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*TOUR OF FLANDERS* Sun 5th April
*TOUR OF FLANDERS* Sun 5th April
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Replies: 69
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Thomas has sent Rowe up the road
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Griepel's riding brilliantly, done huge amounts of work. Someone from Lotto must feel good. Roelandts?
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Terpstra and Kritoff off the front, Vanmarcke chasing back onto the front group
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Could be game over here...
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If Terpstra can attack on one of the climbs he could leave Kristoff in no man's land here
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Vanmarcke lacked Spartacus to close the gap this year
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Think this is curtains now, Kristoff cannot be stopped.
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Led him out for 3 miles and still won the sprint!
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Kristoff way too strong. being the fastest he was always going to be prone to late attacks, so he took that out of the equation. wins his main target for the year
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Benoot 5th
 never got the chance to trade my 500s |
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What makes that even more remarkable is that riders who do 3 days of De Panne have a pretty poor record in Flanders. Kristoff won 3 stages and did an incredible time trial and it looks like it didn't affect him at all.
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That was quite exciting for a wee while when it looked like Sagan and GVA would close in 8k or so out.
Surprised that G and Styber were not in the equation. Etixx didn't really set the race alight like I thought they would. Degenkolb surprised me with his climbing, I knew he was good but didn't think he would be up at the sharp end, more hanging on valiantly. GVA really needs to wait and follow an attack sometime, he burns so many matches so much earlier than everyone else. Though it is to his credit for making it exiting. |
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I think I need to stop thinking of Kristoff as a sprinter
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The 3 Days of De Panne/Flanders double is tough to do given the perception of how close the two races are together, however it does go off quite regularly in the modern era, with Allesandro Ballan in 2007, and in 1999 the great Belgian Peter Van Petegem performing the double. So, every eight years!
I don't think this (essential parts of the) race was much of a surprise, the two riders of a small handful of riders in good form were the two whom just did enough at the right time to open that race-winning move. Flanders is becoming such a subtle race that seemingly unimpressive moves open strong race-winning scenarios, and even a small group combining effectively can hold a small margin a long way out from the finish. I think SKY put a lot of pressure on G with their tactics, there was never really anything to control on the front with such a strong presence and I don't recall they were assisted much at any one time -- and so there were instances during the race where G seemed to use a lot of nervous energy on the hellingen, which would have soured his legs and fatigued him plenty. No surprise by Vanmarcke chasing to get back onto the peloton, don't believe it was a mechanical, but that he just couldn't get back on when approaching that small rise, showed his poor form, he just gave up, he was spent, quite incredible from such a class rider, where is the Vanmarcke of old would have blitzed that portion and joined easily. Interesting tactics by the Gorilla, I thought he was joking around at first, but it was a clear tactic, nevertheless he was always going to have to pay for it, you can't just clear out to get a lead on the hellingen and then stay with the selections over it. Yes, also surprised by Degenkolb, but it really is a big difference in this race to make the hellingen in some style and be there amongst the calculations for the podium -- he requires much more improvement to make that step. Sagan, no surprise really, but the huffing and puffing is quite obvious this season, isn't it. GVA was always going to be combative but it was too little too late. Benoot, simply amazing again. Finally, not surprised by the result either, Terpstra was rolling through quite nicely towards the end, but now I think it was to put Kristoff off, which was never going to happen, which would've meant he was using a little more energy to make it look easier than it was -- however for anyone who watched 3 Days of De Panne, that result was nailed on, as they say in the classics.  Cheers, SP |
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Anyone else want to do the fred for Paris Roubaix?
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Are pictures a must, MC?
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I can't for the life of me understand Terpstra's tactics. Take one of the strongest and fastest men in the peloton to 5km to go us a mystery to one and all. He had Stybar and Vandenburgh in the main group 30 secs behind......at 13km/12km to go he should have stopped working to either force Kristoff to do all the work and jump him with 3 or 4 km to go or force Kristoff back into the pack hoping to win the sprint where you have two men who can slingshot over the top of them
As dumb rides go,nth at was one of the dumbest I have seen in a long time Degenkolb for Roubaix.......who has power to drop him? No one it looks |
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Course not SP.
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being a pronounced favourite in a race where really there were many evenly matched riders who could win seemed to take it out of Thomas
Agree about Terpstra who basically settled for 2nd 40-50km out |
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I'll get something up if you're busy MC, but I fear it won't be as colourful and encapsulated as your fine efforts. And, it'll take a couple of days, my main preparation so far has been form and terrain factors. Or I can get some background details up first if you like, let me know how you're travelling? SP
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Just on Terpstra's tactics -- they were obviously limited when Kristoff came through with him. If he attacked him on the final two famous hellingen he might have dropped Kristoff easily, but that would have meant he would have had to solo, and whilst Boonen signalled a longe-range attack by Terpstra, Terpstra is experienced enough to know he required someone strong with him. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, however he was willing to chance a win against one opponent than a group of opponents, and working with Kristoff he showed his character in thinking he might surprise the in-form Norwegian rider. Over such terrain and distance, there was the potential for him to surprise attack Kristoff a little out from the finish, and TT to the solo where his strength lies, that would have been the plan, and really only the major fault in his tactics for not attacking. He might've attacked Kristoff some 2kms out and put his head down, that was his opportunity gone, I would argue. SP
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the writing on the wall for me with Kristoff wasn't his 3 out of 3 stage wins at the "3 days de Kristoff" (although the win in stage 1(the hard stage) led me to his 14-1 flanders price) it was the 3rd place in the TT, everyone could see he was strong. Terpstra should of not worked with Kristoff, waited for a smaller bunch, say with Sagan and GVA, then with late attacks, with Kristoff being forced to close down such attacks would of given Terpstra his best chance of winning. thats why I think he settled for second
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Okay, so Terpstra settled for second, but with Kristoff he was guaranteed second and a chance at the win, whilst in the favourites group he was guaranteed nothing.
As you said earlier nugget, Kristoff took that equation out of the calculations. Even when Terpstra refused to come through, Kristoff continued to ply his trade, knowing full-well that getting into an argument with Terpstra would have resulted in being joined by the chasers. Perhaps, therefore, instead of focusing on the deficiency of Terpstra's tactics like Clay has presented, we might observe the strength of Kristoff's tactics in carving out for himself his second Monument in as many years, and in so doing perhaps following on with MC's thoughts in not thinking of Kristoff exclusively as a sprinter. This was big for Kristoff, but let's agree that his defence of MSR was his season's main goal. Cheers, SP |
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lol, Terpstra worked 50/50 untill about 1km to go. strange to see if you've watched much cycling
and no, you're wrong! Kristoff has said his main target was to win Flanders, was saying it ever since he almost single handedly bridged to the lead group of 4 last year. So having finished 4th and 5th in this race already it would only seem natural to me that it would be big goal for him, and is why many already know Kristoff is more than just a sprinter. |
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I think I am best advised to concede your opinions here, nugget -- I haven't watched much cycling, you understand.
     SP |
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I think I am best advised to concede your opinions here, nugget -- I haven't watched much cycling, you understand.
SP |
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I don't mind what the fred looks like or whats in it SP, just thought someone else might want to have a go. I'm just kind of conscious that the whole forum is just freds started by me. Thought it might be best if we share it round a bit more & make it a team effort. If no-one wants to I'm perfectly happy to carry on doing it though.
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I don't think anyone else could be bothered from the traffic this forum gets, MC. I'm up for making a team effort of it, however unless it's the TdF nobody is going to bother I don't think. Maybe I'm wrong? Anyway, that's why I'm so grateful for your efforts, and if you have the time I would support your continued work, I think they're great thread starters. SP
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If everyone's happy I'll just plough on then. I'll have the Paris Roubaix up by Tuesday night.
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you have set the bar too high for the rest of us MC , your work is excellent
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