Ronde van Vlaanderen 2016 *SPOILERS*

dish_dash
dish_dash Posts: 5,551
edited April 2016 in Pro race
Ok Folks, let's get this ship on the road.

The 100th edition apparently.

poster-640.jpg

Route:
course-map-640.jpg

Profile:
flanders16-profiel-920.jpg

Start List

I'll be roadside...
«13456715

Comments

  • VIP tent, baby! After a 100km jaunt on the closed roads.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    Nice one!
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    That 100k jaunt DG, you riding with anyone we might know?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    I'll be on a train back from London for most of it :cry:
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    i'll be up the oude Kwaremont. looking forward to it :)
  • ddraver wrote:
    That 100k jaunt DG, you riding with anyone we might know?

    Some chancer is ride leader. Leon from Flanders or something.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • ic.
    ic. Posts: 769
    So excited.
    2020 Reilly Spectre - raw titanium
    2020 Merida Reacto Disc Ltd - black on black
    2015 CAAD8 105 - very green - stripped to turbo bike
    2018 Planet X Exocet 2 - grey

    The departed:

    2017 Cervelo R3 DI2 - sold
    Boardman CX Team - sold
    Cannondale Synapse - broken
    Cube Streamer - stolen
    Boardman Road Comp - stolen
  • Shadowrider
    Shadowrider Posts: 483
    If you spend £80 on the Lotto Soudal website you get 2x VIP tickets for their RVV party.
  • If you spend £80 on the Lotto Soudal website you get 2x VIP tickets for their RVV party.

    I'm curious, how much glue can I get for £80?
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    If you spend £80 on the Lotto Soudal website you get 2x VIP tickets for their RVV party.

    I'm curious, how much glue can I get for £80?

    You could form a buying syndicate with some 1980s boneheads and buy all the glue they have?
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,509
    Top marks for the thread creation after the weekend shambles. Yes, I know I'm getting old and grumpy, but still.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    Getting?
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,712
    IC. wrote:
    So excited.
    +1 to that !
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    So Wuyts has two top-favourites, Cancellara & GvA.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Talk on the clubrun last night is that it's going to be a really nice weekend, so good for the sportivers (who deserve a bit of good karma after last year) but perhaps not so epic for the pros
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,712
    Typical that I do the sportive the one year its 3 degrees and sleeting.
  • ic.
    ic. Posts: 769
    Typical that I do the sportive the one year its 3 degrees and sleeting.

    I was there too, it was grim. But still one of the best days ever :)
    2020 Reilly Spectre - raw titanium
    2020 Merida Reacto Disc Ltd - black on black
    2015 CAAD8 105 - very green - stripped to turbo bike
    2018 Planet X Exocet 2 - grey

    The departed:

    2017 Cervelo R3 DI2 - sold
    Boardman CX Team - sold
    Cannondale Synapse - broken
    Cube Streamer - stolen
    Boardman Road Comp - stolen
  • mechanism
    mechanism Posts: 891
    The forecasts are showing anything from 14 to 20°C and sunny depending which you choose to believe.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    IC. wrote:
    Typical that I do the sportive the one year its 3 degrees and sleeting.

    I was there too, it was grim. But still one of the best days ever :)

    My record now says Sunny, sleeting, Sunny, so maybe skip next year and come in 2018??
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,712
    IC. wrote:
    Typical that I do the sportive the one year its 3 degrees and sleeting.

    I was there too, it was grim. But still one of the best days ever :)


    sportograf-57648958.jpg?itok=xtugNA_a

    http://road.cc/content/blog/147792-flan ... comes-true

    I milked it for all I could :)
  • I'll be up on the Kwaremont again.

    Plan on cycling in from Ghent in the morning.

    (Have also ordered 2 x Sportful bottle vests to carry the beers whilst we're cycling :D)
    BikeRadar Communities Manager
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    joshjevans wrote:
    I'll be up on the Kwaremont again.

    Plan on cycling in from Ghent in the morning.

    (Have also ordered 2 x Sportful bottle vests to carry the beers whilst we're cycling :D)

    There's got to be a challenge for how many beers you can nick off those before you notice!!
  • Keep your hands to yourself RC!
    BikeRadar Communities Manager
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    It's a good club run party trick - nicking gels etc.

    Nicking a bottle from the holder without the rider noticing; that's the dream.
  • nickellis
    nickellis Posts: 239
    IC. wrote:
    Typical that I do the sportive the one year its 3 degrees and sleeting.

    I was there too, it was grim. But still one of the best days ever :)

    I remember the collective groan that we up and down the coach was we hit the sheets of rain on our way to Oudenaarde from Ghent. Was properly grim and was block headwind on the run in to the finish from the Paterberg.

    The next day I was sunbathing on the finish straight in shorts and t-shirt!!!!
    Trek 1.1c (2012) - For commuting
    Trek Madone 5.5c (2010) - For pleasure http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o62 ... G_0413.jpg
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    TheBigBean wrote:
    Top marks for the thread creation after the weekend shambles. Yes, I know I'm getting old and grumpy, but still.

    What?
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,509
    Milton50 wrote:
    TheBigBean wrote:
    Top marks for the thread creation after the weekend shambles. Yes, I know I'm getting old and grumpy, but still.

    What?

    This is a reference to using the "Pave is coming..." thread for Gent-Wevelgem. Nothing wrong with the E3 thread*.

    *Some folk on here like to see maps, profiles, riders, cheese, geology and all sorts of nonsense, but I'm not that old nor grumpy despite assertions to the contrary from Mr Chasey. I just think a race deserves its own thread.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    I'll be the judge of that.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Ok, just checking you weren't talking down my E3 thread :wink:
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    edited March 2016
    So whilst the DS's mull over their team line-ups, I'll be selecting my beer line-up this evening. Let's not underestimate the importance of careful preparation.

    Everything else has gone perfect so far - the beer has been purchased and so has the Eurosport Player subscription. The girlfriend is away at her parents, so no distractions. I've never been so well-placed going into the Ronde weekend.

    The only remaining piece of the puzzle is to negotiate the treacherous feed-zone. Too much post-club-run beer without sustenance and it could all end up tumbling into a drunken haze. So... to stoverij or not to stoverij, that is the question?!

    I'm predicting a vintage edition ( :roll: fool). Lots of top favourites on form and a few strong teams are particularly motivated to make the race (Quick Step need a win and both BMC and Sky want a cobbled monument badly). The build-up races have been ridden aggressively. On paper, it looks like a good one.