100th Ronde Van Vlaanderen - April 3rd, 2016 - 255.9k

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

Fantastic sprint that. Think Emma went too early.

I had Emma leading until the last 75m or so. Don't remember clearly but yes, if she'd started the sprint later she could have won.

Emma had been the one that initiated the move and Lizzie had had the chance to sit in on the earlier moves as Guarnier and Blaak had made attacks, so was barely seen until Kwaremont when she picked the right wheels to follow to be in the right place so she could get right on the wheel of the big move when it went. She had more left in the tank than Emma, and Emma was starting to hold back on her turns in the last couple of kilometres. Lizzie joined her in that to call her bluff (if they were caught, Boels outnumbered Wiggle three to one in the chase group and Blaak and Guarnier can both sprint better than ELB, so Wiggle's best bet was Johansson). The Rabo girls were chasing absurdly hard at the end and almost caught the lead duo, so Emma was almost forced to go when she did so that Blaak (the best sprinter in the group behind, and Lizzie's teammate of course) couldn't get the jump on them, but going then meant that she had to hold it for too long and Lizzie could come back to her.

Rabo really need Vos back simply because at the moment they've got a great bunch of cyclists but nobody with a good enough sprint (Brand's good but isn't as likely to make the selection; PFP's ok, Kasia's sprint is not great and Anna VDB's is one of the worst in the entire péloton), so they keep picking up the lower end placements from these moves if Boels or Wiggle get the jump on them and make them chase.

 

[sir fly]

Women need to present themselves in a different way to the audience.
Maybe they should try to point out different values.
I would allow them to ride without helmets if they want..

 

[Vino's Mum]

Just tuned in: something meaningful happened? Any big name out?

GVA, Benoot, Demare crashed out.

 

[Billie]

Just tuned in: something meaningful happened? Any big name out?

Van Avermaet, Benoot, Demare all gone

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

Fantastic sprint that. Think Emma went too early.

I had Emma leading until the last 75m or so. Don't remember clearly but yes, if she'd started the sprint later she could have won.

Emma had been the one that initiated the move and Lizzie had had the chance to sit in on the earlier moves as Guarnier and Blaak had made attacks, so was barely seen until Kwaremont when she picked the right wheels to follow to be in the right place so she could get right on the wheel of the big move when it went. She had more left in the tank than Emma, and Emma was starting to hold back on her turns in the last couple of kilometres. Lizzie joined her in that to call her bluff (if they were caught, Boels outnumbered Wiggle three to one in the chase group and Blaak and Guarnier can both sprint better than ELB, so Wiggle's best bet was Johansson). The Rabo girls were chasing absurdly hard at the end and almost caught the lead duo, so Emma was almost forced to go when she did so that Blaak (the best sprinter in the group behind, and Lizzie's teammate of course) couldn't get the jump on them, but going then meant that she had to hold it for too long and Lizzie could come back to her.

Rabo really need Vos back simply because at the moment they've got a great bunch of cyclists but nobody with a good enough sprint (Brand's good but isn't as likely to make the selection; PFP's ok, Kasia's sprint is not great and Anna VDB's is one of the worst in the entire péloton), so they keep picking up the lower end placements from these moves if Boels or Wiggle get the jump on them and make them chase.

Edit: quoted wrong post

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Women's racing is nice. What pisses me off are the fanboy/girls that just can't understand how archaic women's cycling is compared with the men's. They are still in the 60s, as far as strategy/racing/specialization go.

Well, since they aren't paid very much, maybe they just aren't doing as many things that . . . belong in the Clinic . . . .

No. Generally they are just inferior athletes, as of right now. It's a less mature version of the sport.

Yes. So?

In all physical sports women will be inferior. Doesn't mean it ain't entertaining.

But it isn't entertaining. They are inferior at athletes (not their fault) but the sport itself is almost amateur.

I didn't find it very entertaining as well, but I've seen women races that were a lot more interesting then men racing, despite their 'inferiority'. Ofcourse personal taste matters.

Still men's racing is what I follow and because of that I sometimes(barely) see woman races.

 

[Flamin]

Attack Stijn!!!!

 

[Kwibus]

Go go Stijn!

 

[pedromiguelmartins]

Vanderbergh! Go go go!

Question: I never saw stijn attack, or sprint or even accelerate before. Why?

Bye bye fat Tony.

 

[The Barb]

Good to see EBH prominent.

 

[trevim]

Thanks, Vino's Mum and Billie, it's a shame they can't be in the final

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Good to see EBH prominent.

He's always prominent and at the front during these races.

 

[jaylew]

Just started watching and reading through all the comments. I can't believe GVA's cobbled season is over. So, so disappointed. I really thought this was his year to pick up a monument.

 

[carolina]

Re:

Thanks, Vino's Mum and Billie, it's a shame they can't be in the final

nelson oliveira is also out :/

 

[Maxiton]

Re: Re:

Women's racing is nice. What pisses me off are the fanboy/girls that just can't understand how archaic women's cycling is compared with the men's. They are still in the 60s, as far as strategy/racing/specialization go.

Well, since they aren't paid very much, maybe they just aren't doing as many things that . . . belong in the Clinic . . . .

No. Generally they are just inferior athletes, as of right now. It's a less mature version of the sport.

They might, in some sense, be "inferior" to the men, but they're not inferior to each other. Moto GP is "inferior" to F1, but that doesn't mean it's not exciting. Or F3, if you prefer.

I'm with those who say they hope women's racing doesn't reach the 90s-00s. If it had better coverage I might watch women's racing exclusively.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

Women's racing is nice. What pisses me off are the fanboy/girls that just can't understand how archaic women's cycling is compared with the men's. They are still in the 60s, as far as strategy/racing/specialization go.

Well, since they aren't paid very much, maybe they just aren't doing as many things that . . . belong in the Clinic . . . .

No. Generally they are just inferior athletes, as of right now. It's a less mature version of the sport.

Yes. So?

In all physical sports women will be inferior. Doesn't mean it ain't entertaining.

But it isn't entertaining. They are inferior at athletes (not their fault) but the sport itself is almost amateur.

How is it not entertaining? You had key teams sending people up the road for the first half of the race to make others chase, you had people trying to make moves and counters until they got to the Kruisberg, then the big names got to the front, forced a selection which was brought back by a reduced bunch, then another group went, splintered it down to 10, another 10-15 chased back on, Boels tried a few speculative long-rangers, they upped the pace on the Kwaremont to bring it down to single figures, you had two or three attacks between Kwaremont and Paterberg to form the final move, and then you had a desperate chasedown as two of the best in the world were away, chased by a couple of teams but being weighted back by teammates of those upfront, then the two at the front played games with each other until you didn't know if they'd make it, then you had a photofinish sprint.

If you don't know who the riders are and that means you don't feel the importance of particular moves the same as you would in men's cycling that's one thing; if you think the concentration of so many big names into a small number of teams makes it a bit repetitive at the top end you're not alone there (I am SO over the Boels domination this year, given the calendar does not include enough for the climbers at the WT level)... but what's wrong with that situation as a race? Seems fine to me, sounds pretty good to me actually.

 

[Andro]

Sagan right on Fabian's wheel.

 

[trevim]

I never understand sending Vandenbergh to the from unless someone tries to bridge...

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Could we please keep women's racing discussion to the women's racing discussion thread?

Thanks.

 

[trevim]

Re: Re:

Thanks, Vino's Mum and Billie, it's a shame they can't be in the final

nelson oliveira is also out :/

Damn, I hoped he could build on his top20 from last season Hopefully it's nothing serious and maybe he can be ready for Roubaix...

 

[bajbar]

Juraj Sagan being useful 200km into a monument. What has the world come to

 

[pedromiguelmartins]

It's my understanding that Stijn would lose a sprint against Pozzovivo. Why send him in a break, then?

 

[sir fly]

Someone from the front group should be able to get to the finale.

 

[trevim]

Re:

Juraj Sagan being useful 200km into a monument. What has the world come to

He has been decent lately in Langwaki and De Panne.

 

[TMP402]

Re:

It's my understanding that Stijn would lose a sprint against Pozzovivo. Why send him in a break, then?

Why send any non-sprinter in a break?