MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Well they’ve won the first two women’s races.
Most of Trek-Segafredo seem to be stuck in that second group on the road!
group 2 not looking particularly anxious. I would guess that the cobbles will string things out and give it more chance of coming back together in some way. Great fun to watch though
Just back from my morning ride - wtf a 1 minute gap!
(Re the Domane - its a shame to hear that. I have a lot of neck muscular issues in the road position, so need a taller more comfy bike plus I'm a nervous descender and the shape/isospeed/tyre would seem to give me a great Essex/Herts bike. Having said that, I've just enjoyed a ride on my TCR like Eastway - pics in the weekend pics thread - whereas although it feels skittish over small gravel maybe I can cope with that and my massage gun... Maybe I should see if a 28mm tyre would fit.)
Just back from my morning ride – wtf a 1 minute gap!
It was all really cagey and scrappy - little breaks, 20" gaps, all brought back but a lot of the favourites were just keeping out of trouble right at the back, saving energy. Suddenly the crosswind picked up and the split just kind of happened, it wasn't really forced. No-one really started drilling it with the aim of splitting it, the gap just...opened. Nothing, nothing, 5", holy shit, what just happened?!
Ineos have played a blinder. Good to see Gilbert in the front group too.
First cobbled sector in <10km
Second group are not having a good day out, significant crash within that in the rush to get to the front for the cobbles.
That's one hell of a dust cloud being kicked up!
1:20 gap isn’t really enough, a crash on a sector or a big push on a longer sector like Saint Python will see it come down. TV coverage doesn’t convey the brutality of riding the stones at high speed.
have to be back in touch really soon now as first bunch has to be 20s or so long
mayhem
my nerves are tattered already, big crash in the front group
I can't imagine how much effort or indeed how you get back if dropped due to a puncture or mechanical etc. Most of us struggle to hit 50km on a downhill let alone sustain it on a flat to close a gap!
shredded quite literally ! 🙁
Rider with flaps of skin hanging off…. 🤢
I think Terpstra is about to be caught.
Still a significant gap back to some of the big names though.
Edit: in fact, given how big the gap is, I'm wondering how long until the second group just calls it a day, especially given that it's only about 1/4 of them actually working.
new dura-ace front mechs are trash
soo many punctures
get off the road man!!
Bloody good job Ganna has been doing all that TT and track pursuit practice, he's needing it with his run of bad luck so far.
would tubeless not prevent the punctures or is there still a risk?
would tubeless not prevent the punctures or is there still a risk?
no idea, last one was wet, one before was 2019 so were tubulars still de rigueur for the last?
just seems to be a lot lot more
top 3 in 2019 were tubulars
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/paris-roubaix-tech-podium-bikes-from-the-hell-of-the-north/
maybe the wet conditions last year helped masked the poorness of tubeless just for this race
are tubeless just poorer grip then because of stronger sidewalls?
would tubeless not prevent the punctures or is there still a risk?
There seemed to be a lot of punctures in the Women's race as well. I'm wondering if they're trying to run them too low and the tyre is burping or rolling in the corners. Just curious if some of it is mechanics / DS not being used to the relatively new tech in such a unique race.
Van Aert on Tubulars?
https://road.cc/content/tech-news/paris-roubaix-mens-tech-photo-gallery-292007
so, we've had all the starters and the fish course, the main course is on the pass and the chef's just called service!
My heart rate is higher than it should be, amazing pictures of the slipping and sliding in the trench… glad it’s not me.
You know what, it's actually quite refreshing to have a complete mix up of the names, not just WvA and MvdP knocking spots off each other.
proper classic
proper classic
Yeah, this is good, real flip-flop of fortunes.
Bit of a lull and a regroup after the chaos of Arenberg.
just hope this doesn't turn into a similar situation as the 2012 Olympics now, where because IGD have so many still in the lead group everyone just sits and waits for them to do it, and as a result the leaders just ride gently to a sprint finish. I want full gas for the next 90 minutes!!!!
I want full gas for the next 90 minutes!!!!
WvA is now on the charge so I think you'll get your wish!
You know what, it’s actually quite refreshing to have a complete mix up of the names, not just WvA and MvdP knocking spots off each other.
and after all the chaos of the last 190km, both have still ended up in the select group at the sticky end
Great riding from Turner, he's been really impressive in last couple of months
Wow, this is just constantly changing!
it really is the race for the lucky hardman.
Impressive how quickly they put gaps into eachother. This group of 4 could be a minute up shortly.
blimey he's human after all !
Lampaert pulled off by a spectator, ooof looked awful.
Lampaert pulled off by a spectator, ooof
I hope he stopped to smack the shit out of that spectator. That was a nasty crash, he went right over, it wasn't just a simple slip, he absolutely went flying. 🙁
what an absolute bell end thing to do.
It didn't look intentional at all, the guy was just leaning into the road and clapping, he didn't literally pull him off. He was far too close though. Utter moron. QST should be suing him the value of the 3rd place prize money as he'd have got that at a minimum.
Plus the value of that nice bike that is probably trashed. Need a few more high profile punishments for dickhead spectators like that woman with the cardboard slogan in the Tour last year.
I said to my kids when they were younger, if they damaged something deliberately I'd be pissed off, but if they damaged or broke something 'accidentally' but where with just a little thought they could have prevented it, I'd be just as pissed off.
That wasn't deliberate but with just a little bit of thought and care and attention, so easily avoided. 'I didn't mean to knock him off' just doesn't cut it for me.
I think the Lampaert crash was because the spectator hit his brake lever, throwing him forward and causing him to high-side.
So Ineos are Quickstep now and Quickstep are Lotto Soudal (who are now Wanty Groupe Goubert).
I think ineos have a way to go for that. But they've sure hit a sparkling bit of classics season form. Until they're doing it year on year out, they're not.
Enjoyed that. Well done ineos. Clearly tubeless technology is a backwards step. Pressures too low means burping and loss of pressures. Dynamic pressure adjustment needed. Or add tubs and latex tubes. Which team had the most punctures?
As for the crash, spectator was leaning a little further out to see than the guy next to him. And clapping. Unfortunate for sure, but part of the sport. Think about spectators on alpe d’huez. You pick the gutter at your peril at the best of times.
Clearly tubeless technology is a backwards step.
Has too many teams drank the journo "you can't pinch flat tubeless" Kool aid perhaps? Although WvA punctured also so maybe everyone just pushing their luck with pressure.
If I ever make it to the amateur event I probably will run tubeless, but with tyre inserts also! Have pinch flatted my share of tubeless tyres in the past 🙄
Found the race curiously underwhelming this year, not sure why.
You pick the gutter at your peril at the best of times.
This. It was a shame he missed the podium. But it’s a risk riding so close to the crowd.
Found the race curiously underwhelming this year, not sure why.
Nobody wants a dry race. Dry weather and pretty dry tactics, with the cobbles playing little role really. And last year was a brutal classic. Nothing would come close to that one. Wet, muddy, couldn’t recognise the riders, random falls on wet cobbles. Utterly brutal. Today was dry and very fast. Puncture fairy tried to play her role, but I felt the same too.
I thought there was a constant ebb and flow of fortunes, which was entertaining. Not sure if I would wish a wet Roubaix on anybody - those cobbles are so hard to hit when crashing!
As for the punctures, I slashed my front tyre on Saturday and was considering trying road tubeless (Conti GP 5000 TL) but after the weekend's racing I might wait another year or two.
Do we know for sure the numbers of punctures always actually higher or that those puncturing were on tubeless. I am tubeless agnostic on the road so not fussed either way. It was also said it was the fastest ever edition so maybe they were hitting the cobbles faster and that caused punctures?
I'd like to see some proper numbers on flats vs tyre type - Van Barle had at least one - but ultimately Roubaix is probably not the best use-case for tubeless IMO. Much better on general road riding than big hits when you're on 30mm tyres (unless rim/sidewall design is altered somehow there's always going to be pinching)
nice to see G racing @ La Flèche Wallonne
How fast was that bike change? I only remember hine doing 2 but it appears he did 4 and still came second
Here's a fun fact about Flèche Wallone: it's the only race in Belgium that ends on a climb that is fatal to famous Scottish track cyclists.
shame no Pog for LBL. Will WvA be marked out of it ?
Given who else is riding I suspect WvA will prevail. Not sure quite what the other teams can do to make it harder for him
looks like the lurgy is running through brexit jims boys
WvA will do well to prevail at L-B-L, it really is a leg-shredder. Although the longest climbs are only 5km, total ascent is 4,500m which is more climbing than a big mountain tour stage - the route back from Bastogne is constantly up and down with little time for recovery.
I’ve ridden the sportive a few times -it really is an epic day out.
almighty crash 🙁 carnage! Tom Pidcock? thrown into the trees 🙁
looks like someone slipped off the edge of the road and then it spread from there. super carnage
come on Tom, back in the cars
Landa dishing out the pain.
this is frantic stuff!
It's gone off now with Remco hitting the front, boom, off he goes
he's free and clear !
boom! the counter, though theres no catching the belgian whippet!
fantastic race
Scary how good he is, but that's a mistake a peleton will not make again. Funny thing is WVA getting back on most likely helped win it for him!!
Velo news reporting Alaphillippe could move his legs in ambulance which is good because Bardet said he couldn't move. Hope he's ok
two fractured ribs a fractured shoulder blade and a collapsed lung 🙁 great sportsmanship shown by Bardet. Good and bad day for Quickstep Van Wilder also suffered a broken Jaw. I wonder if Remco will get Julians seat @ le tour ?
Perfectly timed attack, the descent off LaRedoute is fast but twisty, Remco hitting 76kph on the descents and sustaining 50-60kph on the flats meant it needed to be a concerted chase to get back to him - when WvA got back to the front group is was game-over.
but that’s a mistake a peleton will not make again
I doubt it. It's not an uncommon "mistake". Quite often the pursuers will be looking at each other to chase.
Exactly that yes. If that were the case, every event would be a bunch finish. Sometimes it's just a question of perfect timing. This year's classics have shown that brilliantly with great timing and tactics from various riders and teams.
There have been some great examples of great timing in this classics season, but MVDP at the Ronde tops it for me.
Bahrain were great went they let's sling a load of attacks down the road and then have nothing left to chase when the guy who was clearly going to attack attacked.
Shame Pog was t around would have been quite something had he gone clear with Remco