2016 La Flèche Wallonne - April 20th - 196k

[Valv.Piti]

I wont even bother to watch it on youtube...

If there's one race for the youtube-generation, its F-W

 

[jaylew]

Michael Woods finishes 12th in his first FW. Rather impressive.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re: Re:

Also, Valverde can't be beaten if you attack with 300m to go. You need to anticipate like Betancur and Kloden tried.

As long as he is in the top 15-20 going into the foot of the climb, I don't think any tactics would really work against him in this kind of form.

He's the best climber in the field (certainly best 3 min power/weight) so you can't try to attack early, he'll just reel you in. And you can't go late and try to out kick him, because he's also so explosive.

Yeah, I think it would take a Prime Purito or 2011 Gilbert to beat him

 

[Jagartrott]

Why did no-one go with Wellens?
Guys like Costa, Kelderman, Barguil. Now they end 10th or worse. Only 4-5 guys can realistically win from a peloton arriving at the foot of the Mur, so all those others guys (and teams) should try something else.

 

[BigMac]

Re:

Why did no-one go with Wellens?
Guys like Costa, Kelderman, Barguil. Now they end 10th or worse. Only 4-5 guys can realistically win from a peloton arriving at the foot of the Mur, so all those others guys (and teams) should try something else.

Costa was too focused on taking the spotlight from Ulissi, he wanted too much to appear like the leader. I can understand why, but he should have either gone with Wellens (chapeau, again) or help Diego in the final, as much as I dislike him. Good luck on racing Liège yet again without a team. Had he helped today maybe the team would to an extra bit of effort (ain't nobody at Lampre riding for anybody bar a few loyal domestiques) to stay near him come Sunday, now he'll just have to suck other team's trains for the entire race.

 

[Red Rick]

Attacking Cherave will never work if there's still a 100+ strong peloton. Tinkoff was driving like a mad on the front for Kreuziger, who got 11th

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

Why did no-one go with Wellens?
Guys like Costa, Kelderman, Barguil. Now they end 10th or worse. Only 4-5 guys can realistically win from a peloton arriving at the foot of the Mur, so all those others guys (and teams) should try something else.

Part of the reason they don't is that there is uncertainty as to who those 4-5 guys are ex ante.

 

[BigMac]

Though they may not know who's going to win, they should know they are not. Really no excuse for the Costas and Keldermerckxs.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Tbh I think Kelderman after last year is just contend with competing again. He is still refinding his mojo

 

[May0maniac]

I wont even bother to watch it on youtube...

If there's one race for the youtube-generation, its F-W

Exactly, the modern F-W is the polar opposite of real racing, it's the epitomy of Youtube-cycling.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It's always the same after the cobbled classics, you know it's gonna suck, you still tune in and watch, but it all ends the same

 

[Red Rick]

It's kinda perfect though. After the high of the cobbled classics it helps you come down.

Until the Giro starts

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

Why did no-one go with Wellens?
Guys like Costa, Kelderman, Barguil. Now they end 10th or worse. Only 4-5 guys can realistically win from a peloton arriving at the foot of the Mur, so all those others guys (and teams) should try something else.

Part of the reason they don't is that there is uncertainty as to who those 4-5 guys are ex ante.

There isn't really. Valverde, Martin, Alaphillipe and, although not today, Purito are clearly better than everyone else in today's field on that sort of climb. And if you hold the race every day for a week, with the same group arriving at the Mur, the winner will be one of those guys every time.

So if you aren't one of those guys and you aren't happy battling for fifth or sixth, then you shouldn't follow their script.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Also, Valverde can't be beaten if you attack with 300m to go. You need to anticipate like Betancur and Kloden tried.

As long as he is in the top 15-20 going into the foot of the climb, I don't think any tactics would really work against him in this kind of form.

He's the best climber in the field (certainly best 3 min power/weight) so you can't try to attack early, he'll just reel you in. And you can't go late and try to out kick him, because he's also so explosive.

Yeah, I think it would take a Prime Purito or 2011 Gilbert to beat him

Prime Purito would definitely have a chance of beating him, he's one of very few that could outkick Valverde. Not sure about Gilbert 2011 on this course, with the new climb so close to the Mur.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

This used to be at least an action-packed last km. Now we barely get exciting final 300m (not that any race with Valv.Piti winning could ever be exciting). This race needs some change soon or people will stop caring about it.

 

[yaco]

I was more impressed with Matthews 21st in Fleche Wallone than his fifth in AG.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I wont even bother to watch it on youtube...

If there's one race for the youtube-generation, its F-W

Exactly, the modern F-W is the polar opposite of real racing, it's the epitomy of Youtube-cycling.

Fleche Wallone is great as it is, the all in puncheur-uphill finish championship of the world. All of the best puncheurs, all in peak condition, one wall, let's see who is top dog. It serves a purpose. The hilly riders love it and place a high value on it and we should too.

Even if we could bring back more uncontrolled and less conservative racing generally, something I'd like as much as everyone else, FW should stay as it is. It's the one race that should be like this.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Thought Etixx actually played that very well and maximised their chances of winning. Valverde was just stronger.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Thought Etixx actually played that very well and maximised their chances of winning. Valverde was just stronger.

This.

Martin went a little early to force Valverde to chase...Alaphilippe just wasn't able to come around. Kudos to Valverde, he looked so calm and relaxed. Very nice win.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Etixx has cards to play in LBL this way as well. If they can utilise Martin to attack the last 3 climbs and force Valverde to chase so Alaphilippe is fresher for the sprint

 

[hfer07]

the race should be renamed "la Fleche Valverde"

Don Alejandro simply mastered the race & the Mur de Huy in a way that none of the current competitors know what to do- or rather how to drop him before the last 60 mtls.

 

[jens_attacks]

Get rid of cherave to at least see if they can ride under 2:40 the mur

 

[Billie]

Re:

Get rid of cherave to at least see if they can ride under 2:40 the mur

what time did they do in le tour when they held coffee break half an hour before the finish?

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Get rid of cherave to at least see if they can ride under 2:40 the mur

what time did they do in le tour when they held coffee break half an hour before the finish?

Like 2:49 or something. 3 seconds faster than today

 

[Gigs_98]

It's strange, cherave is a far more difficult climb than the penultimate one in AGR but still Wellens was able to ride into the Cauberg with a 10 seconds advantage or so. No doubt in FW a solo win is even more unlikely because the finale is harder but I just don't get why the break didnt even get to the start of the ascent.