Fleche Wallonne 2017 - Spoilers

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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
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  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    RichN95 wrote:
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Valverde has won all three Spanish stage races so far this year including giving it to Contador and Froome at Catalunya. Like him or loathe him he is a phenomenon His acceleration on that final climb was a world class punch
    Valverde's wins in the previous four seasons:

    Up to LBL: 28
    After LBL: 5 (excluding Spanish champs)

    Basically he's the only major stage racer who focuses on the hilly classics, so he's always ahead of the curve in terms of form. From next month they all catch up.
    This and LBL are meant to be the one day races that Grand Tour riders can win. Contador had a go several years ago, Evans won this in the past, but the others just seem to skip this now.

    It's the riders that make the race and seems this is just Valverde v Martin every year now
  • emadden
    emadden Posts: 2,431
    TheBigBean wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Bluemoon17 wrote:
    Dan Martin leaving it too late again.

    He was poorly positioned. If his team had managed to get him to the front with the other favourites at the foot of the Mur it would've been a closer run finish.
    The problem is, look back at threads for past Fleches and the same thing gets written every year.

    And to continue the annual discussion, he still has an enviable Palmares.

    Yes he has a nice palmares, but it could be a helluva lot better. He has amazing talent but suffers from having the same tactical nous as the Dodo. His tactical performance (lack of) in the last three years in this very race is glaring its so obvious as the race always comes down to the same finish. Blaming team positioning etc is a weak excuse. Last year we were treated to the ridiculous comment that he rode the Mur faster than anyone else... and I believe we were treated to same statement this year. It doesnt help if you are caught napping 30 riders back at the start of the climb.

    And its not just this race... there were a few other examples in the Tour two years ago where he timed his attack like a broken Casio. I know I am being very very harsh, but its annoying to see such bad tactical errors again and again.
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  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    Just watched this - echo the comments above about Martins awful positioning. When Valverde went he was in probably 10th wheel or even further back - looking at the amount of riders he passed to get to 2nd if he had been on Valverde's wheel he would actually have had a good chance. All that work from Jungels for nothing...

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