it’s on now!

oooh wet cobbles :)

Great races. No spoilers from me.

Start list for tomorrow’s Men’s Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne:

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/kuurne-brussel-kuurne/2023/startlist

Quick rundown of the parcours and the favourites here:

https://www.cyclingstage.com/kuurne-brussels-kuurne-2023/favourites-kbk-2023/

Hands up who predicted that the team with the most Brits in a Belgian classic would be FDJ.

just going to post Jumbo dishing out the pain, and wham Jasper down in a heap hard!

That poor Uno-X rider looked in a bad way as well. :-(

Jumbo on form!

they’ve smashed it with 80k tp go!

What would really help is F1-style graphics – picking out individual riders, is the gap going out or coming down, speed and so on. For small breakaway groups, the rider names should be on the screen the whole time.

A few weeks ago, Anthony McCrossan (commentator) asked on Twitter what info people wanted to see on screen and there were loads of replies about power and HR. How about just getting the basics on there?!

Climb name and profile would be good too.

Well, only one team there. And it wasn’t INEOS.

Good finish!

And we move to Italy next week for Strada Bianche!

can’t believe Alaphilippe is riding it again this year after the torrid time he’s had before… the man has no fear :)

can’t believe Alaphilippe is riding it again this year after the torrid time he’s had before… the man has no fear 🙂

What, like winning in 2019?🤓🤪

crazy-legs
Full Member
And we move to Italy next week for Strada Bianche!

2nd best Monument behind P-R 😉.

best Monument behind PR, RVV, MSR, Tour of Lombardy & LBL (and Tros Bro Leon & Omloop) ftfy ;)

best Monument behind PR, RVV, MSR, Tour of Lombardy & LBL (and Tros Bro Leon & Omloop) ftfy 😉

It’s the most photogenic of the early season races!

It’s the most photogenic of the early season races!

The spring races aren’t meant to be photogenic; they’re black and white photos, misery and dirt, hardship and the working class roots of cycling, Mercx, Kelly and De Vlaeminck not poncing around in Tuscany ;)

kilo
Full Member
best Monument behind PR, RVV, MSR, Tour of Lombardy & LBL

I’d be amazed if Milan-San Remo is even the best bike race finishing in San Remo, let alone better than SB.

best Monument behind PR, RVV, MSR, Tour of Lombardy & LBL (and Tros Bro Leon & Omloop) ftfy 😉

😂 nah it’s the best monument (that isn’t). It’s (Strada) my favourite race of the early season. But far to picturesque (as others have said) to be a grit and grime monument. Tro Bro is an amazing race. It has a sense of history and place that is absolutely tangible.

Tro Bro is an amazing race.

Yes! I still revisit the YouTube footage from that particularly wet edition one or two seasons past, motorbikes going down in front of riders and team cars in ditches 😂

Actually, Le Samyn and Le Samyn Des Dammes both on tomorrow.

Men’s startlist:
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/gp-samyn/2023/startlist

Women’s startlist:
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/le-samyn-des-dames/2023/startlist

OK, it’s more of a “semi-classic”…

Pog & WVA not riding strada :(

What would really help is F1-style graphics

Nah, keep it simple.

I learned something today on a vaguely related subject – the word “kermesse” is derived from the Flemish for church mass, cos kermesses were held on those days. Probably you already knew. Or don’t care. But I thought it was interesting – I’ve heard that word for ever and had no idea :-)

Pog & WVA not riding strada

Bit disappointed in both to be honest, WvA missed a few days training but it’s difficult to respect a decision that appears to be based on ‘I don’t think I’m going to win’.

Are they waiting for MvdP to come down from his CX World Champs peak?

WvA missed a few days training but it’s difficult to respect a decision that appears to be based on ‘I don’t think I’m going to win’.

Without knowing anything about it, I would assume its more to do with his recovery post-illness and how it might affect him further into the season. These guys put their bodies through a lot of abuse. It’s a fine line to walk, and racing while not 100% recovered could easily push you well over it.

Pog & WVA not riding strada

I imagine that’s to do with them competing in events shortly afterwards.

Le Samyn was unexpectedly good – breakaway, caught, split again, caught again, small bunch sprint.
Victor Campanaerts was right up there for a long time on his massive single ring / Powershift rear hub set up then he got a bit clipped in the finish as a couple of other riders went down.

Women’s race was a 2-up break that stayed clear (just).

Right – sunshine in Tuscany incoming!

Strade Bianche 2023: Route, riders and all you need to know

i thought the Trek trio were going to keep that final split.. and arguably they really should have, they had 4-5s at one stage and needed more power right there and then.

Victor Campanaerts was right up there for a long time on his massive single ring / Powershift rear hub set up

The commentators kept talking like this meant he had to be in a high gear. Surely that’s not the case – what am I missing?

The commentators kept talking like this meant he had to be in a high gear. Surely that’s not the case – what am I missing?

Well assuming he had a decent cassette fitted then yeah, he wasn’t exactly going 60-11 all day :D

The commentators kept talking like this meant he had to be in a high gear. Surely that’s not the case – what am I missing?

For whatever reason, he uses higher gears than “normal”. He’s running it with a 60T (I think he had 62T at OHN) but the rear hub acts as a derailleur – it’s got a planetary gear in there so it can run a 1:1 ratio or a 1:0.686 so it’s effectively the same as having a 42/60T chainring set up.

It has to be used with the Classified cassette which is bigger anyway so he’s not using a standard 11-28 Shimano, it’s something like 11-32.

Classified Powershift hub review

Most chainsets in the pro peloton now are 42/54 or 42/55 anyway – they went back to bigger with the generally increased speeds as a result of better aero kit – so VC’s setup isn’t that different to “normal”. Bigger rings are marginally more efficient as well.

Chain-line innit. Instead of often riding the little inefficient cogs on the cassette with a slightly skewed chain, you get to spend more time in the middle 😀

“My bike cost more than your car”
Campenaerts “My drive train cost more than your car”

One thing I’d like on GCN – especially on the “highlights” – is actual information. THe ften miss basic stuff like who’s in the break, and which teams do they ride for? I’m not familiar with every single rider in the pro peloton and if I’m watching the highlights, it’s becuase I haven’t watched the entire rice and so don’t know how the current situation evolved – so while I can recognise names like Campanearts, Van Hooydonck, Wellens, Van Der Hoorn and so on, I don’t necessarily know which team they ride for. Ned & Dave on ITV4 do a much better job of this kind of thing

For whatever reason, he uses higher gears than “normal”.

Time trialist innit? I reckon if he’d have got to the end of the Rue Bellevue on the last lap in a leading group he could have ground his way to the win by simple virtue of having a higher gear and able to push a higher speed than the others.

But yes, the commentators seem to have missed that the Classified Hub is simply a replacement for double chainrings, not some sort of magic. I haven’t seen it confirmed but I reckon the main reason for trying it was to reduce the chance of dropping the chain on the cobbles, a bit like Lizzie using a single chainring when she won Paris Roubaix.

Strada Bianche course preview – it’s looking slightly grim out there so the people that wanted epic and gritty and black & white rather than sunshine and scenery may well get their wishes!

Can we have a sweepstake on how many times the commentary will mention that some of the CX riders may be more at home in the muddy conditions? 😉

… or “come form mountain-biking so a great descender”

NOt actually sure when i’ll get to see this… can’t recall the last time i missed it live.