2015, Ronde van Vlaanderen 264.9 Km

[hfer07]

Kristoff = the man
great performance by Terpstra but had got nothing on Kristoff at the sprint.
GVA just took off tooooo late - WTF!! great ride indeed
Sagan just performing on his standards-- He just lacks that depth to get the victory.
G is already burnt off. the man has performed superbly already.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

So Etixx is riding for 2 places in cobbles classics, he should never had worked with Kristoff to begin with. This was more about Terpstra wanted to be the king instead of Stybar !

Spot on. Stybar may have had the kick needed to drop Kristoff / Degenkolb on the last climbs, Terpstra doesn't. Wokring to give Kristoff 30 seconds start before the last climbs was stupid from the team's point of view.

No. The chasers didn't close the gap on the last climb, so Kristoff won on power and riding the last 500m like a boss.

Well, they did close the gap slightly and anyway, say a group of six riders went over the top of the last climb including Kristoff, it would be a lot less of a foregone conclusion, as tactics would suddenly become important, everyone could have taken turns to attack Kristoff - especially if Etixx had two riders there.

 

[Asero831]

GVA must be kicking himself for not reacting to the winning moves

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Deserved win from Kristoff.

I think Terpstra was in a bad situation specially because Stybar couldn't go with Sagan. I still think he worked way too much with such a good sprinter but he held the responsibility of leadership quite well.

Vanmarcke? We need him for Roubaix, can't stand another Kristoff or Sky win.

Nelson Oliveira surprisingly good and Benoot the revelation of the day of course. Greipel was just spectacular making up for an underwhelming race from Roelandts.

Tinkoff is probably on the Koppenberg. Really, where the f*** was Breschel? Sagan looks weak whenever he has to make a real effort....

Regarding Thomas,I thought he would be stronger with all the hype surrounding him. Still he has learned the hard way what is like to be a favourite for a classic.

This. When Stybar couldn't react on Pater, Quick Step was riding for max 2nd place. A good Stybar would've changed things but he didn't really have it today.

Sky also rode a poor race tactically. You can't Tour de France this race. Trains have no effect

 

[Sasquatch]

Deserved win from Kristoff.

I think Terpstra was in a bad situation specially because Stybar couldn't go with Sagan. I still think he worked way too much with such a good sprinter but he held the responsibility of leadership quite well.

Vanmarcke? We need him for Roubaix, can't stand another Kristoff or Sky win.

Nelson Oliveira surprisingly good and Benoot the revelation of the day of course. Greipel was just spectacular making up for an underwhelming race from Roelandts.

Tinkoff is probably on the Koppenberg. Really, where the f*** was Breschel? Sagan looks weak whenever he has to make a real effort....

Regarding Thomas,I thought he would be stronger with all the hype surrounding him. Still he has learned the hard way what is like to be a favourite for a classic.

This. When Stybar couldn't react on Pater, Quick Step was riding for max 2nd place. A good Stybar would've changed things but he didn't really have it today.

Sky also rode a poor race tactically. You can't Tour de France this race. Trains have no effect

And better to get 2nd than letting Sagan and Van Avermaet back and getting 4th.

 

[Baldinger]

At least Sky's tactics didn't pay off in the end. To pretend that Vlaanderen is just another hilly stage just seems plain stupid. It's the London Olympics all over again.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Re:

GVA must be kicking himself for not reacting to the winning moves

BMC fail. They had 4 riders in the group in did nothing for 10kms. They only started pulling at Kwaremont - too late.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Re: Re:

Lol at people in this forum telling Terpstra to ride like a coward and not pull. I can't believe how reactionary and shortsighted some people are.

If he stopped riding with Kristoff he still wouldn't have won.

But the difference is he would lose his podium place no one will ever trust him in a breakaway again.

Any race he ever attacks in, every other rider working with him would identify him immediately as the guy who will sell them down the river with cowardly cheapo tactics if the breakaway gets a sniff at a win.

An extremely dumb thing for a rider who's best chance to win is from a mid race break, to do.

The bolded.... Know it in your bones.

You can't win races with negative tactics like quitting in the lead break.

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

Lol at people in this forum telling Terpstra to ride like a coward and not pull. I can't believe how reactionary and shortsighted some people are.

If he stopped riding with Kristoff he still wouldn't have won.

But the difference is he would lose his podium place no one will ever trust him in a breakaway again.

Any race he ever attacks in, every other rider working with him would identify him immediately as the guy who will sell them down the river with cowardly cheapo tactics if the breakaway gets a sniff at a win.

An extremely dumb thing for a rider who's best chance to win is from a mid race break, to do.

He has more chance to win in a 4 man group than alone with kristoff. You're dumb to deny that.

If he wants to win, then the only way was to no ride at all.

Or kristoff keeps pulling and maybe he can try something in the last few km (better than what it was right now)

or they're with 4 and kristoff prob can't react to everything.

That was the optimal strategy for him to win the race.

There's a risk he won't get podium but that's worth the risk for winning the race.

 

[Bushman]

Apparently Sky still hasn't learned the difference between classics and mountain stages. They were riding like it was a GT protecting the Yellow Jersey of Chris Froome.

 

[DFA123]

Deserved win from Kristoff.

I think Terpstra was in a bad situation specially because Stybar couldn't go with Sagan. I still think he worked way too much with such a good sprinter but he held the responsibility of leadership quite well.

Vanmarcke? We need him for Roubaix, can't stand another Kristoff or Sky win.

Nelson Oliveira surprisingly good and Benoot the revelation of the day of course. Greipel was just spectacular making up for an underwhelming race from Roelandts.

Tinkoff is probably on the Koppenberg. Really, where the f*** was Breschel? Sagan looks weak whenever he has to make a real effort....

Regarding Thomas,I thought he would be stronger with all the hype surrounding him. Still he has learned the hard way what is like to be a favourite for a classic.

This. When Stybar couldn't react on Pater, Quick Step was riding for max 2nd place. A good Stybar would've changed things but he didn't really have it today.

Sky also rode a poor race tactically. You can't Tour de France this race. Trains have no effect

And better to get 2nd than letting Sagan and Van Avermaet back and getting 4th.

He would have had more chance of a win if he had let them get back on with around 5-6km to go. Then he could have at least tried to get away before the sprint and none of the others would want to be the one wasting energy chasing him down.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

BMC is the new BMC.

Etix did fine. BMC *** up

 

[DirtyWorks]

Re:

At least Sky's tactics didn't pay off at the end. To pretend that Vlaanderen is just another hilly stage just seems plain stupid. It's the London Olympics all over again.

Agreed! I'm not sure who is making strategy there but wow that was crazy to work so hard, for so long, so early.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Lol at people in this forum telling Terpstra to ride like a coward and not pull. I can't believe how reactionary and shortsighted some people are.

If he stopped riding with Kristoff he still wouldn't have won.

But the difference is he would lose his podium place no one will ever trust him in a breakaway again.

Any race he ever attacks in, every other rider working with him would identify him immediately as the guy who will sell them down the river with cowardly cheapo tactics if the breakaway gets a sniff at a win.

An extremely dumb thing for a rider who's best chance to win is from a mid race break, to do.

He has more chance to win in a 4 man group than alone with kristoff. You're dumb to deny that.

If he wants to win, then the only way was to no ride at all.

Or kristoff keeps pulling and maybe he can try something in the last few km (better than what it was right now)

or they're with 4 and kristoff prob can't react to everything.

That was the optimal strategy for him to win the race.

There's a risk he won't get podium but that's worth the risk for winning the race.

This. Can't believe I see Hitch advocating riding for 2nd place. In a group of 4 he might have won

 

[Miburo]

Terpstra is racing with one of the fastest guys in this peloton. Anyone considering him a coward for not riding with him is a ***.

 

[DBotero]

Re:

Apparently Sky still hasn't learned the difference between classics and mountain stages. They were riding like it was a GT protecting the Yellow Jersey of Chris Froome.

Still with that fail tactic,they put G. in a good position,he just wasn't good enough today.

 

[William H]

Sky's tactics delivered Thomas to where he needed to be to win the race if he had the legs. Considering they don't really have a very strong team for Flanders, that's a fine enough performance.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Greipel <3

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Re:

Apparently Sky still hasn't learned the difference between classics and mountain stages. They were riding like it was a GT protecting the Yellow Jersey of Chris Froome.

Sky did fine. Thomas didn't have legs to follow Sagan and Avermaet.

 

[dicanio_michael]

Re: Re:

Lol at people in this forum telling Terpstra to ride like a coward and not pull. I can't believe how reactionary and shortsighted some people are.

If he stopped riding with Kristoff he still wouldn't have won.

But the difference is he would lose his podium place no one will ever trust him in a breakaway again.

Any race he ever attacks in, every other rider working with him would identify him immediately as the guy who will sell them down the river with cowardly cheapo tactics if the breakaway gets a sniff at a win.

An extremely dumb thing for a rider who's best chance to win is from a mid race break, to do.

Agree, and if Terpstra stop pulling in last 10k, he would have gotten 4th.
No way, Terpstra would win Van Avermaet and Sagan in a sprint.

2nd is a pretty good result, I would say.
Kristoff is just too strong. And he deserved it solely to have the courage to attack with Terpstra but not staying in the bunch to sprint with the big names. He could still win.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Terpstra is racing with one of the fastest guys in this peloton. Anyone considering him a coward for not riding with him is a ***.

Exactly this. It's not cowardly to refuse to work with the world's most on-form sprinter to the line in a break of two.

 

[DBotero]

Re:

Greipel <3

True,he was the most impressive today after Kristoff.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Re: Re:

Lol at people in this forum telling Terpstra to ride like a coward and not pull. I can't believe how reactionary and shortsighted some people are.

If he stopped riding with Kristoff he still wouldn't have won.

But the difference is he would lose his podium place no one will ever trust him in a breakaway again.

Any race he ever attacks in, every other rider working with him would identify him immediately as the guy who will sell them down the river with cowardly cheapo tactics if the breakaway gets a sniff at a win.

An extremely dumb thing for a rider who's best chance to win is from a mid race break, to do.

He has more chance to win in a 4 man group than alone with kristoff. You're dumb to deny that.

If he wants to win, then the only way was to no ride at all.

Or kristoff keeps pulling and maybe he can try something in the last few km (better than what it was right now)

or they're with 4 and kristoff prob can't react to everything.

That was the optimal strategy for him to win the race.

There's a risk he won't get podium but that's worth the risk for winning the race.

Let's imagine Terpstra does the unthinkable and quits the lead breakaway. Kristoff rides in with Stybar and GvA while Terpstra is hanging around in the group where everyone is being chased down by Thomas. Kristoff still wins.

Their minds don't work like you imagine. It is the opposite of racing if Terpstra stopped working.

 

[Bumeington]

Re:

Sky's tactics delivered Thomas to where he needed to be to win the race if he had the legs. Considering they don't really have a very strong team for Flanders, that's a fine enough performance.

Only Rowe and Thomas made the finale, Lotto (-Bellisol) had more there, do you think Lotto have a stronger team for flanders than Sky?

 

[Sasquatch]

Once Kristoff was in the lead group it was over. No one other than him was winning this race.