looks like your best bet, usual links on prev from FF ^^^
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,689
    GvA, surely?
    _
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    GvA, surely?

    Is he riding? Gilbert's has had a pretty decent start to the season. So has Matthews.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    It's got Bling written all over it
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,812
    Live in about 20 minutes.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Nice race this, used to be a proper semi-classic, but suffers a bit by being placed just after Roubaix. Used to be where Freire showed he could do more than sprint
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,812
    Now live with 88kms to run.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    De Gendt (Lotto), Delaplace (Bretagne) & Kirsch (Cult) form the break of the day with 75km to go they have a lead of just 2'30" ... just saying that there is a big crash at the back of the peloton.
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Loaded a stream just in time for a large crash on a perfectly flat and straight road, must have been a touch of wheels or something. Took out a good chunk of the peloton but didn't seem to be any serious injuries.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,535
    Can't get any streams to work, what are you all using?
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    edited April 2015
    http://www.hoeverkanhetkomen.nl/ss21a.php

    From the Steephill Sporza list.
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Just picked one from steephill.tv
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,535
    I keep getting a message saying 'error, no playable source found' for some reason :?
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    edited April 2015
    Lead group are on the Hagaard, one of the short climbs on the finishing circuit, and Kirsch is struggling to keep up with the other two riders.

    CCoyjCSVEAAg8XM.png

    OGE making their presence felt at the front of the peloton.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Try cycling hub: http://www.cyclinghub.tv/livestream
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Kirsch back in the peloton. Two up front (Delaplace and De Gendt) have 2mins gap with 57km to go. OGE still pacing the main field.
  • ellerslierd
    ellerslierd Posts: 266
    32km to go. BMC have sent Hermans up the road - with four others including de Troyer - so Orica still left chasing.
  • ellerslierd
    ellerslierd Posts: 266
    Now just Hermans and Tanner (IAM) away. 22 seconds. Tuft driving the bunch for Orica
  • ellerslierd
    ellerslierd Posts: 266
    Leukemans trying to bridge to the two leaders after de Troyer's earlier breakaway stalled
  • ellerslierd
    ellerslierd Posts: 266
    Front two almost take each other out on the descent. Leukemans still in no man's land. Wanty triggered this counter attack and now aren't in it!
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Cameras everywhere. Currently surfing the counterattack. Sporza's production of this race is outstanding.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    BMC appear to be chasing each other...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    good finish this...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver

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