2015 Gent - Wevelgem, 29/03, 239km 1.UWT

[armchairclimber]

Another fantastic race in what has been the best early season that I can remember.
Really enjoyed seeing Paolini win after his efforts towing Kristoff recently. Thomas looked strong but it looked to me as though he just got fed up with doing all the chasing down pulling Debusschere along with him. Had he dragged his winnet to to the line he presumably thought he'd be out-kicked by the one man in the group that did squat for the last 40km.
To be fair, he was out-kicked by Terpstra too but his shake of the head at the line said a lot. Had he won today after Friday it would have been ridiculous really. He must have been just a teeny bit fatigued.

 

[King Boonen]

Re:

Epic race

just.. epic

once more, i can see this image and this part of the race 100 times

Knock yourself out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBNJF7r ... freload=10

 

[luckyboy]

EBH broken collarbone

 

[samhocking]

Re:

Another fantastic race in what has been the best early season that I can remember.
Really enjoyed seeing Paolini win after his efforts towing Kristoff recently. Thomas looked strong but it looked to me as though he just got fed up with doing all the chasing down pulling Debusschere along with him. Had he dragged his winnet to to the line he presumably thought he'd be out-kicked by the one man in the group that did squat for the last 40km.
To be fair, he was out-kicked by Terpstra too but his shake of the head at the line said a lot. Had he won today after Friday it would have been ridiculous really. He must have been just a teeny bit fatigued.

I would agree with that. The moment nobody came through after Thomas's first effort to pull Paolini back was when they all lost the race. Thomas's disappointment at the end reminded me of Cancellera in many ways. Sometimes everyone knows you are the strongest riding in the group is the same as riding in no man's land.

 

[Mozart92]

Who would have imagined that the best victory of his career could come at the age of 38? Reminds me of C. Horner.

 

[luckyboy]

Wrong forum....

 

[Vino's Mum]

A nice day for a ride:

http://m.video.sporza.be/cm/sporza.mobi ... /1.2287739

Chava's jacket ftw.

 

[dicanio_michael]

Re: Re:

I agree with this completely, because Paolini clearly was not the strongest legs...strongest tactics yes, but legs, no...but that still doesn't preclude his calculation that they would hesitate, and that just enough hesitation, would mean that everyone else's destroyed legs wouldn't be enough to catch him.

I'm really reacting to the idea that QS did something wrong. That's just ridiculous, considering what had transpired prior to crossing the line. Sure, Vandenbergh rode strong at the wrong time early on, but after that, he killed himself to give his team a chance, and I am betting that when Paolini went, he was the last person to be able to chase him back down.

I agree that in the end of the race it was very difficut for them to control or to use the extra man. They probably lost it when Vandenbergh dropped Stybar and forced Terpstra to solo across to the break (no doubt burning a few matches). That was truly idiotic.

Yes, I don't understand this move either. When Vandenbergh brought Thomas and Vanmarcke with him, QS should have known their race was over. And Terpstra needed to spend whole lots of effort to bridge them. Why would they drop Terpstra and Stybar on such an important move ? No one reminded them that Vandenbergh was attacking ?

Anyway, of course Etixx played it wrong today, but Paolini was superb and took his chance intelligently.

 

[movingtarget]

Very smart win by Paolini on a brutal day. A real race of attrition. Another gutsy ride by Geraint Thomas and what a ride by Jurgen Roelandts. Etixx still finding the big win elusive but they are always there and sooner or later have to make it. In the conditions having two riders probably did not make as a big a difference as it normally would as they were all exhausted at the finish.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Quickstep vs Thomas vs JB and Paolini was forgotten

 

[ILovecycling]

What an amazing win for Paolini,very happy for him.OTOH I felt a bit disapointed about Roelandts,
Vandenbergh again showed his tactical genius lol, congrats Paolini

 

[Dazed and Confused]

A fine, fine podium.

Withdrawals symptoms all around, but luckily Driedaagse De Panne will start tomorrow.

 

[Kwibus]

Also liked Robert Power bike throw btw.

The fact he was there was imo even better. I mean he finished 2nd at l'avenir last year so I thought it was a climber, but being 1 of the 39 finishers of an brutal race like this says something. The kid has real power.

 

[DBotero]

EBH run out of luck again,fractured clavicule And to think some people still find a cyclist crashing funny

 

[Kazistuta]

Re:

Also liked Robert Power bike throw btw.

The fact he was there was imo even better. I mean he finished 2nd at l'avenir last year so I thought it was a climber, but being 1 of the 39 finishers of an brutal race like this says something. The kid has real power.

What? Robert Power wasn't taking part in Gent - Wevelgem he's not even pro yet)... and the Bike throw was performed by 24 hours lead character☺

 

[Dazed and Confused]

More fantastic pictures which tells the story the best possible way. Highly recommended:

http://www.nieuwsblad.be/sportwereld/cn ... 9_01604627

 

[maltiv]

EBH run out of luck again,fractured clavicule And to think some people still find a cyclist crashing funny

Just when he was finding his form again...

 

[Volderke]

EBH run out of luck again,fractured clavicule And to think some people still find a cyclist crashing funny

With wheels this high, I don't feel too much compassion.

 

[Echoes]

Re:

Epic race

just.. epic

once more, i can see this image and this part of the race 100 times

Quintessential cycling picture! Greatest race I've seen in years. Perhaps since 2005 Championship of Zurich and even so. Perhaps the greatest I've seen in my whole life. Only problem the outcome of it. If only Jürgen had made it, that would have been some reminiscence of the old Flandrian legends. Holy Moses, what a race.

And then these farmers, demonstrating for a just cause but well disciplined with no influence on the race. All my support.

 

[Netserk]

Yep, up there with Ronde '11 as well.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Brutal

 

[Arnout]

EBH run out of luck again,fractured clavicule And to think some people still find a cyclist crashing funny

With wheels this high, I don't feel too much compassion.

Good point. When you choose material unsuitable for the conditions, you really have no rights to really complain about said conditions.

To give an idea of the popularity of the Belgian classics in Belgium: 1,080,000 viewers for Gent-Wevelgem on the Flemish channel Sporza (excluding many Dutch and other foreign viewers), a 70% share of the market.

 

[ILovecycling]

EBH run out of luck again,fractured clavicule And to think some people still find a cyclist crashing funny

With wheels this high, I don't feel too much compassion.

Good point. When you choose material unsuitable for the conditions, you really have no rights to really complain about said conditions.

To give an idea of the popularity of the Belgian classics in Belgium: 1,080,000 viewers for Gent-Wevelgem on the Flemish channel Sporza (excluding many Dutch and other foreign viewers), a 70% share of the market.

Thats fantastic!Amazing country
Thanks for interesting info

 

[Volderke]

just adding this about EBH:
I DO have compassion if he fell because of another rider.
Then again, the race director should have FORBIDDEN the use of wheels higher than 40mm (especially front) in these circumstances. The whole peloton was swarming because they all had difficulties handling their bikes in crosswinds.

 

[phanatic]

Can't get tired of this race. When Paolini won, the first thing I thought of was Nieve's win in Giro 2011, as just a day we are not likely to see again.