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Post by salopstick on Mar 17, 2024 20:05:26 GMT
Does anyone know if Netflix are doing a second season of the TdF documentary? It’s been renewed for this season. |
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Post by Bod on Mar 17, 2024 22:15:15 GMT
As everything happens from this points onwards, we may as well do likewise and thus a lack of UAE on the Cipressa at the start but normal service was resumed as they swarmed and pulled back the minnows in the breakaway in a scenario as inevitable as us calling fans of other clubs deluded. MVDP looked cool as fuck, but he is cool as fuck and he can wear white shorts with the rainbow jersey and carry it off. Evenepoel couldn’t, but I may be biased because Remco is eminently dislikeable. UAE pulled the pin out on the Cipressa but seemed to have gone so hard that they blew their team own team up into the bargain. Laporte had already been dropped on one of the tre capi, (which plunged my fantasy team into disaster) and some say this was deserved as he wears the European champion’s jersey and this surely makes him a filthy pinko, woke, leftist enemy of freedom who clearly supported the creation of a European Super League.
The scenery never disappoints on the run-in and Saturday was no exception with clear skies and clearer water and it almost makes the previous 260km seem worth it. Cipressa splits the bunch but inevitably the Poggio is going to be the main course. Philipsen and Kooij are still in the reduced group and so the need for them to be eviscerated on the Poggio is paramount, but a potential Philipsen/MVDP combo in the finale means Alpecin are well-placed.
Lidl decide that the time is now and attempt to control the entry to the Poggio, as do Soudal and Groupama but it’s Wellens for UAE who goes full Samwise Gamgee in service of Pogacar. Pog repays with a stinging attack 200m from the top and onto the descent and it’s an elite group of around a dozen. Mohroric drops the hammer at the bottom of the descent and then it’s cat and mouse in the final 2km, with Pidcock also making a move but he floundered when he dropped his Pokémon cards. Lidl have two riders, as do Alpecin. MVDP is doing the chasing in service of Philipsen and Philipsen delivers and takes the sprint in a photo from Matthews. A decent finale and today Pogacar didn’t quite have enough to drop everyone on the final climbs, but still took third in the reduced sprint finish. If you watch the replay of when Pogacar attacks it catches MDVP slightly off guard and then when he puts the power down to catch up with Pog, it was raw and explosive. As MSR goes, it was not bad at all, but only for 30 minute or so, much like most editions.
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Post by thepremierbanksy on Mar 19, 2024 12:14:49 GMT
I just can't get into this race no matter how I try. I only watched from the Poggio and am glad that I wasn't tempted earlier. Looking forward to the Northern Classics. Each to their own but I reckon the last 40 mins of MSR are about as exciting as the cycling season gets. Watch from the last of the Capi, get the Cipressa and Poggio and you get to see all the tactics play out and the dynamics of the race play at lightning speed. Don't think there's any other race where you have so many potential winners with only a few Km to go. Anyone skiving at work at a loose end have a crack at these quizzes: bikegrid.escapecollective.com/ |
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Post by salopstick on Mar 19, 2024 12:36:48 GMT
Cheshire Cat this sunday loads of people falling off the mow cop killer mile  |
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Post by Bod on Mar 29, 2024 21:06:32 GMT
The season continues apace and Pogacar stomped all over everyone in the Tour of Catalunya, attacking with a massive smile on his face and crushing the souls of everyone else. He won 4 stages, finished second on another and took the points and mountains prizes too. He has raced for 9 days this year and his places have been 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 25, 31, 1, 1. In his pre-race interview he said that he was racing in Catalunya because he wants to ride races he’s never done before, because it’s fun. I hope he never changes this approach.
Regardless of the fact that Pogacar was dominant, Catalunya is an excellent seven day race and on the tough side in terms of terrain with only two ‘designated’ sprint stages. However, that’s the boring stuff, but what really stood out was
1. The Mongolian road race champion was racing. Until you’ve beaten Ulan Bator’s finest, you ain’t shit.
2. Mas. Enric fucking Mas. He was riding well and when he was featured on screen (which was rare, because as we know, he has taken a vow of cowardice) he seemed sharp. It pains me to say that because he is the anti-Pog, a man who would rather consolidate a sixth place than even attempt to make fifth in most cases. Anyhow, on one of the steeper ascents, he put in a stiff attack and when I’d taken some Rescue Remedy and recovered from the shock I burst out laughing because he got a lead of 20 metres or so and then looked behind and sat up. No-one had gone with him, so he had no wheel to suck and his brain failed. Catalonia ensued (saw them supporting World of… etc) and he slid back to the safety of the group, satisfied and bewildered.
3. Tiberi did not kill any cats. He did punch a small Bichon Frisé, but in his defence, that canine was clearly mugging him off.
Meanwhile, in Belgium, it’s cobbles, frites mayonnaise, beer that makes your shit resemble bitumen and partisan fans who supposedly threw piss on MVDP during the cross season. In the space of seven days, there was Bruges-de Panne (Philipsen,) E3 Saxo Classic (MvDP attacks 80 km out and holds off everyone by a minute and a half. WVA chased, closed the gap to thirty seconds but MVDP had pushed him so far into the red that he blew,) Gent-Wevelgem (Pedersen beat MVDP in a two-up sprint after the two of them dropped everyone else) and finally Dwars door Vlanderen (won by Jorgenson but the big news was a stack up which saw WVA down and out with a fractured collarbone, ribs and sternum. His next scheduled race is the Olympics. Pedersen came down heavily too so it’s unknown what form he will be in for Flanders on Sunday. Stuyven, who had been riding really strongly this season is also out with a fractured collarbone and he did a full somersault over his bars.)
Sunday is Flanders and when asked how to describe the race, 1990’s Belgian hero Johan Museuuw said it’s one for ‘Hard bastards.’ Museuuw also said that he never took performance-enhancers, but I’m sure one of those statements is true. When I was younger, I used to prefer Paris-Roubaix due to the unpredictability and carnage but as I am older, wiser (I can’t even type that with a straight face,) Flanders is the pick of the Classics. It is brutal but a more controlled brutality than Roubaix and it makes me hark back to a time when I could maintain an erection without looking at a photograph of Victoria Principal.
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Post by questionable on Mar 29, 2024 21:33:52 GMT
Talking to my mate in the pub and he showed me a picture of his mate who’d come his bike by hitting a pot hole, horrific cuts.
Bike alone cost him 11k
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Post by Kewstokie on Mar 31, 2024 20:25:54 GMT
Sunday is Flanders and when asked how to describe the race, 1990’s Belgian hero Johan Museuuw said it’s one for ‘Hard bastards.’ Museuuw also said that he never took performance-enhancers, but I’m sure one of those statements is true. When I was younger, I used to prefer Paris-Roubaix due to the unpredictability and carnage but as I am older, wiser (I can’t even type that with a straight face,) Flanders is the pick of the Classics. It is brutal but a more controlled brutality than Roubaix and it makes me hark back to a time when I could maintain an erection without looking at a photograph of Victoria Principal. Van der Poel joined the hall of fame in this race today, totally nailed it again riding away to a dominant victory, which is not uncommon in the Tour of Flanders is it... Got to say my pick of the northern classics is the Flèche Wallonne and the Mar de Huy finish climb in a couple of weeks. The race Valverde always turned up for. Just a fantastic spectacle. |
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Post by deeside2 on Mar 31, 2024 20:32:06 GMT
Great performance (again) by MVDP today.
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Post by salopstick on Mar 31, 2024 20:37:36 GMT
The season continues apace and Pogacar stomped all over everyone in the Tour of Catalunya, attacking with a massive smile on his face and crushing the souls of everyone else. He won 4 stages, finished second on another and took the points and mountains prizes too. He has raced for 9 days this year and his places have been 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 25, 31, 1, 1. In his pre-race interview he said that he was racing in Catalunya because he wants to ride races he’s never done before, because it’s fun. I hope he never changes this approach. Regardless of the fact that Pogacar was dominant, Catalunya is an excellent seven day race and on the tough side in terms of terrain with only two ‘designated’ sprint stages. However, that’s the boring stuff, but what really stood out was 1. The Mongolian road race champion was racing. Until you’ve beaten Ulan Bator’s finest, you ain’t shit. 2. Mas. Enric fucking Mas. He was riding well and when he was featured on screen (which was rare, because as we know, he has taken a vow of cowardice) he seemed sharp. It pains me to say that because he is the anti-Pog, a man who would rather consolidate a sixth place than even attempt to make fifth in most cases. Anyhow, on one of the steeper ascents, he put in a stiff attack and when I’d taken some Rescue Remedy and recovered from the shock I burst out laughing because he got a lead of 20 metres or so and then looked behind and sat up. No-one had gone with him, so he had no wheel to suck and his brain failed. Catalonia ensued (saw them supporting World of… etc) and he slid back to the safety of the group, satisfied and bewildered. 3. Tiberi did not kill any cats. He did punch a small Bichon Frisé, but in his defence, that canine was clearly mugging him off. Meanwhile, in Belgium, it’s cobbles, frites mayonnaise, beer that makes your shit resemble bitumen and partisan fans who supposedly threw piss on MVDP during the cross season. In the space of seven days, there was Bruges-de Panne (Philipsen,) E3 Saxo Classic (MvDP attacks 80 km out and holds off everyone by a minute and a half. WVA chased, closed the gap to thirty seconds but MVDP had pushed him so far into the red that he blew,) Gent-Wevelgem (Pedersen beat MVDP in a two-up sprint after the two of them dropped everyone else) and finally Dwars door Vlanderen (won by Jorgenson but the big news was a stack up which saw WVA down and out with a fractured collarbone, ribs and sternum. His next scheduled race is the Olympics. Pedersen came down heavily too so it’s unknown what form he will be in for Flanders on Sunday. Stuyven, who had been riding really strongly this season is also out with a fractured collarbone and he did a full somersault over his bars.) Sunday is Flanders and when asked how to describe the race, 1990’s Belgian hero Johan Museuuw said it’s one for ‘Hard bastards.’ Museuuw also said that he never took performance-enhancers, but I’m sure one of those statements is true. When I was younger, I used to prefer Paris-Roubaix due to the unpredictability and carnage but as I am older, wiser (I can’t even type that with a straight face,) Flanders is the pick of the Classics. It is brutal but a more controlled brutality than Roubaix and it makes me hark back to a time when I could maintain an erection without looking at a photograph of Victoria Principal. Quality bod. |
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Post by salopstick on Mar 31, 2024 20:40:30 GMT
I’ve had a good March with 100 mile rides every weekend.l the last 5 weeks. Spring is here and it’s nearly bib shorts time
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Post by thehartshillbadger on Mar 31, 2024 20:44:56 GMT
The season continues apace and Pogacar stomped all over everyone in the Tour of Catalunya, attacking with a massive smile on his face and crushing the souls of everyone else. He won 4 stages, finished second on another and took the points and mountains prizes too. He has raced for 9 days this year and his places have been 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 25, 31, 1, 1. In his pre-race interview he said that he was racing in Catalunya because he wants to ride races he’s never done before, because it’s fun. I hope he never changes this approach. Regardless of the fact that Pogacar was dominant, Catalunya is an excellent seven day race and on the tough side in terms of terrain with only two ‘designated’ sprint stages. However, that’s the boring stuff, but what really stood out was 1. The Mongolian road race champion was racing. Until you’ve beaten Ulan Bator’s finest, you ain’t shit. 2. Mas. Enric fucking Mas. He was riding well and when he was featured on screen (which was rare, because as we know, he has taken a vow of cowardice) he seemed sharp. It pains me to say that because he is the anti-Pog, a man who would rather consolidate a sixth place than even attempt to make fifth in most cases. Anyhow, on one of the steeper ascents, he put in a stiff attack and when I’d taken some Rescue Remedy and recovered from the shock I burst out laughing because he got a lead of 20 metres or so and then looked behind and sat up. No-one had gone with him, so he had no wheel to suck and his brain failed. Catalonia ensued (saw them supporting World of… etc) and he slid back to the safety of the group, satisfied and bewildered. 3. Tiberi did not kill any cats. He did punch a small Bichon Frisé, but in his defence, that canine was clearly mugging him off. Meanwhile, in Belgium, it’s cobbles, frites mayonnaise, beer that makes your shit resemble bitumen and partisan fans who supposedly threw piss on MVDP during the cross season. In the space of seven days, there was Bruges-de Panne (Philipsen,) E3 Saxo Classic (MvDP attacks 80 km out and holds off everyone by a minute and a half. WVA chased, closed the gap to thirty seconds but MVDP had pushed him so far into the red that he blew,) Gent-Wevelgem (Pedersen beat MVDP in a two-up sprint after the two of them dropped everyone else) and finally Dwars door Vlanderen (won by Jorgenson but the big news was a stack up which saw WVA down and out with a fractured collarbone, ribs and sternum. His next scheduled race is the Olympics. Pedersen came down heavily too so it’s unknown what form he will be in for Flanders on Sunday. Stuyven, who had been riding really strongly this season is also out with a fractured collarbone and he did a full somersault over his bars.) Sunday is Flanders and when asked how to describe the race, 1990’s Belgian hero Johan Museuuw said it’s one for ‘Hard bastards.’ Museuuw also said that he never took performance-enhancers, but I’m sure one of those statements is true. When I was younger, I used to prefer Paris-Roubaix due to the unpredictability and carnage but as I am older, wiser (I can’t even type that with a straight face,) Flanders is the pick of the Classics. It is brutal but a more controlled brutality than Roubaix and it makes me hark back to a time when I could maintain an erection without looking at a photograph of Victoria Principal. Quality bod. Absolutely. I don’t follow cycling too much and the most I do is commuting to work and back every day really but Bods cycling posts are some of the best on this board. Kudos as they say |
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Post by Bod on Mar 31, 2024 22:00:28 GMT
London 0 - Hull 4 (Quality album.)
Everyone Else 0 - MVDP 3 (top quality rider.)
Predictability can be dull. Akin to masturbating to the Freemans catalogue with the door locked rather than a bonafide danger wank when you know that the window cleaner is due and the blinds are open. However, MVDP should have won today. He did win today and when you win in that fashion, the outcome is predictable, but the execution isn’t. Alpecin gave a masterclass in how to control a race and MVDP just rode everyone off his wheel yet again. Watching him up the cobbles, when others had to walk was the visual representation of his dominance as he can do things that others just can’t. It won’t go down as a classic Flanders but it certainly wasn’t a dud and the fracturing and regrouping of the riders behind was ongoing for much of the second half of the race so that helped it to engage. I watched six hours of it. I could have used my time more productively but if I was a fan of using time productively I would have stopped watching us in the mid-80’s.
Winners
MVDP - Rainbow jersey, three Flanders wins, jaw like a 40’s matinee idol and lifting his bike aloft at the finish like a Tusken Raider, further cements him as Godlike.
Pedersen - Crashed out in the week at 80km/h, supposedly gained 4kg of fluid weight due to all the inflammation (‘Merricked’) and was responsible for the attack which blew the race apart. He got caught, dropped, fought his way back to the main group only for the process to be repeated twice more and still managed to finish 22nd. He seemingly loathes journalists too and would definitely drink 8 pints of Pedigree and then urinate through someone’s letterbox. Viggo Mortensen was only chosen to play Aragorn because Pedersen refused, stating that ‘The guy is a pussy. I would have taken the ring and punched Sauron in the cock.’
WVA - I’m not saying that he deliberately crashed at Dwars door Vlanderen, but seven broken ribs, fractured collarbone and fractured sternum seems like a convenient excuse not be beaten up by a Dutchman in his own backyard. Two ibuprofen and a hot bath and he should have been fine. To put it as simply as I can, an Englishman would have ridden with those injuries and not pulled out of the race.
Losers
Jumbo-Visma-Rabobank-Lease-A-Bike-PDM or wherever they’re calling themselves these days.
Went into the race with three leaders. Jorgenson has been flying but I dropped him from my fantasy team because I didn’t think he’d hack it over that distance and I was proved correct. Was that because I am a cycling oracle? Nope, but because with a lack of WVA this team needed someone to impose themselves and Jorgenson is inexperienced enough to have seen this as his opportunity. He finished 31st which is creditable but he rode like an excited puppy during the key section of the race and all the old heads (‘Hold the line, hold the fackin line’) just let him burn himself out. Their best placed rider, Benoot finished 15th and that was after suffering a puncture with near the end. Benoot is criminally underrated, largely due to the fact that when he really suffers, his position on the bike is akin to Ironside attempting to pole vault.
Belgian fans - threw beer on MVDP. Belgian beer is not cheap. The highest placed Belgian was 7th. The last Belgian winner was seven years ago. My Clinton Baptisteometer senses envy and resentment.
Soudal - There was a time when they used to dominate Belgian classics and Classics. They had the riders, the aura, the reputation and a mythology. If you saw them on the start line, they had a couple of brick shithouses (in cycling terms, but In the real world, they would weigh 11 stone dripping wet) who delighted in bulldozing through the peloton. These were complemented by an assortment of heavy hitters who could win big races. They now have an increasingly unhinged Lefevre in charge. In the 1990’s he was Warnockesque, but as time has moved on he is morphing into a less chilled version of Bricktop.
Itzulia starts tomorrow and is another very good six stage race over lumpy terrain with crazed Basque fans thrown into the mix. Vingegaard, Evenepoel, Roglic and Ayuso will start as favourites. Speaking of Evenepoel, see the problem with Soudal, above. All the eggs in the basket of ‘The Little Prince’ is a risky strategy because if he goes up against Pogacar and Vingegaard in the GT’s, then on his best day he will always be looking at third. I know that he has won La Vuelta, but not against the absolute best and his schedule this year is the TdF…
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Post by Bod on Apr 1, 2024 13:24:27 GMT
Tom Pidcock has taken his Geraint Thomas fanboying to the next level and I can’t decide whether to applaud or weep. He has managed the pretty rare feat of crashing out of the Basque tour before the race had actually begun; stacking it on a recon of the TT route which he would have been riding a few hours later. Bloody hell, it’s a good job it’s Easter and he’s got time off school.
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Post by salopstick on Apr 1, 2024 16:18:19 GMT
Tom Pidcock has taken his Geraint Thomas fanboying to the next level and I can’t decide whether to applaud or weep. He has managed the pretty rare feat of crashing out of the Basque tour before the race had actually begun; stacking it on a recon of the TT route which he would have been riding a few hours later. Bloody hell, it’s a good job it’s Easter and he’s got time off school. Happens to anyone Last week on the Cheshire Cat 9 miles in some young guy looked behind but turned his bars at same time. Went straight across my mate crash. My mate 8 weeks off the bike. Collarbone. He’s gutted as we had loads of events planned The lad not a scratch but snapped a carbon wheel. |
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Post by Bod on Apr 4, 2024 22:13:51 GMT
Itzulia stage 4 and what can only be described as carnage.
On a twisting descent, a host of riders came down and came down hard, with the worst of it being that some of them landed in a solid concrete gully which was a few feet deep. The outcome is
Vingegaard- fractured collarbone and broken ribs
Evenepoel - fractured collarbone and scapula
Vine - fractured spine. He lay motionless for a long time with cameras lingering in him and it was chilling.
Cras - fractured vertebrae and punctured lung
Roglic - unknown but out of the race after a second heavy fall in consecutive days.
The race was neutralised, but the breakaway were allowed to race for the win, which was bizarre, but TV coverage doesn’t come cheap. Agent Meintjes won the stage and I can’t even be arsed to joke about him.
Visma’s season is in bits, Remco is on the shelf and Pogacar is now the undisputed TdF favourite. This is my favourite single week stage race of the year and today was pretty damn tough viewing. I thought Vine was dead. The focus was on Vingegaard but he could be seen moving, a little. Vine just lay there.
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Post by deeside2 on Apr 5, 2024 5:15:29 GMT
Itzulia stage 4 and what can only be described as carnage. On a twisting descent, a host of riders came down and came down hard, with the worst of it being that some of them landed in a solid concrete gully which was a few feet deep. The outcome is Vingegaard- fractured collarbone and broken ribs Evenepoel - fractured collarbone and scapula Vine - fractured spine. He lay motionless for a long time with cameras lingering in him and it was chilling. Cras - fractured vertebrae and punctured lung Roglic - unknown but out of the race after a second heavy fall in consecutive days. The race was neutralised, but the breakaway were allowed to race for the win, which was bizarre, but TV coverage doesn’t come cheap. Agent Meintjes won the stage and I can’t even be arsed to joke about him. Visma’s season is in bits, Remco is on the shelf and Pogacar is now the undisputed TdF favourite. This is my favourite single week stage race of the year and today was pretty damn tough viewing. I thought Vine was dead. The focus was on Vingegaard but he could be seen moving, a little. Vine just lay there. I was watching when it happened. I've seen lots of crashes, and the aftermath of those crashes over the years but that was just plain scary. So many top riders taken out was incredible. The TdF is probably over before it's even started unless something happens to Pog. |
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Post by thepremierbanksy on Apr 5, 2024 14:35:54 GMT
Wasn't watching live so didn't see what sounds like endless replays of the crash, but I did see it a couple of times on Youtube. Looked to me like 2 riders, one of whom I think was Vingegaard, slid out at basically the same time (this will be the tree roots under the asphalt that are being blamed I guess) and then the rest of the riders who crashed were trying to avoid the guys who went down including Remco who hopped the storm drain and got onto the grass but still went down. Is that right?
Onto Paris Roubaix. Think this chicane is going to split the field big time, got to get into there in the top 15 or so riders.
Got a couple of quid each way on Kung who is priced at 50's for the win which seems quite generous given the number of riders who are absent or in poor form. Fancy him for the podium. Laurens Rex another good outside bet I think and maybe the UnoX sprinter (Magnusson?). But probably MVDP takes it.
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Post by Bod on Apr 5, 2024 19:50:24 GMT
Wasn't watching live so didn't see what sounds like endless replays of the crash, but I did see it a couple of times on Youtube. Looked to me like 2 riders, one of whom I think was Vingegaard, slid out at basically the same time (this will be the tree roots under the asphalt that are being blamed I guess) and then the rest of the riders who crashed were trying to avoid the guys who went down including Remco who hopped the storm drain and got onto the grass but still went down. Is that right? Onto Paris Roubaix. Think this chicane is going to split the field big time, got to get into there in the top 15 or so riders. Got a couple of quid each way on Kung who is priced at 50's for the win which seems quite generous given the number of riders who are absent or in poor form. Fancy him for the podium. Laurens Rex another good outside bet I think and maybe the UnoX sprinter (Magnusson?). But probably MVDP takes it. I like Kung a lot as an E/W bet. He is consistent and bull strong but Roubaix is one race I’ve never placed money on. The lottery element of it makes my sphincter pucker in terms of gambling on it. If we take MVDP out of the equation, I do wonder whether Politt or Lampaert can produce something of note? Rex is riding well, but I’m not sure about Uno-X and what approach they will take. Kristoff and Tiller are well suited but neither have any form at the moment. Maybe Abrahamsen? Introducing that chicane entry seems to have been sprung on the riders and will probably end up in some more chaos, only of a different type. I’m torn between wanting to ensure safety but balanced against the unique nature of P-R. The option is there for riders to enter the Arenberg at a pace of their choosing and no-one is forced to gun it, so I’m not sure if this will mark a move towards the course being diluted a little more as time progresses. |
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Post by salopstick on Apr 5, 2024 20:38:06 GMT
Fuck the roubaix
It’s my 6th weekend century on the bounce.
Training going well. Sunny days are nearly here
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Post by Bod on Apr 5, 2024 23:39:37 GMT
Fuck the roubaix It’s my 6th weekend century on the bounce. Training going well. Sunny days are nearly here 😆 😆 I’ve done those rides though but have never ridden over pavé at 50km per hour, so Roubaix has to take it for now. |
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Post by thepremierbanksy on Apr 6, 2024 7:32:34 GMT
Wasn't watching live so didn't see what sounds like endless replays of the crash, but I did see it a couple of times on Youtube. Looked to me like 2 riders, one of whom I think was Vingegaard, slid out at basically the same time (this will be the tree roots under the asphalt that are being blamed I guess) and then the rest of the riders who crashed were trying to avoid the guys who went down including Remco who hopped the storm drain and got onto the grass but still went down. Is that right? Onto Paris Roubaix. Think this chicane is going to split the field big time, got to get into there in the top 15 or so riders. Got a couple of quid each way on Kung who is priced at 50's for the win which seems quite generous given the number of riders who are absent or in poor form. Fancy him for the podium. Laurens Rex another good outside bet I think and maybe the UnoX sprinter (Magnusson?). But probably MVDP takes it. I like Kung a lot as an E/W bet. He is consistent and bull strong but Roubaix is one race I’ve never placed money on. The lottery element of it makes my sphincter pucker in terms of gambling on it. If we take MVDP out of the equation, I do wonder whether Politt or Lampaert can produce something of note? Rex is riding well, but I’m not sure about Uno-X and what approach they will take. Kristoff and Tiller are well suited but neither have any form at the moment. Maybe Abrahamsen? Introducing that chicane entry seems to have been sprung on the riders and will probably end up in some more chaos, only of a different type. I’m torn between wanting to ensure safety but balanced against the unique nature of P-R. The option is there for riders to enter the Arenberg at a pace of their choosing and no-one is forced to gun it, so I’m not sure if this will mark a move towards the course being diluted a little more as time progresses. Abrahamson was the one I was thinking of, not the fictitious Magnusson. Politt is a good shout too. |
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Post by deeside2 on Apr 7, 2024 16:05:14 GMT
MVDP's second consecutive Paris Roubaix was pretty impressive again. To win by 3 minutes, biggest margin since 2002, takes some doing. Wonder what the odds are for a 3rd win next year ?
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Post by salopstick on Apr 7, 2024 17:10:12 GMT
100 miles in the storm just like roubaix. The Shropshire border roads were diabolical
Hit a patch of mud descending and come off. Very lucky that a few bruises on hip and face.
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Post by Mendicant on Apr 7, 2024 20:21:34 GMT
MVDP's second consecutive Paris Roubaix was pretty impressive again. To win by 3 minutes, biggest margin since 2002, takes some doing. Wonder what the odds are for a 3rd win next year ? I just checked, 2002 was Museeuw. He was a beast back then in the spring classics. A converted sprinter like Jalabert if I recall correctly. |
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Post by thepremierbanksy on Apr 8, 2024 8:48:39 GMT
Watched this one back on Discovery+ last night - tuned in one cobbled sector before Arenberg to see the race for the chicane and couldn't really grasp why there were only 30 riders left - I guess Alepecin must have just smashed it from the beginning of the cobbles. Imperious from MVDP and his team. Vermeesch and Philipsen behind were immense and covering moves and having the world's best sprinter on your wheel is as big as disincentives to counter get.
Talk is now of whether MVDP can win Liege. He'd may as well give it a bash, especially with Remco out.
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Post by Bod on Apr 8, 2024 12:38:09 GMT
MVDP's second consecutive Paris Roubaix was pretty impressive again. To win by 3 minutes, biggest margin since 2002, takes some doing. Wonder what the odds are for a 3rd win next year ? I just checked, 2002 was Museeuw. He was a beast back then in the spring classics. A converted sprinter like Jalabert if I recall correctly. Jalabert was a sprinter until the crash in Armentieres in the 94 TdF, Museeuw was a sprinter too. Both made the switch to an extent after discovering that using special sauce could benefit them 😆. |
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Post by Bod on Apr 8, 2024 12:42:07 GMT
Paris - Roubaix. The Marmite race of the cycle race world.
Alpecin decided to ride it like a TdF mountain stage; just run a train and smash everyone to bits, which they duly did. That had the effect of pulling back the early (not usually doomed this early) break, who must have been wondering why the hell they bothered. The addition of drone work in bike racing is stellar too and after years of using frame-mounted cameras, which never gave any real idea of speed and often had the feeling of bootleg Betamax movies due to the quality of the footage.
The premierbanksy put the kiss of death on Rex, who crashed a number of times, the most notable of which was into a bollard on a traffic island (which was thankfully covered in padding) but still did a somersault over the bars for a heavy landing. The crazy thing was that it was completely his own fault as he was looking backwards over his shoulder, even though riders were indicating a hazard was approaching. However, that is easy to say from the comfort of my sofa, whilst eating crackers and cheese and berating the neighbourhood children for still not learning how to effectively remove catalytic converters quietly and efficiently.
At 130km to go, the ‘main’ group was down to around 25 riders, which I don’t remember seeing in a Roubaix. Tarling was disqualified for taking a tow from a bottle so sticky that it may have belonged to Multiple Miggs at one point. Tarling looked close to tears, so he definitely isn’t Clarice Starling. He waved away the camera bike with as much rage as a skeletal cyclist can muster as it lingered on him as the race director delivered the news.
At the moment there is a significant question to what exactly INEOS are? Pidcock is a massive talent, but I think he’d be better served riding for any of half a dozen other teams. Rodrigues is a future talent, but he realistically can’t compete with Pogacar/Vingegaard or even Remco when they are in GT form. Does INEOS even have a team that can support a challenge for a GT anymore? Do they want to? One bright spot has been the little resurgence from Bernal this season. I would love to see him just have a consistent run of form and get through this year unscathed. Anything more than that is a bonus. A random mid-race thought that swept over me as I was contemplating life choices, is that Dries van Gestel looks like an AI version of Chris Froome. Any criticisms of Froome can be countered by his stage 19 ride in the 2018 Giro d’Italia. It was one for the best GT stage wins of the previous twenty years at least.
The Arenberg chicane can fuck right off. If the lead group had actually been its usual size, it would have been chaos. Regardless, MVDP blasted his way across the forest and created the selection, with Pedersen, Van Dijke (Tim variant) and Philipsen. 90km to go and the lead group has the strongest one day rider and the fastest sprinter, who happen to be in the same team. When Alpecin ride like this, I remind myself that I love my hair and stock up on their shampoo. Philpsen then punctured and had to have a bike change and that killed off the four man break and the lead group came back together and I cancelled my shampoo order.
Rob Hatch on commentary ‘It’s going to be a Paris-Roubaix for the ages.’ Just stop this. I implore you. He says it every week about various races and whilst I understand that he is trying to sell it (and also those Discovery+ subs, because the commentators do seem to enjoy informing people watching on Eurosport that they are the poor relations, without implicitly saying it,) it is beyond hype; it’s just pure bullshit and lazy and insulting. People on cycling forums (who make football fans look modest and unopinionated) take delight in hating Carlton Kirby, but Kirby knows his role and plays it well in my eyes. Hatch must wander around his house, exclaiming ‘THIS IS THE FINEST AVOCADO IN THE HISTORY OF THIS LEGENDARY FRUIT.’
For the next 30km there were lots of speculative attacks but nothing significant until MVDP pressed the detonator at 60km to go on the pavè. Watch the slow motion replay (which I know I’ve said about him before) as he goes. He accelerates through the lead group which makes everyone else look like they are riding in quicksand. The Dutchman has a lead of 1 min 40s in pretty quick time and with Philipsen doing the marking, Alpecin has the proverbial cigar on and I bulk buy shampoo. As I type this, Hatch has just reminded viewers that unless they are watching on Discovery+ they are no better than Fred and Rose West. From this point it was race over, thanks for coming and remember to not make too much noise as you exit the premises.
Pollit looked sharp all day and I included him in my fantasy team, which paid off. Kung rode solidly and Pedersen is always Pedersen. MVDP’s dominance in races like this does not bother me. I would not get bored if we won every week because Stoke are my team. Likewise, I bloody love watching Van der Poel race as I like him and his style. When The Shit won everything I didn’t like it, because I loathe them. This is the type of hypocrisy that is allowed in sports, because it’s when we suspend rationality.
16km to go and MVDP has a lead of almost 3 mins but is railing it as if he has a 10 second advantage. Impressive and I’d wager that he doesn’t view it as reckless as the theory is that carrying speed over the cobbles is the safest way to ride. Irrespective of that, his cornering is certainly not based on a notion of risk aversion.
An anti-climactic edition, but I enjoyed the spectacle of MVDP riding like a boss and Alpecin controlling the race like a 90’s Mapei squad. Philipsen takes second, Pedersen third. Pollit brings me some fantasy points and Kung trailed a little behind in fifth after his legs went ‘Pop’ on the final full cobbled stretch. Visma are at the stage where if they put their hand into a treasure chest containing only dubloons, they would somehow emerge with a handful of faecal matter. This was epitomised by Tim van Dijke who finished a creditable eighth after attacking in the velodrome and leaving the rest of his eight man group behind. The problem was that he was relegated to last in his group as he made his move by riding on the Côte d’Azur of the track. Vingegaard and WVA injured, Laporte and Van Baarle have no form and so spring rests on Benoot doing something in the three remaining big races.
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Post by thepremierbanksy on Apr 8, 2024 21:52:13 GMT
Ineos' identify crisis is compounded by the fact that they can't seem to recruit what seems to be the cream of the best neo-pros like Del Toro and Morgado and that they have lost some talent like Tullet. Surely they can afford a development squad to help with that.
They need to get Pidcock to decide what he wants to do on the road once the Olympics are done. Lots of talk of him being a grand tour GC rider but he has never even come close in even a week long stage race and although he has a few good wins he doesn't have anything like the superiority of some of his peers.
Not sure what has happened to Hayter who looks like he's got the yips based on Itzulia.
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Post by lawrieleslie on Apr 9, 2024 6:20:08 GMT
Strade Bianche. Gravel, hills, Pogacar. I am not ashamed to say that I lack the superlatives to describe both the ride today and the rider. Attacks at 81km to go, solo to the finish, with a chasing group completely unable to narrow the gap to him. Mind-blowing in the physical dominance but also the psychological advantage too. When Pogacar went, no-one could go with him. With no MVDP in the race, for example, that’s not a huge shock. However, the chase group, which had some of exceptional riders in it, almost threw up the white flag because they know how strong Pog is and they accepted their collective fate. A rider who can win in March and perform all the way through to October is someone we should cherish. Pogacar is the embodiment of Special. But could he do 170km in the absolute fucking biblical rain and cold on the York Leeds York I did yesterday Which way did you go Al? York to Leeds is around 50k init? |
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Post by deeside2 on Apr 9, 2024 6:48:57 GMT
I was/am a big Team Sky/Ineos fan but I honestly don't know what the point of the team is anymore. They are no threat in Grand Tours, no real threat in the Classics, and get the odd stage or race win in lesser races. As they are still one of if not the best sponsored teams just what are they messing about at ?
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