Ronde van Vlaanderen 2016 *SPOILERS*

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Comments

  • mechanism
    mechanism Posts: 891
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Not at all, I meant that as how bad do you have to be when even the top riders know you as the commentator who screams a lot and you even know you do it? I'm believe the commentators work on a freelance basis so I just cannot understand why Eurosport keep using him when there are an increasing number of knowledgable English language commentators available.

    I sort of agree but I still think there is a lack of a really top class cycling commentator since Harmon "retired". Someone that could become the voice of the sport for the next 10 years or so. There are a few I'd rather ahead of Kirby though - Quigley probably the pick of commentators for me - pundits I'm happy with Kelly, Smyth or Lloyd.

    If Rob Hatch isn't on Paris Roubaix next week I will be fuming. That is one race where you need some analysis, and rider identification is absolutely key

    Hatch + Kelly from the Eurosport thread.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Hatch will be doing PR
    _
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Hatch plus Brian Smith is probably the best team right now.
  • gingermagician
    gingermagician Posts: 326
    ES should build the schedule around Hatch and Stephens. Quigley's tolerable, but Kirby's the only one that definitively has me gnawing my knuckles/reaching for the mute button.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Hatch and Kelly (sounds like an 80s cop show) for Sunday is fine by me. They'd be my first choice everytime. I don't mind Carlton in his old role of doing the 'drop ins' at the Tour. Happy to back Chasey's bid for he job though!
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Hatch + anyone is all good with me (any of the GCN queue, Maggie or Sean)

    DQ is ok, but not as good as Hatch IMO (though there is little in it)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Hatch will be doing PR

    Yay!
    Race info instead of giggles and hysteria.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    With Sean, at the velodrome. So you get the lovely ringing of the final lap bell for all the mini races being run bleeding into the mic :D.
    _
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,821
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    With Sean, at the velodrome. So you get the lovely ringing of the final lap bell for all the mini races being run bleeding into the mic :D.

    All part of the joy of PR. Although Carlton seemed to suggest they were in Oudenaarde yesterday (but was 'commentating' on Pais Vasco today)
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    GingerMagician wrote:
    ES should build the schedule around Hatch and Stephens. Quigley's tolerable, but Kirby's the only one that definitively has me gnawing my knuckles/reaching for the mute button.

    Not Stephens for me - he has the edge on Kirby in terms of rider identification but his over mannered style really grates.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    RichN95 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Sep,the second best guy on the cobbles
    But the absolute worst on the champagne
    https://twitter.com/SadhbhOS/status/716922719347085312
    He and Michael Matthews should compare notes. Bling can't ever seem to get a bottle open, which is surprising for someone nicknamed Bling.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    The cycling news piece on "What the Belgian press say" is absolutely appalling. Literally cut and pasted from google translate.

    In related news, De Gentenaar have ripped my article on Claeys for quotes. Jongens, jongens, jongens...
    "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'"

    @gietvangent
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    Ah, now you really are a writer, Goat :-)
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    CfRyoIYXIAA_uME.jpg:large

    Andrew Hood ‏@EuroHoody · 1h1 hour ago

    Interesting list of wins U26 among top cobs riders via @TNieuwsblad
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • onyourright
    onyourright Posts: 509
    If Sagan wins this weekend, that will really put the cat among the pigeons.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    edited April 2016
    Edit wrong thread
  • Crozza
    Crozza Posts: 991
    maybe I should offer to lend them my pressure washer - would bring them babies' heads up a treat
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    Loved watching the race on the Kwaremont. Shouts out to Josh for letting us crash his spot on the barriers, and to Goat for a couple of beers and a gossip in Ghent. Also Chapeau to Goat for a sterling performance up the Kwaremont...

    My man Sep in third, though Lotto-Jumbo need to sort his mechanicals out. Did I imagine it or was there a point where the Tinkoff (?) mechanic jumped out to see if he could sort Sep's bike out. Given how many cards he burnt I'm impressed Sep finished on the podium.

    Cancellara was astonishing. Truly motoring up the Kwaremont. Shame he didn't take the win.

    Respect to Sagan. I have little time for his wheelie shennaigans, but I can't begrudge him that win.

    Plenty of spectators had no idea that the women were also racing so they were surprised when the women's peloton came through. I'm increasingly inclined to think that having women's races of established men's races isn't the right tactic. My feeling is that the separate Tour of Britain route is likely to be more successful in building support for women's cycling. Saturday just served to highlight the gulf in standard between the two pelotons.

    Didn't do the sportive, but did manage a couple of decent rides in the area. New found respect for Belgian races, particularly as the first half of doing the Het Volk route was very wet - had a couple of sketchy moments. Not convinced that the Muur should be back on the RVV route, it's not that tough and while visually impressive can see how the current circuit works much better for the organisers in terms of on the ground spectators (and VIPs!)

    Very impressed with the general friendliness/politeness/respect from car drivers for cyclists in Belgium.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    One thing, every commentator or pundit I've heard is making a big deal of 'both world champs winning'.

    They couldn't have engineered a worlds that looked more like a Flanders 1 dayer...
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Now that we've had 5 editions of the new route - what's the forum verdict?
    _
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Now that we've had 5 editions of the new route - what's the forum verdict?

    It seems to either work very well or really poorly. It's difficult to conclusively say that a bad race is down to the route though. It may have been a bad race whatever the route. The one thing that irks me is the distance from the Paterberg to the line. 6km would be perfect.

    Personally I think it's proved that it can produce great racing. It's just that the Muur is so iconic.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Hipster - never be as good, Muur etc

    All others - meh it's the riders that make the race

    I don't think we ve really had the same finish* twice so I don't think we can complain too much

    (*as in how the race has been won)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Shadowrider
    Shadowrider Posts: 483
    ddraver wrote:

    I don't think we ve really had the same finish* twice so I don't think we can complain too much

    (*as in how the race has been won)

    The finale was pretty much a carbon copy of 2013, where the winner dropped their partner on the Paterburg and ride to the end, with no real chance of the chase catching them?

    2014 and 15 were relatively similar in that it was a small group sprint.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Well I disagree with you...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    ddraver wrote:
    Well I disagree with you...

    This is the internet folks.
    You can't just leave it like that.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    I'm trying to be more angelic....

    2006+angel+2.jpg

    (See, that's a Specialized angel)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Shadowrider
    Shadowrider Posts: 483
    ddraver wrote:
    Well I disagree with you...

    Really? You're wrong. Here's the video of 2013, with Fabu dropping Sagan on the final climb never to be seen again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bKC6QbrthA Skip to 3:34 to see it happening.

    Here is the video of Sagan dropping Sep on the final climb never been seen again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Rem9MV69cU Skip to 4:40 to see the same happening again.

    It's even the same two guys just with the position reversed. I have a feeling you're just disagreeing as you made your point (about the new route not throwing up 2 races the same) and just don't want to go back on it. These two editions were.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    in your opinion...

    03edf116f16c267471df72e966a345e2.jpg
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Shadowrider
    Shadowrider Posts: 483
    ddraver wrote:
    in your opinion...

    03edf116f16c267471df72e966a345e2.jpg

    Ok what in your opinion makes them so hugely different? Is it that Sagan was riding for Cannondale rather than Tinkoff?
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    giphy.gif
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!

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