2015 Strade Bianche, 7th March, 200 km, 1.HC

[Sasquatch]

Piti also didn't do anything dumb. What if he doesn't ride? Will the others ride? And guys like GVA and stybar did their work too in the brake, not that they were sucking piti's wheel.

Some people are just...

I agree with this.

I have huge respect for what Valverde did today. He did not **** up at all. GVA didn't **** up either. Even if he sat on he still would have lost. Stybar was the strongest rider in the race today by far. It was evident when the first selection was made. There was nothing any of them could have done to prevent Stybar from winning. Stybar worked and did turns and still won. Strongest rider won.

 

[nepetalactone]

Lol. Did I see a Styby Van Avermaet avatar bet somewhere?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Valverde got beaten by a better rider today. He didn't do anything wrong today.

What do you guys think about Sagan? Just an example of a rider who was at his peak at a too young age?

yes and most of all wasted his abilities by losing a lot of weight

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Valverde took too many turns. Maybe he'd have finished 2nd if GVA had done just 10% work. Stybar too strong today. SB is a road race basically tailor-made to him

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Valverde didn't crack, he's just not that good on such short hill sprints.

Say what?

 

[TourOfTexas]

Valverde got beaten by a better rider today. He didn't do anything wrong today.

What do you guys think about Sagan? Just an example of a rider who was at his peak at a too young age?

Probably overtrained and under a lot of mental pressure from the psycho that owns the team.

 

[Jagartrott]

Ugh, luckily Van Avermaet is as dumb as usual.

Great race, best man won, but of course, it's always so wise-guy to say something negative. Some people...

 

[Arredondo]

yes and most of all wasted his abilities by losing a lot of weight

I indeed also think the decision to lose a lot of weight was a bad one.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

wtf are you blabbing about. stybar is way more explosive than valverde

Lol

10 chars

 

[proffz]

great race
GVA made a mistake moving to the right in the narrow road a t the top fo the uphill sprint opening the door to sty bar that anyway was stronger

very happy for diego rosa,he continued to race hard even when dropped
very happy for utan and chaves , especially.
very good performance for a rider less than 60 kg at his first race of the season

 

[icefire]

Valverde didn't crack, he's just not that good on such short hill sprints.

The last winner of FW is not that good a short hill sprints

 

[Vesica]

Ahh I wished GVA took this one. Great ride by him, strongest today, except for the last 500 meters. Also never expected Stybar to win here.

 

[argyllflyer]

What do you guys think about Sagan? Just an example of a rider who was at his peak at a too young age?

Been in decline in terms of good results and performances since 2012 (a few semi classics and one horse race green jersey comps excepted) but that can/will be explained away by being marked, being young, changing his style / weight, poor support from team, poor tactically, Cancellara had won nothing major by his age etc...

He just, to me anyway, seems to be a shadow of the rider he was a few years back, whatever the excuses offered.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

And look.
First of all, I love Styby (just like 95% of the Belgian CX fans).
Second: he won this race fair and square. As someone mentioned: there's no possible way someone would have beaten him today.

But why does he NEVER attack? He takes hiss pulls, he's always quick to react to an attacker. But he always seem to count on his sprint...

 

[Jspear]

Stybar
GVA
Valverde
Vanmarcke
Rosa
Gatto
Uran
Felline
Niemiec
Caruso

Top 10 was very different from what I was expecting.

 

[Wallenquist]

Say what?

It's true in some way. He waited a little bit too long. That last hill is quite short, like 400-500m meters if steep climb. Valverde should try to attack first and ride whole hill with the best possible tempo. But he waited so it was all about incredibile strong attack for 150-200m, like an uphill sprint, little bit compared to what Degenkolb did in Dubai. And Valverde couldn't match watts that GVA and Stybar produced.

 

[skidmark]

I'm fully on board with what Libertine said about the breadth of riders who can win this. Just look at today's top results:

Stybar
Van Avermaet
Valverde
Vanmarcke
Rosa
Gatto
Uran
Felline
Niemec
G. Caruso
Kreuziger
Vicioso
Puccio
Vermote
Sammy Sanchez

That is just... awesome. This is the Tour of the Basque Country of one-day races.

 

[ray j willings]

All 4 of the top 4 rode a perfect race for their respective strengths.
this is a perfectly fair result.

Nothings fair in life . It sucks and it will all fall down around each and everyone off us.

Valverde will taste the bitterness of this defeat for at least 20 mins.

 

[nepetalactone]

I'm fully on board with what Libertine said about the breadth of riders who can win this. Just look at today's top results:

Stybar
Van Avermaet
Valverde
Vanmarcke
Rosa
Gatto
Uran
Felline
Niemec
G. Caruso
Kreuziger
Vicioso
Puccio
Vermote
Sammy Sanchez

That is just... awesome. This is the Tour of the Basque Country of one-day races.

What happened to Cancellara there at the end?

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Valverde took too many turns. Maybe he'd have finished 2nd if GVA had done just 10% work. Stybar too strong today. SB is a road race basically tailor-made to him

Lol. Didn't you see how GVA attacked twice, and only stayed in the wheel for the last 2k?

 

[Tournesol]

I remember how some doubted Stybar before the race.

Yes Bala V looking a bit sheepish i suspect.Also didn't someone say Vanmarcke wouldn't finish in the top 20?..........oh wait....that was Bala V too.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

And look.
First of all, I love Styby (just like 95% of the Belgian CX fans).
Second: he won this race fair and square. As someone mentioned: there's no possible way someone would have beaten him today.

But why does he NEVER attack? He takes hiss pulls, he's always quick to react to an attacker. But he always seem to count on his sprint...

Stybar never attacks? This is news to me.

 

[skidmark]

Been in decline in terms of good results and performances since 2012 but that can/will be explained away by being marked, being young, changing his style / weight, poor support from team, poor tactically, Cancellara had won nothing major by his age etc...

He just, to me anyway, seems to be a shadow of the rider he was a few years back, whatever the excuses offered.

Yeah, I had thought this year with a stronger team behind him and a so-so year last year, he'd be less marked and that would be dangerous for the rest of the peloton. But so far he has looked... not great. Losing that stage in Qatar that was tailor made for him was worrying, and disappearing here more so. He still has a grace period from me until the end of April, and then I'll be willing to pronounce him a bust if there are more performances like this.

 

[Kwibus]

Valverde got beaten by a better rider today. He didn't do anything wrong today.

What do you guys think about Sagan? Just an example of a rider who was at his peak at a too young age?

It's looking like that more and more.

 

[bala v]

Happened exactly what I predicted wonder what are now thinking guys saying I'm "out of my mind" saying Stybar can outsprint Valverde here ?

Chapeau to you, and Stybar of course