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2016 La Flèche Wallonne - April 20th - 196k

Page 10 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

Who will conquer the Mur?

  • Joaquim Rodriguez

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • Dan Martin

    Votes: 14 14.4%
  • Alejandro Valverde

    Votes: 45 46.4%
  • Daniel Moreno

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Philippe Gilbert

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sergio Henao

    Votes: 20 20.6%
  • Michael Albasini

    Votes: 3 3.1%
  • Julian Alaphilippe

    Votes: 11 11.3%
  • Enrico Gasparotto

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other (say below)

    Votes: 3 3.1%

  • Total voters
    97
  • Poll closed .
Aug 31, 2012
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Re: Re:

DFA123 said:
pink_jersey said:
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
 
Re:

Jagartrott said:
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.
 
Aug 31, 2012
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Re:

Jagartrott said:
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.
 
Re: Re:

SeriousSam said:
Jagartrott said:
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.
 
Re: Re:

SeriousSam said:
DFA123 said:
pink_jersey said:
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.
 
Mayomaniac said:
Valv.Piti said:
TMobile41 said:
I wont even bother to watch it on youtube... :eek:

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.
 
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.
 

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