2024 Classics thread - Not a spoiler thread
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Somewhere in UCI's regulations there is probably a rule that can force him to enter.
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Has their been an update about Mads Pedersen?
He got back on his bike and rode back to the team bus, but at the very least he'll have road rash etc
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Where are you getting that from? Danish press seems to think he's still aiming to ride Flanders, and some Dutch language press seems to confirm it
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I swear I read it, but then I was bleary eyed awake at 4:30am with a griping baby when I read it, so perhaps I dreamed it.
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If he misses RVV who would be 2nd favourite?
I refuse to believe Jorgensen has a strong chance
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Bettiol & Mohoric probably. Possibly Trentin? Also van Baarle, Wellens, Girmay?
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
Probably Philipsen.... Søren Kragh Andersen for third favourite....
I've completely written off Quickstep, though it wasn't long ago that two of their team would be among the pre race favourites.
Visma are a bit bare bones now, don't think Jorgensen has enough to threaten
Girmay is a bit banged up but nothing broken, Bettiol may have pulled a muscle.
Küng is Küng, I can't see him getting away solo, or winning from a bunch bigger than one.
I'm not sure who Ineos are sending, think Narvaez and Rowe are both out, think it's a big ask for Sheffield
Surprise Fred Wright win anyone?
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Oooh, Mathews in with a shout tbh. In decent shape, has a previous top ten, got a bit of extra motivation from MSR
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Kung, but he will never drop everybody, and will never win a sprint.
van Baarle has 5 top ten finishes there, so pretty decent shout of top 2.
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Hasn't he been ill though?
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Wellens is 32 and hasn't cracked the top 20 at RVV, doubt he's about to radically change that on Sunday
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missed that - yes, he might not even start if he hasn't recovered. It's going to a matter of when mvdp decides to go really, isn't it?
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Danny van Poppel and Milan are my outside bets or Philipsen as the only way I can see MvdP not winning is if he has an issue in which case Philipsen will be the back up. Why isn’t Pidcock riding?
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Basically yeah
Out of interest I checked the odds and Jorgensen is 2nd favourite now
I've managed to get Fred Wright at 100/1 though and William Hill are paying each way odds for the top 4, rather than the podium as usual
There's been an update from Lidl that Mads will ride but is being "monitored by the team"
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Pidcock is riding Itzulia Basque then the Ardennes I think, fits better with his Tour GC prep, for whatever that's worth
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mohoric or wellens .behind MvdP
"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 -
Having just watched 2019 RVV back I think Bettiol might have a chance.
He's been bang in form this season (apart from E3 where he bombed)
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I should clarify, has a chance of coming 2nd behind MVDP.
It's Mathieu's to lose, but there's a more interesting race for 2nd place
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Just seen the weather forecast
There's rain in the air for Sunday, but it may come too late to impact the mens race
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Arnaud De Lie diagnosed with Lyme Disease
https://x.com/timbonvilleginn/status/1773289356964327460?s=46&t=f_UXmCYRPznKU6H7T3jmDQ
Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.0 -
A wee bit retro but: just catched up with the women's' Dwars door Vlaanderen. Good race
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One would think rain would be good for MvdP. His handling and cornering in the wet Roubaix a few years ago was phenomenal, but he didn't win said Roubaix and he notably blew up in the Yorkshire World's in rain as well.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
He won E3 in a storm the other week. I think his bike handling skills are slightly irrelevant when he's minutes clear of the rest of the field ;)
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I'm not sure races necessarily play out that way when there is one overwhelming favorite. Then again his win rate is rather high when he is.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
Flanders 2011 springs to mind. Cancellara was overwhelming favourite and everyone sat on his wheel. 2012 as well, Pozzatto just followed Boonen around all day.
The only thing with this course is that when MVDP decides to drop it (maybe on the Taaienberg), no one will be anywhere near catching him
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Think the danger for him is going to early and then being caught towards the end and being spent and not able to sprint any more.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
I can see a surprise winner, where teams send their second best rider up the road to anticipate Van Der Poel's move, and leave responsibility for keeping them in check to Alpecin-Decuenick, and the gap gets too big for him to close once he launches.
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Do you not think he is strong enough to create a very early selection and just take it to the finish?
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