2018 Tour of Flanders

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

Re: 2018 Ronde van Vlaanderen

This is Stybar's year. He's got the team and now it sounds like Bahrain is going to go all-in and gift this one to QS by working on the front so their top climber can regale us with fascinating stories of "I was just out of position at the bottom of the climb..." cant wait for that chestnut.

 

[Akuryo]

Re:

Terpstra's biggest problem at Ronde may just be that there are 3-4 Quickstep riders who can actually win.

Looking back at Roubaix 2014, that may actually his key to winning. If the other QS riders are marked, he can solo to victory. And Terpstra himself is not the only example in that regard. Devolder, Pozzato, Nuyens, or Chavanel all won a few races at Quickstep, cause opponents where busy marking Boonen.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Terpstra's biggest problem at Ronde may just be that there are 3-4 Quickstep riders who can actually win.

Looking back at Roubaix 2014, that may actually his key to winning. If the other QS riders are marked, he can solo to victory. And Terpstra himself is not the only example in that regard. Devolder, Pozzato, Nuyens, or Chavanel all won a few races at Quickstep, cause opponents where busy marking Boonen.

True. This is one of those it can work for you or against you depending on which Quickstep riders are being marked.

 

[Durden93]

Re:

Terpstra's biggest problem at Ronde may just be that there are 3-4 Quickstep riders who can actually win.

Terpstra’s biggest problem is his sprint. He needs to get away solo.

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

Terpstra's biggest problem at Ronde may just be that there are 3-4 Quickstep riders who can actually win.

Terpstra’s biggest problem is his sprint. He needs to get away solo.

I think he could take Vanmarcke, for example, and he’s won 2-or-3-up sprints for places in the past. He got burned by Kristoff in Ronde ‘15, but there’s no shame in that.

It’s definitely to his advantage that QS have 4 potential winners in the squad. As said above, being one of 3 possible winners in the lead group essentially won him his biggest race; nobody wanted to tow Tommeke or Stybar back up to their teammate.

 

[Red Rick]

Terpstra can win a small sprint if he's the strongest. He won one of his Nats jersey's in a bunch sprint

 

[Valv.Piti]

I don't think Yves Lampaert is a potential winner, but he is obviously still very strong and will be super important for them on Sunday.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Oli Naesen might not be super injured:

Koppenberg | 2:00, 575 W
Paterberg | 1:05, 682 W
5 sec sprint | 1,126 W

After what happened last year, in both the monuments actually, I hope he has a race without problems and can show how great he is in those kind of races.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

I don't think Yves Lampaert is a potential winner, but he is obviously still very strong and will be super important for them on Sunday.

He reminds me the Stijn Vandenbergh of 2013-2014.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

I don't think Yves Lampaert is a potential winner, but he is obviously still very strong and will be super important for them on Sunday.

He reminds me the Stijn Vandenbergh of 2013-2014.

Exactly, I actually also had that in mind. E-3 is without a doubt the best race to judge their shape, its the most reminiscent of Flanders, and while he was good, he wasn't great. And you need to be great to win Flanders. He can be of great use in a tactical ploy or just as a super domestique, but winning? Nah, if they send him up the road alone its Stijn Vandenbergh 2014 all over again.

 

[rick james]

Will the steppers end up fighting among themselves??

 

[Netserk]

Greg and Sagan have mutual interests, they will both be fine with a sprint between the two (heads-up or in a group). Both Kwiatkowski and Sep would be fine company for them. Benoot would probably also work with them, if it would mean a secure podium spot.

I predict they will make their move on Taaienberg again or Kruisberg.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Re: Re:

I don't think Yves Lampaert is a potential winner, but he is obviously still very strong and will be super important for them on Sunday.

He reminds me the Stijn Vandenbergh of 2013-2014.

Exactly, I actually also had that in mind. E-3 is without a doubt the best race to judge their shape, its the most reminiscent of Flanders, and while he was good, he wasn't great. And you need to be great to win Flanders. He can be of great use in a tactical ploy or just as a super domestique, but winning? Nah, if they send him up the road alone its Stijn Vandenbergh 2014 all over again.

In this race yes, I'd have him working for the others rather than having a free role. But he'll be a major player the following week I think

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

I don't think Yves Lampaert is a potential winner, but he is obviously still very strong and will be super important for them on Sunday.

He reminds me the Stijn Vandenbergh of 2013-2014.

And in 2014 stijn vandenbergh wasn't that far away from winning the ronde. Moreover I think lampaert is stronger than vandenbergh ever was. Obviously he can only win this race with a tactical move, but a qs guy winning without being the strongest rider also isn't exactly the most unlikely scenario.

 

[blaxland]

Really hoping Wout van Aert can podium in RVV tonight,he has had a great cobbled classics campaign so far.But more likely that Sagan will crush the quicksteppers..

 

[zenoiz]

Re:

Oli Naesen might not be super injured:

Koppenberg | 2:00, 575 W
Paterberg | 1:05, 682 W
5 sec sprint | 1,126 W

After what happened last year, in both the monuments actually, I hope he has a race without problems and can show how great he is in those kind of races.

I'm hoping for the same, but these numbers don't mean that much, in isolation; I can put these out too when fresh, and I am a highly un-professional cyclist in his late 40's. If he can do this however with a beat up knee after 200km of hard racing then things will be good...

 

[Durden93]

Re:

Terpstra can win a small sprint if he's the strongest. He won one of his Nats jersey's in a bunch sprint

So according to PCS Terpstra has 2 probable sprint victories. I guess there’s a small chance he could win in the sprint.

 

[Breh]

Beating Hofland, Groenwegen, Sinkeldam and Van Poppel in a sprint is impressive tho!

 

[SafeBet]

The difference between Vanderbergh and Lampaert is head. VDB would have never won Dwars the way Lampaert did, he was tactically clueless.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Terpstra's biggest problem at Ronde may just be that there are 3-4 Quickstep riders who can actually win.

Looking back at Roubaix 2014, that may actually his key to winning. If the other QS riders are marked, he can solo to victory. And Terpstra himself is not the only example in that regard. Devolder, Pozzato, Nuyens, or Chavanel all won a few races at Quickstep, cause opponents where busy marking Boonen.

True. This is one of those it can work for you or against you depending on which Quickstep riders are being marked.

Terpstra and QS are well aware of this. They will try to put strong riders in early attacks and the other favourites in the team have to protect the rider up the road.
Best riders to have up the road for QS are Lampaert and Terpstra, allthough Gilbert can also ride solo very well.... obviously. Gilbert can sprint as well though so he and Stybar are the best riders to protect the riders up front.

The road will decide though. Terpstra can't wait for the final climbs, he is not going to drop a good GVA or Sagan.
So far in all the QS wins this year where won because of tactics.

 

[Kwibus]

Also while the entire week showed a dry sunday it's looking more and more likely that there will be rain.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re:

Also while the entire week showed a dry sunday it's looking more and more likely that there will be rain.

Only in the morning probably.

 

[SKSemtex]

Re: 2018 Ronde van Vlaanderen

Pretty fun commentary on velonews.

And the race comes early in the spring, long before Team Sky’s relentless tempo on the Col du Peyresourde drains the cycling enthusiasm from our brains
Read more at http://www.velonews.com/2018/03/commentary/commentary-flanders-is-cyclings-best-monument_461683#SKIYWTeHR8AQQyQg.99

 

[DenisMenchov]

I'm really looking forward to this race. I think Sagan takes it in front of a QS rider.

 

[LiquidCrystalDynamic]

Re: 2018 Ronde van Vlaanderen

Along the same line as the intro to that VeloNews article, the other day I had to tell some friends I would be busy on Sunday. I told them it was the equivalent of the Super Bowl, but every team is playing at the same time and all the fans are on the field, inches away from the players. And instead of the turf girdiron, the field is randomly shaped with hills and bits of grass, pavement, and cobbles. Normally I think these sorts of cross sport comparisons are silly but they can be useful. If pressed, I might describe Roubaix similarly, but compare it to baseball instead. The combination of length, randomness, and oppurtunities for the race to rearrange itself remind me of the baseball season. Sometimes the winner can be surprising, Hayman or the 2015 Royals, but they always earn it.