106th Ronde van Vlaanderen: April 3rd, 2022

[Eyeballs Out]

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

Van Aert and, well, less sickness and more riders in form

 

[StryderHells]

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

Why?

 

[Pirazziattacks]

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

I'd like to know how insane that mario kart attack really was numbers wise before calling Pog beatable.

 

[zlev11]

completely satisified after that race, almost 100k of action with dangerous riders going up the road. only would've been better if Madouas won that sprint.

 

[jmdirt]

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

They were going 100% so going harder wasn't an option.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

Why?

This is the start of Pog's villain origin story. Before long he'll be ruling the peloton through fear Lance style.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

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

He's had an interrupted prep and a lack of race days. We've seen him in the past wasting efforts making ill-advised attacks and still having enough to win. Did he even make one attack in this race?

 

[Extinction]

Why?

Because Pog made the race and brought Van der Poel to the line. Pog should have also pulled one last time, however, in the end, after all Pog had done, the smack in the face won't go down well.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Imagine being a legit gc rider going to the Tour and watching Pogi do this, must be pretty rough...

 

[movingtarget]

Someone needs to find a pair of big boy knicks...........

 

[RedheadDane]

It's raining now.
Front group has 24 seconds.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

He's had an interrupted prep and a lack of race days. We've seen him in the past wasting efforts making ill-advised attacks and still having enough to win. Did he even make one attack in this race?

Good point. VDP didn't do his usual "let's start racing now guys" routine with 100+ ks to go for once.

 

[Mayomaniac]

He's had an interrupted prep and a lack of race days. We've seen him in the past wasting efforts making ill-advised attacks and still having enough to win. Did he even make one attack in this race?

On the other hand I have never seen him race smarter in a big race, so maybe being a bit less confident because of his suboptimal prep is a good thing.

 

[RedheadDane]

Front group:

1		6	SIERRA Arlenis
2		23	MAJERUS Christine
3		24	REUSSER Marlen
4		32	HENDERSON Anna
5		41	NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna
6		64	CHAPMAN Brodie
7		73	RAAIJMAKERS Marit
8		122	BERTIZZOLO Sofia
9		143	CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia
10		146	ALESSIO Camilla

 

[jaylew]

Van Baarle and Madouas working with Pog and Mathieu might have secured them podium spots.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Because Pog made the race and brought Van der Poel to the line. Pog should have also pulled one last time, however, in the end, after all Pog had done, the smack in the face won't go down well.

Pog didn't bring MVP to the line. He had some brutal accelerations that MVP withstood (barely). It was his mistake that he didn't start the sprint a bit earlier after seeing what was going on behind.

 

[jaylew]

Wow, the group really split on that climb

 

[StryderHells]

Because Pog made the race and brought Van der Poel to the line. Pog should have also pulled one last time, however, in the end, after all Pog had done, the smack in the face won't go down well.

Yeah I don’t think that’s what happened and very much doubt any bad blood will come out of the race.

 

[StryderHells]

Brodie Chapman riding a great race.

 

[hayneplane]

Fantastic final hour and a half of racing. Had the Paterberg been another 150-200 metres longer I think Pogacar might have snapped the elastic and then time trialled home solo. Awful blunder in the finale when he should have gone for a 400 metre sprint and see what happens.

Pogi proved all the doubters wrong including Cancellara who gave him a laughably misguided 2 star rating the day before the race. A stronger team around him might have just softened up everyone enough for him to fly solo.

 

[Extinction]

Pog didn't bring MVP to the line. He had some brutal accelerations that MVP withstood (barely). It was his mistake that he didn't finish the sprint a bit earlier after seeing what was going on behind.

Yes he did. MVP was holding on to his accellerations in the critical moments, could do nothing else, then played cat and mouse and Pogi fell for it. The win was astute but not praiseworthy.

 

[RedheadDane]

15 Ks to go!

 

[F_Cance]

SD worx domination really not good for races

 

[jaylew]

Last climb coming up for the women

 

[jmdirt]

It sounds like the ladies are getting soaked...anyone have a video feed? Lots of wet chamois?