Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2017 *Spoilers*

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Comments

  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    He let me down yesterday but very pleased with the Sagan win, and another decent placing from Rowe. Does anyone think Luke has a chance at any of the monuments , maybe Roubaix ?
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    Sagan loves Haribos
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    Sagan loves Haribos
    Golden Bears, who can blame him :D
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,648
    You've got to think more teams needs to start actively riding against Sagan.
    _
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,325
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    You've got to think more teams needs to start actively riding against Sagan.

    Sagan spends half his time riding against Sagan. What makes you think anyone else has a chance?
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • bluemoon17
    bluemoon17 Posts: 718
    Good race with an interesting mix of riders in the final 5. Surprised Trentin was the one to attack first, would have thought Stuyven would be the one to go first. Big result for Rowe as well- improving all the time.

    What else can be said about Sagan though? Could win more than one Monument this Spring based on this form.
  • nicklong
    nicklong Posts: 231
    What's super-impressive is that he pretty much makes every single selection, throughout the classics season.

    There's probably 20-25 classics leaders, of which a combination of 3-4 are always in the final selection - plus Sagan. Amazing ability to always be at the right place when the attacks fly.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    nicklong wrote:
    What's super-impressive is that he pretty much makes every single selection, throughout the classics season.

    There's probably 20-25 classics leaders, of which a combination of 3-4 are always in the final selection - plus Sagan. Amazing ability to always be at the right place when the attacks fly.
    Or is it that when he makes a move, either attacking or following, all the other big names move too, thus creating the selection.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,648
    underlayunderlay wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    You've got to think more teams needs to start actively riding against Sagan.

    Sagan spends half his time riding against Sagan. What makes you think anyone else has a chance?

    Well when Sagan decides to ride tactically you can't work with him

    You have to play to his instinct to force the issue, like he ended up doing in omloop.

    He does it because he has no team who he can rely upon beyond 70km to go so he turns it on to make it a man v man race.

    So you let him either work himself too hard making the selection or allowing your teammates to come back after a selective helling to neutralise his strength.
    _
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,398
    nicklong wrote:
    What's super-impressive is that he pretty much makes every single selection, throughout the classics season.

    There's probably 20-25 classics leaders, of which a combination of 3-4 are always in the final selection - plus Sagan. Amazing ability to always be at the right place when the attacks fly.
    Yeah - it's mental. I didn't pick him for PTP as I thought he'd be tired from yesterday and someone else would have fresh legs. Obviously not!
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,325
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    underlayunderlay wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    You've got to think more teams needs to start actively riding against Sagan.

    Sagan spends half his time riding against Sagan. What makes you think anyone else has a chance?

    Well when Sagan decides to ride tactically you can't work with him

    You have to play to his instinct to force the issue, like he ended up doing in omloop.

    He does it because he has no team who he can rely upon beyond 70km to go so he turns it on to make it a man v man race.

    So you let him either work himself too hard making the selection or allowing your teammates to come back after a selective helling to neutralise his strength.

    FWIW, I agree - he's probably the least obviously tactical rider I've ever seen, but teams don't seem to make the most of that. I'm not sure if he's as naive as he seems though - there's always the possibility that he's just having a laugh...
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • weekendcyclingfan
    weekendcyclingfan Posts: 980
    sherer wrote:
    He let me down yesterday but very pleased with the Sagan win, and another decent placing from Rowe. Does anyone think Luke has a chance at any of the monuments , maybe Roubaix ?

    Rowe probably needs to get into a new team with a more classics orientated focus, he's also not strong enough yet. Two more years, I would think. Like to see him ride at BMC to be honest, free from the GT mindset of Sky.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    Sagan loves Haribos
    The Cycling News 'Clinic' forum think that he's eating the Haribos because they have they are being used to secreting a masking agent to help him pass drugs tests. I'm not joking. They really are that crazy.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    weekendcyclingfan wrote:
    Rowe probably needs to get into a new team with a more classics orientated focus.
    The idea that Sky aren't classics orientated is a myth. They may not have had the best rider like they do in stage races, but they're a serious outfit.

    Sky at the Classics 2016:

    1st & 3rd E3 Harelbeke
    1st Liege-Bastogne-Liege
    2nd Milan-San Remo
    3rd Paris-Roubaix
    4th Het Nieuwsblad
    4th Fleche Wallonne
    5th Ronde van Vlaanderen

    I'm not sure any team contended that consistently
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,449
    Why would anyone go to BMC, apart from for the money obviously? They are the most tactically conservative team around.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,449
    RichN95 wrote:
    weekendcyclingfan wrote:
    Rowe probably needs to get into a new team with a more classics orientated focus.
    The idea that Sky aren't classics orientated is a myth. They may not have had the best rider like they do in stage races, but they're a serious outfit.

    Sky at the Classics 2016:

    1st & 3rd E3 Harelbeke
    1st Liege-Bastogne-Liege
    2nd Milan-San Remo
    3rd Paris-Roubaix
    4th Het Nieuwsblad
    4th Fleche Wallonne
    5th Ronde van Vlaanderen

    I'm not sure any team contended that consistently

    Agreed, and it wasn't like they achieved those results by following the wheels. In most of those races they were on the offensive in the closing stages, making the race selective.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,449
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    He does it because he has no team who he can rely upon beyond 70km to go so he turns it on to make it a man v man race.

    I think that's spot on. His team is pretty weak, so if he ends up having to chase then he'll be left to do it on his own so to pre-empt this, he makes the race hard from a long way out, knowing that he has the strength to still be in contention at the final and, on most occasions, the sprint to beat his rivals. It's a clever way of neutralising the strength in depth of the bigger budget teams.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,398
    RichN95 wrote:
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    Sagan loves Haribos
    The Cycling News 'Clinic' forum think that he's eating the Haribos because they have they are being used to secreting a masking agent to help him pass drugs tests. I'm not joking. They really are that crazy.

    The plural of Haribo is Haribo. Not Haribos.

    Same as Lego...
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    Decent opening weekend that

    Was on the Eikenberg on Sat, and Ould Kwaremont on Sun (boo to that tarmac/tarmac-riding)
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
    Decent opening weekend that

    Was on the Eikenberg on Sat, and Ould Kwaremont on Sun (boo to that tarmac/tarmac-riding)

    You should have stood in the middle of the tarmac and made them go on the cobbles.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
    Decent opening weekend that

    Was on the Eikenberg on Sat, and Ould Kwaremont on Sun (boo to that tarmac/tarmac-riding)

    You should have stood in the middle of the tarmac and made them go on the cobbles.



    Whilst shouting "THIS IS FOR BR BIKE RAAAAAAAACE"
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,810
    The best way Sagan can negate the advantage of the bigger budget teams is to give some of his salary to hire some decent teammates
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    RichN95 wrote:
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    Sagan loves Haribos
    The Cycling News 'Clinic' forum think that he's eating the Haribos because they have they are being used to secreting a masking agent to help him pass drugs tests. I'm not joking. They really are that crazy.

    Jesus, maybe he just likes kids sweets?
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    The best way Sagan can negate the advantage of the bigger budget teams is to give some of his salary to hire some decent teammates

    Was thinking the same thing.

    Guess he's worked out he can have more of the money, but it'll mean doing a lot more work and losing a few races he should win. Probably knock a year or two off his top level career as well - but all up to him really. He has the talent and position to decide what he wants, fair play to him.
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    YorkshireRaw wrote:
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    The best way Sagan can negate the advantage of the bigger budget teams is to give some of his salary to hire some decent teammates

    Was thinking the same thing.

    Guess he's worked out he can have more of the money, but it'll mean doing a lot more work and losing a few races he should win. Probably knock a year or two off his top level career as well - but all up to him really. He has the talent and position to decide what he wants, fair play to him.

    ave noticed he does far too much work too soon. As soon as both races from the weekend came on TV he had no team mates with him at all.. Guess forcing the splits early is about the only tactic he can do at the moment.

    Are there any standouts in the Bora team to support him ?
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    Not many - their other big names are Majka and Konig. After that Burghardt's probably the next big name who's suitable to help Sagan, then Bodnar maybe?
    Bora certainly haven't got 2/3 potential top 5 riders like Trek, Quickstep or Lotto Soudal.

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