106th Ronde van Vlaanderen: April 3rd, 2022

[Extinction]

Van der Poel gets the trophy, but should give Pogacar the prize money.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Pretty good edition.
VdP not at a ridiculous level for him but rode smart and had enough.
Pogacar riding at an unreal level so far this season
Van Baarle had a bad patch on final Kwaremont but finished strongly
Madouas has become a high class rider, hard to believe he's still only 25, he seems to have been around for a lot longer and AGR might suit him better
Bahrain-Victorius pulling 3 more rabbits out of the hat when their only realistic contender on paper had an off day

 

[movingtarget]

Also full credit to Dylan van Baarle for being the smartest rider in the race. Chose the perfect moment to attack, immediately took his own pace on the Oude Kwaremont which enabled him to overtake Wright later and get back to Madouas, holds off the Küng group, then makes the most he could out of Pogacar and Van der Poel surplacing by having Madouas tow the pair of them back and somehow make it into second.

If you want to chase someone, make sure you have a Kung helping you............

 

[Pantani_lives]

In the meantime Niewiadioma is in a good position, half a minute ahead with a group of outsiders.

 

[red_flanders]

Am I the only one sorry Pogacar missed the podium so that we could see his reaction there?

It’s a good point, but on consideration…nope. Amazing finish, him missing the podium added a brilliant twist.

Incredible racing.

 

[jmdirt]

admittedly Im no top level athlete but I know when Ive been physically/mentally drained on a day long ride with that intensity, Ive simply got no energy left for outward emotions of any kind, thats being physically/mentally drained to me.

I bonked while leading a regional race one time and ended up third, which also dropped me to second overall in the series. I spent several minutes telling my bike how FN stupid it was until my post ride food kicked in. I'm a little crazy, but under most circumstances I don't have arguments with bikes.

 

[memyselfandI]

Crazy finish of the race. Pogi learned the hard way, but then again this race kinda shows why he is what he is as a stage racer too, you need some power here to explode the field up to pieces.

Really happy for Maduas and Kung and overall FDJ too.

Where's QSAV?..See ya the douches.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

In a race generally filled with absolutely zany decision making, VDP was very smart. He played that finish like he had ice in his veins.

 

[Netserk]

The moment the race was won:

Van der Poel launches his sprint with 250 m to go, making the last 16'' of the race an all-out effort.

 

[RedheadDane]

I spent several minutes telling my bike how FN stupid it was until my post ride food kicked in. I'm a little crazy, but under most circumstances I don't have arguments with bikes.

Surely, it's only an argument if the other part talks back.

If you think your bike was talking back... I'm sorry; you were hallucinating!




Van Vleuten on the move!
Reusser now.

 

[shalgo]

A nice complement to VDP’s Amstel Gold win: he can win from either the leading duo or the chasers in that scenario.

 

[awavey]

I find it somewhat ironic that for a thread that saw many people spending so much time earlier criticising people taking turns to have a hope of a podium spot that it's now full of people making fun of someone riding to win missing the podium lol.

Pogi will learn and be back with a vengeance - no reason not to come again now he knows he can destroy the majority of the field.

MVDP absolute class. What a rider.

I still think the mens peloton are working out that Pogi is beatable, races like today showed that he is fallible on tactics at least, up till that 500m point of course it was all the mindset of well everyones taking turns for a hope at the podium because Pogi is destroying it again, but how many in that front group of finishers outside the top 4 is now thinking hey actually if Id ridden abit harder to keep in touch with those two earlier or changed tactics slightly, and not simply gone well its a race of two at the front as we all predicted it would be & settle for the points finish, things might have been different.

Pogi might come back next year and walk it, or he might come back next year and find other riders have woken up they can beat him and he cant get away as easily anymore

 

[red_flanders]

Pretty good edition.
VdP not at a ridiculous level for him but rode smart and had enough.
Pogacar riding at an unreal level so far this season
Van Baarle had a bad patch on final Kwaremont but finished strongly
Madouas has become a high class rider, hard to believe he's still only 25, he seems to have been around for a lot longer and AGR might suit him better
Bahrain-Victorius pulling 3 more rabbits out of the hat when their only realistic contender on paper had an off day

“Pretty good”? I’m at a loss as to what it would take for you to call it a great edition?

 

[jaylew]

The moment the race was won:

Van der Poel launches his sprint with 250 m to go, making the last 16'' of the race an all-out effort.

Right. Mathieu is explosive enough off that standstill to keep the coming riders at bay but Pog lets a gap go and gets swamped. That being a track style sprint was always going to benefit Mathieu far more than Pog

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

When MVP and Pog slowed down substantially MVP already had an advantage (superb acceleration) but it's still unbelievable that Pog (who was behind MVP) didn't see the obvious speed advantage the chasers had and didn't start finishing a few dozens of meters earlier. Even the 2nd place behind MVP would be good but 4th is the worst possible (considering he was the strongest guy on cobbles today).

yeha. Wathcing that sprint back Pogi would have never won tbh, he lost the wheel the moment VDP accelerated as well. But he could for sure finish 2nd.

Anyway, Pogacar is so crazy strong it wouldn't amaze me if he wins this race solo in the future.

 

[Extinction]

Crazy finish of the race. Pogi learned the hard way, but then again this race kinda shows why he is what he is as a stage racer too, you need some power here to explode the field up to pieces.

Really happy for Maduas and Kung and overall FDJ too.

Where's QSAV?..See ya the douches.

He took command of the race from the Kruisberg and Oede Kwaremount and had van der Poel on the ropes on the Paterberg. He had the power

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Pretty good edition.
VdP not at a ridiculous level for him but rode smart and had enough.
Pogacar riding at an unreal level so far this season
Van Baarle had a bad patch on final Kwaremont but finished strongly
Madouas has become a high class rider, hard to believe he's still only 25, he seems to have been around for a lot longer and AGR might suit him better
Bahrain-Victorius pulling 3 more rabbits out of the hat when their only realistic contender on paper had an off day

I actually think this was peak VDP. Pogacar just makes him look normal.

 

[SafeBet]

Enjoyed this race a lot.
Pogacar was absolutely insane, kept attacking on almost every berg and was just this close to drop MvdP as well. Rookie mistake in the end but it happens. At least we know he's human.

Van der Poel won this race despite not being the strongest, which must be a novelty for him. For once I think he raced smartly. And the sprint was a thing of beauty.

Great race from Van Baarle, Madouas and Fred Wright too.

 

[Jumbot]

The moment adversity happens, the good relaxed kid shows his true face, taking a hand of his handlebars in the sprint...

 

[gunara]

I don't think there's anything wrong with a rider showing emotions after a race - I'm a Pinot-fan after all... - but I still think finding Pogacar and getting him calmed down would be a good idea.

Just beware the wrath of the Pog, he's terrifying enough when nice and happy.

 

[jmdirt]

Surely, it's only an argument if the other part talks back.

If you think your bike was talking back... I'm sorry; you were hallucinating!




Van Vleuten on the move!
Reusser now.

It not only talked back, it gave me the middle finger!

 

[Mayomaniac]

Right. Mathieu is explosive enough off that standstill to keep the coming riders at bay but Pog lets a gap go and gets swamped. That being a track style sprint was always going to benefit Mathieu far more than Pog

This, the more it becomes a track style sprint/the longer you wait and the lower the starting speed is the better Mathieu gets.

 

[Extinction]

I think there will now be bad blood between him and van der Poel

 

[RedheadDane]

Just beware the wrath of the Pog, he's terrifying enough when nice and happy.

Which just means that having him on the loose in Oudenaarde would not be a good idea!

 

[postmanhat]

And yet another lead group working ineffectually in the women's race it seems