2017 Tour of Flanders / Ronde Van Vlaanderen - April 2, 260k

[El Pistolero]

Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/e3-harelbeke-2014/results/
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2014/stage-5/results/

Valverde sucks in the Flemish classics (including Roubaix as it's part of French Flanders).

Nibali isn't consistent enough, but yes, in his best shape he could be a contender.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

No. Both are predominantly climbers, a totally useless skill in the E3. Valverde can't sprint against the crowd that decides those races

I wouldn't say it's totally useless, afterall it's how Kwiatkowski got rid of many better cobble riders than him in E3 last year- attack on a tarmac climb.
I'm not saying that Valverde or Nibali would've found themselves in a position to attack this late in the race but if...
Valverde managed to outpsrint Kwiatkowski from small group finishes in the past, maybe he would've been able to outsprint tired Sagan somehow as well.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

No. Both are predominantly climbers, a totally useless skill in the E3. Valverde can't sprint against the crowd that decides those races

Can't sprint against who? Kristoff, Degenkolb, fresh Sagan - no. Van Avermaet, Kwiat, Gilbert, tired Sagan - yes!

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

No. Both are predominantly climbers, a totally useless skill in the E3. Valverde can't sprint against the crowd that decides those races

I wouldn't say it's totally useless, afterall it's how Kwiatkowski got rid of many better cobble riders than him in E3 last year- attack on a tarmac climb.
I'm not saying that Valverde or Nibali would've found themselves in a position to attack this late in the race but if...
Valverde managed to outpsrint Kwiatkowski from small group finishes in the past, maybe he would've been able to outsprint tired Sagan somehow as well.

That's Kwiat puncheur skills. No's no climber

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/e3-harelbeke-2014/results/
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2014/stage-5/results/

Valverde sucks in the Flemish classics (including Roubaix as it's part of French Flanders).

Nibali isn't consistent enough, but yes, in his best shape he could be a contender.

The Tour stage isn't a fair comparison. He got a bike too small from one of his team mates after a puncture, I think.

He was pretty good in the Dwars Vlaanderen that year. But I don't know how hard it is compared to E3.

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

No. Both are predominantly climbers, a totally useless skill in the E3. Valverde can't sprint against the crowd that decides those races

He can easily outsprint the Vanmackes and Terpstras out there.. And is pretty equal to punchier riders like Gilbert, Stybar, Kwai, GVA and a tired Sagan.. that's not his main problem. The problem would be surviving on the cobbles.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/e3-harelbeke-2014/results/
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2014/stage-5/results/

Valverde sucks in the Flemish classics (including Roubaix as it's part of French Flanders).

Nibali isn't consistent enough, but yes, in his best shape he could be a contender.

The Tour stage isn't a fair comparison. He got a bike too small from one of his team mates after a puncture, I think.

He was pretty good in the Dwars Vlaanderen that year. But I don't know how hard it is compared to E3.

And he was pretty bossy on the cobbled 2015 Tour stage as well. Like Barguil.

 

[Billie]

why are guys like Barguil being discussed in the RVV thread??

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

why are guys like Barguil being discussed in the RVV thread??

Well, I would hardly say that he was being discussed. When thinking about Valverde's performance that day, I was just recalling how impressively well Barguil actually rode on the cobbles. Maybe he should shift focus and become relevant in future RVV threads. But okay, I shan't mention him again

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/e3-harelbeke-2014/results/
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2014/stage-5/results/

Valverde sucks in the Flemish classics (including Roubaix as it's part of French Flanders).

Nibali isn't consistent enough, but yes, in his best shape he could be a contender.

The Tour stage isn't a fair comparison. He got a bike too small from one of his team mates after a puncture, I think.

He was pretty good in the Dwars Vlaanderen that year. But I don't know how hard it is compared to E3.

Dwars door Vlaanderen had a shitty field and is easier than E3 Harelbeke. Tyler Farrar was second in that year's edition. And he still couldn't win it.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/e3-harelbeke-2014/results/
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2014/stage-5/results/

Valverde sucks in the Flemish classics (including Roubaix as it's part of French Flanders).

Nibali isn't consistent enough, but yes, in his best shape he could be a contender.

The Tour stage isn't a fair comparison. He got a bike too small from one of his team mates after a puncture, I think.

He was pretty good in the Dwars Vlaanderen that year. But I don't know how hard it is compared to E3.

Dwars door Vlaanderen had a ****** field and is easier than E3 Harelbeke. Tyler Farrar was second in that year's edition. And he still couldn't win it.

How biased can you possibly be?

I'm not saying he would win Flanders nor finish in the top five but he has had four showings on the cobbles. You choose to present the two where he performed the worst. Granted, E3 was not impressive but in the 2014 Tour he was taken out by a crash even before the cobbles began and then had to ride on a bike that didn't fit him.

You then chastise him for "not even winning" a Dwars door Vlaanderen, which apparently "had a poor field" yet was won by the guy who would go on to win Paris-Roubaix a couple of weeks later. And where was Valverde? In the chasing group behind Terpstra which was caught inside the final kilometer.

And his very good performance in the Tour 2015 is just not worth mentioning, apparently. Why? Because it would ruin your manipulative propaganda, would be my guess.

 

[Valv.Piti]

You need to know two things about Cyclingnews: We don't like Si Gerrans and El Pistolero downright despises Valverde, so its useless to have a proper argument with him when it comes to El Imbatido

 

[Anderis]

Re: Re:

Dwars door Vlaanderen had a ****** field and is easier than E3 Harelbeke. Tyler Farrar was second in that year's edition. And he still couldn't win it.

Farrar was a respectable cobble rider then. He finished 8th in E3 in the same year.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

You need to know two things about Cyclingnews: We don't like Si Gerrans and El Pistolero downright despises Valverde, so its useless to have a proper argument with him when it comes to El Imbatido

Thanks for the heads up. I had figured both of those things but didn't really know if those recent anti-Valverde ramblings were representative so I figured I'd call him out. But if this is the level, I don't think I'll bother with that much more.

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/e3-harelbeke-2014/results/
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2014/stage-5/results/

Valverde sucks in the Flemish classics (including Roubaix as it's part of French Flanders).

Nibali isn't consistent enough, but yes, in his best shape he could be a contender.

The Tour stage isn't a fair comparison. He got a bike too small from one of his team mates after a puncture, I think.

He was pretty good in the Dwars Vlaanderen that year. But I don't know how hard it is compared to E3.

Dwars door Vlaanderen had a ****** field and is easier than E3 Harelbeke. Tyler Farrar was second in that year's edition. And he still couldn't win it.

I don't think you are being fair. It was his first race on the cobbles. He was in a strong break and they almost lasted to the finish before getting caught by the peloton.

The potential is definitely there. I'm not saying he can win RVV or E3, but a top 10 in one of these races should be possible.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

How versatile do you have to be in order to win E3?

Could Valverde win it? Nibali?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/e3-harelbeke-2014/results/
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2014/stage-5/results/

Valverde sucks in the Flemish classics (including Roubaix as it's part of French Flanders).

Nibali isn't consistent enough, but yes, in his best shape he could be a contender.

The Tour stage isn't a fair comparison. He got a bike too small from one of his team mates after a puncture, I think.

He was pretty good in the Dwars Vlaanderen that year. But I don't know how hard it is compared to E3.

Dwars door Vlaanderen had a ****** field and is easier than E3 Harelbeke. Tyler Farrar was second in that year's edition. And he still couldn't win it.

How biased can you possibly be?

I'm not saying he would win Flanders nor finish in the top five but he has had four showings on the cobbles. You choose to present the two where he performed the worst. Granted, E3 was not impressive but in the 2014 Tour he was taken out by a crash even before the cobbles began and then had to ride on a bike that didn't fit him.

You then chastise him for "not even winning" a Dwars door Vlaanderen, which apparently "had a poor field" yet was won by the guy who would go on to win Paris-Roubaix a couple of weeks later. And where was Valverde? In the chasing group behind Terpstra which was caught inside the final kilometer.

And his very good performance in the Tour 2015 is just not worth mentioning, apparently. Why? Because it would ruin your manipulative propaganda, would be my guess.

His good performance in 2015? That was a super easy stage in which none of the favorites could take time from each other, even Contador finished in the same time. And BS at Valverde crashing in 2014. It's cobbles, if you crash it's your own fault. Can't crash if no one is in front of you.

Terpstra only won Roubaix because he rode in the same team as Boonen/Quick-Step.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

Dwars door Vlaanderen had a ****** field and is easier than E3 Harelbeke. Tyler Farrar was second in that year's edition. And he still couldn't win it.

Farrar was a respectable cobble rider then. He finished 8th in E3 in the same year.

Lol, April Fool's?

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

His good performance in 2015? That was a super easy stage in which none of the favorites could take time from each other, even Contador finished in the same time. And BS at Valverde crashing in 2014. It's cobbles, if you crash it's your own fault. Can't crash if no one is in front of you.

Terpstra only won Roubaix because he rode in the same team as Boonen/Quick-Step.

Well, you must be one of those alternative facts guys. I don't really have any desire to argue with that lot, so I'm just letting these absurdities stay unanswered.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

His good performance in 2015? That was a super easy stage in which none of the favorites could take time from each other, even Contador finished in the same time. And BS at Valverde crashing in 2014. It's cobbles, if you crash it's your own fault. Can't crash if no one is in front of you.

Terpstra only won Roubaix because he rode in the same team as Boonen/Quick-Step.

Well, you must be one of those alternative facts guys. I don't really have any desire to argue with that lot, so I'm just letting these absurdities stay unanswered.

Alternative facts would be equaling such an easy stage to Roubaix.

Tony Martin won, what has he ever done in the cobbled classics besides that one raid with Boonen? Over 20 people finished in the same time, when does that ever happen in a serious cobbled classic?

Besides, I fail to see what that stage in 2015 has to do with the Ronde van Vlaanderen. There were no cobbled bergs in that stage.

The 2014 stage at least had some hard cobblestone sectors and bad weather.

Unlike the Ardennes classics, the Flemish Classics (+ Roubaix) are actually raced, so he wouldn't stand a chance. When's the last time we saw a bunch sprint in Roubaix or Vlaanderen? It happens almost yearly in the Ardennes classics.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Re:

What beverages goes well with Vlaanderen? I follow some fancy twitter-guys who from time to time are posting a pictures of belgian beer while watching classics and I wanna be that cool too.

If you wanna go really local, and avoid the obvious Kwaremont bier (which is actually made in Harelbeke), get some of the beers of the Roman brewery. They literally pass the brewery (between Holleweg and Haaghoek)
Their most famous one, Ename, might not be just as good as some Trappist beers, but it's more appropriate.

Keep the Kwaremont for E3, the Westvleteren or St Bernardus for Gent-Wevelgem, and the La Chouffe for LBL.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Unless Valverde decides to take part in this race, please argue about him elsewhere.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Re:

Dwars door Vlaanderen had a ****** field and is easier than E3 Harelbeke. Tyler Farrar was second in that year's edition. And he still couldn't win it.

Farrar was a respectable cobble rider then. He finished 8th in E3 in the same year.

Lol, April Fool's?

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

Dwars door Vlaanderen had a ****** field and is easier than E3 Harelbeke. Tyler Farrar was second in that year's edition. And he still couldn't win it.

Farrar was a respectable cobble rider then. He finished 8th in E3 in the same year.

Lol, April Fool's?

I think he is a troll. Childish arguments and ignoring facts.

 

[Red Rick]

Pretty sure Farrar top 5'd Vlaanderen once too.

 

[Irondan]

Re:

Pretty sure Farrar top 5'd Vlaanderen once too.

2010 Farrar took 5th at Flanders.