105th Ronde van Vlaanderen: April 4th, 2021

[Fernandez]

This race is hard, maybe the hardest of the calendar

 

[kingjr]

Asgreen the strongest, simple as that.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

He's a bike racer.

yes, just not a clever one.
That said, i'm glad he won.

 

[roundabout]

Tell that to some of the posters here. All the name calling without even considering the option that a long sprint is the way to beat MVDP. Oh well, we all get smarter sometimes

I think they started at 250 to go, so it wasn't a long sprint.

 

[Põhja Konn]

They had the chance to bury Asgreen after Koppenberg, but eased up and let his group come back just before the Taaienberg. In the sprint Asgreen was simply stronger.

 

[Fuente De]

Great win of Asgreen, even without the shame of playing tactics on VDP and listening to CN forum lol. True class. VDP will have many chances to come but it shows again that he is unpredicable in good and bad ways.

 

[titan31]

Yeah, the throwing bottles gonna be a topic too. Wonder what happens there.

Ya, he throws the bottle away so just have to hope it's a zone for it

 

[kingjr]

yes, just not a clever one.
That said, i'm glad he won.

I dont think he had a reason to fear VdP in a sprint after the Paterberg.

 

[Asero831]

300 meter sprint is a standard. MvDP is clearly not in his usual form. Will see in Amstel

 

[kingjr]

Ya, he throws the bottle away so just have to hope it's a zone for it

I think some commentator said there is one 2 km before the finish.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[Spine Concept]

If anything, today showed that a long sprint is the way to go vs MVDP. That should have already been clear looking at last year's sprint though. Congrats to Asgreen. Made the race with a select group and won the sprint from Mathieu, impressive.

 

[Martinstranger]

Asgreen is a dumbass. What a shame.

Asgreen dumbass! You were supposed to lose. I guess he missed the team meeting.

Damn... Asgreen, you have to attende the next team meeting.

Dumbass Asgreen you are fantastic Incredible ride in the finish and so much power when we are on +200 km. Back to statistics about winning E3 Saxo bank classic.

 

[Stelvio]

I think some commentator said there is one 2 km before the finish.

Yep, according to Eurosport he should be in the clear.

 

[Screecher]

What's crazy to me is how MVP and WVA still only have 1 monument each.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I dont think he had a reason to fear VdP in a sprint after the Paterberg.

I'm sorry, but there is always a reason to fear MvdP in a 2-man sprint.

 

[Panda Claws]

To be fair sprinting with two to three at the end of a (tough) race has often given surprising results. As long as you are not Leif Hoste you have some chances in such a scenario.

• Stannard beating Van Avermaet in Omloop 2014
• Gilbert beating Boonen & Bozic in Paris-Tours 2009
• Gilbert beating Kwiatkowski in AGR 2017 (perhaps not that surprising)
• Kwiatkowski beating Sagan & Alaphilippe in MSR 2017
• Pozzato beating Boonen & Iglinskiy in E3 2009

I was looking through Asgreen's results beforehand and for those who know PCM he seemed like a 70-72 Sprint cyclist to me while I would rate MVDP something like 76-79 (with a massive acceleration stat) so you can't rule it out.

 

[Black Betsy]

Iconic race, Boonenberg didn't deliver this time, gutted for Greggie. Already spinning some Danish Metal in the turntable.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

What's crazy to me is how MVP and WVA still only have 1 monument each.

Same amount as Stuyven!

 

[Savant12]

If anything, today showed that a long sprint is the way to go vs MVDP. That should have already been clear looking at last year's sprint though. Congrats to Asgreen. Made the race with a select group and won the sprint from Mathieu, impressive.

Are you forgetting MVDP's win in Amstel? Asgreen had better legs today, simple as that.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I think some commentator said there is one 2 km before the finish.

It looked weird because VdP dropped a bottle with like 3 km to go and then Asgreen clearly held onto his bottle until they entered the zone with 2km to go. It certainly looked like VdP dropped his bottle outside the zone.

 

[kingjr]

I'm sorry, but there is always a reason to fear MvdP in a 2-man sprint.

I think in this particular case Asgreen had better reason to do what he did.

 

[jaylew]

yes, just not a clever one.
That said, i'm glad he won.

He would say you're wrong as would I and probably his DS as well. I can only assume they told him to work. And of course you are.

Great race.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Laporte comes last in that sprint group for the minor places. As if we needed proof that a sprint at the end of a hard race is not a normal sprint.

 

[JosefK]

Great ride by great riders. After 250 kilometers on this type of course, the outcome of a sprint is hard to predict (phoned in from Capt. Obvious).