S*** Small Races Thread - 2021

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Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    They nearly closed what I think was about a 1 minute gap in no time just as the front two groups merged. DQS lost several riders in the crash including Senechal. Cofidis rider crashed earlier and nearly found himself in a very deep water filled ditch.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    kingstongraham said:



    Part of the tyre looks to be missing when blown up that much
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    Pross said:

    kingstongraham said:



    Part of the tyre looks to be missing when blown up that much
    Because it's not a single image. Same reason the top wheel isn't round.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,334
    kingstongraham said:

    Pross said:

    kingstongraham said:



    Part of the tyre looks to be missing when blown up that much
    Because it's not a single image. Same reason the top wheel isn't round.
    Think flatter implies moving faster between the two slices (as more of the tyre is visible in the next part of the image to be taken) - the only way I can see that is that the wobble as she went to celebrate has cost her the win. Bit of a freak if so.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,344
    Pidcock !!! Against WvA.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,344
    Saw that ^ crash in Turkey, ouch.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    pinno said:

    Saw that ^ crash in Turkey, ouch.

    Turns out it was Sacha Modolo. He was the only DNF.

    Meanwhile in Valencia, Caleb Ewan lost a third of his team. Notably Matthew Holmes who finished alone, OTL.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183
    edited April 2021
    Brabantse commentary wins by a mile
  • rozzer32
    rozzer32 Posts: 3,923
    WvA working too hard in a small group, who would have thought it.
    ***** Pro Tour Pundit Champion 2020, 2018, 2017 & 2011 *****
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,344
    rozzer32 said:

    WvA working too hard in a small group, who would have thought it.

    I wonder if he thought that if he eased up, they (he) would have been caught by the following group.
    Would Pidcock and Trentin pulled as much to maintain the gap? I don't think the final climb suited Trentin (in his current form).
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    pinno said:

    rozzer32 said:

    WvA working too hard in a small group, who would have thought it.

    I wonder if he thought that if he eased up, they (he) would have been caught by the following group.
    Would Pidcock and Trentin pulled as much to maintain the gap? I don't think the final climb suited Trentin (in his current form).
    They all wanted to stay away, but the others knew they needed to risk losing to win. Now he knows he isn't always superhuman he needs to risk it too.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    rozzer32 said:

    WvA working too hard in a small group, who would have thought it.


    He was doing a lot of work earlier too when Dunbar was attacking. Maybe teams are realising that WVA and MVDP readily do a lot of chasing themselves and are now using their second string riders to wear them out.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,344
    kingstongraham said:

    pinno said:

    rozzer32 said:

    WvA working too hard in a small group, who would have thought it.

    I wonder if he thought that if he eased up, they (he) would have been caught by the following group.
    Would Pidcock and Trentin pulled as much to maintain the gap? I don't think the final climb suited Trentin (in his current form).
    They all wanted to stay away, but the others knew they needed to risk losing to win. Now he knows he isn't always superhuman he needs to risk it too.
    Well, perhaps WvA and MvdP have burnt the candle at both ends and it's beginning to tell. Is there any wonder?
    MvdP's legs gave out in the last 100m of Flanders.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    Exactly so. Sometimes they do look superhuman, but not always.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    In his 17 race days since the tdf, van Aert has had 11 top 3 finishes. Lowest finish is 13th when the breakaway won in Tirreno adriatico.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,344
    kingstongraham said:

    In his 17 race days since the tdf, van Aert has had 11 top 3 finishes. Lowest finish is 13th when the breakaway won in Tirreno adriatico.

    Sure. How many 1st's would he have got if perhaps he had shortened the Cyclo x season slightly? He'd be on a Gilbert (2011) streak or a Boonen run.
    I'll give him his due and i'll also credit him for his immediate handshake with Pidcock.
    There is one caveat - it was an uphill sprint that perhaps suited Pidcock better. Although, Pidcock did have to go around WvA, it looked like a) it was easier than expected for Pidcock and b) I got the feeling that this surprised him.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    WvA is a stone cold heavyweight of the highest order.

    If Frenchie was still around he'd be blowing him up with massive pictures all over this place, with good reason.

    Outrageous talent. Ridiculous.
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    kingstongraham said:

    pinno said:

    rozzer32 said:

    WvA working too hard in a small group, who would have thought it.

    I wonder if he thought that if he eased up, they (he) would have been caught by the following group.
    Would Pidcock and Trentin pulled as much to maintain the gap? I don't think the final climb suited Trentin (in his current form).
    They all wanted to stay away, but the others knew they needed to risk losing to win. Now he knows he isn't always superhuman he needs to risk it too.
    That's it isn't it? Sagan had the same issue, if you are a strong rider and also have a very good sprint no-one wants to do more than the bare minimum to get to the line with you and you have to take the chance that you will get caught to bluff them into doing more.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    Good finish in Turkey today. Tough climb, getting steeper all the way.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    Was waiting for cav to time his finish perfectly, but it didn't happen.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    He was 107th today, clearly a flash in the pan.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,344
    rick_chasey said:

    WvA is a stone cold heavyweight of the highest order.

    That is without question.
    Though, not sure about the 'stone cold'.
    Gracious in defeat to Pidcock.

    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    andyp said:

    He was 107th today, clearly a flash in the pan.

    Finished
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    Pross said:

    kingstongraham said:

    pinno said:

    rozzer32 said:

    WvA working too hard in a small group, who would have thought it.

    I wonder if he thought that if he eased up, they (he) would have been caught by the following group.
    Would Pidcock and Trentin pulled as much to maintain the gap? I don't think the final climb suited Trentin (in his current form).
    They all wanted to stay away, but the others knew they needed to risk losing to win. Now he knows he isn't always superhuman he needs to risk it too.
    That's it isn't it? Sagan had the same issue, if you are a strong rider and also have a very good sprint no-one wants to do more than the bare minimum to get to the line with you and you have to take the chance that you will get caught to bluff them into doing more.
    Agree with this. Sagan lost many a win as no one would take him to the line to beat them, and no matter how strong you are, you cant break every rider, every race
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    But some days he is superhuman. He needs to work out which day he's on.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,698
    Alex Dowsett causing issues on the socials...



    Not fully sure whose side I'm on to be honest.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    He published an apology to that yesterday:

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited April 2021
    ddraver said:



    Not fully sure whose side I'm on to be honest.


    I don't see the problem with what he said. The ones that do the blocking do so in the full knowledge that the peloton will expect them to ride on the front for the next three hours. If they do that blocking thing and then don't chase then they become the ones behaving like d1cks.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Agree with Rich. If you have the resouce and can block the race, go for it. If someone gives you a shove - you've earned it, so take it with some grace.

    Even if you behave like a dick by blocking and then not riding - you can give it a try but it won't win you many friends or find the tactic works very often.
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,438
    shirley_basso said:

    If someone gives you a shove - you've earned it, so take it with some grace.

    But shoving someone with your hand in a bike race is against the rules (as well as being dangerous), so I'm not sure why you should take that in good grace

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