2024 Classics thread - Not a spoiler thread
Comments
-
It wasn't really in doubt as early as 150km to go maybe? Was anyone watching and waiting for anything other than when he would go and win it? Alpecin absolutely rode it perfectly - just make it as hard as possible and he wins.
0 -
He gapped Pedersen in Arenberg without really trying, so it was quite inevitable. Then again, it's just 1 year. Doesn't mean it's going to be this way going forward.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20231 -
We've seen it done before - Cancellara and Boonen stick in the mind - perhaps the difference this year was we expected to see it. When Cancellara rode away there was that incredulity he was riding away from Tom Boonen. This year there was no incredulity and having men in the front group meant it was immediately obvious there'd be no chase.
Still that's sport - you can never really predict if you are going to see a classic or a snoozefest.
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]1 -
I guess in the past it has tended to be an unexpected rider like Van Baarle or back when it was Cancellara or Boonen it felt like the other might respond plus you had riders like Sagan in the mix.
it isn’t just MVDP though. There are other races where Pog or Remco get a gap and it feels like it is done. I’m not sure the alternative of riders just trying to follow their wheels would be much better though. Biggest issue yesterday was that they didn’t put up much of a fight for second. No-one seemed to try to lose Philipsen despite it being highly likely he’d win the sprint.
0 -
Pretty much...when alpecin split the bunch in the crosswinds leaving them with a numerical superiority in the front group it was hard to see past that
"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 pm1 -
It's not really possible to lose Philipsen at that point in the (flat) race. He has done less work than you have and he has the punch to snap close you quickly should you ever get a gap and then to rest again while you're working.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
He also had Vermeersch to close gaps for a while after MvdP's attack.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
I'll admit I was also watching to see if Mads P could get away somehow or hold his wheel when he went. The theory was that Mads was better suited to P-R than Flanders, so there was a little more chance, and if he could manipulate a situation where they were away together then he'd actually end up favourite.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Being a fanboi of a major participant in a race adds so much spice to the viewing experience.
I miss Boonen and Terpstra.
0 -
Ot can do, until your man sits out 20" ahead of the favourites group, with MvdPs teammate on his wheel, for 40 minutes and you're shouting "MADS! THIS IS FLANDERS! WTF ARE YOU DOING?!"
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
They’re glory days, TA.
”WTF are you doing” moments are pretty high up there in the cycling fan experience. Even better when the rare follow up is “OMG THS IS GENIUS”
1 -
Froome at the 2018 Giro is one of the great examples of this.
1 -
-
Yeah, but usually I've got some idea of whatever risky tactic they might be trying - foolhardy or not. Alpecin still had people to ride on the front at that point, so he wasn't even tiring MvdP. Closest I came to a theory was that he didn't believe his legs were any good and he was sacrificing for someone else, but none of the other Trek looked close to having anything. Then maybe he stayed out a touch longer to try and be ahead for Kwaremont the second time. He said himself it was stupid, but he never said what he was trying to do.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Boonen in PR 2014 was Mads in RVV 2024
He dangled in front by about 45 seconds from Beuvry la Forest to after Mons en Pevele and eventually got caught by everyone including Bradley flipping Wiggins
0 -
There was nothing ever better than Stannard against the Quickstep triplets.
Always worth a rewatch.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20232 -
Would have probably been possible if Pedersen just had had Milan still with him there. If Stuyven was there as well they would have had a stronger counter to Vermeersch as well and they may have even been able to make a race of it.
In the end though, MvdP was so strong, he would have dropped everyone at a later stage regardless.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
So, prov start lists checked, Jasper P for Amstel Gold then The Man MvdP for LBL? Alpecin want them all?
0 -
I cant see Phillipsen winning Amstel
0 -
I can't see him starting it, personally. I think it's one of those inclusions on a start list on Procyclingstats that never materialises.
0 -
Ironically if MvdP has a chance he'll want it to be kept together for quite a bit longer and hope Pog doesn't start lobbing nukes at 60km to go.
The Flanders, Roubaix Amstel trio would be quite the centrepiece for a season, yikes. We know he can win it.
Do we think LBL is a stretch? I'm inclined to think so. It's a lot of MvdP to carry up all those longer climbs.
0 -
We have to think LBL is a stretch, things get ridiculous otherwise.... That said, he's only ridden it once and got 6th - he led group 2 in, 14" after Roglic won from group 1.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Not seeing MVDP winning LBL if Pog (or Remco) is present. They would make the climbs too hard. Amstel could be the best of the Classics this season as we finally get two heavyweights head-to-head on a course that relies less on pure attrition as MSR does.
0 -
Who are you regarding as the 2nd heavyweight? Pog isn't riding Amstel
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Can't see Remeco being able to ride LBL this year.
Is Pog (or Roglic) doing it?
Who else would MvdP see as his competition? Perhaps this is his opportunity to win it when in other years he wouldn't or couldn't.
0 -
Rog a probable, pog a possible for lbl. Can't see mvdp in the winning group if pog comes with his team of climbers.
0 -
Both Pog and Rog are down to ride LBL. Most of the uninjured GC riders will be there as well. S. Yates, Ayuso, Vlasov, Skjelmose, Tao, Carapaz, Kwiatkowski, Pidcock, Hirschi, Almeida, Mohoric, Gall, Mathews....
It's a very different cast to the cobbles, as you'd expect
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Thought I saw it on his schedule on PCS. Disappointing then, thought that would make for an interesting race.
1 -
Good racing at Brabantse Pijl
0 -
Cosnefroy takes it from Teuns and Wellens. Matthews bit further back.
Still not used to seeing ag2r without brown shorts. I’m struggling with all the blue kits now.
1
