Cycling thread

[Armel]

What's MVdP's best shot Armel? I read he is doing Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen, Flanders and Brabantse Pijl, although I don't know if this has changed.

WvA was exceptional in his first classics season really, perhaps the form will return.

I think Brabantse Pijl. Not the strongest field of competitors most of the time and the finish with the Ijskelderlaan and the Schavei (it's weird using English articles in front of a Dutch word) is good for him. He's also doing the Amstel (read: they are forcing his hand because he's the Dutch champ and they want him there...). Probably won't win though.

No pressure though; Stijn De Volder, a former team-mate of Boonen and Cancellera says MvP has far more talent than the both of them ... I wonder will there ever be a point when he's doing too much. He's literally riding loads of CX, MTB and road races. I would be very amazed if he has a very long career. Look at his road program (and a lot more to follow):

 

[Black Belt Jones]

I think Brabantse Pijl. Not the strongest field of competitors most of the time and the finish with the Ijskelderlaan and the Schavei (it's weird using English articles in front of a Dutch word) is good for him. He's also doing the Amstel (read: they are forcing his hand because he's the Dutch champ and they want him there...). Probably won't win though.

No pressure though; Stijn De Volder, a former team-mate of Boonen and Cancellera says MvP has far more talent than the both of them ... I wonder will there ever be a point when he's doing too much. He's literally riding loads of CX, MTB and road races. I would be very amazed if he has a very long career. Look at his road program (and a lot more to follow):

Yeah that is a reasonable schedule for someone not concentrating on the road! I beleive his bigger focus is on Tokyo 2020 with the mountain biking, so I wonder if he'll do a full MTB season, because there is no way he'll win that by just dropping in - modern elite courses are too difficult (and the efforts too different to cross) to just show up and blitz everyone with your big lungs. IIRC Sven himself was only ever top ten in olympic mountain biking, but I bet he was the strongest person in the race every time.

Mountain biking is my first love but it's a joke really that it's in the olympics before cyclocross. Not just from the heritage and history perspective, but XC is just not that good a spectator sport. I guess the summer argument is fair, as CX on hard fast courses isn't that great a spectator sport either.

 

[Armel]

Yeah that is a reasonable schedule for someone not concentrating on the road! I beleive his bigger focus is on Tokyo 2020 with the mountain biking, so I wonder if he'll do a full MTB season, because there is no way he'll win that by just dropping in - modern elite courses are too difficult (and the efforts too different to cross) to just show up and blitz everyone with your big lungs. IIRC Sven himself was only ever top ten in olympic mountain biking, but I bet he was the strongest person in the race every time.

Mountain biking is my first love but it's a joke really that it's in the olympics before cyclocross. Not just from the heritage and history perspective, but XC is just not that good a spectator sport. I guess the summer argument is fair, as CX on hard fast courses isn't that great a spectator sport either.

I thought he was planning to do an almost full MTB season, one of the reasons being the better start position - a big problem for Nys always.

It would be for the Winter Olympics. Every time we try. Every time it fails. Ridiculous because not a lot of sports easily get 40 to 50000 spectators for a WChampionship. Their reasoning being that it's almost always Belgians winning; well yes you're hardly going to change that if you don't make it Olympic are you.

Besides ice-skating is an Olympic sport. That's basically handing the Dutch medals; on the last Olympics they had 20 medals in that. If that's okay; I think it's tolerable that Belgium has a few medals when otherwise we have 1 at best (also in ice-skating - and sometimes it's with a naturalised Dutchman/Frenchman).

And ffs there are sports at the Olympics that hardly draw a crowd. E.g: a lot of the sports that involve shooting.

 

[Armel]

Rowe is also very cheap. Probably because he's had injury after injury.

See this why people should probably avoid him in a fantasy team. He's ill again.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

I thought he was planning to do an almost full MTB season, one of the reasons being the better start position - a big problem for Nys always.

It would be for the Winter Olympics. Every time we try. Every time it fails. Ridiculous because not a lot of sports easily get 40 to 50000 spectators for a WChampionship. Their reasoning being that it's almost always Belgians winning; well yes you're hardly going to change that if you don't make it Olympic are you.

The American's really like cross, which can't hurt, but I get the impression that it's only popular within the cycling community over there - there's no wider appeal. End of the day the Olympic administration is filthy corrupt so what sports go in and out is down to individuals having the clout to influence things - if cross doesn't have those sort of political operators at the top then it can't happen.

Can you imagine what would happen if we all said let's take something like table tennis out of the olympics? No one in the Western world really plays ping pong outside of camp sites and youth hostels, so we'll bin it off. Would spark a major geopolitical confrontation.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Good to see Stybar get the win today, but GvA looked very strong.

 

[Wat Tyler]

Good to see Stybar get the win today, but GvA looked very strong.

He did look strong for sure, but was spent when Stybar went. I suppose that’ll come in the next month or so though.


Got to say Roglic is a revelation. Is there a better one week rider on the planet? Porte on form maybe. But Roglic v Yates v Dumoulin promises to be exceptional in giro.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Did Stannard show well in the race today? Be nice if he could recapture the form of a couple years back.

Read that Stybar didn't fancy taking GvA in a sprint so made the attack - sort of picture Stybar as a really powerful rider who would put GvA away in a sprint, but I guess their respective palmares doesn't back that up.

 

[Armel]

Good to see Stybar get the win today, but GvA looked very strong.

Yes very good from Stybar (mind you only seen the short summaries of both races). Good for him, he doesn't win a lot. 73 Quickstep wins last year: non for him.

Mind you the feat that impressed me the most from the weekend was the Jungels solo in Kuurne. That was insane.

Or to paraphrase Naessen: "I've rarely been raped like that before".

My team didn't do so well. though. Somewhere around position 10.500 on 19.966 contestants (mostly because of injuries/absentees- I'm lucky that Lutsenko turned up).

Did Stannard show well in the race today? Be nice if he could recapture the form of a couple years back.

Read that Stybar didn't fancy taking GvA in a sprint so made the attack - sort of picture Stybar as a really powerful rider who would put GvA away in a sprint, but I guess their respective palmares doesn't back that up.

Stybar can't take on GVA mate; 9 times out ten he'd lose. Like in the Paris-Roubaix of 2017 (even though GVA doesn't do a good sprint there) etc...





Just like Terpstra and Boom normally have no chance against Senechal (as seen today in the Samyn).

 

[Armel]

Tour of Flanders for tourists this year: All 16.000 places are taken, always sort of baffles me, just go a couple of days beforehand (if you don't know where to go; markers are already there then) - or another random moment (unless you enjoy riding in front of a crowd or something). Now you'll be riding amongst thousands resulting in sometimes having to do some 'mountains' by foot. It's not exactly that it's a hard parcours to find. My sister lives in the Flemish Ardennes, very close to one of the most famous ones. Cyclists there during the entire year, but it's a whole lot less.

First time that the participants are mostly foreign (57 percent) since they adopted the limit; 63 nationalities:


1. België 6765 deelnemers

2. Nederland 2874 deelnemers

3. Verenigd Koninkrijk (Brits) 1832 deelnemers

4. Frankrijk 1318 deelnemers

5. Italië 863 deelnemers

6. Duitsland 589 deelnemers

7. Spanje 408 deelnemers

8. Denemarken 202 deelnemers

9. Noorwegen 194 deelnemers

10. USA 184 deelnemers

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Tour of Flanders for tourists this year: All 16.000 places are taken, always sort of baffles me, just go a couple of days beforehand (if you don't know where to go; markers are already there then) - or another random moment (unless you enjoy riding in front of a crowd or something). Now you'll be riding amongst thousands resulting in sometimes having to do some 'mountains' by foot. It's not exactly that it's a hard parcours to find. My sister lives in the Flemish Ardennes, very close to one of the most famous ones. Cyclists there during the entire year, but it's a whole lot less.

First time that the participants are mostly foreign (57 percent) since they adopted the limit; 63 nationalities:


1. België 6765 deelnemers

2. Nederland 2874 deelnemers

3. Verenigd Koninkrijk (Brits) 1832 deelnemers

4. Frankrijk 1318 deelnemers

5. Italië 863 deelnemers

6. Duitsland 589 deelnemers

7. Spanje 408 deelnemers

8. Denemarken 202 deelnemers

9. Noorwegen 194 deelnemers

10. USA 184 deelnemers

Every couple of years we do the Maratona in the Dolomites, with the event usually at the end of a week riding in the area. We know the route back to front so could easily do it on any other day, but there is something quite nice about having an organised event with riders to chase, people cheering you on and all that. Equally, it's lovely riding in the area and being tourists, bimbling about taking photos. Different things at different times.

 

[Armel]

Every couple of years we do the Maratona in the Dolomites, with the event usually at the end of a week riding in the area. We know the route back to front so could easily do it on any other day, but there is something quite nice about having an organised event with riders to chase, people cheering you on and all that. Equally, it's lovely riding in the area and being tourists, bimbling about taking photos. Different things at different times.

Fair enough I suppose. Not for me though. The whole thing is broadcasted live on national television. Quite a few of the spectators are probably there as disaster tourists because if you don't have sufficient speed going up those hills you just fall over. Sometimes professional cyclists do; so the hobby variety most certainly will so if you're stuck in traffic you'll probably fall. Go stand next to the Koppenberg and you'll see tons of falling cyclists; hence the option now to avoid it since a lot of them are also scared to ride it and a considerable other part is overly confident. And then you'll end up in the newspaper/television like this:

This is what happens to professionals if one falls; it's extremely difficult to start again after you've been obstructed (I could find a more recent photo, like Cancellara having to do the whole thing by foot but I prefer this photo):

( link if the insert doesn't work: https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flanders-koppenberg-crash-920.jpg)

Or alternatively get angry and slap photographers:

(link: https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flanders-raas-koppenberg-920.jpg)


Side-note: if the pictures aren't functional; why?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Fair enough I suppose. Not for me though. The whole thing is broadcasted live on national television. Quite a few of the spectators are probably there as disaster tourists because if you don't have sufficient speed going up those hills you just fall over. Sometimes professional cyclists do; so the hobby variety most certainly will so if you're stuck in traffic you'll probably fall. Go stand next to the Koppenberg and you'll see tons of falling cyclists; hence the option now to avoid it since a lot of them are also scared to ride it and a considerable other part is overly confident. And then you'll end up in the newspaper/television like this:

This is what happens to professionals if one falls; it's extremely difficult to start again after you've been obstructed (I could find a more recent photo, like Cancellara having to do the whole thing by foot but I prefer this photo):

( link if the insert doesn't work: https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flanders-koppenberg-crash-920.jpg)

Or alternatively get angry and slap photographers:

(link: https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flanders-raas-koppenberg-920.jpg)


Side-note: if the pictures aren't functional; why?

Aye, it's a funny one. You have some events (like the Ride London sportive) that attract people who aren't really very fit because the route is pretty easy. I'd have thought Flanders/Roubaix would be different though as the route is tough. You don't tend to see many plodders on the Maratona, so the quality of riding is pretty good. What's that descent they used to have on Liege? It's cobbled and there have been some awful crashes in the pro race, so you can only imagine the carnage if they took a sportive down it.

Not sure why the photos aren't showing up btw - they appear in the editing window, but not in the live post. Strange one.

 

[Armel]

Aye, it's a funny one. You have some events (like the Ride London sportive) that attract people who aren't really very fit because the route is pretty easy. I'd have thought Flanders/Roubaix would be different though as the route is tough. You don't tend to see many plodders on the Maratona, so the quality of riding is pretty good. What's that descent they used to have on Liege? It's cobbled and there have been some awful crashes in the pro race, so you can only imagine the carnage if they took a sportive down it.

Not sure why the photos aren't showing up btw - they appear in the editing window, but not in the live post. Strange one.

I think most are fit enough. Especially those that do the longer versions; you have to be a special kind of stupid to do 230 KM's without any training. Even the shortest one, 74 km, is quite difficult since it contains a lot of hills. I think it's more to do with very narrow roads, very difficult to pass (so a bit annoying for riders with a different pace-gears so you can't find your tempo, and once somebody stops good luck getting away underway again). On a col etc; there's plenty of space to pass, not so here. Especially on things like the koppenberg since cobbles are missing etc in some areas and you probably want to avoid that. If it's a wet edition it's even worse since than it's very slippery. For LBL the only ones I can remember are those of the Rue Naniot (but that's uphill).

The descent at one side of the Kemmelberg would result in carnage though; was always so in the pro-peleton. The issue being riders braking- it's an absolute no go you brake you fall, it's carnage. In 2007 it was particularly nasty, but that's Gent-Wevelgem (no longer down that side though; they now climb it - fractures all round, some guy even split his tongue in two):

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Tour of Flanders for tourists this year: All 16.000 places are taken, always sort of baffles me, just go a couple of days beforehand (if you don't know where to go; markers are already there then) - or another random moment (unless you enjoy riding in front of a crowd or something). Now you'll be riding amongst thousands resulting in sometimes having to do some 'mountains' by foot. It's not exactly that it's a hard parcours to find. My sister lives in the Flemish Ardennes, very close to one of the most famous ones. Cyclists there during the entire year, but it's a whole lot less.

First time that the participants are mostly foreign (57 percent) since they adopted the limit; 63 nationalities:


1. België 6765 deelnemers

2. Nederland 2874 deelnemers

3. Verenigd Koninkrijk (Brits) 1832 deelnemers

4. Frankrijk 1318 deelnemers

5. Italië 863 deelnemers

6. Duitsland 589 deelnemers

7. Spanje 408 deelnemers

8. Denemarken 202 deelnemers

9. Noorwegen 194 deelnemers

10. USA 184 deelnemers

I really like those type of sportives - like Bruce says, you get a real sense of occasion with the more popular ones. My POV, though, is from not doing a whole lot on the road, so they always feel like a big new event to me.
If you are a through-and-through roadie then I can see them not making much sense - pay fifty quid to ride a route you could do for free the day before, with loads of rubbish riders, and you get a certificate and some tat in a bag.

My friend did the long Flanders one a year or two ago, quite accomplished time trialler and has a massively adapted physiology, could prob hold 250 watts for 2 days, but just no anaerobic window whatsover. Once it settled down he said he just got wheel-sucked the entire way round, driving 20 blokes around the course and unable to drop them off his wheel.