"Diego Rosa gets a mention courtesy of his second place finish at Milan Torino" ...what!
Apart from that did he really write it's ranked lower than Fleche Wallone ? Fleche Wallone is just a mass start hill climb with a bit of a warm up.
Bloody kids. It's a monument. End.
"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'"
"Diego Rosa gets a mention courtesy of his second place finish at Milan Torino" ...what!
Apart from that did he really write it's ranked lower than Fleche Wallone ? Fleche Wallone is just a mass start hill climb with a bit of a warm up.
No it shouldn't be ranked lower than Fleche Wallone but denegrating F-W doesn''t help LBL's cause. As I said earlier it's horses for courses. Watching Bolt win a a 100m will probably be more exciting than whoever wins the Olympic gold medal for the marathon...I'm sure the marathon is more knackering though.
I'll hazard a guess that this is the first time in a while that Lombardy has managed a couple of spoiler pages this far out...
It's an OK race leave it where it is . All this talk of this being a bit samey and that being a bit samey is rubbish really. The cobbled classics are a great series of races and I don't recall too much "oh well here we go again" when they are on.
The Ardennes are the poor relation but still watchable. Going against the grain I prefer F-W to LBL but that's because I live in hope of a successful breakaway and love the charge up the Muur de Huy.
Funny what floats your boat, isn't it? Because I really like the slow burn of an LBL where extreme distance and accumulated fatigue over a load of climbs that on their own are pretty manageable combines with fireworks over the 3 final savage climbs.
Have you ever done the LBL course. Its seriously hard. Fleche is just a primer for the Mur de Huy. Easy in comparison. and a more boring race...
Yes I have. I go down there for a ride about once a month. Chaudfintaine, ancienne barrière, and the other steady climbs are not that tough in isolation. Even 4 or 5 of them aren't such a stretch. The course then gets attritional. Oes, stockeau, that horrible thing out of spa and rosiere are all either legitimately tough or tough after that distance. Then you pile on redoute, thst steep little sod after it and st Nicolas close together to get the effect I describe.
Attrition is definitely the name of the game, by St Nicholas and the steady drag into ans, the legs are properly screaming! I love la redoute, great little climb.
"Diego Rosa gets a mention courtesy of his second place finish at Milan Torino" ...what!
Apart from that did he really write it's ranked lower than Fleche Wallone ? Fleche Wallone is just a mass start hill climb with a bit of a warm up.
No it shouldn't be ranked lower than Fleche Wallone but denegrating F-W doesn''t help LBL's cause. As I said earlier it's horses for courses. Watching Bolt win a a 100m will probably be more exciting than whoever wins the Olympic gold medal for the marathon...I'm sure the marathon is more knackering though.
I don't think I was trying to help Lombardy's cause by denigrating Fleche Wallone - I was making an observation that Fleche Wallone has become a one dimensional race and if the author of that piece thinks it ranks higher than Lombardy in any way he needs to get a grip.
It's a bit like when people question whether Wayne Rooney is world class - fair discussion to have - then someone will pipe up that he shouldn't be in the Man Utd team which is obvious horseshit. Lombardy may have lost a bit of prestige but it's a million miles ahead of FW.
"Diego Rosa gets a mention courtesy of his second place finish at Milan Torino" ...what!
Apart from that did he really write it's ranked lower than Fleche Wallone ? Fleche Wallone is just a mass start hill climb with a bit of a warm up.
No it shouldn't be ranked lower than Fleche Wallone but denegrating F-W doesn''t help LBL's cause. As I said earlier it's horses for courses. Watching Bolt win a a 100m will probably be more exciting than whoever wins the Olympic gold medal for the marathon...I'm sure the marathon is more knackering though.
I don't think I was trying to help Lombardy's cause by denigrating Fleche Wallone - I was making an observation that Fleche Wallone has become a one dimensional race and if the author of that piece thinks it ranks higher than Lombardy in any way he needs to get a grip.
It's a bit like when people question whether Wayne Rooney is world class - fair discussion to have - then someone will pipe up that he shouldn't be in the Man Utd team which is obvious horseshit. Lombardy may have lost a bit of prestige but it's a million miles ahead of FW.
All you Philistine grouches need to close your eyes and smell the musty scent of of the Skoda Superbes...
Take a moment to absorb assorted bits of dowelling....before next Spring - a good thing you didn't spoil your massive whoopsie.
I've probably just p'd 2 quid against the wall, but I've stuck just that on Uran to win at 40 to 1. He won in Canada, and looked in good shape in Richmond as he headed the pack off the final climb.
All you Philistine Il Lombardia grouches need to close your eyes and smell the musty scent of damp bark and leaves as it catches the stiffening breeze that rasps the back of your nose in the shadows... Then open your eyes to final blast of colour and panache of the season in one of cycling's numerous True Heartlands TM and open your ears to the fading horns of the Skoda Superbes...
Take a moment to absorb their import: for they signify the end of another chapter - and the beginning of that period when you must venture to the shed/loft and have another attempt at extracating your Turbo from that broken camping chair, sections of veneered IKEA shelving and assorted bits of dowelling....before placing it by the back door to taunt yourself through the Winter months for your lack of discipline and fortitude, only to return it to the shed/loft again, unused, next Spring - when you decide it's a good thing you didn't ride much over the Winter because you'd have spoiled your new overshoes....You massive whoopsie.
To use a quote from "Blazing Saddles":
Hedley Lamarr: My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
Taggart: God darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar censored .
“Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”
Posts
http://www.podiumcafe.com/2015/10/1/9434335/fierce-competition-for-years-final-monument
Unfortunately...........................
So, can BR pull a Contador and officially climb off and put it's feet up at the end of July?
Apart from that did he really write it's ranked lower than Fleche Wallone ? Fleche Wallone is just a mass start hill climb with a bit of a warm up.
Bloody kids. It's a monument. End.
@gietvangent
No it shouldn't be ranked lower than Fleche Wallone but denegrating F-W doesn''t help LBL's cause. As I said earlier it's horses for courses. Watching Bolt win a a 100m will probably be more exciting than whoever wins the Olympic gold medal for the marathon...I'm sure the marathon is more knackering though.
Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
Attrition is definitely the name of the game, by St Nicholas and the steady drag into ans, the legs are properly screaming! I love la redoute, great little climb.
So essentially an MBA course is a self selecting identification programme?
That is outstanding.
A vacancy for picture poster has recently arisen on Pro Race if you are interested...
Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
There are definitely a few apprentice wannabes in that category on the course! But they're easily avoidable and most people are quite normal.
In other news, I was quite drunk last night... :oops:
I don't think I was trying to help Lombardy's cause by denigrating Fleche Wallone - I was making an observation that Fleche Wallone has become a one dimensional race and if the author of that piece thinks it ranks higher than Lombardy in any way he needs to get a grip.
It's a bit like when people question whether Wayne Rooney is world class - fair discussion to have - then someone will pipe up that he shouldn't be in the Man Utd team which is obvious horseshit. Lombardy may have lost a bit of prestige but it's a million miles ahead of FW.
Good point.
Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
Have you been on the gels again ?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/knee-injury-forces-rodriguez-out-of-lombardy/
I dunno, a bit too much pf a high stress job for me.
To use a quote from "Blazing Saddles":
Hedley Lamarr: My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
Taggart: God darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar censored .
Oh censored
Nibs or Valverde then...
ABV. Pleeeeease. Anyone.
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
Valverde doing his following wheels thing... He's going to be hard to beat