E3 Harelbeke 2023 *spoilers*

rick_chasey
rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
edited March 2023 in Pro race
So spoiler thread. E3. The only WT flanders 1 dayer not run by the Flanders classics lot.

Often a more exciting race than Flanders, it's got all the best bits of Flanders racing, without an additional 6 hills and 60km to brutalise the riders, so they tend to go harder at it.

This has a men's and, for the first time, a women's.

Men's




Sporza star favourites:





Women's:

I can't find the map or the profile annoyingly, but have a description

134km that goes over: Knokteberg (34 km), Hotond (38 km), Kortekeer (45 km), Stationsberg (50 km), Kapelberg (61 km), Paterberg (65 km), Oude Kwaremont (68 km), Karnemelkbeekstraat (76 km), Tiegemberg (87 km).
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Comments

  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    Are you sure there is a women's version? It doesn't appear to be on the UCI calendar.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,165
    Sounds like this one maybe? 29th April : https://www.leiedalkoerse.be/

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,165
    It's a stellar lineup:

     VAN AERT Wout
     POGAČAR Tadej
     VAN DER POEL Mathieu
     KRISTOFF Alexander
     LAPORTE Christophe
     VAN BAARLE Dylan
     BENOOT Tiesj
     GIRMAY Biniam
     COSNEFROY Benoît
     ZINGLE Axel
     MOHORIČ Matej
     MADOUAS Valentin
     KÜNG Stefan

  • poweredbyidris
    poweredbyidris Posts: 848
    Gonna be windy too, according to INRNG
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Feels harsh to class Alaphillipe as 1 star but then I guess his form in the last year or so hasn't been so good for one reason or another.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    kingstongraham said:

    Sounds like this one maybe? 29th April : https://www.leiedalkoerse.be/

    yeah I think you're right

    https://www.e3saxoclassic.be/en_US/event/e3-saxo-classic-vrouwen-18/page/introductie-e3-saxo-classic-vrouwen
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Pross said:

    Feels harsh to class Alaphillipe as 1 star but then I guess his form in the last year or so hasn't been so good for one reason or another.

    Sporza star ratings are massively parochial. If you speak Dutch they'll add a star to your name.
    _
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,165
    edited March 2023
    Who was the Alpecin rider on camera taking their helmet off earlier?
  • poweredbyidris
    poweredbyidris Posts: 848
    This is beginning to look tasty

    And Pogacar hasn't shown his face yet
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Riders looking nice and grubby, even if the sun is shining.

    Not much to report. Dries de Bont bridged from the chasing group on the road to the break of the day which is a good effort at 85km to go.

    Peloton is en route and only 40s away, and soon they're in the run into the Boonenberg so that will all speed up pretty fast.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Right on cue, Jumbo appear en masse up front, with MvdP there too.

    Where is Pog?
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    edited March 2023
    Quick Step accelerate before the taainenberg with Alaphilippe and MvdP is *right* on his wheel. Peloton already breaking up in the wind as the pace goes up on the narrow run into the Taainberg.
    _
  • poweredbyidris
    poweredbyidris Posts: 848
    edited March 2023
    MvdP Boonens it
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    MvdP makes a big big move right at the foot of the Taainberg, Boonen style.

    Grabs 2 lengths already. WvA creaking to get in the wheel, passing the break that's broken up on the hill like they're still.

    WvA gets in the wheel over the brow and they press on.
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Wout covered that fairly easily. Pog having a go at gettinng across but the front two are a different level on this terrain.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,572
    Just switched on for the MvdP wattagebazooka. Impressive again with 80 kms to go.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    80k still to go.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Peloton not very far away from the move.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Peloton catches up and MvdP and WvA carry on on the front lol. 77km to go.
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Pog doing a lot of work to tow the chasers back. WVA neutralised the move sensibly realising the team had more strength in depth.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Going fast. Alpecin on the front. Lampaert out the back.
    _
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,572
    Pross said:

    Pog doing a lot of work to tow the chasers back. WVA neutralised the move sensibly realising the team had more strength in depth.

    Hasn't he only got Laporte left though?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    bit of a pause in the peloton and jorgenson from movistar takes advantage and goes solo.
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Pog takes a scenic route on the corner but gets away with it. Alpecin stronger than I'd expected as a team.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    andersen, hooydonck, mohoric move, just after Pog almost bins it in a corner and has to park it before getting going again.

    Group of favourites sits still while the 3 man team goes.
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    This feels quite good for Mohoric. The chasers aren't going to want to take MVDP or WVA up and those two aren't going to be chasing their team mates though will probably try to bridge on the next climb.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Ben Turner having a good ride.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Remains of the peloton about to catch the chasing group.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    DVB down with Senechal. MVDP attacks again with his shadow following. They've caught the front group.

    Nasty crash for an Uno X rider just before, slid across the road and seemed to hit his knee hard on a kerb build-out.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Looks set for another battle royale now with the big 3 plus Mohoric and team mates for both WVA and MVDP.

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