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Couldn't see a thread for the "official" start of the road racing season (in spite of the fact that most riders have already done Tour Down Under or Volta ao Algarve.
I'm travelling today so not watching anything live but it's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad today and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne tomorrow.
Then the races come thick and fast for the rest of the month up to Paris-Roubaix.
Guide to everything here:
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-classics-monuments-cobbles
Live text coverage on cyclingnews and it'll be on EuroSport.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/omloop-het-nieuwsblad-2024/elite-men/live-report/
Without a doubt the best time of the year for road racing, I don't watch any sport on TV apart form the Classics.
There's a load of contenders for the big races this year with WvA and MvdP both looking good. I really hope this is the breakthrough year for Arnaud De Lie, he could be something special.
Yep, looking forward to it.
I've left subscribing to Discovery/Eurosport till today to minimise the cost now GCN+ has gone. It'll have to be a couple of months though to cover all the Classics and early Monuments.
Fingers crossed Julian Alaphilippe returns to form, can't wait to see him livening things up.
Visma aren't pissing about....
1. Dylan van Baarle (Ned); 2. Wout van Aert; 3. Christophe Laporte (Fra); 4. Tiesj Benoot; 5. Jan Tratnik (Sln); 6. Matteo Jorgenson (USA); 7. Edoardo Affini (Ita)
There’s a load of contenders for the big races this year with WvA and MvdP both looking good
No MvdP today - in fact he's not racing until Milan - San Remo.
Be interesting to see if the dynamic in the Women's field has changed now that AvV has retired.
Be interesting to see if the dynamic in the Women’s field has changed now that AvV has retired.
I predict SD Worx to take the top 6 positions in the Omloop. Have you seen their roster?
I predict SD Worx to take the top 6 positions in the Omloop. Have you seen their roster?
Yep, pretty stacked!
https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/omloop-het-nieuwsblad-women-2024/elite-women/live-report/
No MvdP today – in fact he’s not racing until Milan – San Remo.
Giving everyone else a chance, having seen his form in CX this year!
wish who ever is directing the coverage would get a grip.... 😕
ffs what is this rubbish?
looks like Alaphillipe has been over the bars into a muddy ditch!
Julian is down again!
Pretty cool to see Toms Skujiņš in the mix today. Seeing how good he was at Worlds in Glasgow last year he's been my sneaky pick for a good classics result.
Jumbo-not-jumbo-any-more have played a blinder thus far (unsurprisingly) but there's still plenty of scope for them to Quickstep this up.
As soon as I finished typing the peloton ate up Wout and Laporte. RACE TIME.
I was in Ghent this week. The folk we were working with were getting very excited, both for domestic and bigger races. They were all off to watch one this weekend.
Well, visma seemed to fluff their numerical advantage only to then elverage their numerical advantage in a different way. Obviously I'm always going to root for a non-visma underdog but you have to and it to them - they don't make thir dominance look boring.
Womens race on now. Puck Peiterse has my stamp of approval for this one.
Just caught up on the women’s race.
Great result for Vos, looks like she’s getting back to her best.
I think Puck Pieterse will bag one of the big races this year.
Well neither of those went as I expected. What happened to SD Worx? Why hadn't they smashed the race into pieces before the coverage started? Delighted to see Vos win. Good effort by Lidl Trek too.
Just caught up with both races.
Visma-Lease a Bike had a good day out!
Delighted to see Vos win
Vos is amazing, it's always great to see her win.
Right on to Kuurne - Brussels - Kuurne then!
Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) won last year and starts with #1 for the same but rebranded team, Visma-LeaseABike. The interesting bit of the race is actually the beginning where it uses cobbled climbs - the last 40-odd miles is a flat finale for the sprinters.
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/kuurne-brussel-kuurne/2024/startlist
I wonder how long it will take the commentators to stop automatically saying “Jumbo” and not “lease-a-bike”? I do feel for them since I’ll be saying “Jumbo” until about July.
Great race OHN. Super unpredictable. Just when you thought one group had is in the bag they were caught and another group formed.
oh and advertising works. I looked up Lease-a-bike.nl and it looks like a business to business scheme.
In a fairly predictable finish, WvA got it from a 3-up "sprint" (in as much as any of them had anything left to sprint - the poor Movistar rider Oier Lazkano attempted to sprint but he was so wrecked it amounted to little more than a token effort).
The 3-up group behind got caught by the bunch before a small crash disrupted the bunch sprint. Fred Wright was well up there.
Here's a cartoon from the Belgian press today:
https://twitter.com/inrng/status/1762048322443903461?s=20
I don't mind their dominance when it looks like the Omloops (Chaos in mens, Vos in womens) but KBK was less exciting.
Still, the cast of characters and nature of the racing looks set to evolve in the next few weeks so there's still plenty of scope for more ciclismo to occur.
In a fairly predictable finish...
Maybe but Wout tearing the race to bits so far out was mighty impressive.
Good thread!
And my fave this weekend - Strade Bianche. Both the white roads and the Siena finish are so iconic.
Would love to go and do the sportive. I've done Paris-Roubaix and SB is definitely next on the list.
Le Samyn tomorrow - I'm at work sadly (actually in the office) otherwise I'd have had it on in the background while WFH. One of the more underrated races of the year, often a chance to see some of the "lesser" names take centre stage for once.
But yes, really looking forward to Strade Bianche at the weekend. 🙂
And my fave this weekend – Strade Bianche. Both the white roads and the Siena finish are so iconic.
Would love to go and do the sportive. I’ve done Paris-Roubaix and SB is definitely next on the list.
Some mates did it last year, it was awesome apparently, some are going again this year...I am very jealous.
Siena has to be the most incredible place for a finish. The rest of the race is pretty cool too.
Le Samyn tomorrow
seems strange theres no Quickstep, not quite the same without the wolf pack 😕
De Lie only himself to blame wants to fight everyone ! 🙂
dropping like flies 🙁
Siena has to be the most incredible place for a finish. The rest of the race is pretty cool too.
Was researching the route for one reason or another, that brutal final climb is usually a one way downhill, think you could only ride it for real during an event (or a sneaky early morning raid, as required if you want to cycle UP Lombard St. 😎 ).
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/strade-bianche-all-you-need-to-know
Couple of links to this weekend's is it/isn't it a Monument, Strade Bianche.
Longer race this year with an extra loop of a couple of the gravel sectors.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/strade-bianche-2024-analysing-the-contenders/
Quick look through the contenders, past winners etc for tomorrow's race.
And the startlists are here;
Men: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/strade-bianche/2024/startlist
Women: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/strade-bianche-donne/2024/startlist
Looking forward to this one. The weather here looks rubbish so I'll be happy on a sofa for half the day!
Looking forward to the race but gutted that I'm at work and I'll be stuck somewhere that there's no wifi and no decent mobile coverage.
Hopefully Discovery have some highlights.
I do, however, have holiday booked for Flanders and Roubaix weekends and the collection of Belgian beers is slowly growing. Luckily for me, my good lady likes the Classics as well so it'll be a couple of days of beers and Moules-frites in our house!
Last 25km of the Women's race now - break of 3 have 15" ahead of a chasing group consisting of all the favourites currently being lead by Lizzie Deignan. Weather looks a bit grey and damp but Siena still manages to look stunning.
Womens race was good from what I saw
Was brilliant, yes. Very attacking, a real war of attrition.
Men's race on now and the peloton has already been absolutely shredded. UAE Team Emirates drilling it.
Pog has nicked G's sunglasses !
Alaphillipe has abandoned and it's absolutely chucking it down!
Yep, that's torrential rain! They're not white roads any more...
This is allegedly the bit where Pog said he'd attack. It's also the stretch where Top Pidcock attacked when he won.
Jens Voight on the moto is ace, he's so deadpan.
And sure enough, Pogacar goes!
Peloton looks to have pretty much sat up now. Mind-boggling.
battering the crap out of each other behind! now UAE on the front slowing it down!
That's some mental crowds now as well!
Pidcock putting a dig in now. He's got his work cut out to make the podium though.
I think the race is just too hard now, there's hardly anyone left and there're all wrecked.
they all look like they are pedaling squares
Just finished watching Strade on catch up - what was under Pog's saddle? Was it just the transponder as it looked awfully like a tool wrap!
No commentary, from 93km to go if any one wants to watch.
Amazing ride by Pog. Felt at first that the reason he got away was everyone looking at each other and not wanting to risk blowing up, but agree that the rest just seemed knackered. Appreciated Pidcock's honesty in his interview!
Impressive but dull.
Impressive but dull.
👆
most notable bit of the last 80k was that bloke slapping pog square on the forehead
he is really suited to this kind of racing, his seated power is just so good he doesn't have to risk losing traction out of the saddle and he can hold his own with the sketchy stuff on the downs (also it's a very difficult to chase down a lone rider in this kind of terrain if his team has already smashed the race wide open, there's only a few places where through and off can be utilized and most of the riders left consider themselves contenders so are unwilling to burn their chances on the front). Wouldn't bet against him repeating his tour of flanders win in a similar fashion (if he rides it).
Toms Skujiņš up there again. One of the riders of the classics so far.
The womens race was (as usual) excellent today. I know SD worx winning is a bit samey, but seeing the other teams getting closer and closer is fascinating. Also got to give kudos to Kpecky for playing that to perfection.
Yep, the women's race was more dynamic, more constantly changing. Great ride from Lotte Kopecky.
Impressive but dull.
It was simply too hard, there were maybe 8 riders left in it at the end. It didn't need the extra loop in it at all.
Anyway, onto Milan - San Remo in 2 weeks time where MvdP will be making his road racing season opener!
Always love a Tom Pidcock interview.
Almost as good as "he was just playing with our balls really"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IF3KxWJp2DQ
Not sure the extra loop was really needed, it seems to have become more of a climbers course; the race was fine as it was enabling classics riders, climbers, GT winners to be all in the mix.
If it's not broken, don't fix it. Can't help but think they organisers have been persuaded by all the 'Monument' talk.....
Those 5 races are all of their time; late 19th/early 20th century...so over 100 years of history; stop trying to make this race something it's not.....186km & 3500m of climbing is more than enough for a great race.
You might be right @wipperman95 but I think it's hard to judge the course based on yesterday's race. Just about any race at the moment can be rendered dull with the presence of one of the superhumans if they're unopposed. Without Pog there yesterday (or with, say an in form WvA) it could have been quite the punch-up.
(or with, say an in form WvA)
Nah, WvA plays by the rules too much, one of the reasons I think he has sadly been eclipsed by MvdP/Pog etc. in big monuments and one-day races
He would not have attacked there and at best would just have ridden himself into the ground chasing. Particularly during the big monuments WvA always seems to be on the wrong side of heroic yet doomed chases
I think only an inform MVdP would have stood a chance of following that attack.
Particularly during the big monuments WvA always seems to be on the wrong side of heroic yet doomed chases
Actually I'm going to amend that statement to 'often' seems to be on the wrong side, not forgetting his own S.B. victory or sprint finish defeat against MvdP in RvV
Interesting, looking at it, it seems like future desires in terms of Tours etc has somewhat killed off the WvA we used to see, he seemed to have more power previously and would destroy a field and attack. He's now far more of a tempo and a sitting kind of racer. Pogacar and VdP are still animals and just hit the bunch whenever and however they feel 'right'.
you do get the feeling that WvA looks at the Tom Dumoulin 2017 Giro win and thinks yeah I could do that.
The point I was trying to make is that if someone who could follow pogs moves was there it could have been a good watch. WvA has been in the finale with pog a bunch of times (last years classics, Glasgow worlds) - although granted he’s usually in 2nd place at the end of the day. But yeah, sub in a MvdP (or maybe a Remco, even Roglič at a stretch) to go toe to toe with Pog then we probably wouldn’t criticise the course for being too hard.
It’s the same with any of the races at the moment. If one of the superstars is there unopposed the race is usually dull but throw a few of them in the mix and we get awesome racing.
Taking my own thread off topic cos it's obviously not a cobbled classic but Paris-Nice - the Race to the Sun - is looking really ****ing grim at the moment!
Shortened stage due to the snow on the mountains but it's chucking it down, spray going everywhere and everyone is looking thoroughly miserable.
Back to the Classics this next weekend with Milan - San Remo.
was'nt very nice @ Tirreno-Adriatico either 😕 Both Cav and Froome timed out on stage 5 by about 8 mins as Vinggegggaaaarrrddd rip everyone a new one.
OK it's not cobbled but it is a Classic - a Monument even!
After a couple of weeks off for some stage race stuff, we're back in Classics territory with Milan-San Remo and Cyclist have kindly done a bit of a guide to it (with further links in the article to the route, timings etc)
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/milan-san-remo-predictions-2024
Personally my guide to it is to ignore the first 220km and tune in for the last 80km but what do I know?!
can the Pog smash the poggio fast enough to gap the likes of MvdP & Mohoric and the descend like the hounds of hell are on his tail 😕 it would be nice cos then he has to ride Roubaix one day for the full set.
has a team ever smashed it on the Cipressa to force a win ?
looking very pleasant weather wise.
In short, yup.
I suspect the UAE plan will be to do whatever they can to thin things out before the cipressa then try and get over the top of that with as few people as possible. Will be interesting to see if it's possible or not.
Failing that I'd like to see a total outsider win. Throwing my hat in the ring for Benoît Cosnefroy.
rocking all white with stripes and a mullet..... MdvP leads them out
lot of talk of UAE going up the Cipressa in a sub nine minutes
must be a nightmare of a race to ride - 27 hours in the saddle and a seaside town every few hundred yards, so nowhere to take a piss without a cheering crowd lurking round a corner
lot of talk of UAE going up the Cipressa in a sub nine minutes
That didn't seem to work, the peloton seemed well prepared for that.
Poggio just coming up, everything looking frantic.
Actually really tense! That was one hell of a descent too.
Really quite pleased that one of the big 2 didn't win
Lance won't be happy with all the backslapping and hugs after the finish line 😂
Great descent off the Poggio by Pidders but no way he could live with those fast guys.