2019 Strade Bianche, March 9th, 184 km 1.WT

[Tim Booth]

Re:

I think Quickstep and Astana are the big faves.. Strade Bianche usually a very tactical affair. Both teams are on fire form and strongest teams and have favorites in end as well
So either i think we will see Lutsenko battle it out with Stybar or Alla at the end

Or we will see they have more riders in the frontgroup and we will se Fulgsang, Ballerini and Fraile vs Stybar and Lampeart attacking in shifts, while Lutsenko and Allaphillpe going to wait long into the race.

Fraile not riding

 

[TourOfSardinia]

How Classics Became Monuments here
https://pelotonmagazine.com/racing/classics-became-monuments/
doesn't explain the first use of the term monument but you might intuit from the quote below that it would be around about 1955.

As for the youngest monument, the Tour of Flanders also started out as a purely domestic race. Of the first 30 editions, 29 of them were won by Belgians, and it wasn’t until the Italian Fiorenzo Magni came to the race in 1949 and took the victory three years in a row that non-Belgian teams began to see it as classic they should add to their schedules. The turning point, which truly established the Ronde as one of the very top classics, came in 1955

 

[SafeBet]

It's a pity Bardet will not ride it. He was superb last year.

I don't really understand Bahrein's team either: Nibali has never paerformed here, while guys like Mohoric or Teuns could really do well but they weren't selected.

 

[Bolder]

I finally got a chance last year to visit some of the roads in the area, though we hiked some of them rather than biked as we were en famille. Beautiful country, unique, like P-R. Any "purist" who doesn't think this should be a monument is nuts. IMO it's basically an "insta-monument," and, at least to my mind, tops MSR, LBL and Lombardia. It's just that good. Also, for those who care about such things, it's more in tune with cycling culture, given the gravel/retro phenomenon. Only drawback this year is that the weather is forecast to be perfect.

 

[Lequack]

No rain this year it seems, Saturday is supposed to be dry and perhaps sunny even.

We can expect this:

 

[Lequack]

Top competitors by points:

 

[SafeBet]

Yep, should be very dusty.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I would have liked Teuns and van der Poel to ride.

 

[HelloDolly]

you gotta think Fuglsang has a very good chance as has Stybar, GVA & Wellens
Also Allaphillipe and Lutsenko

Not sure how the SKY duo of Thomas & Moscon are in their finess but both will figure even if they dont win

However I go for Van Aert ftw
Prades on the podium

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re:

However I go for Van Aert ftw

As much as i like him, i think this is very unlikely. He's had a much more troubling winter (specifically mentally, legal issues with his old team, having no team to fall back on and as a result, poor results), and his form simply isn't good enough it seems. I hope he can grow toward his best form by the time Paris Roubaix starts, but i would be surprised if he finished top 5 or even top 10 this year in Strade Bianche.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Me too, also seems heavier/bulkier

 

[Laplaz]

My dark horse: Maximilian Schachmann

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Re: Re:

Really hope Van Avermaet can finally take this, he'd deserve it after all these good performances on the strade. However, the shorter length from the last editions works to his disadvantage. And Stybar is a clear favourite.

There are no clear favorites for this race. Many could do well: Stybar, Van Avermaet, Benoot, Wellens, Alaphilippe, Lutsenko, Moscon..., to name a few.

Isn't Benoot out with an injury?

Apparently not - he's fit - see http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/benoot-will-return-for-strade-bianche-title-defence/

 

[Nirvana]

Re:

How Classics Became Monuments here
https://pelotonmagazine.com/racing/classics-became-monuments/
doesn't explain the first use of the term monument but you might intuit from the quote below that it would be around about 1955.

As for the youngest monument, the Ronde van Vlaanderen also started out as a purely domestic race. Of the first 30 editions, 29 of them were won by Belgians, and it wasn’t until the Italian Fiorenzo Magni came to the race in 1949 and took the victory three years in a row that non-Belgian teams began to see it as classic they should add to their schedules. The turning point, which truly established the Ronde as one of the very top classics, came in 1955

Monument is a way more recent term, I think came out around or just before 2000 with the increasing success of World Cup that even if increased the prestige of some races like Amstel, San Sebastián and Hamburg on the other hand killed the prestige of some races like Gent-Wevelgem (that post WWII was the most prestigious Flemish race) and Flèche Wallone (that was the most prestigious Wallon race for long time until 80s) that were at the pinnacle of the sport before but were left out of the new competition. So the races with a long history in the competition were elevated to stand above the more emerging ones.
Looking at 50s is a nonsense, at the time the prestige scale was different of the one we are used and also differed from country and country because a bit of internationalization was just starting and only between "core" cycling countries like France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg. Frenchmen until Bobet and Anquetil used to ride almost only on home soil, Italians only moved out to ride the Tour or in Switzerland, Magni (and Coppi) were the first big names to go to north in the spring, Belgians also used to go only to the Tour and started to go to Giro in that decade and the same goes for Swisses.

 

[proffate]

Re:

Sunweb have named their riders including the Kragh brothers and Robert Power who was top 7 last year.

They say Nikias Arndt is the captain. Who exactly are they thinking they might fool with such a statement?

The road captain is the one with the most experience, who can make tactical decisions under pressure or organize the troops, not the guy who's trying to win.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Sunweb have named their riders including the Kragh brothers and Robert Power who was top 7 last year.

They say Nikias Arndt is the captain. Who exactly are they thinking they might fool with such a statement?

The road captain is the one with the most experience, who can make tactical decisions under pressure or organize the troops, not the guy who's trying to win.

So what happens when the guy who is trying to win also happens to be the guy with the most experience and who can make tactical decisions under pressure and organize the troops?

 

[Baldinger]

Re: Re:

Sunweb have named their riders including the Kragh brothers and Robert Power who was top 7 last year.

They say Nikias Arndt is the captain. Who exactly are they thinking they might fool with such a statement?

The road captain is the one with the most experience, who can make tactical decisions under pressure or organize the troops, not the guy who's trying to win.

Søren Kragh is out.

 

[Robert5091]

So who can stop QS? A combination of riders will be needed I'm guessing. Astana plus GvA and a couple more might pry away the victory laurels from QS.

 

[Frankschleck]

Re: Re:

I think Quickstep and Astana are the big faves.. Strade Bianche usually a very tactical affair. Both teams are on fire form and strongest teams and have favorites in end as well
So either i think we will see Lutsenko battle it out with Stybar or Alla at the end

Or we will see they have more riders in the frontgroup and we will se Fulgsang, Ballerini and Fraile vs Stybar and Lampeart attacking in shifts, while Lutsenko and Allaphillpe going to wait long into the race.

As far as I remember Strade Bianche usually is not a very tactical race, strongest are always on the front and one of them wins. Last time I remember it was due to tactics is when Moreno Moser won in 2013.

Agreed that ofcourse the strongest are going to be in front in Strade Bianche but still doesn't change it is tactical. Last year almost no one had teammates so it was tactical move to attack from futher out in my opinion. One of the years I am pretty sure Kwiatowksi also choose a very good moment to attack if I remember correctly. But yeah then again I would probabaly argue every race is tactical hahah, so I see your point. Looking forward to this race, one of the best.

 

[johnymax]

Re:

It's a pity Bardet will not ride it. He was superb last year.

I don't really understand Bahrein's team either: Nibali has never paerformed here, while guys like Mohoric or Teuns could really do well but they weren't selected.

I agree on Bardet and Teuns. Mohoric on the other hand is injured, that's why he's not been selected.

 

[SafeBet]

Re: Re:

It's a pity Bardet will not ride it. He was superb last year.

I don't really understand Bahrein's team either: Nibali has never paerformed here, while guys like Mohoric or Teuns could really do well but they weren't selected.

I agree on Bardet and Teuns. Mohoric on the other hand is injured, that's why he's not been selected.

Ah ok, didn't know that. Thanks.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Sunweb have named their riders including the Kragh brothers and Robert Power who was top 7 last year.

They say Nikias Arndt is the captain. Who exactly are they thinking they might fool with such a statement?

The road captain is the one with the most experience, who can make tactical decisions under pressure or organize the troops, not the guy who's trying to win.

Well, Nikias Arndt is definitely not going to be captain of any kind now, he's out of the race... Replaced by Chris Hamilton.

 

[Frankschleck]

Re: Re:

Sunweb have named their riders including the Kragh brothers and Robert Power who was top 7 last year.

They say Nikias Arndt is the captain. Who exactly are they thinking they might fool with such a statement?

The road captain is the one with the most experience, who can make tactical decisions under pressure or organize the troops, not the guy who's trying to win.

So what happens when the guy who is trying to win also happens to be the guy with the most experience and who can make tactical decisions under pressure and organize the troops?

That you call a Valverde.

 

[Gigs_98]

Tbf in terms of team stregth QS doesn't look that unbeatable. They have two big favorites in Stybar and Alaphilippe (don't think Vakoc is where he was prior to his injury) and a few good guys who are good helpers but who you can't really trust in if you send them into a break (let's not forget, last year QS basically lost the race because in front they were only represented by Pieter Serry). Probably the strongest team, but definitely not unbeatable.

Aside from that, is it just selective memory or does the field in this race lack a bit of quality compared to previous editions.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Oh it is weaker this year, you're right. Should still be a great race though.

Anyone seen an expected finish time?