Ronde van Vlaanderen 2017 *spoilers*

specialgueststar

That Duval guy out of Ag2r after being in that long break must have kept his legs as he finished well up in the big (Sagan/Boonen) group 3.30 down (position 31). That's a a fair day out for basically a Conti rider/track rider

milton50

Rick Chasey wrote:

Belgian News making the point GvA and Sagan lost the race, not on the Kwaremont with the jumper, but on the Muur.

Why were they so far back?

Yup

andyp

itboffin wrote:

I'm not buying the jacket as the root cause, it barely touched him yet his wheel violently jumps towards the barrier then hits the feet, i say he hit a bad angled cobble whilst riding too close to the barriers and had no where to go but down.

Have you ever hit your handlebars against anything when travelling at speed? The effect is catastrophic, as ably demonstrated here.

itboffin

yep cars & buses, i'm still 100% convinced it came from his wheel not the bars

thegibdog

itboffin wrote:

i'm still 100% convinced it came from his wheel not the bars

You're 100% convinced about something that there is no evidence to support?

Personally I'm more convinced by what the videos show.

onyourright

There are people in this thread 100% convinced Gilbert wouldn’t have been caught by GvA + Sagan + Naesen had they not crashed.

People believe what they like, not what they see with their own eyes.

Richj

Milton50 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Belgian News making the point GvA and Sagan lost the race, not on the Kwaremont with the jumper, but on the Muur.

Why were they so far back?

Yup

Agreed, they got caught out by the move on the Muur and were forced to take risks to close the gap.

RichN95.

OnYourRight wrote:

There are people in this thread 100% convinced Gilbert wouldn’t have been caught by GvA + Sagan + Naesen had they not crashed.

People believe what they like, not what they see with their own eyes.

But would they have caught Vanmarcke, Rowe and Boonen, who have attacked then caught and passed Gilbert in this alternate universe?

amrushton

In the end the best man won. Phil broke away on the climb, opened a big gap then luck/bad luck played their part. The rest were all back down the road. Chapeau to the dismount and honouring that jersey. That will be a prize photo amongst prize photos in his collection

onyourright

RichN95 wrote:

But would they have caught Vanmarcke, Rowe and Boonen, who have attacked then caught and passed Gilbert in this alternate universe?

It’s impossible to say, it being an alternate universe. That’s my point: no-one should be sure of anything.

Another thing I’m not sure about is whether Gilbert is doing P–R. I’d appreciate an answer from one of the 100%-ers here.

Richmond Racer 2

OnYourRight wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

But would they have caught Vanmarcke, Rowe and Boonen, who have attacked then caught and passed Gilbert in this alternate universe?

It’s impossible to say, it being an alternate universe. That’s my point: no-one should be sure of anything.

Another thing I’m not sure about is whether Gilbert is doing P–R. I’d appreciate an answer from one of the 100%-ers here.

I'm not a 100%er but apparently Quickstep have cleared him to ride

salsiccia1

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

OnYourRight wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

But would they have caught Vanmarcke, Rowe and Boonen, who have attacked then caught and passed Gilbert in this alternate universe?

It’s impossible to say, it being an alternate universe. That’s my point: no-one should be sure of anything.

Another thing I’m not sure about is whether Gilbert is doing P–R. I’d appreciate an answer from one of the 100%-ers here.

I'm not a 100%er but apparently Quickstep have cleared him to ride

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gilbert-to-skip-paris-roubaix-after-tour-of-flanders-triumph/

takethehighroad

Reading this month's procycling Tom Boonen was 100% sure of the following (maybe misremembered) quote

"You can attack 60km from the finish and win Roubaix, but if you do it in Flanders it's suicide"

Vino'sGhost

the big classics like this are as much about who has bad luck or makes mistakes as they are about awesome performance. The only won because (x) was out of it makes no sense since (x) wasnt able to make it to the end. The course forces mistakes such as vanmarkes or sagans and yes had they not happened the result may have been different but they did make mistakes and on the day an in form Gilbert did not.

Vino'sGhost

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

Reading this month's procycling Tom Boonen was 100% sure of the following (maybe misremembered) quote

"You can attack 60km from the finish and win Roubaix, but if you do it in Flanders it's suicide"

Good job he waited to 50 then

rick_chasey

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

Reading this month's procycling Tom Boonen was 100% sure of the following (maybe misremembered) quote

"You can attack 60km from the finish and win Roubaix, but if you do it in Flanders it's suicide"

Played the long game

No_Ta_Doctor

All this alternate universe stuff.... On Sunday I drank enough Belgian beer to put me into an alternate universe, where Gilbert won.
The "real" universe he got caught by Sep, Rowe, Sagan and GVA.
Two more beers and Boonen would have won.

yourpaceormine

In equally important news has Muur boy been snapped in position? Rouleur RVV gallery, 7th picture in, side on profile (so tricky to say for certain) plus he looks to be in a slightly different position but is that him in the brown trousers and blue t shirt next to the Flandrian flag?

https://rouleur.cc/editorial/tour-of-flanders-gallery/

vpnikolov

http://www.velominati.com/etiquette/mon ... isrespect/

Spot on. :evil:

rick_chasey

vpnikolov wrote:

http://www.velominati.com/etiquette/monumental-disrespect/

Spot on. :evil:

Well he calls Tom Steels a fat guy, which is already a bit much.


And for me, having been chased for near on 60km and still having enough time to walk your bike over the line?

Boom.

cruff

B0llocks. He just won the best race of year, in the national champs jersey, from 50km out. He can cross the line however he damn well pleases - including (but not limited to):
On foot raising the bike overhead,
On foot nonchalantly pushing the bike by the saddle,
On foot dragging the bike behind him,
On the bike,
On the bike wheelieing,
Half on the bike & half off it,
On a child's tricycle

vpnikolov

Cruff wrote:

B0llocks. He just won the best race of year, in the national champs jersey, from 50km out. He can cross the line however he damn well pleases - including (but not limited to):
On foot without raising the bike overhead,
On foot nonchalantly pushing the bike by the saddle,
On foot dragging the bike behind him,
On the bike,
On the bike wheelieing,
Half on the bike & half off it,
On a child's tricycle

FTFY.

Rules are to be followed.

bobmcstuff

Cruff wrote:

B0llocks. He just won the best race of year, in the national champs jersey, from 50km out. He can cross the line however he damn well pleases - including (but not limited to):
On foot raising the bike overhead,
On foot nonchalantly pushing the bike by the saddle,
On foot dragging the bike behind him,
On the bike,
On the bike wheelieing,
Half on the bike & half off it,
On a child's tricycle

My vote is for the second option. Always best to be a little understated I think!

pinno

I don't agree with Velomati bloke. Gilbert has never come across as arrogant or big headed. His celebration wasn't in an 'in your face' or 'suck that' style.
That image is now indelible in my mind. What a race, what a win. Shut the f*ck up Brett, who ever you are.

RichN95.

Pinno wrote:

I don't agree with Velomati bloke. Gilbert has never come across as arrogant or big headed. His celebration wasn't in an 'in your face' or 'suck that' style.
That image is now indelible in my mind. What a race, what a win. Shut the f*ck up Brett, who ever you are.

Rule no 1 should be: If there are to be rules they shall set by great champions not Australian bloggers

yourpaceormine

The Muur is back!



A certain Contador fan, late of this parish, sent me this pic. Which is a little further on than the one I saw on Rouleur (thank you FF).



The guy in the cap has a bit more of Muur boy attitude, but I still think brown trouser man is our fellow

takethehighroad

yourpaceormine wrote:

In equally important news has Muur boy been snapped in position? Rouleur RVV gallery, 7th picture in, side on profile (so tricky to say for certain) plus he looks to be in a slightly different position but is that him in the brown trousers and blue t shirt next to the Flandrian flag?

https://rouleur.cc/editorial/tour-of-flanders-gallery/

The trouble with this is he's 7 years older now.

This is a better view of that image you suggested, and I'd seen him a couple of times on Instagram etc

yourpaceormine

Agreed, tricky adding 7 years on to someone, without knowing them. Plus, of course he might have since found a different vantage point for the race, unbeknownst to the cycling paparazzi, preferring his new spot. Or he could have been abducted by aliens, or something

kingstongraham

It was "an admittedly decent ride" by Gilbert, though.

pinno

KingstonGraham wrote:

It was "an admittedly decent ride" by Gilbert, though.

In retrospect he's dead right. I mean a decent ride would have been Gilbert going off the front at the 250km to go mark, falling off on the Muur and breaking his leg in the process, crashing on the Koppenberg breaking his wrist and finishing 3 hours ahead of the peloton before asking the attending crowd if he was worthy of crossing the finishing line.
...but even then, that will never be as good as clinging to some over rated Swiss bloke's wheel putting in diddley squat effort and then pipping him at the post, will it?