14th Binck Banck Tour , 13-19 August (2.UWT)

[Gigs_98]

What a ride from mohoric. Really hard to dislike a rider like him

 

[Valv.Piti]

Wellens would have blown the race to pieces if they had included a good ardennes stages like they normally do, but props to Mohoric who was saved both days by tactical games. Wellens is a dark horse for WCs.

 

[YavorD]

Mohoric really stepped up this year. Really happy for his win.

 

[Flamin]

Too much staring at each other from the top dogs whenever they'd dropped Mohoric. Disappointing.

Naesen dropping Wellens on Bosberg was a key moment I think. Wellens was right behind so he should have waited, since Wellens was always gonna go full with him. Still, not that likely it would have worked out with teams like BMC and Bora eager to chase.

Nevertheless the circumstances playing into his hands, it was an impressive ride from Mohoric. A refreshing rider to watch because he does atypical things. Like, even with the leader's jersey on his shoulders, closing a gap after being dropped and immediately attacking with 50k to go. And his superb skills on a bike combined with a somewhat reckless style.

 

[WKA311]

And another great race for Schachmann considering there was no Ardennes Stage this year. He is just getting better and better. Would be a huge loss for Quickstep at this point.

 

[Breh]

Yet again the BinckBank tour had some pretty exciting racing. Easily one of the most entertaining races despite its dull parcours this year.

 

[Finn84]

Re:

Yet again the BinckBank tour had some pretty exciting racing. Easily one of the most entertaining races despite its dull parcours this year.

I wonder how much of it is due to its relatively easier parcours compared to other races, meaning that for many riders it's probably the biggest stage race where they have a good chance to win.

 

[Alexandre B.]

AG2R still chasing after a first WorldTour win this season, while Slovenia casually edges France success in WorldTour/ProTour stage races during the last fifteen years in one season.

 

[Robert5091]

Chapeau Mohoric! Learning the hard, sweaty way how to win stage races.

 

[jaylew]

Great rides from Matthews and Mohoric. That finish from Bling was impressive.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

This race is growing on me

Made the point elsewhere, that the season needs a week long stage race, where all the stages are like the last two days (and then an early TT to mix it up).

This race is situated perfectly - both geographically and in the season - to become that.

It could be a week of all the toughest terrain in Holland and Belgium, where the heavy sprinters can't hack it, so that it's the spring classics guys and light sprinters who come into play.... It could become "their" stage race, and a major season goal.

 

[Flamin]

Came to think of it, Terpstra rode a weird race. I literally didn't see him near the front once, yet spotted him flying up the Muur in the background (second to last or the penultimate passage, not sure) and he also finished 9th eventually, so his legs were obviously not bad. I think the same happened yesterday (starting the climbs very far back and then moving up) before he was held up by Küng's crash.

 

[Anderis]

Van Asbroeck was surprisingly strong but his tactics were weird.

 

[Lequack]

Re:

Came to think of it, Terpstra rode a weird race. I literally didn't see him near the front once, yet spotted him flying up the Muur in the background (second to last or the penultimate passage, not sure) and he also finished 9th eventually, so his legs were obviously not bad. I think the same happened yesterday (starting the climbs very far back and then moving up) before he was held up by Küng's crash.

I still don't know why Terpstra will switch to a Pro Continental team for next season. It's not like he had a bad thing going with Quickstep.

 

[Breh]

He didn't get a new offer (yet).

Considering his age, he probably went for the most certain option out there.

 

[Akuryo]

But still, a multiple monument winner (ten times in the top 10 at the cobbled monuments in total) should get better options than a pro conti team. Even if he's 34. It's not like he is declining. He won Flanders this year and was (one of) the strongest in Roubaix.

 

[jaylew]

From what I understand, they wanted to keep him but couldn't match his contract demands due to the uncertainty around sponsorship. Apparently DE offered him big money.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

From what I understand, they wanted to keep him but couldn't match his contract demands due to the uncertainty around sponsorship. Apparently DE offered him big money.

It has to be that he was offered a huge pile of money. He’s 34, he just won Flanders. This is his chance to make sure he has a very luxurious retirement. He will never have as good a chance to cash in.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

That was an incredible performance from Mohoric. He did the work of a GC leader’s team on his own, chasing down so many moves. What an appalling showing by his actual teammates.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

So happy that Mohoric kept the GC lead!

Me too, glad that wheelsucker didn't win the overall.

On the whole I agree, but today Matthews was one of the few who actually wanted to take pulls. Funny enough it was the Belgians (except Wellens) that were not willing to do any work. And that after there tough talk yesterday that they didn't want to see Mohoric win. While in the end it was mainly the Belgians riding against eachother that made Mohoric have a chance to win today.

I'm happy though. Mohoric was the strongest rider this week on the basis on him having to do everything alone against everyone. Isolated today for the biggest part of the last 50km.. It's incredible he held on. He was totally spent at the finish line

Come on. This whole “Matthews is a wheelsucker” stuff should have ended after he switched to Sunweb. He’s taken initiative and attacked more in the last 18 months than his whole career prior to Sunweb.

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

So happy that Mohoric kept the GC lead!

Me too, glad that wheelsucker didn't win the overall.

On the whole I agree, but today Matthews was one of the few who actually wanted to take pulls. Funny enough it was the Belgians (except Wellens) that were not willing to do any work. And that after there tough talk yesterday that they didn't want to see Mohoric win. While in the end it was mainly the Belgians riding against eachother that made Mohoric have a chance to win today.

I'm happy though. Mohoric was the strongest rider this week on the basis on him having to do everything alone against everyone. Isolated today for the biggest part of the last 50km.. It's incredible he held on. He was totally spent at the finish line

Come on. This whole “Matthews is a wheelsucker” stuff should have ended after he switched to Sunweb. He’s taken initiative and attacked more in the last 18 months than his whole career prior to Sunweb.

I think for the most part people have recognized that as you don't hear that kind of stuff around here as much as you used to

 

[tomorrow]

Re: Re:

So happy that Mohoric kept the GC lead!

Me too, glad that wheelsucker didn't win the overall.

On the whole I agree, but today Matthews was one of the few who actually wanted to take pulls. Funny enough it was the Belgians (except Wellens) that were not willing to do any work. And that after there tough talk yesterday that they didn't want to see Mohoric win. While in the end it was mainly the Belgians riding against eachother that made Mohoric have a chance to win today.

I'm happy though. Mohoric was the strongest rider this week on the basis on him having to do everything alone against everyone. Isolated today for the biggest part of the last 50km.. It's incredible he held on. He was totally spent at the finish line

Come on. This whole “Matthews is a wheelsucker” stuff should have ended after he switched to Sunweb. He’s taken initiative and attacked more in the last 18 months than his whole career prior to Sunweb.

I think for the most part people have recognized that as you don't hear that kind of stuff around here as much as you used to

Actually today was probably one of the most impressive wins of Blink I have ever seen by him. The usual win by him in a race like this would be going around GvA in the last meters, but yesterday he hit it hard very early, nearly at the bottom of the Muur. He should do that more often.