105th Ronde van Vlaanderen: April 4th, 2021

[sir fly]

Has anybody expected Asgreen to wait for the sprint?

 

[Spine Concept]

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

So last year Wout had better legs too? Cause had they started the sprint a bit earlier Wout would have probably won.

 

[Fuente De]

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

Similar to Sagan who had to wait a long and, and where we thought he'd all the time in the world to get a nice tally and now it looks like he can be happy if he gets a third at some point.

 

[kingjr]

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.

Well the race is over,; as long as people don't get taken out of the race while it's still going on, I can't say I care about what the results will look like tomorrow.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Wow, after that it all looks perfectly set up for a fantastic Paris-Roubaix next week

 

[titan31]

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

Possibly. He took it out before the banner and threw it just afterwards so if there's a rule on the 2k, it's something he knew about then.

Kirby and Backstedt seemed to think it was ok to throw it to fans despite Schar getting dqed earlier for it.

 

[rghysens]

Also: Asgreen the only rider with two classics won this spring.

So far.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

So is he henceforth to be known as DumbAsgreen?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

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

Tbf it's only been the past two seasons where they've been the preeminent classics riders and Paris-Roubaix hasn't been raced (yet) in either, that leaves 4 other opportunities of which each of them have won one. Not that weird.

 

[Spine Concept]

Asgreen also the favorite for PR now, surely.

 

[Brullnux]

Him winning the sprint and being the strongest/deserved winner, doesn't change the fact that he was a dumbass. Imagine him doing less pulls, it would only have increased his chances.

Clutching at straws a bit here. Asgreen was happy to take pulls as he clearly fancied himself in a two up sprint. He doesn't take pulls, especially when the gap was 20odd seconds with 5km to go, and VdP is happy to sit up and wait for a bunch sprint he may well have won. Asgreen took the gamble and it paid off, because he knew his own strength. Everyone here likes to talk about tactics because its something we like to think we can do to the level of these riders, but in reality these guys are the best in the world for a reason, and strength often wins out anyway.

 

[Panda Claws]

Has anybody expected Asgreen to wait for the sprint?

Of course, what else could he do. I feel like he tried to drop MVDP on the last clim but he couldn't do it. What choice does he even have after that?

Edit: Perhaps you can make a whole argument about how he should have taken 20% fewer pulls but I feel like we are really clutching at straws at that point.

 

[kingjr]

Possibly. He took it out before the banner and threw it just afterwards so if there's a rule on the 2k, it's something he knew about then.

Kirby and Backstedt seemed to think it was ok to throw it to fans despite Schar getting dqed earlier for it.

The Schär DQ just seems silly to me, I believe you could even see the people at the side of the road running towards the bottle to pick it up.

 

[jaylew]

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).

Yep. Vanmarcke even outsprinted Van Aert.

 

[Panda Claws]

Asgreen also the favorite for PR now, surely.

I feel like we still need to see the post-Dauphiné 2019 WVA ride those cobbles again before naming anyone else the favorite for PR.

 

[Savant12]

So last year Wout had better legs too? Cause had they started the sprint a bit earlier Wout would have probably won.

Just contesting that it's not a guarantee to beat MVDP in a longer sprint. Maybe, Wout would have won last year or not. Maybe, he too, wouldn't have had the legs for a longer sprint.

 

[saganftw]

Has anybody expected Asgreen to wait for the sprint?

judging by the responses a lot of people not only expected him to sprint but also knew he would win

 

[Danskebjerge]

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

Danish TV 2 said the same thing.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

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

Sure, but there is still a big gap between thinking you've got a shot, and being so confident that you will win against likely the most punchy finisher in small sprints in the world, that you do more work than needed, and actively reducing your own chances. It's good he won, he was the strongest, he won deservedly, but needlessly reduced his own chances. I don't see how you can debate that.

 

[jaylew]

Clutching at straws a bit here. Asgreen was happy to take pulls as he clearly fancied himself in a two up sprint. He doesn't take pulls, especially when the gap was 20odd seconds with 5km to go, and VdP is happy to sit up and wait for a bunch sprint he may well have won. Asgreen took the gamble and it paid off, because he knew his own strength. Everyone here likes to talk about tactics because its something we like to think we can do to the level of these riders, but in reality these guys are the best in the world for a reason, and strength often wins out anyway.

Right. And it's easy to type up strategy on a keyboard but when you're out there on the road racing it's different.

 

[saganftw]

im however more impressed by beer gut greg getting 3rd

 

[hfer07]

So MVP is human after all.....

Welcome to the club Asgreen
very happy for GVA's podium place

 

[Salvarani]

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

Just shows how tough it is to win one.

They also seems to animate and doing a lot of work in every race on their own. It is entertaining but they spending a lot of energy. Not much help from any teammates either.

They have to be that much stronger than the others guys to win, riding like they do. Riding away from everyone else, as they have a few times, but it is less likely they are gonna be able to do that most times.

Tactically they have a things to learn still if they wanna translate their talent and ability into more big wins.

 

[Spine Concept]

Just contesting that it's not a guarantee to beat MVDP in a longer sprint. Maybe, Wout would have won last year or not. <aybe, he too, wouldn't have had the legs for a longer sprint.

Maybe? Did you see the speed at which they both crossed the line? MVDP just about made it, had the line been 1 m further than it would have likely been a different story.

That's two occasions including today as proof of my theory vs your one proof. Time will tell I suppose.

 

[sir fly]

Of course, what else could he do. I feel like he tried to drop MVDP on the last clim but he couldn't do it. What choice does he even have after that?

Seems the latest E3 left too strong impression both on me and MVdP.