2018 Strade Bianche, Siena › Siena (184k) -1.UWT, *Spoilers*

tailwindhome

Bardet?
Strade Bianche?
What?

gsk82

I wish they'd change the finish. It may look pretty but it's far too narrow and that tight last bend removes any possibility of a sprint.

gsk82

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

Van Aert is going to be one of the greats. Amazing talent.

Hold that thought...

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racin ... imb-371452

lettingthedaysgoby

gsk82 wrote:

I wish they'd change the finish. It may look pretty but it's far too narrow and that tight last bend removes any possibility of a sprint.

Precisely what makes it good in my opinion. It’s different.

lettingthedaysgoby

gsk82 wrote:

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

Van Aert is going to be one of the greats. Amazing talent.

Hold that thought...

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racin ... imb-371452

Still 3rd, ahead of some seriously big names.

ocdupalais

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

I wish they'd change the finish. It may look pretty but it's far too narrow and that tight last bend removes any possibility of a sprint.

Precisely what makes it good in my opinion. It’s different.

A sprint between who?
The demands of this race - and history - suggest that the likelihood of more than 3 riders reaching the last 200m together is remote. And if anyone has held on they are a husk. Admittedly, they used to say that about LBL, but so far, Strada B has provided a proper winner.

ocdupalais

Van Aert’s ride was something special.

ShutupJens

Judging by watching big groups come in to the finish (chase group behind Moser in 2014) on previous occasions, the sprint is up the final climb, it's basically settled a few metres after the top

cruff

I love this race. Just watched it from start to finish on replay after racing today (and crashing lol) - currently smashed out of my head on St Feuillien Brune - and with a roaring headache, but loved every minute of the last hour. Benoot is an absolute monster. Proper Belgian.

RichN95.

OCDuPalais wrote:

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

I wish they'd change the finish. It may look pretty but it's far too narrow and that tight last bend removes any possibility of a sprint.

Precisely what makes it good in my opinion. It’s different.

A sprint between who?
The demands of this race - and history - suggest that the likelihood of more than 3 riders reaching the last 200m together is remote. And if anyone has held on they are a husk. Admittedly, they used to say that about LBL, but so far, Strada B has provided a proper winner.

I'd like them to do a bit more of a lap of the square. It might not get Palio crowds, but it would be more of a climax.

m.r.m.

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Have to say that I think the novelty of this race has worn off for me. P-R it ain't.

Think this pic and especially the video of Van Aert directly contradict this statement



http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racin ... imb-371452

lettingthedaysgoby

M.R.M. wrote:

That is a fantastic photo 8)

m.r.m.

https://gfycat.com/EnchantedCanineBluetonguelizard

Van Aert going so deep and cramping that the slight push basically knocks him from the saddle

Vino'sGhost

He’s absolutely broken there that’s what I like to see I only hope that for the first time in what seems like years we have brutal conditions for pr

blazing_saddles

M.R.M. wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Have to say that I think the novelty of this race has worn off for me. P-R it ain't.

Think this pic and especially the video of Van Aert directly contradict this statement



http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racin ... imb-371452

How does this photo contradict my view?
I never said it wasn't hard. My view is that yesterday, it was perhaps too hard.
The race was in bits almost before coverage started and for most it was already just a question of survival.
Had Benoot not bridged, it would have been done with 45kms left.

Some footage of that photo here. He says he had cramp in both legs.

https://twitter.com/cyclinghubtv/status ... 4792071168

rick_chasey

What Wout van Aert was going through there was still preferable to listening to Kirby, Christ.

Was particularly bad.

Serious Benoot ride that. Very impressive. Podium on Flanders surely?


Anyone know where GvA went?

DeVlaeminck

Qnother vote for changing the finish, the narrow climb is fine but the narrow twists and turns into the square don't make for dramatic TV. Overall though I like the race, not as much as Roubaix and Flanders or the last 20k of MSR but it's a good addition to the calendar.

rick_chasey

^”overall it’s not as good as the best races on the calendar.”

alright mate.

blazing_saddles

Rick Chasey wrote:

Anyone know where GvA went?

So far he's gone the way of my "incredibly bold" 2018 prediction.

graeme_s-2

Rick Chasey wrote:

What Wout van Aert was going through there was still preferable to listening to Kirby, Christ.

Was particularly bad.

That ridiculous free assocition thing he does is infuriating and results in a constant stream of total drivel.

“There’s the Lidl logo on Stybar’s rear. He won’t be getting any bargain’s today. He’ll have to spend heavily to get a result from this race”

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

DeVlaeminck

Rick Chasey wrote:

^”overall it’s not as good as the best races on the calendar.”

alright mate.

...?

bobmcstuff

I actually think yesterday was as good to watch as those races were last year. More or less anyway, I'd have to go back and check to make an exact ranking.

bobmcstuff

It does lack some of the drama of PR and Flanders but you can't make a new race and immediately have all that. The magic of PR and Flanders comes from the history and the hype, they can't just be invented.

But the racing was top quality.

thegibdog

I think the drivel from Kirby is one thing, there are some people who actually find it entertaining (mainly Kirby himself and Tony Gibb when they're doing track), but it's the way he just makes things up that's really infuriating.

One example yesterday was where he said the Movistar soigneur was pulling a rider up the climb, when the rider had simply handed his jacket/gilet over. And then he likes to make up conversations, such as two riders in a group of three having a chat and telling the third rider that they need to do more work, when it's clear to anyone actually watching the race that nothing of the sort has happened. He needs to spend less time trying to be 'entertaining' and more time paying attention to what is going on - he might learn something about bike racing that way.

Just watched the women's race on Eurosport Player (now that it's actually on there, rather than the snooker) and it was mercifully commentary free. The camera motos were event worse than the men's race though, van der Breggen actually pushed one out of the way at one point.

Vino'sGhost

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Qnother vote for changing the finish, the narrow climb is fine but the narrow twists and turns into the square don't make for dramatic TV. Overall though I like the race, not as much as Roubaix and Flanders or the last 20k of MSR but it's a good addition to the calendar.

I think the finish is great, its a killer, whats needed is better camera placement, theres more and better coverage on twitter than the official TV feed.

I suspect this is a race that will break up most times and seeing riders come over the line like exhausted but happy sportive riders is great.

Vino'sGhost

The kirby drivel is amusing because its often so ridiculous. Talk of bikes or riders for four hours gets a bit tedious, im happy to laugh at him or with him on occaision and I quite like the commentary on places that appear on the screen.

Its good to have a foil with an exrider who reminds him what were watching though. Sean Kelly is great and I really like Magnus too.

indyp

On europlayer, the 2 hour 30 odd minutes option is without comms so Kirby free. Benoot was awesome yesterday and great to see him finally get a win. Ideally, coverage could have started a bit earlier to see what happened to GVA and how the group split up but it seems to be the way for early in the year races.

rick_chasey

Graeme_S wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

What Wout van Aert was going through there was still preferable to listening to Kirby, Christ.

Was particularly bad.

That ridiculous free assocition thing he does is infuriating and results in a constant stream of total drivel.

“There’s the Lidl logo on Stybar’s rear. He won’t be getting any bargain’s today. He’ll have to spend heavily to get a result from this race”

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

Yes he was saying that as the group was splitting up too.

He doesn’t understand that when the composition of groups changes it’s vital to the race.

Cycling, especially one day races, is basically periods of status quo followed by periods of change untill the situation settles down again. We as viewers need entertaining during the status quo, but need assistance when things change.

Kirby more often than not does the opposite.

m.r.m.

Rick Chasey wrote:

Cycling, especially one day races, is basically periods of status quo followed by periods of change untill the situation settles down again. We as viewers need entertaining during the status quo, but need assistance when things change.

That is perfectly concise. Every cycling commentator should recite that every morning!

m.r.m.

Blazing Saddles wrote:

M.R.M. wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Have to say that I think the novelty of this race has worn off for me. P-R it ain't.

Think this pic and especially the video of Van Aert directly contradict this statement



http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racin ... imb-371452

How does this photo contradict my view?
I never said it wasn't hard. My view is that yesterday, it was perhaps too hard.
The race was in bits almost before coverage started and for most it was already just a question of survival.
Had Benoot not bridged, it would have been done with 45kms left.

Some footage of that photo here. He says he had cramp in both legs.

https://twitter.com/cyclinghubtv/status ... 4792071168

No offense intended, man. Was tongue in cheek. I really enjoyed the race simply because it was so hard. Doesn't always have to be like this, but occasionally the race benefits from brutal conditions. This was such an occasion.