2018 Innsbruck World Championship Men's Road Race - 259km

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

Well, we must come back to the Clinic.

Great post from Sky fan.

Especially considering he's a fan of 2 GT winners this year who have clinic issues

 

[Screecher]

The guy barely has any hair left and is in the form of his life. Amazing.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re:

Bit disappointed Bardet and Woods were happy to ride to the finish with Valverde

They always ride for second or third place, so why are you surprised? 99% of cyclists are afraid to ride for victory.

 

[Vasilis]

I am Dutch and a Sky fan, so I rooted for Moscon and Dumoulin in the finale, but I must say that Valverde's victory feels right to me. You can see how much it means to him.

 

[Durden93]

Was anyone else listening to the uci commentary? I found it somewhat annoying that they kept talking about Dumoulin. Why would Valverde have been afraid of letting Tom, who was riding full gas and doesn’t have a great sprint, into the finale?

 

[franic]

2nd oldest after Zoetemelk. Just the Joop won by mistake

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

I am happy for Valverde. Finally.

This is not the time to start discussing clinic stuff. Everyone knew the players and the favorites.

Valverde played it very well. So tactics was very good. Spanish team played as a team very well.

This was too much for Ala as expected TBH. Same for Kwiat.

Maybe Roglic had some bad luck but most of the others had their chances. Sagan lived up to his Vuelta form. Nibali tried hard. Yates brothers never had the legs. It was obvious from a long way out that Spain was only riding for one person.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

stunning

'do nothing till sprint'

Obviously

Absolute bs. He was part of the most dangerous move on the climb. Worked hard on the descent and the flat to make sure Alaphilippe had no chance of getting back on. Allowing him to lead the final 2km, confident that he could lead the sprint out and still win.

It was tactically perfect.

99.9% agree. Maybe Bardet could have gone harder if he knew Alaphilippe wasn’t in shape

So heroic to do 2 half arsed pulls to keep back a rider you recked so badly he wouldn't win a sprint in a million years.

Woods and Bardet didn't ride to win. They rode to medal.

The were never going to win a sprint against Valverde or drop him after the climb so what more could they do ?

Attack over the top of him and force a response, even if you don't get away, you take something out of your opponent for a sprint, or reduce the number of riders in the sprint.

See the Roubaix 2016 finale - that was a masterclass from Hayman and Boonen.

As for Valverde, he only did what his opponents let him, and the minimum he needed to. Not his fault.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re:

Was anyone else listening to the uci commentary? I found it somewhat annoying that they kept talking about Dumoulin. Why would Valverde have been afraid of letting Tom, who was riding full gas and doesn’t have a great sprint, into the finale?

They meant that if Dumoulin could catch them, he could do it at speed, going right by when they weren't looking and steal a lead. Think Lombardia 2014.

 

[Broth3r]

Re:

The guy barely has any hair left and is in the form of his life. Amazing.

Half my hair was white by age 18.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Was anyone else listening to the uci commentary? I found it somewhat annoying that they kept talking about Dumoulin. Why would Valverde have been afraid of letting Tom, who was riding full gas and doesn’t have a great sprint, into the finale?

Ridiculous commentary of course.

 

[SafeBet]

Chapeau champion. It was worth the wait.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

Was anyone else listening to the uci commentary? I found it somewhat annoying that they kept talking about Dumoulin. Why would Valverde have been afraid of letting Tom, who was riding full gas and doesn’t have a great sprint, into the finale?

He just added another variable. If he'd come back sooner, more tactics could have come into play.

 

[Kwibus]

Woohoo Valverde! Nice!

 

[BlackWhiteEagle]

Gotta love Peter

 

[rick james]

wow, ban hammer will be coming out soon

 

[burning]

Freire smiling made my day, how can you be not happy for him.

 

[Stella0596]

Hahaha what is Peter doing

 

[Vasilis]

Nice, Sagan giving Valverde his medal. Maybe they should keep that for coming years, like passing it on (provided a rider doesn't win three times in a row like Sagan did himself).

 

[markene2]

Peter seems like a total ass, cant stay out of the spotlight

 

[IndianCyclist]

Very nice gesture to be given the medal by ex world champ

 

[benzwire]

Hah! Sagan gets to place the medal on Valverde. Probably saying "hold this for me until next year".

 

[OlavEH]

Re:

It's odd how it's always the same riders who get the hate in here: Froome, Valverde, Matthews, Gerrans, Porte..

While Nibali, Sagan, GVA, Yates bros, Gilbert, Contador are praised as saints.

It's getting tiresome, guys

Is Porte hated?

Froome is understandable as the "head" of the Sky train. Rest of those guys are some of the most legendary wheelsuckers in cycling and some of us just don't like that kind of riders.

 

[Hayabusa]

Re:

Nice, Sagan giving Valverde his medal. Maybe they should keep that for coming years, like passing it on (provided a rider doesn't win three times in a row like Sagan did himself).

They do it at the Masters in Golf, it's a nice touch.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

Bit disappointed Bardet and Woods were happy to ride to the finish with Valverde

They always ride for second or third place, so why are you surprised? 99% of cyclists are afraid to ride for victory.

Such bollo**s

They were tired ....the course was too much for most riders

Sitting on your arses and saying that :lol: