Etixx messed up again though. 2 riders in 6.

GT is totally epic.
Always thought he was a handy rider but what he did today was EPIC.
Not just because he won the E3 on Friday, or that today was a hard race in fowl conditions or because he went over the bars.
But the amount of work he did in that group was outstanding.

Thought I was recording it as had to go out and user error’ed!!

What’s the summary of the last 50km?

Ta!

Summary of the last 50k

Everyone gets battered by the wind
Jurgen Rolandts goes off the front on some mega solo victory attempt with 100k to go. Gets a gap on the rest of the field.
Everyone gets battered by the wind
Second group goes off the front led by Daniel Oss including massive bloke from Quickstep, Thomas, Seb Van Marke and some Lotto sprinter who wheel sucks for the entire length (and is brother in law to Rolandts!).
Terpster makes the jump to second group.
Supa Luca bridges across to second group while Sagan sits in looking grumpy and rubbish
Everyone gets battered by the wind
Quickstep make a massive hash of everything, puncturing, getting dropped, dropping each other due to not having their ear pieces in
Rolandts gets caught with about 20k to go looking absolutely nailed (and fair play, headwind for the majority of the break)
Tractors!
5’ish K to go, supa Luca goes off the front and the rest second guess each other until Terpster and Thomas try to chase. Chase fails, Luca wins and Sagan is probably still riding around Belgium

Luca P is a class act. He wasn’t the strongest and was pretty cooked getting dropped on the two final climbs but rode tactically – thoroughly deserved and one of the best races I’ve watched.

The fact G not only got back on his bike, but actually got back into the break was just mind blowing.

Made it look easy too…

I’m waiting for his tweet of the day 😆

I expect it’ll contain something about the Belgian Road Champion… 😆

Brad pulled out within the first hour 😛

Nice to see Luca get a win seeing he’s usually doing sterling domestique duties for others. Did he even really attack? Looked like he sort of just drifted off the front when there was a bit of a lull and just kept going. Chapeau!

Flange, great summary 😆

It was terrible over there. Some places the wind turned your walk into a run. And it was hard to breathe with it in your face. Great day for us punters riding it Saturday.

And G’s tweet after the G-W ???

“I could smash a Sunday Roast now, Lamb & mint sauce obvs”

Hero 😆

https://inrng.tumblr.com/post/114961424428

I’ll just leave this here because **** me that’s nasty!!! Stoked* for Thomas, he’s smashing it!

Bloody gutted I missed it on Eurosport, couldn’t see it when I searched 🙁

* Are we allowed to use Stoked when discussing road races?! 😛

Really enjoyed the classics so far this season, not just for Thomas and Stanard winning, thought yesterdays race was fascinating

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/30/bradley-wiggins-history-paris-roubaix-classic

Just read this and getting all worked up for Paris-Roubaix, some good racing in-between now and then though. No Cancellara and Boonen will be a shame, but anyone who wins P-R is deserving. Thinking Stybar could be a sneaky shout if his team* doesn’t scupper themselves again

*loose affiliation of riders gunning for themselves in Quiksteps case

Hmmmm don’t forget Tour of Flanders this Sunday. It’s on Eurosport from 1330..

I’m going for an Etixx Dutch/Czech 1-2 Terpstra/Stybar.. Outside bet will be Van Avermart.

Loving the Etixx lockout so far, hope it continues.

Got an odd feeling that Greg V A might pull it off, also find it odd that suddenly team Sky in G have a respected favourite going into a monument, let alone a cobbled one! Another top 5 for him.

Gonna miss Fabs V Tom though, gutted.

Wiggins on the wet cobbles… hmmm…

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt5h-rnsF6I[/video]

… still bloody excited about it all though 🙂

Loving the Etixx lockout so far, hope it continues.

Indeed. Starting to look like amateurs. Love to hear their briefing for this weekend.

Well they have won Strada Bianchi and KBK. A few stage wins and Qatar. Still I think the winningest team so far this season. And everything so far is just preparation for Flanders and Roubaix. Does highlight how important tactically Boonen was to Etixx though, even if he wasn’t on top form.

Its not a total hatred of Etixx as I love the way Kwiatkowski has raced in the rainbow stripes with real pride, (and Cav clearly). Its more of a dislike of the entitlement that Patrick Lefevere seems to think his team has on all things cobbled, not unlike Sky at the Tour of Britain really.

Anyway for those really wanting to geek out its the Three Days of De Panne starting today, confusingly its four stages over three days. Sir Brad is on the team sheet for Sky.

http://www.veloclub-depanne.be/home_en.html

David Millar even won the overall in 2010.

Thought this was interesting:

Opening few km’s of De Panne neutralised it seems. Too windy.

Peloton has a right hardon for Wiggo at times don’t they…would love to see him win Paris-Roubaix but I just can’t see it!

Surprised by Paolini saying that Brad was going to win PR. Although to be honest I’m starting the think its actually written in the stars that he might well do 😯

Would be a great way to finish, and I’d love him to win it. I said earlier that I really couldn’t see how he could win it, but with Cancellara out it does open up a tiny opportunity. Also hope having too many “leaders” doesn’t scupper Thomas’s chances. Looks to be on great form and has actually finished some races recently too, never mind being at the sharp end!

Etixx are second after Sky in the World Tour rankings. Hardly a bad start to the season.

No one is say they are. However there are really only 2 races in the entire season for them, so we’ll know soon enough how their season has gone.

there are really only 2 races in the entire season for them

I think Patrick Lefevere might disagree

Probably, but I’m sure he’d trade wins in most for Flanders and Roubaix.

Let’s focus on RVV first lads..

Pick yer 1,2,3…

I’ve gone Terpstra/Stybar & GvAvamart..

Could be the a mix up of that, and I expect Thomas to be in the top 5.

there are really only 2 races in the entire season for them

I think Patrick Lefevere might disagree [/quote]

See the latest inrng article for that conclusion too:
http://inrng.com/2015/04/held-to-higher-standards/

Anyway RvV

Yup, Thomas top 5, Greg V A for the win

interesting article, thanks, I can see your reasons now. I feel better informed.

Predictions. GVA probably. Degenklob maybe. Of the quick steppers I’d go for Stybar over Terpstra. Thomas (strong team with Wiggins, Eisel and Stannard). Sagan unlikely. Certainly be a different race without Cancellara.

Kristoff pretty impressive at De Panne. Won all three road stages and the overall. Got respectably close to Wiggins in the TT mashing a huge gear too.

Thomas – Greg Van Gilbert (they both look/ride the same so it counts as one…) – Stybar, Kristoff to bring in the sprint for the minors.

The way Sagan is going you’d think he had the Rainbow’s on his back…

Just watched the TT from De Panne, Brad is looking bloody strong and the way he was taking those corners tells me he’s in one of his “I’m bossing this shit” moods, can see him smashing PR if he’s feeling like this 8)

Assume Kristoff was pushing a 55/11 all the around!

Agree on Sir Bradley, he did loads of work on the front at De Panne. And seeing him hanging off the bike round the corners MotoGP style was amusing. I’m starting to think he may just be up for Roubaix. Still can’t quite see how he’d win it though.

Blimey, Sky to use bouncy rear ends at Flanders and Roubaix. Had to check the date wasn’t 1st April on the article!

Everyone out riding today?

Good preview over at inrng.

Rain stops play today, it’s bloody horrible here, proper miserable rain/sleet and wind, I’d considered trying to reclaim some KOMZ on the race bike haha!

Kids have been forced upstairs with magazines and a DVD, re-watching 2014 Flanders 8) Not sure where the Mrs is…assume she’s not in the kids’ room…

re-watching 2014 Flanders

Just teeing it up now for a session on the turbo 🙂