2017 Flèche Wallone - April 19th - 200.5km

[dlwssonic]

Why did they make this race so much easier this year

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Valverde will be fine. Amstel says nothing about his form. He has rarely been any good in Amstel Gold Race. That race simply does not suit him.

This one does.. like a glove. Hard to see who will beat him. Maybe Martin or Henao.

DT, are you warming a bit up to Valverde lately?

Such a shame Gilbert won't be here, that was the only chance to see action before Huy. I can only see 2, maybe 3 winners of this race, those being Valv and Henao and probably Martin as well. Too many good Ardennes riders missing now, its pretty annoying.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Valverde will be fine. Amstel says nothing about his form. He has rarely been any good in Amstel Gold Race. That race simply does not suit him.

This one does.. like a glove. Hard to see who will beat him. Maybe Martin or Henao.

DT, are you warming a bit up to Valverde lately?

Such a shame Gilbert won't be here, that was the only chance to see action before Huy. I can only see 2, maybe 3 winners of this race, those being Valv and Henao and probably Martin as well. Too many good Ardennes riders missing now, its pretty annoying.

5 years ago, the competition in the Ardennes races was huge, while the general level in the cobble classics was quite weak.

Now, it's the exact opposite. Especially FW has degraded heavily. It just isn't the race it was anymore. No Purito anymore, Betancur and Moreno are gone (at top level), no Gilbert, no Alaphilippe ......

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Valverde will be fine. Amstel says nothing about his form. He has rarely been any good in Amstel Gold Race. That race simply does not suit him.

This one does.. like a glove. Hard to see who will beat him. Maybe Martin or Henao.

DT, are you warming a bit up to Valverde lately?

Such a shame Gilbert won't be here, that was the only chance to see action before Huy. I can only see 2, maybe 3 winners of this race, those being Valv and Henao and probably Martin as well. Too many good Ardennes riders missing now, its pretty annoying.

5 years ago, the competition in the Ardennes races was huge, while the general level in the cobble classics was quite weak.

Now, it's the exact opposite. Especially FW has degraded heavily. It just isn't the race it was anymore. No Purito anymore, Betancur and Moreno are gone (at top level), no Gilbert, no Alaphilippe ......

It's not that bad, we have Bala, Henao, Martin, Kwiat... If Gilbert and Ala were healthy we would have very good competition

 

[The Barb]

It's pretty amazing that Carlos Betancur is a 27 year old former podium finisher coming to the race seemingly injury free and yet is 400-1 (and probably rightly so). I do hope he'll figure things out and have a late career renaissance.

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

Unsurprisingly Albasine the leader for Orica - Surprisingly neither of the Yates.

Albasini can get over stuff that are steeper than Gerro, right?

The usually the less sprinter (not anymore?), but the better climber.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Valverde 60%, Martin 15%, Henao 10%, Kwiatkowski 5%, someone random 10%.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Is Kreuziger racing / injury-free?

 

[BigMac]

Let's see if Wellens can make his trademark pre-Huy attack stick.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

It's pretty amazing that Carlos Betancur is a 27 year old former podium finisher coming to the race seemingly injury free and yet is 400-1 (and probably rightly so). I do hope he'll figure things out and have a late career renaissance.

You'll take that back when he comes off Valverde's wheel and smokes everyone on the last climb of the Mur

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

Unsurprisingly Albasine the leader for Orica - Surprisingly neither of the Yates.

Albasini can get over stuff that are steeper than Gerro, right?

The usually the less sprinter (not anymore?), but the better climber.

Yeah.
And he always does well in FW.

 

[Velolover2]

How would the race look like if Mur De Huy was the penultimate climb and Côte de Cherave was the final one?

 

[dirkprovin]

Re: Re:

Unsurprisingly Albasine the leader for Orica - Surprisingly neither of the Yates.

Albasini can get over stuff that are steeper than Gerro, right?

The usually the less sprinter (not anymore?), but the better climber.

Gerrans has stated that FW finish doesn't particularly suit him and hasn't raced it for some years preferring to do Amstel then LBL.

FW has always been one of Albasini's key targets and has always been ORS' main man for this race. Given he's delivered 2 podiums and top 10s every other year since he's been with the team; its hardly surprising

 

[movingtarget]

Valverde's to lose. Really can't see Martin or Albasini beating him or anyone else.

 

[Singer01]

Does anyone know the projected finish time?

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

How would the race look like if Mur De Huy was the penultimate climb and Côte de Cherave was the final one?

It's all about attacking before Huy. When you want to win and you are not Valverde, you need to attack. It is basically the same situation like AGR. Attack hard, make the peloton explode early and leave the chase to Movistar. Hopefully guys like Wellens, Kwiatkowski, Izagirre, Calmejane will take things into their hands. But when I look at the teams, it looks a bit like everybody is happy with the Scheldewallonne Sprint...and Rui Costaing into frantic oblivion.

What I am trying to say...this is not about the course.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

How would the race look like if Mur De Huy was the penultimate climb and Côte de Cherave was the final one?

It's all about attacking before Huy. When you want to win and you are not Valverde, you need to attack. It is basically the same situation like AGR. Attack hard, make the peloton explode early and leave the chase to Movistar. Hopefully guys like Wellens, Kwiatkowski, Izagirre, Calmejane will take things into their hands. But when I look at the teams, it looks a bit like everybody is happy with the Scheldewallonne Sprint...and Rui Costaing into frantic oblivion.

What I am trying to say...this is not about the course.

There is never a shortage of attacks it's just that they never succeed and there is always attacks from the bottom of the climb and that never works either. The riders that know they can win it on the climb just follow wheels and save energy.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Re: Re:

The riders that know they can win it on the climb just follow wheels and save energy.

They'll never be popular

 

[del1962]

Still waiting for quite a number of teams to confirm lineups

 

[delbified]

going to throw my man Canty's (Cannondale-Drapac) hat in the ring. neo-pro, might be working for Woods, but strong as a bull and this suits him to a T.

 

[StryderHells]

going to throw my man Canty's (Cannondale-Drapac) hat in the ring. neo-pro, might be working for Woods, but strong as a bull and this suits him to a T.

With any luck he can get into the break or a late attack with someone like Wellens, it was good to see him up the road at AGR and I think this is a race that could suit him in the future.

People seem certain that this race will be a sprint up Huy, this season has thrown up results against what most had predicted, look at MSR, De Ronde and Amstel so with luck this gives riders and teams confidence that attacking can deliver a real chance at victory.

 

[DBotero]

Valverde vs Henao should be fun.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

going to throw my man Canty's (Cannondale-Drapac) hat in the ring. neo-pro, might be working for Woods, but strong as a bull and this suits him to a T.

With any luck he can get into the break or a late attack with someone like Wellens, it was good to see him up the road at AGR and I think this is a race that could suit him in the future.

People seem certain that this race will be a sprint up Huy, this season has thrown up results against what most had predicted, look at MSR, De Ronde and Amstel so with luck this gives riders and teams confidence that attacking can deliver a real chance at victory.

Canty's best chance is probably sprint up Huy

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re: Re:

There is never a shortage of attacks it's just that they never succeed and there is always attacks from the bottom of the climb and that never works either. The riders that know they can win it on the climb just follow wheels and save energy.

In 2006, when Valverde won the first time, he attacked several times on the last kilometers. He was still able to win the sprint. In my opinion he is the only one who can wait for the sprint. Every other rider needs to attack before.

Last winner from a break must be Igor Astarloa in 2003. Big break formed at the first climb of Huy. The years before that it was never an uphill bunch sprint.

 

[StryderHells]

going to throw my man Canty's (Cannondale-Drapac) hat in the ring. neo-pro, might be working for Woods, but strong as a bull and this suits him to a T.

With any luck he can get into the break or a late attack with someone like Wellens, it was good to see him up the road at AGR and I think this is a race that could suit him in the future.

People seem certain that this race will be a sprint up Huy, this season has thrown up results against what most had predicted, look at MSR, De Ronde and Amstel so with luck this gives riders and teams confidence that attacking can deliver a real chance at victory.

Canty's best chance is probably sprint up Huy

I don't doubt that in the future but at this stage in his WT career I think a break is the best way to go, either way it's fun to watch him grow as a rider