Cobbled Classics 2022 *** Spoilers***

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Comments

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    Was good racing
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    Even when he's not in the lead it feels like WVA is affecting the racing. The remainder of the lead group were probably reluctant to chase and take him back to the front 4 and as a result got caught by the group behind. There were then too many decent sprinters that the other teams didn't want to put back in the race.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    Just caught up on the highlights, lovely. Looks like it was pretty selective really.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    Pross said:

    Even when he's not in the lead it feels like WVA is affecting the racing. The remainder of the lead group were probably reluctant to chase and take him back to the front 4 and as a result got caught by the group behind. There were then too many decent sprinters that the other teams didn't want to put back in the race.

    Pinned everyone in place
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,269
    Laporte looked well cheesed off in the post race interview and on the podium. Like it was WvA saying 'I'll sit on the back of the bunch and disrupt, meanwhile you pal have one job to do'.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,486
    blazing_saddles said:

    Adam Blythe and I know this won't go down well with some, Jez Cox are on currently comms.

    I really liked the pair. Are the best combo currently for me. No pointless and endless giggling, no max volume hysteria and just imagine the grandeur of the first African cyclist winning a Belgian classic and just imagine the grandeur of the first African cyclist winning a Belgian classic.

    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,486
    Pross said:

    Thought Girmay had opened up too early. Great win, he's been excellent in the last few races.

    I agree. Was a headwind and his acceleration wasn't exactly amazing. The others seemed to take "forever" to react. Had proper strength to hold it, though.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    ^^Agreed, I thought they were good.

    Straight forward discussion of what was happening and why it might be.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    There was a moment in the race where van Aert, Mads P, Asgreen and SKA plus one other (Laporte?) looked to have gotten a small gap. Obviously Danish coms went a bit mental, but Benoot bridged across. The balance was good until then, everyone in that 5 would have ridden, but with Benoot it was broken, nobody will work with 3 Jumbos in the group. I think that was Jumbo's best chance of the win in the end
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    edited March 2022
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    There was a moment in the race where van Aert, Mads P, Asgreen and SKA plus one other (Laporte?) looked to have gotten a small gap. Obviously Danish coms went a bit mental, but Benoot bridged across. The balance was good until then, everyone in that 5 would have ridden, but with Benoot it was broken, nobody will work with 3 Jumbos in the group. I think that was Jumbo's best chance of the win in the end

    You'd have backed Laporte to win the group sprint tbf.

    Think they played it well tactically. They were just outgunned by a better rider on the day. No tactical shame in that.
    _
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    m.r.m. said:

    Pross said:

    Thought Girmay had opened up too early. Great win, he's been excellent in the last few races.

    I agree. Was a headwind and his acceleration wasn't exactly amazing. The others seemed to take "forever" to react. Had proper strength to hold it, though.
    What worked well is that laporte had just tried a little breakaway and was driving the bunch so probably just didn't have that fraction of top end needed to get onto the wheel. Still did pretty well, considering.
  • hanshotfirst
    hanshotfirst Posts: 403
    Fantastic race and delighted for the winner. Legendary stuff.

    Missed it yesterday but watched the GCN highlights with the hindsight of knowing the result and was amazed to see the final climb (Kemmelberg? 30ish to go?) Grimay was absolutely nowhere! Maybe bout 30 or 40 riders back at the beginning of the descent. I think he may even have been the 3rd of 4th Wanty rider at the top. If I'd been watching live I'd have probably thought game over at that point so absolutely chapeau for getting back on, going off the front and having the balls to go first in the sprint. Delighted for him!
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,575
    orraloon said:

    Laporte looked well cheesed off in the post race interview and on the podium. Like it was WvA saying 'I'll sit on the back of the bunch and disrupt, meanwhile you pal have one job to do'.

    He was probably cheesed off because he made a complete mess of the final kilometre. Why did he accelerate when on the front just as they passed the flamme rouge? The immediate consequence was that the other three just sat on him and he had to lead it out from there. A schoolboy error for an experienced pro like him.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,620
    blazing_saddles said:

    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.

    That's more than a little odd. Who have they got that's better or more newsworthy? I'm sure someone will get "sick" and drop out before Sunday.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • twotoebenny
    twotoebenny Posts: 1,542
    andyp said:

    orraloon said:

    Laporte looked well cheesed off in the post race interview and on the podium. Like it was WvA saying 'I'll sit on the back of the bunch and disrupt, meanwhile you pal have one job to do'.

    He was probably cheesed off because he made a complete mess of the final kilometre. Why did he accelerate when on the front just as they passed the flamme rouge? The immediate consequence was that the other three just sat on him and he had to lead it out from there. A schoolboy error for an experienced pro like him.
    I'd agree with this, I also think he was the quicker finisher but as he said himself was surprised and left it too late...
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    gsk82 said:

    blazing_saddles said:

    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.

    That's more than a little odd. Who have they got that's better or more newsworthy? I'm sure someone will get "sick" and drop out before Sunday.
    He's off home, mate...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    gsk82 said:

    blazing_saddles said:

    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.

    That's more than a little odd. Who have they got that's better or more newsworthy? I'm sure someone will get "sick" and drop out before Sunday.
    Wanted to get home to his wife and kid as he hasn't seen them for months. Does seem odd that he couldn't have returned before the biggest races of the season but presumably they hadn't expected him to perform quite so well
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Pross said:

    gsk82 said:

    blazing_saddles said:

    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.

    That's more than a little odd. Who have they got that's better or more newsworthy? I'm sure someone will get "sick" and drop out before Sunday.
    Wanted to get home to his wife and kid as he hasn't seen them for months. Does seem odd that he couldn't have returned before the biggest races of the season but presumably they hadn't expected him to perform quite so well
    Visa ran out…
    _
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Talking of out of Flanders, so too is Peter Sagan:

    https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/peter-sagan-to-skip-tour-of-flanders-after-classics-struggles

    Team testing, followed by the Circuit de la Sarthe ahead of the Amstel Gold Race and Paris-Roubaix.

    Meanwhile, Van der Poel rides tomorrow, making Dwars door Vlaanderen his first taste of cobbles action this season before he heads to the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.

    https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/mathieu-van-der-poel-set-for-cobbles-return-at-dwars-door-vlaanderen
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    edited March 2022
    rick_chasey said:

    Pross said:

    gsk82 said:

    blazing_saddles said:

    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.

    That's more than a little odd. Who have they got that's better or more newsworthy? I'm sure someone will get "sick" and drop out before Sunday.
    Wanted to get home to his wife and kid as he hasn't seen them for months. Does seem odd that he couldn't have returned before the biggest races of the season but presumably they hadn't expected him to perform quite so well
    Visa ran out…
    The team says it's not due to that.

    It is a problem more generally though as he can only be in the Schengen zone for 90 days in every 180. So staying a further week may have impacted on his Giro prep.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    RichN95. said:

    rick_chasey said:

    Pross said:

    gsk82 said:

    blazing_saddles said:

    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.

    That's more than a little odd. Who have they got that's better or more newsworthy? I'm sure someone will get "sick" and drop out before Sunday.
    Wanted to get home to his wife and kid as he hasn't seen them for months. Does seem odd that he couldn't have returned before the biggest races of the season but presumably they hadn't expected him to perform quite so well
    Visa ran out…
    The team says it's not due to that.

    It is a problem more generally though as he can only be in the Schengen zone for 90 days in every 180. So staying a further week may have impacted on his Giro prep.
    Why is his visa situation different to that of other pros such as the South Americans (or those in other sports)?
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,575
    Pross said:

    RichN95. said:

    rick_chasey said:

    Pross said:

    gsk82 said:

    blazing_saddles said:

    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.

    That's more than a little odd. Who have they got that's better or more newsworthy? I'm sure someone will get "sick" and drop out before Sunday.
    Wanted to get home to his wife and kid as he hasn't seen them for months. Does seem odd that he couldn't have returned before the biggest races of the season but presumably they hadn't expected him to perform quite so well
    Visa ran out…
    The team says it's not due to that.

    It is a problem more generally though as he can only be in the Schengen zone for 90 days in every 180. So staying a further week may have impacted on his Giro prep.
    Why is his visa situation different to that of other pros such as the South Americans (or those in other sports)?
    I don't think it is. Post-Brexit, UK riders now have to follow the 90 days in every 180 days rule, unless they can secure residency in an EU country and this applies to all non-EU residents.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    It is a bit mad the winner of G-W is not starting Flanders because of an immigration issue.
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    andyp said:

    Pross said:

    RichN95. said:

    rick_chasey said:

    Pross said:

    gsk82 said:

    blazing_saddles said:

    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.

    That's more than a little odd. Who have they got that's better or more newsworthy? I'm sure someone will get "sick" and drop out before Sunday.
    Wanted to get home to his wife and kid as he hasn't seen them for months. Does seem odd that he couldn't have returned before the biggest races of the season but presumably they hadn't expected him to perform quite so well
    Visa ran out…
    The team says it's not due to that.

    It is a problem more generally though as he can only be in the Schengen zone for 90 days in every 180. So staying a further week may have impacted on his Giro prep.
    Why is his visa situation different to that of other pros such as the South Americans (or those in other sports)?
    I don't think it is. Post-Brexit, UK riders now have to follow the 90 days in every 180 days rule, unless they can secure residency in an EU country and this applies to all non-EU residents.
    Interesting, have the Colombians etc. generally got residency then or is it just that they don't ride in large chunks of the season any way? You'd think there'd be a way around it for people who mainly have to ply their trade within the EU.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    Pross said:



    Interesting, have the Colombians etc. generally got residency then or is it just that they don't ride in large chunks of the season any way? You'd think there'd be a way around it for people who mainly have to ply their trade within the EU.

    It's not just the 90 day issue, it's that their family can't get a visa. If you are a single person this is not too much of a problem. But Girmay is unusual having a wife and a kid at 21.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 22,025
    Pross said:

    andyp said:

    Pross said:

    RichN95. said:

    rick_chasey said:

    Pross said:

    gsk82 said:

    blazing_saddles said:

    Wanty have released their teams for Dwars and the Ronde, confirming there is no Biniam Girmay.

    That's more than a little odd. Who have they got that's better or more newsworthy? I'm sure someone will get "sick" and drop out before Sunday.
    Wanted to get home to his wife and kid as he hasn't seen them for months. Does seem odd that he couldn't have returned before the biggest races of the season but presumably they hadn't expected him to perform quite so well
    Visa ran out…
    The team says it's not due to that.

    It is a problem more generally though as he can only be in the Schengen zone for 90 days in every 180. So staying a further week may have impacted on his Giro prep.
    Why is his visa situation different to that of other pros such as the South Americans (or those in other sports)?
    I don't think it is. Post-Brexit, UK riders now have to follow the 90 days in every 180 days rule, unless they can secure residency in an EU country and this applies to all non-EU residents.
    Interesting, have the Colombians etc. generally got residency then or is it just that they don't ride in large chunks of the season any way? You'd think there'd be a way around it for people who mainly have to ply their trade within the EU.
    I guess they mostly shop around. One of the reasons Andorra is popular is that it is easier to get residency.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,610
    Neither Andorra or Monaco are in the EU, and maybe time there counts as being outside the EU on the 90 in 180 day restrcition.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 22,025
    Andorra is not in Schengen. Monaco is effectively in as it doesn't have border control. Therefore time spent in Andorra is time outside the Schengen area.

    Residency in any country is also outside the 90 day limit which is no doubt tricky to manage.

  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    edited March 2022
    Anyhow, tomorrow is the final warm up race before the Ronde. Once again folks aren't very happy with the tinkering carried out on the route.
    This year's profile:



    Last year's route:



    Not hard to figure out why: the main obstacles have been moved further away from the finish, increasing the likelihood of a sprinter taking the spoils.
    (Unless, MvDP or Tadej Pogacar decide that their legs really do need an extra stretch, before Sunday.)

    Top competitors

    POGAČAR Tadej
    PHILIPSEN Jasper
    VAN DER POEL Mathieu
    KÜNG Stefan
    JAKOBSEN Fabio
    VAN POPPEL Danny
    TRENTIN Matteo
    KRISTOFF Alexander
    VAN BAARLE Dylan
    PEDERSEN Mads
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

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