Paris-Roubaix 2024 ***Spoilers***
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Would be somewhat logical for there to be some type of learning from doing CX at a high level for so many years. Not just for him, but rather for the team staff.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
Who had the time to risk doing that...the race was an insane gallop
"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 -
Bit of style from TP...
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5eBkZXsxSG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver1 -
With 89km's to go (when I tuned in), the first comment I got was the Hatch hyperbole "...this is turning out be a Paris Roubaix for the ages...".
Yeah, really?!
seanoconn - gruagach craic!0 -
is it me or do these modern bikes and tyres really make it a different race when dry to before?
My arms are shaking about as much going down my local high street
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32mm tyres at 50psi for MvdP apparently
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Used to quite like Hatch but yeah, this is really grinding my gears now. Every single race is "one for the ages." - No it's not, Rob.
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I know it's an annoying tick, but you can count on one hand riders who have struck from either further out or had a bigger winning margin in PR.
We'll remember this one much more than Terpstra's win.
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Add 'epic' and referring to Arenberg "...the most famous forest in the world'...". He bigs an event up and up and then it turns out to be a damp squib. Watching the highlights, it was semi interesting until 89km's to go.
This years P-R will definitively go down in the history books.
Women's P-R was better. So happy for Pfeiffer Georgi. 3rd is a helluva result after a 9th and an 8th last year. In a group with the best female cyclist ever and ahead of her and 2 places behind the best currently. Her palmares is littered with top 10 finishes in classics and semi classics.
seanoconn - gruagach craic!0 -
Meanwhile, a bit of a scandal brewing from the Jnr edition. What was it Van Dijk got relegated for in the men's?
Full vid is in replies to the Facebook post below. Albert Withen Philipsen (world champion) had attacked early from the lead group (he'd earlier had to catch them after a mechanical). They are all racing round inside to catch him, way off the track. 2nd time round he actually does the same, briefly, trying to get on a wheel. The lad's entitled to feel robbed.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
It was also incredibly fast in the early stages and had been smashed to bits. I would suggest it was actually a very good race prior to the MVDP attack and it is only after that it got the feeling of inevitability that everyone is moaning about.
Also, I mentioned this at the time, Hatch's hyperbole is a bit grating but while he was off air he put together a spreadsheet for the on air team of all the riders in the lead group that wasn't being broadcast to them. That's professionalism and something you wouldn't get from Kirby in that situation. He's a very professional broadcaster with a few annoying traits, that trumps being a very annoying broadcaster with very few professional traits.
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I should add, I will remember Terpstra's win more than this one, because I am/was a big Terpstra fanboi and I was so bored by this one I did the hoovering while MvdP was on the Carrefour de l'arbre.
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Don't want to be branded a Hatch apologist but I think he said most famous forest in the cycling world referring to Arenberg and... you'd have to say it is, right? It's hyperbole but it's correct.
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Just thinking how much cycling fans like to whinge (and not trying to claim I'm not guilty) but we regularly see people bemoaning a lack of attacking by the favourites, especially in Grand Tours, but whenever a favourite attacks and no-one can go with them a lot of people, probably including many of the previous group, bemoan that it is too dominant and boring. I guess an element of it is that a Froome style long attack in a GT isn't all about the result on the day. With a Classic it seems people want the favourites to be knocking lumps off each other for a long time but for nothing decisive until the race is nearly done which isn't likely to happen often.
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It's just that at the moment there's two riders in each race that seem head and shoulders above everyone else. If either one of them isn't there, it's impressive by the remaining one but you can't help thinking "if only".
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There's rarely two riders. It's usually just one of VDP, Pogacar and Vingegaard. It's possible that there won't be a race with two of them in this season outside MSR. Maybe with a TT heavy week long stage race Evenepoel and Roglic can challenge. The idea that Van Aert id a rival to VDP is more laughable with each passing race.
It'd like the last 15 years of tennis would have been like if Nadal only played on clay, Federer only on grass and Djokovisc only on hardcourt.
Twitter: @RichN950 -
Yes, sorry I meant there's two possible riders who are a different level and if one of them isn't there it's game over.
If pog had ridden flanders, there's a race. If wva had ridden pr at least there's something to talk about.
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Remco has done the riding off never to be seen again a few times himself and is still capable in some races (LBL springs to mind but that has been when Pog wasn’t there / had crashed out).
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I think it was most famous forest in cycling.
An alternative is Phil Ligget on US Peacock. Interesting take listening to Lance The Move, apparently PL called MVdP by his dad's name about 10 times.
Hatch is great.
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(Hello Alan)
In the context of bigging things up (and pedantry aside 😁), if Hatchimol would just turn down the hyperbole rhetoric and let the racing speak for itself, he would be okay. It's almost like he is pushing the editorial line... well, Eurosport is owned by Warner Brothers isn't it?
Not every race is 'epic' or 'for the ages' or 'will go down in the history books', repeat winners name as he/she crosses the line 10 times for added impact, etcetera and just because the event is a GT or a monument, this does not guarantee extravaganza.
He is not my cup of tea and we can argue the toss for however long but subjectivity won't be agreed on. I have a right not to like the f*ckers commentary.
You could do better.
seanoconn - gruagach craic!0 -
TBF, he started doing it more when he started losing out on the bigger races to Kirby, who let's face it, is also one for hyperbole.
As in, "LOOK, THIS ROUNDABOUT IS LETHAL" (no accidents) and "OH MY GOD HANS IS ATTACKING" it's neither Hans on screen, nor is he attacking.
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"Hatch is great" - double edged sword isn't it? As someone pointed out up thread, he knows his onions. Gets most of his calls right and corrects himself if he's wrong (lol, Kirby as if!), I think what grates is the hyperbole. Every race there's a "race for the ages" or "this is INCREDIBLE Sean!" but then, that's his job isn't it? He's meant to get excited, he's meant to get the viewers excited. That's what he's paid to do. A bike race with snooker style commentary isn't going to win any of us over is it?
Put it this way, I'm happy whenever he's on because it means Kirby isn't. But then I'd rather listen to Lloyd, Blythe or even Boulting & Millar, personally. I'm sure plenty will have their gripes with them too.
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There's a huge area between John Virgo and OTT.
seanoconn - gruagach craic!0 -
I mean technically, every race goes down in the history books, as otherwise we wouldn't be able to refer back and see who won what
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Hatch’s job is to commentate and also big up what we are watching. He can hardly ‘sit up’ and say “that’s another race over- I’d go and di something else for half an hour if I were you” when MVDP , or whoever, rides away.
2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner0 -
BUT WHERES THE CUE BALL GOING??!!
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Is it possible we're a bit jaded if a 60km solo break to win a monument isn't epic
I mean, it could have had snow or dragons...buy still.
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!3 -
That's Sean Kelly's job.
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Yeah, I think so. Plus when you see him gliding over the cobbles at 50kph there's something artistic and awesome about it. The picture of his completely unscathed hands afterwards - even though he wasn't wearing gloves - adds to the mystique
Warning No formatter is installed for the format1 -
Whilst you're right about subjectivity not being agreed on, listening to Kirby at present on Brabantse Pijl I really can't understand anyone finding Hatch more annoying (despite accepting that the hyperbole and repetition does grate and seems to have got worse). I feel for Ian Field having to regularly diplomatically disagree with / contradict Kirby's comments.
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