Lesser known races 2024 edition

[Rob5091]

Chapeau Van den Berg & EF - win & GC win (Ben Healy has been chasing down everything this race so he deserves a mention. In good form for the Classics)

 

[Keldergoat]

Ben Healy is gonna be a very good pick for the Ardennes Classics. He was monstruous in those last kms.

 

[RedheadDane]

- So, Thibaud, which jersey do you want to have in the Circuit des Ardennes?
- Yes, please.

Edit:
Awww... turns out he didn't get the KoM jersey, so only 3 out of 4....

 

[Penninepeddler]

Ben Healy is gonna be a very good pick for the Ardennes Classics. He was monstruous in those last kms.

Pretty impossible not to like him given the way he rides. Not just a good rider... but someone who is an exciting rider.

 

[Tim Cahill]

French housewives rejoice everywhere as it turns out FDJ have another boyish young man on the rise who wears glasses, winning Circuit des Ardennes stage 2 today

Thibaud Gruel

Thibaud Gruel (born 2004-05-01 in Tours) is a professional road racing cyclist from France, currently riding for Equipe continentale Groupama-FDJ. His best results are 2 stage wins in Circuit des Ardennes International and 3rd place in GC Circuit des Ardennes International.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[DNP-Old]

The startlist in Abruzzo is way too mediocre for such an awesome parcours. Of course UAE is there to statpad a few wins and farm some UCI points, lmao.

Then again, I don't know if you can get a much better field so close to Trentino. Two very conflicting races.

 

[Bushman]

Joseph Blackmore took the final stage and the gc in Circuit des Ardennes. That’s his third gc victory so far this year and sixth win in total. I know the level of these races hasnt been the highest but its very impressive for a rider in his age nonetheless. Two times he has now taken the leader’s Jersey on the final day.

 

[Samamba]

Joseph Blackmore took the final stage and the gc in Circuit des Ardennes. That’s his third gc victory so far this year and sixth win in total. I know the level of these races hasnt been the highest but its very impressive for a rider in his age nonetheless. Two times he has now taken the leader’s Jersey on the final day.

He's having an insane year, he's super interesting. Very punchy guy who can climb (don't think he's a real climber tho) but is also pretty fast in a sprint. Super consistent. I wonder if Israel has locked him already, Ineos should be interested.

 

[postmanhat]

The startlist in Abruzzo is way too mediocre for such an awesome parcours. Of course UAE is there to statpad a few wins and farm some UCI points, lmao.

Then again, I don't know if you can get a much better field so close to Trentino. Two very conflicting races.

They're such ridiculous points goblins.

Froome has been withdrawn from the startlist.

 

[Anderis]

Of course UAE is there to statpad a few wins and farm some UCI points, lmao.

That was my first thought as well when I saw the startlist.

 

[Sciatic]

It appears the Brabantse Pijl webpage requires one to register on their site just to get the race programme, which is the only place to find the race timetable. Maybe I’m blind and simply can’t find it. I just want to look at the damn timetable.

 

[Nick2413]

De Brabantse Pijl - La Flèche Brabançonne ME 2024 One day race results

Results for De Brabantse Pijl - La Flèche Brabançonne ME 2024 One day race.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[Didinho]

Men:



Women:



Me: 9h - 11h local laps.

 

[search]

Quickstep even looks weak for the Wednesday races now. But Brabantse Pijl has always been Pieter Serry's best race, so maybe he can still spring a surprise.

edit: he even got a star in Het Nieuwsblad

* **** Matthews
**** Cosnefroy, Teuns
*** Hermans, Laurance, Wellens
** Godon, THJ, Hirschi, van Gestel
* Berckmoes, Braet, Hermans, Serry, Strong, de Bondt

somehow they must have missed MvdB, though.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Those top tens for Pieter Serry were 5 and 6 years ago, though. I would rater hand out a star or two to a rider like Busatto. And yes, **** to MvdB!

 

[Brullnux]

Quickstep even looks weak for the Wednesday races now. But Brabantse Pijl has always been Pieter Serry's best race, so maybe he can still spring a surprise.

edit: he even got a star in Het Nieuwsblad

* **** Matthews
**** Cosnefroy, Teuns
*** Hermans, Laurance, Wellens
** Godon, THJ, Hirschi, van Gestel
* Berckmoes, Braet, Hermans, Serry, Strong, de Bondt

somehow they must have missed MvdB, though.

Mathieu van der Boel

 

[Didinho]

Good news: no riding in the gutter on the Hertstraat. (This is Remco’s chance!)



and not on the “gravel” on the Moskesstraat. All cobbles.



Combo with the Holstheide really tough.



Last 3-4km side headwind untill the finish.



Could do the S turn to finish on the big ring. From the 1km banner untill 500m or so it’s the “hardest” part. Headwind coming from the left side.
Lost the sprint to this lady but she was furious they gave it to Wout, despite my photo finish.
Already too many cars in front, they will never learn.

 

[sam6]

Does Brabantse Pijl not have a thread?

A rider called Emily Watts is in the break and it seems like a great opportunity for jokes about her power

 

[Squire]

Quickstep even looks weak for the Wednesday races now. But Brabantse Pijl has always been Pieter Serry's best race, so maybe he can still spring a surprise.

edit: he even got a star in Het Nieuwsblad

* **** Matthews
**** Cosnefroy, Teuns
*** Hermans, Laurance, Wellens
** Godon, THJ, Hirschi, van Gestel
* Berckmoes, Braet, Hermans, Serry, Strong, de Bondt

somehow they must have missed MvdB, though.

Whose stars are those?

Axelgaard at Feltet does it like this:
***** Michael Matthews
**** Stephen Williams, Benoit Cosnefroy
*** Marijn van den Berg, Axel Laurance, Corbin Strong, Antonio Morgado, Dorian Godon
** Andreas Kron, Alexander Kamp, Vincenzo Albanese, Dylan Teuns, Tim Wellens, Tobias Johannessen, Marc Hirschi, Quinten Hermans, Søren Kragh, Sandy Dujardin, Jenno Berckmoes, Vito Braet, Jenthe Biermans, Francesco Busatto, Andrea Vendrame, David Gonzalez

And then the rest of the field at * basically.

Personally I think Teuns is more correctly rated in your preview. I also don't believe too much in Strong, and I think Hermans is a pretty decent bet, so three stars looks fair.

 

[search]

Whose stars are those?

they are from Het Nieuwsblad (the Belgian newspaper, not the race).

So there's always a bit of a Belgian bias, but adding Ben Hermans to that list (he is the one with one star - Quinten has 3) probably puts it onto a new level

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Does Brabantse Pijl not have a thread?
...

Anybody who is anybody in the cycling world is riding the Tour of Abruzzo instead

 

[search]

Personally I think Teuns is more correctly rated in your preview. I also don't believe too much in Strong, and I think Hermans is a pretty decent bet, so three stars looks fair.

I still think this circuit without Schavei is fairly easy, and in good conditions (like today) favors guys like Strong & Laurance over Teuns/Williams and Quinten Hermans.

But in four editions since introduction, it still never really came down to a bigger sprint. Whether this is because two of them were wet and the other two had WvA/MvdP blowing things apart, or because I'm completely wrong, we will see today, I guess .

 

[ashhutch1997]

I thought there'd be a thread for De Brabantse Pijl no?

 

[staubsauger]

Anybody who is anybody in the cycling world is riding the Tour of Abruzzo instead

Cosnefroy?

 

[search]

Quinten Hermans and Honore gave it a go already, but without much effect so far.