1 Lump or 2? Flanders Fortnight and the Road to Roubaix *Spoilers*

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  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    philbar72 wrote:
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    gsk82 wrote:
    Cruff wrote:
    Luke Rowe has been mightily impressive this year. Sneaky feeling about either the Ronde or PR...

    He's looked strong mostly. But hasn't been in a decisive move out ever looked liked winning. Take it his support work in Paris Nice, what had he done in the classics apart from be in an unsuccessful move in Gent Wevelgem?

    Well, considering his terrible injury that effected last year, as well as being singled out for ridiculous Dqf in Flanders and having his '17 classics campaign ended by Vanmarcke taking him down and out, again in Flanders:

    5th
    Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour des Flandres ('16)
    5th
    Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne ('17)
    6th
    Omloop Het Nieuwsblad ('17)
    6th
    Dwars door Vlaanderen - A travers la Flandre ('19)
    6th
    Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite ('16)
    8th
    Paris - Roubaix ('15)

    He's seriously strong, in pn it looked like he was playing in the wind for fun as he destroyed the peloton, I really hope he has enough of a punch to make it to a win.

    that's the thing. he's got a monster engine but has to be allowed to get away. which, of course he won't.

    I know, hes one of my favourite riders so i willfully ignore what I see sometimes :)
  • joey54321
    joey54321 Posts: 1,297
    "Speaking to TV Oost Nieuws, Naesen identified the chief suspect for his illness as the champagne on the podium at Gent-Wevelgem. He and winner Alexander Kristoff both sprayed bubbly in each other's faces during the post-race ceremony and Naesen believes that has contributed to the respiratory problem."

    I might try this excuse with my boss too, "Sorry I can't make it in, all the champagne I sprayed in my face gave me a respiratory problem".
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,473
    Sounds fake. If it isn't why would you admit to that being the reason?
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Tour of Flanders 2019 odds (Winner – Oddschecker)

    Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 13/2
    Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 8/1
    Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo Visma 8/1
    Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team 15/2
    Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus 11/1
    Bob Jungels (Lux) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 12/1
    Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale 16/1
    Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 20/1
    Niki Terpstra (Ned) Direct Energie 25/1
    Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 25/1
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ShutupJens
    ShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    M.R.M. wrote:
    Sounds fake. If it isn't why would you admit to that being the reason?

    Cyclists are pretty superstitious as a breed it seems, guessing he's made a fairly basic correlation between the two. I don't buy it either
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    He did say contributed not caused, to be fair
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Tour of Flanders 2019 odds (Winner – Oddschecker)

    Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 13/2
    Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 8/1
    Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo Visma 8/1
    Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team 15/2
    Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus 11/1
    Bob Jungels (Lux) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 12/1
    Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale 16/1
    Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 20/1
    Niki Terpstra (Ned) Direct Energie 25/1
    Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 25/1

    Mads is longer than 25/1?

    Hmm
    _
  • carbonclem
    carbonclem Posts: 1,784
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Not confirmed out but confirmed 'uncertain to start' which at this point means the same thing re touching top 5.

    Latest tweet says he’s starting. Seems daft if he is really suffering from bronchitis.
    2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    CarbonClem wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Not confirmed out but confirmed 'uncertain to start' which at this point means the same thing re touching top 5.

    Latest tweet says he’s starting. Seems daft if he is really suffering from bronchitis.

    It’s a French team so bronchitis is probably a cough
    _
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,598
    Trentin 70/1
    Mahoric 50/1
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Valverde just *smashed* the paterberg strava KoM
    _
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,978
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Valverde just *smashed* the paterberg strava KoM

    Where did you see that Rick?
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • joey54321
    joey54321 Posts: 1,297
    Regarding Valverde; how many winners of the Tour of Flanders have been on their debut? From what I have heard the race requires a lot of experience of positioning, knowing the roads, the pot holes, the road furniture, etc... I know Valverde has done some of the other smaller classics, but will he have enough experience to win?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Dabber wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Valverde just *smashed* the paterberg strava KoM

    Where did you see that Rick?

    D3VtJExXsAAqABu?format=jpg&name=medium
    _
  • MissedTheBreak
    MissedTheBreak Posts: 173
    I thought the KOM was somewhere near the 45s mark?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    You now know as much as I know.
    _
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    48 seconds. Valverde is currently in 152nd place.

    https://www.strava.com/segments/640400?filter=overall
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,119
    That is the leaderboard for this week.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Well, at least he smashed the women's record. :lol:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    RichN95 wrote:
    joey54321 wrote:
    Rowe seems to be going well for sure, but I am not sure he has a 'winning move'. He won't win in a sprint from a small group so really has to get away solo. Perhaps while other favourites are marking each other out he could slip away?
    He's a pretty decent sprinter when he needs to be. Not a match for proper sprinters obviously, but he'd have a good shot against the likes of GVA, Vanmarcke, Stuyven etc.

    People forget he won a sprint stage at the Tour of Britain in 2012 after Cav crashed on the run in, it's just that normally it isn't his job. Unless he was up against someone like Viviani, Kristoff or Sagan I'd fancy his chances. In particular, a sprint in the velodrome at the end of P-R would probably suit him. Sprinting at the end of a Monument is more about who as still got something in their legs and getting the best position over the final kms than out-and-out sprint speed anyway. There's also a chance of him sneaking away when the favourites are watching each other but the biggest issue as ever will be that other teams are likely to have more options in any front group so he will need to be alert to every attack.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,119
    Be fair, he beat Boy van Poppel 7 years ago, when all the sprinters had fallen down. He led Cavendish out superbly for the two more stages.

    Looking at his stats brings it home to me how difficult it is to win a race - a rider as good as Rowe only has 2 pro wins in his career.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    Be fair, he beat Boy van Poppel 7 years ago, when all the sprinters had fallen down. He led Cavendish out superbly for the two more stages.

    Looking at his stats brings it home to me how difficult it is to win a race - a rider as good as Rowe only has 2 pro wins in his career.

    He very rarely gets a chance to ride for a win though. Up until a couple of years ago he was Geraint or Standard's back up in RVV and PR. He does fall a bit into that camp of not quite having the horsepower to go solo and there being others that have the edge on him in a sprint but if a group of 3-5 good Classics specialist reached the last couple of hundred metres together I'd fancy his chances. But Sky need to get two or three options in a break really as they started to do a few years ago.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,182
    Wiggo on Flanders in the Graun:
    https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019 ... h-ardennes

    Writer must have missed the memo about Wiggins/Sky
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    Wiggo on Flanders in the Graun:
    https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019 ... h-ardennes

    Writer must have missed the memo about Wiggins/Sky

    I see he's moved on from writing on the forum to writing in the Guardian!
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,182
    What was his name here?
    I thought it a really nice piece, sold the region really well and makes me want to revisit. Before I was following the Northern Classics I accidentally cycled up the Kemmelberg, but didn't really make the most of the region.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,598
    It's de Ronde today
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Helling :................. km +/km - ....................... Details
    1 Oude Kwaremont (1) 119.1/148.6 2200m à 4.0% / max. 11.6% (1500m cobbled)
    2 Kortekeer 129.6/138.1 1000m à 6.4% / max. 17.0%
    3 Ladeuze 135.8/131.9 1100m à 5.8% / max. 12.2%
    4 Wolvenberg 139.5/128.2 645m à 7.9% / max. 17.3%
    5 Leberg 148.3/119.4 950m à 4.2% / max. 13.8%
    6 Berendries 152.4/115.3 940m à 7.0% / max. 12.3%
    7 Tenbosse 159.9/107.8 450m à 6.9% / max. 8.70%
    8 Muur - Kapelmuur 170.3/ 97.4 475m à 9.3% / max. 19.8%
    9 Kanarieberg 197.8/ 69.9 1000m à 7.7% / max. 14.0%
    10 Oude Kwaremont (2) 212.8/ 54.9 2200m à 4.0% / max. 11.6% (1500m cobbled)
    11 Paterberg (1) 216.2/ 51.5 360m à 12.9% / max. 20.3% ( 360m cobbled)
    12 Koppenberg 222.9/ 44.8 600m à 11.6% / max. 22.0% ( 600m cobbled)
    13 Steenbeekdries 228.3/ 39.4 700m à 5.3% / max. 6.70%
    14 Taaienberg 230.7/ 37.0 530m à 6.6% / max. 15.8% ( 500m cobbled)
    15 Kruisberg/Hotond 242.1/ 25.6 2500m à 5.0% / max. 9.0% ( 450m cobbled)
    16 Oude Kwaremont (3) 251.0/ 16.7 2200m à 4.0% / max. 11.6% (1500m cobbled)
    17 Paterberg (2) 254.4/ 13.3 360m à 12.9% / max. 20.3% ( 360m cobbled)




    Cobbled Section:km +/km - ..Details
    1 Lippenhovestraat 87.0/180.7 1300m
    2 Paddestraat 88.4/179.3 1500m
    3 Holleweg 139.6/128.1 1500m
    4 Haaghoek 145.3/122.4 2000m
    5 Mariaborrestraat 226.9/ 40.8 2000m
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • twotoebenny
    twotoebenny Posts: 1,542
    What's the latest on Gilbert and Naesen?
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    TwoToeBenny wrote:
    What's the latest on Gilbert and Naesen?

    Nothing, other than they are racing.
    Sporza are already live, interviewing the top boys.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    TwoToeBenny wrote:
    What's the latest on Gilbert and Naesen?

    Nothing, other than they are racing.
    Sporza are already live, interviewing the top boys.

    And Sep calls out Dylan van Baarle as a dark horse.

    Sep says he has pain in his knee which gets much worse after 2hrs but the Dr days he can’t damage it racing so it’s a question of how much he can endure.

    This in reality is training for next week.
    _

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