**Paris - Roubaix 2019** **Spoiler Thread**

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Comments

  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    the point is that comparing a GC ride in a threeweek GT is almost an entirely different sport from racing a flat cobbled monument.

    the riders, the tactics, the preparation. all different. nobody wins a GT without being class and nobody wins PR without being class. only the hilly classics offer a GC rider the chance to win a monument but then theyve got to be a cut above as a racer e.g. Valverde who could never win the Tour or PR but is a genuine GT and classics contender.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    only the hilly classics offer a GC rider the chance to win a monument but then theyve got to be a cut above as a racer e.g. Valverde who could never win the Tour or PR but is a genuine GT and classics contender.
    Given that one GT winner has a Milan-San Remo in his pocket and another has won E3 (and thus could conceivably win RVV or P-R) I would say that theoretically they're all possible. It's accommodating them into a GT program that's the problem.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ShutupJens
    ShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    the point is that comparing a GC ride in a threeweek GT is almost an entirely different sport from racing a flat cobbled monument.

    Completely agree. But lets not let that stop us internet folk from making wild and unscientific comparisons abetween things that have too many differentiating factors to count, that would be far too simple
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,511
    philbar72 wrote:
    ...and dropping the likes of Sagan etc shows what a class act he is.

    Give Sagan his due as he is still recovering.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbc115DGV7w

    Cosmo's take.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    And Inrng http://inrng.com/2019/04/the-moment-par ... x-was-won/

    Apparently Sunday saw the first Rwandan (Joseph Areruya) to make it to Roubaix (albeit outside the time limit).
  • jerry3571
    jerry3571 Posts: 1,532
    I am getting really suspicious on Quick Step pulling Rabbits out of hats. They seem to almost have a rota of riders to get charged up then one by one they win. I am not sure if this keeps the Anti Doping Vampires from tracking riders over a period of time but I'm not buying it. They were Charged up last year when they needed a Sponsor and this year is much the same.
    I was really not impressed when Alaphillipe suddenly could mange to climb to over 2000m without getting dropped which he has failed to do over many years. He could get to 1200m to 1500m and then pop.
    Every Classics race Quick Step seem to get one rider to be above all others. Just stinks a bit of something whiffy going on :roll:
    “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”- Albert Einstein

    "You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water."
    -Jacques Anquetil
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    jerry3571 wrote:
    I am getting really suspicious on Quick Step pulling Rabbits out of hats. They seem to almost have a rota of riders to get charged up then one by one they win. I am not sure if this keeps the Anti Doping Vampires from tracking riders over a period of time but I'm not buying it. They were Charged up last year when they needed a Sponsor and this year is much the same.
    I was really not impressed when Alaphillipe suddenly could mange to climb to over 2000m without getting dropped which he has failed to do over many years. He could get to 1200m to 1500m and then pop.
    Every Classics race Quick Step seem to get one rider to be above all others. Just stinks a bit of something whiffy going on :roll:
    Pro cycling innit
  • jerry3571
    jerry3571 Posts: 1,532
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    jerry3571 wrote:
    I am getting really suspicious on Quick Step pulling Rabbits out of hats. They seem to almost have a rota of riders to get charged up then one by one they win. I am not sure if this keeps the Anti Doping Vampires from tracking riders over a period of time but I'm not buying it. They were Charged up last year when they needed a Sponsor and this year is much the same.
    I was really not impressed when Alaphillipe suddenly could mange to climb to over 2000m without getting dropped which he has failed to do over many years. He could get to 1200m to 1500m and then pop.
    Every Classics race Quick Step seem to get one rider to be above all others. Just stinks a bit of something whiffy going on :roll:
    Pro cycling innit

    Just wish they'd have a week off. Got Lou Lou (Alaphil') to come next. Hoping for not 3 in a row like Gilbert done once. Might be even hoping for bloody Valverde to pip Quick Step!! Yikes! :shock:

    "Pro Cycling innit" is about a valid as a response as I could have. ;) Chapeau to that! :wink:
    “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”- Albert Einstein

    "You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water."
    -Jacques Anquetil
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    jerry3571 wrote:
    I am getting really suspicious on Quick Step pulling Rabbits out of hats. They seem to almost have a rota of riders to get charged up then one by one they win. I am not sure if this keeps the Anti Doping Vampires from tracking riders over a period of time but I'm not buying it. They were Charged up last year when they needed a Sponsor and this year is much the same.
    I was really not impressed when Alaphillipe suddenly could mange to climb to over 2000m without getting dropped which he has failed to do over many years. He could get to 1200m to 1500m and then pop.
    Every Classics race Quick Step seem to get one rider to be above all others. Just stinks a bit of something whiffy going on :roll:
    Didn’t come off yesterday when MVP led out the sprint and Alaphilippe couldn’t come round him.
  • hanshotfirst
    hanshotfirst Posts: 403
    jerry3571 wrote:
    I was really not impressed when Alaphillipe suddenly could mange to climb to over 2000m without getting dropped which he has failed to do over many years. He could get to 1200m to 1500m and then pop.

    Suppose you've never heard of training?
  • ShutupJens
    ShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    Doesn't sound like someones done too much watching of various classics races to be honest, it's very rare that once there's a QS rider up the road, there's an actual concerted chase effort. They're very good at getting the numbers into the right groups and containing things from there one. Not everyone has to be "charged up"

    Also Alaphillipe is only 26. Not at his peak yet
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    26 is pretty peak for the superstars tbf.
    _
  • jerry3571
    jerry3571 Posts: 1,532
    hanshotfirst wrote:
    jerry3571 wrote:
    I was really not impressed when Alaphillipe suddenly could mange to climb to over 2000m without getting dropped which he has failed to do over many years. He could get to 1200m to 1500m and then pop.

    Suppose you've never heard of training?

    Yeah :D Numpty! Quotation-Lance-Armstrong-Pain-is-temporary-It-may-last-a-minute-or-an-1-7-0784.jpg
    “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”- Albert Einstein

    "You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water."
    -Jacques Anquetil
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    jerry3571 wrote:
    hanshotfirst wrote:
    jerry3571 wrote:
    I was really not impressed when Alaphillipe suddenly could mange to climb to over 2000m without getting dropped which he has failed to do over many years. He could get to 1200m to 1500m and then pop.

    Suppose you've never heard of training?

    Yeah :D Numpty! Quotation-Lance-Armstrong-Pain-is-temporary-It-may-last-a-minute-or-an-1-7-0784.jpg

    Yeah, whatever. Riders will improve in their early 20s, Alaphillippe is 26, it's not remotely unprecedented.

    Standard caveat, no guarantee he's not on the sauce etc etc. - just that a rider getting better through his early twenties is hardly controversial.

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