115th Paris-Roubaix 2017 - April 9, 257k

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

Yeah, I'll keep my focus a bit more on Degenkolb now for the remainder of the race. Didn't know yesterday it was THAT bad. You could cut him some slack if it was a smart thing to do, but it's stupid as well.
He could have gotten rid of Boonen for good (looked like his obsession anyway so), sit back and let Bodnar, Stuyven and Oss do the work. Then have a 3-way battle with Sagan and GVA ftw.

I am a bit biased against Degenkolb as he is the darling of the german Eurosport pundits (Karsten something I believe) .... in any race he enters Dege seems to be the clear favorite, best and hardest working rider, only deserved winner and so on - of course races he's not on the roster he would have won easily ... other german cyclists get some favorable mentioning as well (nowhere near John D though), funny enough André Greipel being the one exception (and therefore my favorite german rider .... )

I really disliked Greipel once (my likes and dislikes have always been almost completely irrational) but that has definitely changed the last few years. It's really nice to see a pure sprinter ride like he does in the cobbled monuments, and I have gotten the sense that he would actually like to ride like a proper racer more often that he can do - because obviously he almost always has to conceal himself in the peloton until the end.

 

[loge1884]

I haven't seen any 'pure sprinter' in breaks or pulling as often as André Greipel (of course not in the pure flat sprint races ... but then he would be insane) .... besides I like his laid-back comments
(so the reason I like him is certainly not just the Eurosports pundit)

 

[Saint Unix]

I also like Greipel a lot. He's one of the few you can always count on to animate the race with a gutsy move in the races where he isn't a clear favourite. He loves himself a dumb attack or two in the cobbled classics. In a perfect world every rider would ride just to have fun instead of constantly calculating watts and percentages.

 

[movingtarget]

I think EBH is the TJVG of the classics. He had so much potential when he was young. He is pretty anonymous these days.

 

[58teeth]

Can someone explain Stybar's tactic of swinging up to the top of the track? Was it for a better view or trying to get the to others attack? When hey cam back together he was on the front and GVA swung around in his draft.

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

Can someone explain Stybar's tactic of swinging up to the top of the track? Was it for a better view or trying to get the to others attack? When hey cam back together he was on the front and GVA swung around in his draft.

It's to see what the other riders are doing plus when launching your sprint you can pick up speed faster coming down from the embankment, this happens in track sprints all the time. It was a good move by Stybar but he appeared to panic when Moscon and Stuyven arrived.

 

[Nacho]

So, let me ask this stupid question:

Is the finish line of the race ever inside the big domed building at the Velodrome? In the past few years I had thought they entered a covered track and finished the race there. But for the race this year I noticed they finished on the track that is outdoors. So, where do they finish the race?

If they always finish outside, then what is that big domed/covered building used for? LOL!

 

[StryderHells]

So, let me ask this stupid question:

Is the finish line of the race ever inside the big domed building at the Velodrome? In the past few years I had thought they entered a covered track and finished the race there. But for the race this year I noticed they finished on the track that is outdoors. So, where do they finish the race?

If they always finish outside, then what is that big domed/covered building used for? LOL!

They always finish on the old outdoor velodrome, but for actual track racing the outdoor velo is massively outdated so that big domed building is the more modern indoor track

 

[Nacho]

I be darned. I guess just I equated Velodrome with dome and just assumed they finished indoors. Thanks!

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

I be darned. I guess just I equated Velodrome with dome and just assumed they finished indoors. Thanks!

Most of the older velodromes are outdoor. The new ones are often used for other sports as well so they have to be indoors. They just dismantle the track until next season.

 

[RedheadDane]

Is it generally possible to ride directly into an indoor velodrome from the outside?











(Did that sentence even make sense?)

 

[tobydawq]

Well, unless the only entrance is through a revolving door, I fail to see the problem

 

[RedheadDane]

If there's no road leading into the actual velodrome - as opposed to simply into the building - it might be a bit complicated.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Is it generally possible to ride directly into an indoor velodrome from the outside?











(Did that sentence even make sense?)

No it's unusual.

 

[Nacho]

Re: Re:

I be darned. I guess just I equated Velodrome with dome and just assumed they finished indoors. Thanks!

Most of the older velodromes are outdoor. The new ones are often used for other sports as well so they have to be indoors. They just dismantle the track until next season.

I had seen it only from overhead google view, and some street view around the perimeter of which it was hard to see anything. From overhead it looks like the outside track was just a foot race-track, to me.

I see there is now google street view to where you can see all the way into the outside race-track. In that it is clear to see that the ovals/ends are banked, and thus they do bicycle races out there.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

I be darned. I guess just I equated Velodrome with dome and just assumed they finished indoors. Thanks!

Most of the older velodromes are outdoor. The new ones are often used for other sports as well so they have to be indoors. They just dismantle the track until next season.

I had seen it only from overhead google view, and some street view around the perimeter of which it was hard to see anything. From overhead it looks like the outside track was just a foot race-track, to me.

I see there is now google street view to where you can see all the way into the outside race-track. In that it is clear to see that the ovals/ends are banked, and thus they do bicycle races out there.

Yes it does look like a running track as well which is a bit odd, maybe used more as a training track.