De Ronde van Vlaanderen (270.8 km), 2024 March 31 (Sunday)

[staubsauger]

So alot of shitting on Pedersen here as expected, sure Horner is going to go all out "knucklehead" later.

Mads has said he quickly figured he didn't have the watts on the climbs, but the flat was reasonable. That is why he tried to get ahead of things and maybe get a somewhat decent result. He of course didn't get the gap he was hoping for, but he was never going to win this anyway.

If he had been out of contention with 80 kilometers to go instead, we would not even talk about him. At least he tried.

Paris-Roubaix is the race Pedersen gets accounted for after his crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen!

 

[Escarabajo]

Absolute masterclass. Tough to beat a guy when he is the strongest, best bike handler and smartest tactically. Measured his effort perfectly in the weather too.

And the other riders tactics played into his hands. I mean he couldn't lose this race even if he tried to. Lol.

 

[hayneplane]

Impressed with moustache man. 5th here is a great result from him.

Seemed to just keep getting stronger the longer the race went on which is extremely impressive at 20 years old in your neo pro season.

 

[Andy262]

He 's riding Itzulia tomorrow so that was never an option.

Sure, but why’s he riding that when he could have a shot at De Ronde? He’s Belgian isn’t he?

Hiding!

 

[RedheadDane]

So alot of shitting on Pedersen here as expected, sure Horner is going to go all out "knucklehead" later.

Mads has said he quickly figured he didn't have the watts on the climbs, but the flat was reasonable. That is why he tried to get ahead of things and maybe get a somewhat decent result. He of course didn't get the gap he was hoping for, but he was never going to win this anyway.

Apparently, he has admitted that it wasn't the smartest race tactically.

 

[Offline]

UAE got more UCI points today than wining Tour de France.. But they are probably the only one that cares.
Anyway... impressed ride by Bjerg, Wellens, Politt and especially Morgado.

 

[tobydawq]

Apparently, he has admitted that it wasn't the smartest race tactically.

And even said that he maybe should listen to all the comments sent his way after the race.

I thought it was a little embarrassing that the Danish commentators didn't call out the idiocy while it was occurring.

 

[RedheadDane]

And even said that he maybe should listen to all the comments sent his way after the race.

I thought it was a little embarrassing that the Danish commentators didn't call out the idiocy while it was occurring.

It was still fun, even if it wasn't smart.

 

[search]

He 's riding Itzulia tomorrow so that was never an option.

Amund Grøndahl did both in 2021. If he can, so can Remco

 

[Escarabajo]

What happened to Jorgenson? did Movistar messed up his gels?

 

[jono]

There were lots of less familiar names in the top 15 with impressive rides on the day. One that stands out to me is Riley Sheehan, who last year was riding office park criteriums for the Denver Disruptors.

 

[tobydawq]

It was still fun, even if it wasn't smart.

No it wasn't. It was annoying as hell because it never looked like it would put him in even a remotely good position as opposed to last year. It was as annoying as Alaphilippe always wasting his few bullets 80 kilometres from the line.

 

[kn0s]

Apparently, he has admitted that it wasn't the smartest race tactically.

I have only seen his interview on TV where he said his DS had said something to that effect, but he would do it anyway.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Let them drink Martens Pils / Karlsquell / Karlskrone for 1 year instead of Kwaremont / Leffe or at least Jupiler!

Although I think torture is forbidden by law in Belgium!

Dammit: you've just reminded me that I had bought Kwaremont for this afternoon, and forgot it. And now I've started on wine...

 

[search]

What happened to Jorgenson? did Movistar messed up his gels?

just exploded, by the sound of it. "He paid for his efforts" is what Niermann said.

 

[Netserk]

And even said that he maybe should listen to all the comments sent his way after the race.

I thought it was a little embarrassing that the Danish commentators didn't call out the idiocy while it was occurring.

With his crash in mind, I think he did the right thing to begin with, and he found himself in an excellent group with Van Baarle and Benoot.

When exactly do you think he should have realised that he made a mistake and what different choice should he then have made?

 

[sam6]

So Mathews got relegated, but if he hadn't launched his sprint so early and not ridden so hard to chase the break then Bettiol and Teuns would have been 2nd and 3rd? Seems unfair on them somehow

 

[Armchair cyclist]

So, if you - wearing your fancy mod-hat 🎩 - sanctions someone's posting, could that actually mean you're saying that it's okay?

Firstly, please don't wear my fancy mod hat.

Secondly, I'd like to think that, when I sanction something in the negative sense of the word, the recipient of the message is in no doubt as to which meaning of sanction I mean

 

[tobydawq]

With his crash in mind, I think he did the right thing to begin with, and he found himself in an excellent group with Van Baarle and Benoot.

When exactly do you think he should have realised that he made a mistake and what different choice should he then have made?

The attack with Vermeersch was okay to initiate (because he couldn't know who would join - I bet he hoped for a group like the one you mentioned à la last year) but as soon as he realised it was just going to be those two, he should have stopped.

 

[Netserk]

The thing is, there was still some road left for an anticipating move, but not much. If UAE actually blew the group up on Berg ten Houte and Wellens bridges across, it'd be his best chance. When the time goes by and "nothing" happens, I think it's difficult to sit up on purpose. Much easier to do so in reaction to a specific event.

 

[tobydawq]

Are the organisers of the Belgian races willing to hold the roads closed for shorter amounts of time than usual this year? Only 87 riders finished today, and the slowest finishing riders were only 12 minutes down, while the time limit was at 29 minutes.

Something similar happened in other of the cobbled races. A bit disrespectful of the riders, I think.

 

[topcat]

What happened to Jorgenson? did Movistar messed up his gels?

He tried to stay with MvdP on an obscenely difficult wet cobbled climb and completely blew up - one of many highlights in a great race.

 

[Didinho]

Are the organisers of the Belgian races willing to hold the roads closed for shorter amounts of time than usual this year? Only 87 riders finished today, and the slowest finishing riders were only 12 minutes down, while the time limit was at 29 minutes.

Something similar happened in other of the cobbled races. A bit disrespectful of the riders, I think.

I think with this weather a lot of riders just take a shortcut and go to the finish when their work is done. Some races even pass the finish line with couple laps to go.

 

[tobydawq]

I think with this weather a lot of riders just take a shortcut and go to the finish when their work is done. Some races even pass the finish line with couple laps to go.

I don't think so. Most riders want to finish the monuments if they can. I also seem to recall that I saw an angry rider or two post on Twitter about this a few days ago (I can't remember who it was).

By the way, Astana had no riders finishing... Good job.

 

[Gigs_98]

Yeah, Pedersens move looks braindead on paper, but honestly, from the point MvdP had closed the gap to the Pedersen/Benoot/Van Baarle group, he was the only one (outside of Team Alpecin) riding to win. If at any point during his "solo" riders had managed to jump over to him, he would have look like a genius. And it's not like that was an unrealistic scenario. I guess once Alpecin had organised the chase properly his cause was hopeless, but going solo where he did didn't have to lead to this result.