The Cobbled Classics thread – spoilers!

Great descent off the Poggio by Pidders but no way he could live with those fast guys.

Yeah but in that situation you just have to go for it – if you know you can’t win a sprint against the likes of Philipsen, you just have to go early and hope that there’s enough looking around and hesitation in the group behind to pull it off.

He did well and it’s better to finish 11th by giving it everything and “failing” than by sitting in the bunch and getting your arse kicked in a sprint anyway.

The women have Trofeo Alfredo Binda tomorrow:
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/trofeo-alfredo-binda-preview

Yeah but in that situation you just have to go for it – if you know you can’t win a sprint against the likes of Philipsen, you just have to go early and hope that there’s enough looking around and hesitation in the group behind to pull it off.

Yes, of course.

Was happy that neither Pog nor MVDP dominated. Not a criticism, just that it’s boring.

Pog talked about the UAE “plan” and how they are “perfecting” it. I didn’t see much of a plan beyond the usual “get a bunch of blokes on the front, ride very fast, burn everyone off, and Pog takes a flyer”. None of it worked.

Too bad that Pidcock didn’t cling on. I’d have been happy to see Mads Pedersen win, but you have to give credit to Philipsen – he is a very good sprinter!!

Brugge de Panne today (for the Men) and tomorrow (Women’s race). Sadly only highlight on Eurosport this evening (5.30pm UK time). It used to be a 3-day but switched to a 1-day Classic in about 2018.

Normally one for the sprinters although last year, British rider Pfeiffer Georgi won the Women’s race with a solo attack from 7km out.

Women’s team SD Worx won’t be there, the whole team has pulled out due to various riders having injuries from a big crash at Nokere.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/classic-brugge-de-panne/

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/classic-brugge-de-panne-2024-preview

Eurosport has Brugge De Panne listed on the schedule at 14:15.

Eurosport has Brugge De Panne listed on the schedule at 14:15.

I’ve got Volta a Catalunya on at the moment until BdP highlights later.
Pogacar blew the Volta to bits yesterday, made it look like a little training ride.

Unfortunately the Volta has Carlton Kirby and Brian Smith commentating and I can’t stand Smith!

Pogacar blew the Volta to bits yesterday, made it look like a little training ride.

Did I read that they went away on a two man break, he stopped for pee and hid in a bush whilst the peloton passed him, then jumped on the back again? It was on road.cc earlier (headline ‘literally taking the piss’ 😂)

much the same today  from only about 8k out , first WvA v MvdP road match up Friday @ E3 Saxo, not much work done friday afternoon 🙂 Carlton “We Shall See” Kirby 😕

Unfortunately the Volta has Carlton Kirby and Brian Smith commentating and I can’t stand Smith!

It’s Carlton I struggle with. I sometimes wonder if he’s commentating on the race that I’m watching.

E3 could be a cracker, Flanders will be great, Wout has laid his cards down can MVdP drop him or get inside his head 1v1 in a sprint. Jumbo may try to work him over with attacks but he might just let them go at Flanders and follow Wout. Wout seems under more pressure to win (self induced).

If MVdP attacks can Wout follow, that kick from MVdP to close down Pogs attack on the Poggio was hugely impressive, he flew across that gap.

“Unfortunately the Volta has Carlton Kirby and Brian Smith commentating and I can’t stand Smith!”

Do they not have the ambient sound option on the multi-language feed anymore? I used that a lot last season.

I can’t put my finger on why I’m so pessimistic about WvA’s chances, but I can’t see him taking RvV or Roubaix sadly.

Pogacar and MvdP have been looking spectacular so far and both seem better suited to the sort of mad impulsive (or just impressive) attacks that decide these races now. I guess WvA *might* have gapped MvdP last year if it weren’t for the puncture, but it would also have been entirely typical of MvdP to have bridged it.

Also Phillipsen looks to have found his best form right now and of course he outsprinted WvA for second at Roubaix last year (albeit I think WvA had spent himself chasing MvdP so probably not a ‘fair’ sprint).

That being said, I would be interested to see if WvA’s block at altitude has any effect (is laps of Mt Teide really ‘altitude’ training?)

Bit of a scrappy sprint in the Women’s race, Elisa Balsamo getting back-to-back wins following her victory in Trofeo Alfredo Binda last weekend.

Busy weekend ahead. E3 Saxo Classic tomorrow which Rouleur are touting as the first big showdown of the Classics season between MvdP and WvA (the winner last year). Pogacar was 3rd last year but he’s prancing up mountains in Spain at the moment.

https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/the-first-clash-of-titans-it-s-van-der-poel-versus-van-aert-at-e3-saxo-classic

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/everything-you-need-for-the-e3-saxo-classic-key-information-route-start-list-and-riders-to-watch

And then Gent-Wevelghem on Sunday!

I see Cavendish has assembled both Bol and Morkov for the G-W, i wonder if he thinks he’s got a chance of keeping it mostly together ? Must admit his choice of early season racing has confused my slightly as he’s ridden mostly hilly races and in the sprints he’s been in, he’s been fairly off the pace (apart from one where he went too early)

Slightly disappointed that the E3 is only on TV from 1pm today, thought i’d check Discovery+ to see if it was on for longer there, but seems it’s the same time as well…

I’m just hoping that the WvA and MvdP fun hasn’t already kicked off by then.

nothing has kicked off yet, looking pretty miserable out there 🙂

Yeah i’m glad we made it there for the E3/G-W on the year we went, we got decent/great weather, t-shirt and shorts for the full weekend. Looks far less friendly for this one. I’m not sure i’d have made the 145km ride if it was like this that’s for sure.

nothing has kicked off yet, looking pretty miserable out there 🙂

Blown to bits now! Moves going left right and centre!

Just as you say that, another goes!

kicking lumps out of each other with 60k still to go!  must be the ghost of Pog playing on their minds 😉

BOOM again.. again, again.. lol… It’s awesome… this is why i love watching the Belgian races.

Here we go, the MvdP / WvA smashfest!

I’ve ridden that cobbled sector. Not at that speed though. 😳

WvA looks happy to take it  to a bunch sprint 😕

WvA goes down!
Back on and riding but it’ll be brutal to get back to the front.

I wondered looking at that if he blame Kung for putting him off or was just circumstances.

The next 2-3km will decide this

That’s it, all over IMO.

They’re not getting that back

I dunno, WvA has pulled back 10-15 seconds already. The 3rd group on the road is messing around, if WvA puts his head down and drills it, he can get it back. The two of them will then spend the final 30km knocking spots off each other.

Yeah it’s an intriguing one. About 15s after I wrote it Jorgensen pulled WvA and he went after the leader. Most interesting

has WvA “blown” ?

Not sure, for some weird reason I’m watching on Eurosport so getting adverts. I’ll switch to discovery in a minute

Going back out again isn’t it? WvA looking slightly more laboured now – he looked like he was on a mission 5-10 minutes ago, less so now.

Yup that as they say, appears to be it.

That gap has suddenly just ballooned, it’s like WvA has blown or just given up. He’s only 30″ in front of G3 now.

I bloody love MVdP!!!

Cracking race that. More of the same please but with added Pog and Pidders.

Pog isn’t riding any of the cobbled classics (not keen on riders not defending their “titles”)  🙁 his next monument is LBL,

You heard it here first: WvA is simply setting up a badass redemption arc so we can celebrate his unlikely big win sometime in the future. It’ll be epic.

Blimey huge crowds @ Volta Catalunya 😕 another day and another Pog masterclass

Nice to see Bernal going well

Great relate for Bernal and he was very modest about his progress, so let’s hope for more to come.