Spring (autumn) classics *spoilers*

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Comments

  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725

    Nah

    Birdsong had a good win last year
    and barely 4 pages of posts in the spoiler thread, of which a good third were generated by my moan that not enough GT climbers tackle it.
    Does it have chipper status then?
    Meh, only top top class riders win it.

    Just no-one on the forum gives many sh!ts.
    It's just something and nothing, isn't it? It's old, but that's about it. It doesn't help that it runs through the @rsehole of nowhere on the way to the finish.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    It's the wrong end of the classics season and usually isn't all that interesting so a lot of us (he says) have lost interest by then. It will be interesting to watch it as the first 'big one' of the season...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Were the Italian classics not "big ones" ?

    I'd say LBL is the 5th monument, Lombardia 4th

    I'll leave you to argue about 123, I have my own preference
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,224

    Were the Italian classics not "big ones" ?

    I'd say LBL is the 5th monument, Lombardia 4th

    I'll leave you to argue about 123, I have my own preference

    Well you know I disagree with that.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137

    Were the Italian classics not "big ones" ?

    I'd say LBL is the 5th monument, Lombardia 4th

    I'll leave you to argue about 123, I have my own preference


    Lombardia is 5th just because of its usual position in the calendar. Although the end of season Italian races are having a renaissance recently. LBL is usually the worst race though.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725

    Were the Italian classics not "big ones" ?

    I'd say LBL is the 5th monument, Lombardia 4th

    I'll leave you to argue about 123, I have my own preference

    Oh, go on then:

    1st: Paris-Roubaix
    2nd: Vlanderen
    3rd: M-SR (just for the finish up and over the Poggio)
    4th: Lombardia
    Distant 5th: LBL

    When did the 'monuments' become a thing?
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,508
    Still deserves its own thread.
  • Strade-Bianchi while not a monument also deserves a mention
  • Still deserves its own thread.

    Then how about you pull your finger out and set one up, instead of complaining that there isn't one. ;)
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 4,993

    Strade-Bianchi while not a monument also deserves a mention

    I know lots of you here consider this a chipper, but for me (in normal times) it's the first proper race of the season. Lovely scenery & finish, usually a top class selection fighting out the finale.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    NO NO NO No No no!

    Keep this just amongst the monuments! Otherwise we'll be here all day! ;)

    1 P-R
    2 RVV
    3 MSR
    .
    .
    .
    .
    4 &5 LBL & Lombardy
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    edited October 2020


    When did the 'monuments' become a thing?

    It's a very recent thing. I can't remember them being called monuments when I first followed cycling.

    This is the Super Prestige points system from 1976. Of one day races, Roubaix is worth 65, RVV, MSR and Lombardia 60, as is Tours-Versailles (aka Paris-Tours). But LBL is only 45, behind Paris-Brussels. I don't know what the UCI world rankings awarded prior to the Pro Tour.



    Better version of the photo here: https://cyclingtips.com/2017/06/remembering-super-prestige-pernod-season-long-battle-title-best-rider-world/

    I think the five were solidified as monuments when they were given dispensation to go over 250km.

    Also no-one used the phrase Grand Tour either. That's definitely post 1995.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,508
    RichN95. said:


    When did the 'monuments' become a thing?

    It's a very recent thing. I can't remember them being called monuments when I first followed cycling.

    This is the Super Prestige points system from 1976. Of one day races, Roubaix is worth 65, RVV, MSR and Lombardia 60, as is Tours-Versailles (aka Paris-Tours). But LBL is only 45, behind Paris-Brussels. I don't know what the UCI world rankings awarded prior to the Pro Tour.



    Better version of the photo here: https://cyclingtips.com/2017/06/remembering-super-prestige-pernod-season-long-battle-title-best-rider-world/

    I think the five were solidified as monuments when they were given dispensation to go over 250km.

    Also no-one used the phrase Grand Tour either. That's definitely post 1995.
    Is it around the time when the concept of winning a slam (25% of a Grand Slam) appeared in tennis?
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    edited October 2020
    l'Équipe
    ***** Alaphilippe
    **** Hirschi
    *** Kwiatkowski, Woods
    ** Yates, Pogacar, Schachmann, van der Poel, Barguil
    * Cosnefroy, G. Martin, Roglic, D. Martin, Porte

    Het Nieuwsblad
    ***** Alaphilippe
    **** Hirschi, Kwiatkowski
    *** Woods, Yates, Schachmann
    ** van Avermaet, Landa, Pogacar, Cosnefroy
    * Wellens, Benoot, Roglic, Porte, Kämna

    (Het Nieuwsblad came out before MvdP was announced to start)


    Live coverage on the Eurosport player/GCN race pass of the women's race from 10-25 until 11-55 and the men's from 12-30 until 16-30.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,224
    Can I just say it is ridiculous that Astana didn’t field Fuglsang for this.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,199

    Can I just say it is ridiculous that Astana didn’t field Fuglsang for this.

    :D

    This calender is just a bit mad at the moment.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    Ladies LBL is quite fun.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,608
    Nice one Lizzie D.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Yeah, looked like a proper job! GCN missed her attack tho as far as I can see

    (Couldnt watch live, end got spoilered :( )
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,224

    Can I just say it is ridiculous that Astana didn’t field Fuglsang for this.

    :D

    This calender is just a bit mad at the moment.
    Classics got shafted
  • Only watched the highlights of women's LBL, but seemed like a good win by Deignan. Grace Brown made a decent fist of nearly chasing her down, too.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 4,993
    After listening to ck talking about sugar beet for 5 minutes I've just made the happy discovery that gcn give me the option of listening in German or French. Not very good at either, but definite upgrade
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    Mad_Malx said:

    After listening to ck talking about sugar beet for 5 minutes I've just made the happy discovery that gcn give me the option of listening in German or French. Not very good at either, but definite upgrade

    With the music and Thai football commentary, I can't hear him. A blessing.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,224
    LBL not live on UK tv so have put the Belgians on.

    GvA out in a crash. Looks like a collarbone.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,224
    95km to go, break at 2.36, will update on the break but the peloton is led by sunweb.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,224
    Break of 8, and guess who from CCC is in it?

    Tailwind into the finish which is promising.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,224
    Break of the day: Iñigo Elosegui (Movistar Team), Kobe Goossens (Lotto-Soudal), Michael Schär (CCC Team), Kenny Molly (Bingoal WB), Omer Goldstein (Israel Start-Up Nation), Valentin Ferron, Paul Ourselin (Total Direct Energie) and Gino Mäder (NTT Pro Cycling).

    Adam Yates abandons after an unseen crash.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,224
    Anyone want to help with an LBL drinking game?

    Sips:
    “Race from behind”
    “Back end much hillier”
    Frank Vandenbroeck mention
    “La Redoute no longer the critical hill”
    “As much climbing as a Tour mountain stage”
    “Oldest race”
    “La Doyene”

    Finish your drink:
    WW2 mention
    Hinault winning in the snow (extra shot if they mention he loses feeling in his hand)


    Any other suggestions?

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137




    Any other suggestions?


    A mention of Valverde's absence
    Finish you drink when Froome goes out the back
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,224
    QS really stringing it out, 2km from the top of the next climb. 86km to go for the break.

    JA in black shorts.