Gent Wevelgem 2023 Spoilers
Comments
-
Thought it was obvious. There's a race next weekend where WVA might like some helprick_chasey said:
Yes Rick.rick_chasey said:
So we thinking Laporte yeah?rick_chasey said:
So if it’s obvious the two will make it, he’s gonna gift it to Laporte, surely. Shame for the palmares but he has bigger fish to fryNo_Ta_Doctor said:
Yeah, but they've got a minute, the peloton is looking ...meh... and it's got to get over the Kemmelberg one more timerick_chasey said:
Hour to goNo_Ta_Doctor said:The chase in what's left of the peloton is pretty pathetic, these two aren't coming back
Maybe. Looks like some more teams are coming to the front now.Warning No formatter is installed for the format1 -
I had a hunch this sort of scenario might occur with WvA and La Porte ...
Tough race ..jumbo.on a different level"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 pm0 -
PhilipsenPEDERSEN did great job jumping across there, but then came out too early? But running out of road0 -
Gotta love a sweary Euro English interview0
-
You really need WvA and Pog to liven it upmididoctors said:I had a hunch this sort of scenario might occur with WvA and La Porte ...
Tough race ..jumbo.on a different level0 -
Was thinking how races are tending to be a bit dull when there’s no MVDP or Pog (or Pidcock I guess). Next week will hopefully be more interesting.rick_chasey said:
You really need WvA and Pog to liven it upmididoctors said:I had a hunch this sort of scenario might occur with WvA and La Porte ...
Tough race ..jumbo.on a different level0 -
Alright sarky pants 🩲 xNo_Ta_Doctor said:
Thought it was obvious. There's a race next weekend where WVA might like some helprick_chasey said:
Yes Rick.rick_chasey said:
So we thinking Laporte yeah?rick_chasey said:
So if it’s obvious the two will make it, he’s gonna gift it to Laporte, surely. Shame for the palmares but he has bigger fish to fryNo_Ta_Doctor said:
Yeah, but they've got a minute, the peloton is looking ...meh... and it's got to get over the Kemmelberg one more timerick_chasey said:
Hour to goNo_Ta_Doctor said:The chase in what's left of the peloton is pretty pathetic, these two aren't coming back
Maybe. Looks like some more teams are coming to the front now.0 -
Lot of crashes and technology failures"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 pm0
-
MvdP and pog you meanrick_chasey said:
You really need WvA and Pog to liven it upmididoctors said:I had a hunch this sort of scenario might occur with WvA and La Porte ...
Tough race ..jumbo.on a different level"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 pm0 -
Ah well, overthought my PTP pick: JV go for it with WvA and / or Laporte - tick; other teams chase them down and tow in Kooij for a sprint win - ah, no.1
-
Meanwhile, in the women’s race, Marlen Reusser accidentally rides off the front on the penultimate climb with over 40km to go. She realises she has a gap on a peloton reduced by a big pile up a few km earlier, gets her head down and solos to a win by way over 2 minutes despite taking the scenic route with 5km remaining when she confidently rode the wrong way past a marshal and 100m or so down a side road before having to do a 3 point turn. Only unzipped her rain jacket for the photos 100m from the finish.
A chase group of 7 containing 3 Brits (Georgi, Henderson and Barker) did get away but made no inroads then get caught in the final 1km. Bunch sprint for second.
Lots of crashes0 -
It's a chipper. E3 isn't.hanshotfirst said:Cant believe I had to work on Friday, missed the hum-dinger that was E3, only for Sunday to bless us with this absolute snooze fest.
0 -
What's the highest rated race which has been gifted/not contested (without involving a bank transfer)?
Must be Alpe dHuez Lemond & Hinault?“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
1996 Paris-Roubaix, surely?tailwindhome said:What's the highest rated race which has been gifted/not contested (without involving a bank transfer)?
Must be Alpe dHuez Lemond & Hinault?1 -
Or the 1990s Worlds.0
-
He's just warming up to win P-R. Finally.Pross said:Sep celebrating 3rd like a win says it all.
0 -
It already is, but it's one of the many UCI rules that the UCI routinely ignores.Pross said:With all the silly clothing rules the UCI like to introduce I wish they’d do a sensible one and make it compulsory that team wet weather kit matches their normal kit.
Things may improve somehat over the next couple of years, as PFC chemicals are in line for a general ban, which will take down Goretex Shakedry fabric, as used by most team jackets, amongst many other things. This works better than anything else, but comes in Henry Ford colour schemes only (any color you like, so long as it's black)2 -
I dunno what's wrong with wool...seanoconn - gruagach craic!0
-
Dunno if a string team mate doing the job they were paid to do counts as a gift“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0
-
I think if WvA looks back on his career and he's even slightly upset that he's only got one GW rather than two, he's had a very disappointing 2023, 2024 and 2025.2
-
He's only won MSR in the previous 3 years so presumably his career to date is also a disappointment then?kingstongraham said:I think if WvA looks back on his career and he's even slightly upset that he's only got one GW rather than two, he's had a very disappointing 2023, 2024 and 2025.
0 -
it is when you could drop him for dead if you wanted to.tailwindhome said:Dunno if a string team mate doing the job they were paid to do counts as a gift
0 -
I'd say that another GW already doesn't make that much difference when there's nine TDF stages, an Amstel Gold and a Strade Bianche on there as well as an MSR.phreak said:
He's only won MSR in the previous 3 years so presumably his career to date is also a disappointment then?kingstongraham said:I think if WvA looks back on his career and he's even slightly upset that he's only got one GW rather than two, he's had a very disappointing 2023, 2024 and 2025.
But I think he'd be disappointed if he didn't win more to make this even more of a complete irrelevance.0 -
Boonen in the podcast where he was caught agreeing with someone slating Colnago (heavens, must call the village elders), was saying how, in those situations (discussing the S-works women's Strade Binache), he was selfish enough to demand they at least race for it, if they didn't give it to him.
0 -
Stage 18 of the 2020 Tour was another team mate gift albeit a very well deserved one (and Kwiato may have won the sprint anyway).tailwindhome said:What's the highest rated race which has been gifted/not contested (without involving a bank transfer)?
Must be Alpe dHuez Lemond & Hinault?3 -
WvA may not be that concerned with his legacy. Different people are motivated by different things - some (you suspect Ronaldo is one) want to accumulate trophies and achievements to prove to everyone they are the best - others may be content with knowing in their own mind where they stand. WvA knows he could have won that race if he wanted to - that may be what matters rather than having it on his palmares.
That said I doubt he'd do it with a monument - can you imagine after him arguing it's a team sport and he's already won one anyway.
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
The loyalty he has generated and that get's generated from what he did speaks volumes of his character and ensures team loyalty.DeVlaeminck said:WvA may not be that concerned with his legacy. Different people are motivated by different things - some (you suspect Ronaldo is one) want to accumulate trophies and achievements to prove to everyone they are the best - others may be content with knowing in their own mind where they stand. WvA knows he could have won that race if he wanted to - that may be what matters rather than having it on his palmares.
That said I doubt he'd do it with a monument - can you imagine after him arguing it's a team sport and he's already won one anyway.
The WvA's, the MvdP's, the Pog's, the Rog's etc; whilst they can ride solo off the front for some considerable amount of time, cannot do it without a team behind them.
(Jumbo Visma in the chasing group did everything they could to disrupt the chase).
Messi and Ronaldo won't score without service.seanoconn - gruagach craic!0 -
Alternatively, maybe he wasn't convinced he would win a sprint and rather than chance it decided to go down the gifting route (whilst making it obvious it was a gift) which also has the benefit of keeping a team mate happy for a bigger race.DeVlaeminck said:WvA may not be that concerned with his legacy. Different people are motivated by different things - some (you suspect Ronaldo is one) want to accumulate trophies and achievements to prove to everyone they are the best - others may be content with knowing in their own mind where they stand. WvA knows he could have won that race if he wanted to - that may be what matters rather than having it on his palmares.
That said I doubt he'd do it with a monument - can you imagine after him arguing it's a team sport and he's already won one anyway.0
