2018 classics thread

13567…14

Comments

  • poptart242
    poptart242 Posts: 531
    Gaudin must have been hating life once that 3 established. Nightmare
  • ShutupJens
    ShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    Poptart242 wrote:
    Gaudin must have been hating life once that 3 established. Nightmare

    Beat me to it. That was ominous, but he had zero options other than to churn away and guarantee himself a 3rd place. Quickstep are looking so much smoother without Stijn VDB, he always seemed to be at the fore of their tactical hiccups in the past
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    Poptart242 wrote:
    Gaudin must have been hating life once that 3 established. Nightmare

    He was doing a good impression of Voeckler on the run to the line as well, except I'm not sure his was aimed at the TV.
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Done and dusted early this year.
    Gaudin done by the QS 1-2 and the rest left chasing minor placings.

    Meanwhile, Kirby has talked an awful lot, but commentated very little, as per.
    The director managed to miss the moment when the front group went from 5 to 3. Once the front group were back on screen, Kirby & Maggie managed to talk for over two minutes before noticing that there were two riders missing.
    https://gibworth.mypixieset.com
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    thegibdog wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Done and dusted early this year.
    Gaudin done by the QS 1-2 and the rest left chasing minor placings.

    Meanwhile, Kirby has talked an awful lot, but commentated very little, as per.
    The director managed to miss the moment when the front group went from 5 to 3. Once the front group were back on screen, Kirby & Maggie managed to talk for over two minutes before noticing that there were two riders missing.

    They also completely tied themselves in knots about the Direct Energie riders - switching between deciding it was Petit in the first chase group behind Gaudin / Gilbert, then declaring it looked like Pichot. They never worked out the director was showing completely different groups with Petit in one and Pichot in the other...
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,718
    Those hilly French semi classics were decent fair.

    You can watch them on youtube via L'Equipe tv.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    A few things.

    1) Muur man was spotted.

    2) Groenewegen continues to develop as if he's a hybrid between Cavendish and Kristof. Either way, he always does better in bad weather.

    3) Terpstra only wins when he's attacking a group which has both his team mate and race favourite in it. It's a great way to carve a career, I have to say.

    4) The Omloop route was pants, and not just 'cos of the headwind. Misses the Taaienberg.
    _
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,473
    Terpstra's type of wins is the only way I see Sep Vanmarcke winning in future.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • ShutupJens
    ShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    A few things.

    4) The Omloop route was pants, and not just 'cos of the headwind. Misses the Taaienberg.

    Agreed. Having that Muur/Bosberg finale is brilliant until you realise that no one wants to do anything before them
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    M.R.M. wrote:
    Terpstra's type of wins is the only way I see Sep Vanmarcke winning in future.

    Sep's ego is way too big to get into a team which will put him in a Terpstra position.

    Terpstra is enough of a prickly man that he knows he needs to be on a big team to manufacture people who will ride with him, because otherwise he's on his larry.
    _
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    M.R.M. wrote:
    Terpstra's type of wins is the only way I see Sep Vanmarcke winning in future.

    Sep's ego is way too big to get into a team which will put him in a Terpstra position.

    Terpstra is enough of a prickly man that he knows he needs to be on a big team to manufacture people who will ride with him, because otherwise he's on his larry.


    He quite likes being on his own though :)

    I got the impression there was something of a hard training session about this race.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Vino'sGhost wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    M.R.M. wrote:
    Terpstra's type of wins is the only way I see Sep Vanmarcke winning in future.

    Sep's ego is way too big to get into a team which will put him in a Terpstra position.

    Terpstra is enough of a prickly man that he knows he needs to be on a big team to manufacture people who will ride with him, because otherwise he's on his larry.


    He quite likes being on his own though :)

    I got the impression there was something of a hard training session about this race.

    Meh, 2 monument winners against a bunch of pro-conti riders. No need to play it more finely than you need to when plainly you both have the horsepower to ride away.
    _
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,852
    ShutupJens wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    A few things.

    4) The Omloop route was pants, and not just 'cos of the headwind. Misses the Taaienberg.

    Agreed. Having that Muur/Bosberg finale is brilliant until you realise that no one wants to do anything before them
    Presumably in the first year of a course change, everyone is going to be risk averse and revert to the 'text book solution' rather than try something bold and crash & burn. It must take a few years for teams to develop a race strategy that exploits a course change and, more importantly, all the other teams strategies to that new route?
    Half man, Half bike
  • poptart242
    poptart242 Posts: 531
    Ridgerider wrote:
    ShutupJens wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    A few things.

    4) The Omloop route was pants, and not just 'cos of the headwind. Misses the Taaienberg.

    Agreed. Having that Muur/Bosberg finale is brilliant until you realise that no one wants to do anything before them
    Presumably in the first year of a course change, everyone is going to be risk averse and revert to the 'text book solution' rather than try something bold and crash & burn. It must take a few years for teams to develop a race strategy that exploits a course change and, more importantly, all the other teams strategies to that new route?

    Exactly this - if the organisers keep their nerve it'll be better next year. Also less likely to be too cold to do anything.

    I'd take Tom Boonen's hill back all the same though.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Look at any race where the Taainberg is in the final 70km and you'll see it plays quite a pivotal role.

    Even if it comes back together afterwards, the shake out and subsequent chase rules out a good 80% of the peloton from the finale; doubly so with the gutter in play, ironically.
    _
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,473
    Will Gilbert win either MSR or PR this year? I'm sceptical, but he was so amazing last year!
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Much more important: it’s gonna be a grim cold wet Strade Bianche.
    _
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    A few things.



    3) Terpstra only wins when he's attacking a group which has both his team mate and race favourite in it. It's a great way to carve a career, I have to say.
    .
    Bit harsh - won the same race back in 2016 by attacking solo from a group - no other QS riders around.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,473
    Think the point still stands.

    His biggest win came from exactly that scenario in PR 2014. You need to either have a sprint or the TT ability to go solo from 40-50 km out.

    Terpstra and Vanmarcke etc. don't really bring that to the table, so winning consistently isn't possible.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • ShutupJens
    ShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    M.R.M. wrote:
    Think the point still stands.

    His biggest win came from exactly that scenario in PR 2014. You need to either have a sprint or the TT ability to go solo from 40-50 km out.

    Terpstra and Vanmarcke etc. don't really bring that to the table, so winning consistently isn't possible.

    Yeah I agree, much was made of Wiggins attempt that year and he did well but never actually looked like winning anything. Saw it with Sep in 2016 too, attacked that final 5 man group but the good sprinters still found their way back
  • stanislav
    stanislav Posts: 1,151
    M.R.M. wrote:
    Think the point still stands.

    His biggest win came from exactly that scenario in PR 2014. You need to either have a sprint or the TT ability to go solo from 40-50 km out.

    Terpstra and Vanmarcke etc. don't really bring that to the table, so winning consistently isn't possible.
    Terpstra has won 20 or so races so far including 3x Dutch nationals along with TTS and overall GCs. Very consistent winning.
    PTP winner 2015.
  • poptart242
    poptart242 Posts: 531
    How brilliant was Strade? The top three were outstanding, I'm so impressed by Van Aert managing to stick in over a 5 hour race too so soon after CX season.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    My favourite Friday of the season has arrived and the E3 Harelbeke.
    Coverage begins on Sporza at 2-15pmCET (1-15pmGMT)
    Unfortunately, Eurosport are stuck at the Catalunya, so have extended highlights from whenever the Spanish race finishes.
    No question for me. I'll be in Flanders.

    e3-harelbeke-2018-profile-dbc47fdbbe.jpg

    e3-harelbeke-2018-map-3f295f9f46.jpg
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    BOTD: Truls Korsaeth (AST) Nelson Oliveira (MOV) Pim Ligthart (RNL) Damien Gaudin (TDE) Simone Consonni (UAD) Jeremy Lecroq (VCC) Lukas Spengler (WBA) Kenny Van Melsen (WGG)

    Sagan has had a bit of a spill.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    My virgin media app won't work and I forgot to set it to record :(.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Ah I'm all set on my phone and have only admin to do.

    Hello E3.

    Tailwind in the final & windy to boot.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Trentin making the right noises in the pre-race interviews.

    I do rate him. He doesn't feel there's one favourite.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    A few small crashes early on - nothing major.
    _
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    How are people watching? I only have eurosport and steephill as no illegal feeds for some reason.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Shirley Basso wrote:
    How are people watching? I only have eurosport and steephill as no illegal feeds for some reason.

    reading the sporza feed. There's a link on steephill to Flemish channel 1 which works but it's not showing the race yet,.

    In more exciting news, GvA was given a full sized chocolate bike from the organisers.
    _

Categories