106th Scheldeprijs (1.HC) 04/04/2018

[Geraint Too Fast]

Attention! The Scheldeprijs could actually be an interesting race this year. :exclaim:

A significant route change for the 106th edition - much of the race will take place on the exposed roads of Zeeland.

“I expect spectacle immediately from the start, the always present wind in this part of The Netherlands will make it a very different race from previous editions”, says Ronald De Witte, race director for the Scheldeprijs.

START LIST

 

[Gigs_98]

This is exactly the right step for the Scheldeprijs. It's fine to have a one day race for sprinters without hills in the finale, but only if you somehow make the first half of the race selective, and crosswind is the perfect solution for that. Kinda reminds me on how the WC in Qatar should have been, instead of the 5 km of crosswind action we got

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Could be an improvement, but it looks like largely cross-tail wind rather than cross-head wind, with a headwind at the end of the race, so I'm still expecting about half the field in the final few k together.

But we can hope...

 

[rune1107]

Love the new approach. At least we can hope for echelons now, but let's see..

 

[Libertine Seguros]

 

[markene2]

I still have my doubts...

 

[Breh]

Kittel vs Groenewegen I presume.

Quick Step will have to pull something amazing out of the bag to win this one aswell.

 

[MADRAZO]

Why would a race change from a iconic sprintrace to another random windclassic just like so many other, that may be entertaining to watch but where the status of the race is just so much lower, at least in my opinion. Perhaps Im just dissapointed not being able to (or darring to) win money certainly on Kittel in this years race (and will now have to wait for Valverde always being overpriced and certain to win in Fleche) but honestly I think this undermines the race, just like if Fleche Wallone removed the Muur De Huy finish. Sometimes its actually nice to just have a plain sprintrace, and being just that is what has made Scheldeprijs something special.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

Could be an improvement, but it looks like largely cross-tail wind rather than cross-head wind, with a headwind at the end of the race, so I'm still expecting about half the field in the final few k together.

But we can hope...

Cross-tailwind is the ideal direction for making splits, much better than cross-head.

 

[SKSemtex]

Absolutely perfect decision.

Watching big sprinters guns to survive echelons will be at least so interesting as the finale.

5 km in windy desert in Doha was probably more exciting then the whole Bergen ( taking camera failure into account). I am certainly looking forward to it.
Let it wind let it rain.

 

[tomorrow]

Won't they be close to the finishing circuit by the time the live images begin? What's the point the most exciting part of the race on the begining, where nobody will see it?

 

[Orbit501]

Wonder who is team leader out of Jakobsen or Hodeg for the Steppers ?

 

[SafeBet]

Still better than Fleche Wallonne.

 

[Anderis]

My favourite race of the year, finally!

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Re: Re:

Could be an improvement, but it looks like largely cross-tail wind rather than cross-head wind, with a headwind at the end of the race, so I'm still expecting about half the field in the final few k together.

But we can hope...

Cross-tailwind is the ideal direction for making splits, much better than cross-head.

Really? Seems counter-intuitive to me, and contrary to the little reading I have done in the matter, but if that is the case, my optimism might open up again.

 

[Akuryo]

Re:

Wonder who is team leader out of Jakobsen or Hodeg for the Steppers ?

Whoever has the better legs.

 

[Squire]

Re: Re:

Could be an improvement, but it looks like largely cross-tail wind rather than cross-head wind, with a headwind at the end of the race, so I'm still expecting about half the field in the final few k together.

But we can hope...

Cross-tailwind is the ideal direction for making splits, much better than cross-head.

Really? Seems counter-intuitive to me, and contrary to the little reading I have done in the matter, but if that is the case, my optimism might open up again.

Cross-tail makes it comparatively easier for those who are drilling it at the front. And makes the echelon more 'horizontal', which means room for less riders.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Could be an improvement, but it looks like largely cross-tail wind rather than cross-head wind, with a headwind at the end of the race, so I'm still expecting about half the field in the final few k together.

But we can hope...

Cross-tailwind is the ideal direction for making splits, much better than cross-head.

Really? Seems counter-intuitive to me, and contrary to the little reading I have done in the matter, but if that is the case, my optimism might open up again.

Cross-tail makes it comparatively easier for those who are drilling it at the front. And makes the echelon more 'horizontal', which means room for less riders.

It also effectively makes the race shorter, favouring the attackers. If you get in an echelon or break with 50km to go, that will be less than an hour of riding to hold on until the finish with cross-tail wind. Compared with maybe an extra 20 minutes or so if there was a cross-headwind instead.

It makes any hesitation, lack of co-operation or misjudgement by the chasers more damaging.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Thanks for the explanations. Good to have reason to hope for interest before the final few km.

 

[Sestriere]

Re: Re:

Could be an improvement, but it looks like largely cross-tail wind rather than cross-head wind, with a headwind at the end of the race, so I'm still expecting about half the field in the final few k together.

But we can hope...

Cross-tailwind is the ideal direction for making splits, much better than cross-head.

Really? Seems counter-intuitive to me, and contrary to the little reading I have done in the matter, but if that is the case, my optimism might open up again.

Cross-tail makes it comparatively easier for those who are drilling it at the front. And makes the echelon more 'horizontal', which means room for less riders.

It also effectively makes the race shorter, favouring the attackers. If you get in an echelon or break with 50km to go, that will be less than an hour of riding to hold on until the finish with cross-tail wind. Compared with maybe an extra 20 minutes or so if there was a cross-headwind instead.

It makes any hesitation, lack of co-operation or misjudgement by the chasers more damaging.

You also have to consider that the effective wind you feel on the bike is an addition of vectors of, one, the airstream resulting of your movement through the air and, two, of the general wind direction and speed. The first will always approach from the front with the result that to achieve a virtual cross wind (addition of the two) a cross tailwind is the best.

 

[DNP-Old]

Re:

Wonder who is team leader out of Jakobsen or Hodeg for the Steppers ?

Jakobsen.

 

[DNP-Old]

Echelons already, peloton split into 3 groups.

 

[tomorrow]

Re:

Echelons already, peloton split into 3 groups.

they should be broadcasting this part and leave the final sprint for the evening news.

 

[DNP-Old]

Kittel had a flat tire just prior to the splits, so it's likely he is somewhere far behind.

 

[Laplaz]

Yeah Kittel in the 2nd group