Ardennes thread

rick_chasey
rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
edited April 2016 in Pro race
So, Brabanse pijl is on tomorrow.

Amstel on Sunday.


Waalse pijl on Wed and the biggie Sunday after.


I've usually been so focuses on the cobbles I don't have enough attention left to follow Basque etc to get a feel for who's going well, so hopefully some of you will chip in.

Matthews for Amstel though, right?
_
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Comments

  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    Seems to be a prime pick, though Gerrans still seems to think he's the Man at Orica. which based on results in the biggest races he probably is, though age is getting to him. Kwiatkowski again?

    Was gonna say Gilbert, but BMC are down some pretty important people, and I doubt his recently crunched finger will allow him to do.

    Want to see someone other than Valverde win Liege, I think Dan Martin might be up to it...
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,716
    I can't see past Valv for the Ardennes.

    Maybe Sky can fluke a monument (finally) with Kwiatowski?
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    When does Valverde get too old for this?
    _
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    With modern conditioning and nutrition he's easily a got another 2 years if he wants it. J Rod is a year older and he won two Tour mountain stages and finished second in the Vuelta last year.
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    When does Valverde get too old for this?

    when his sprint falls apart. he's still far too canny for most riders. fleche wallone is him or J rod I reckon.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Disappointed for Henao. He deserved to win one of them.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    I'm all in for Rebellin
    "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
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,160
    What's happened to Alaphilippe? Thought he might be in the reckoning this year but seem to recall hearing something about injury or illness.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Pross wrote:
    What's happened to Alaphilippe? Thought he might be in the reckoning this year but seem to recall hearing something about injury or illness.

    Glandular fever, I believe.
    "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
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    What's happened to Alaphilippe? Thought he might be in the reckoning this year but seem to recall hearing something about injury or illness.

    Glandular fever, I believe.

    Mononucleosis, no?
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    The_Boy wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    What's happened to Alaphilippe? Thought he might be in the reckoning this year but seem to recall hearing something about injury or illness.

    Glandular fever, I believe.

    Mononucleosis, no?

    Same thing, I think
    "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
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    The_Boy wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    What's happened to Alaphilippe? Thought he might be in the reckoning this year but seem to recall hearing something about injury or illness.

    Glandular fever, I believe.

    Mononucleosis, no?

    Same thing, I think

    I'll return my medicine degree post haste.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,449
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    So, Brabanse pijl is on tomorrow.
    I know you're a Dutchie, Rick, but even you should know that the Brussels hinterlands are not the Ardennes.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,660
    My Geology Post finger's itching...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    The_Boy wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    The_Boy wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    What's happened to Alaphilippe? Thought he might be in the reckoning this year but seem to recall hearing something about injury or illness.

    Glandular fever, I believe.

    Mononucleosis, no?

    Same thing, I think

    I'll return my medicine degree post haste.

    Damn it, Jim! I'm a miracle worker, not a doctor
    "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
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    andyp wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    So, Brabanse pijl is on tomorrow.
    I know you're a Dutchie, Rick, but even you should know that the Brussels hinterlands are not the Ardennes.

    Neither's Limberg for Amstel Gold.

    Whatsya point?
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Speaking of Amstel.
    ...applying logic to overcome a sense of incomprehension is the key to understanding this race. And there is truth in numbers. Six of the climbs come in the first 92 kilometers — one every 15.2 kilometers. The remaining 25 come over the final 165 kilometers. That’s one every 6.6 kilometers. Breaking it down further, the final hour of racing has eight climbs in 42 kilometers. Now we’re down to one every 5.25 km. At 40 km/h, that’s one every 7 ½ minutes. Not overly funny, and definitely all business
    _
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,642
    andyp wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    So, Brabanse pijl is on tomorrow.
    I know you're a Dutchie, Rick, but even you should know that the Brussels hinterlands are not the Ardennes.

    And I swear I was in the Vlaamse Ardennen watching Sagan win a cobbled race 10 days ago...
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,660
    dish_dash wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    So, Brabanse pijl is on tomorrow.
    I know you're a Dutchie, Rick, but even you should know that the Brussels hinterlands are not the Ardennes.

    And I swear I was in the Vlaamse Ardennen watching Sagan win a cobbled race 10 days ago...

    I'm struggling to find english language info on this but I'm not sure they are technically the same thing beyond the name. In the same way that Suisse Normande in North West France is not part of Switzerland...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,716
    This could be a good one today.

    Hopefully see who is ready for the next week of tough racing.

    http://www.debrabantsepijl.be/en/elite-men/race/track
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:
    This could be a good one today.

    Hopefully see who is ready for the next week of tough racing.

    http://www.debrabantsepijl.be/en/elite-men/race/track


    And it's live on Bike from 2pm.

    Very hard to see past Matthews.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Turfle wrote:
    Very hard to see past Matthews.

    Has he been eating heavily?
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Turfle wrote:
    Very hard to see the mirror past Matthews.

    FIFY
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Does anyone know why Valverde isn't doing Amstel Gold?
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,822
    Found a live feed for today via cyclingfans
    http://cyclinglive.xp3.biz/stream.php
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,716
    weather looks poop.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,704
    Turfle wrote:
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:
    This could be a good one today.

    Hopefully see who is ready for the next week of tough racing.

    http://www.debrabantsepijl.be/en/elite-men/race/track


    And it's live on Bike from 2pm.

    Very hard to see past Matthews.

    Edit: Was going to comment, but there's no flipping spoiler.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,642
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Turfle wrote:
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:
    This could be a good one today.

    Hopefully see who is ready for the next week of tough racing.

    http://www.debrabantsepijl.be/en/elite-men/race/track


    And it's live on Bike from 2pm.

    Very hard to see past Matthews.

    Edit: Was going to comment, but there's no flipping spoiler.

    Me too! Rick - sort it out...

    BTW big bean is going to have a coronary if we use this thread for all AGR/LBL/FW etc spoilers...
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,160
    Lack of 'spoiler' in the title didn't stop BB doing a running commentary on the Basque thread though.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    In the time you wrote that post Dish, you could have set one up yourself.

    I was too busy trying to watch it whilst getting people to tell me about other people they know ;).
    _

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