Riders from different nations helping their trade-teammates is one of the most disgusting traditions of the WC and I honestly find it shocking people here are complaining because of someone not doing it.
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I think cycling needs both the showy types, like Alaphilippe and Voeckler, and the guys who prefer to just do their work, and not attract too much attention to themselves (of course I can't think of an example, perhaps because of the not attract too much attention to themselves part.)
Italy did have a decent amount of doms there, didn't they? Sounds harsh but why not just burn them on the penultimate climb? What use are they of afterwards? Keeping the group together so Nibali can win it in a sprint?Agreed. But I only see Spain with the strength needed after France blew the legs of many.
One thing I don't really get is why teams like Italy, Spain or Colombia didn't make the race harder early on. That move with Nibali, Uran and Landa has a very real chance to stay away if the peloton is more decimated while the final climb was never gonna be the spot where riders from those countries were gonna take the win.
In a way this was kinda similar to the old LBL course where the point to attack for the climbers wasn't RaF, but the false flat right afterwards. When a small group of the better climbers emerges, everyone is looking at each other and you can immediately get a decent gap if you attack in the right moment. The Nibali/Landa/Uran move was a bit like that, but as the peloton wasn't thinned out enough you didn't have the looking at each other part, and that's exactly what they would have needed.
Fully agree. I recently re-watched the olympics, and if it wasn't for Alaphilippe, it would have been much harder for the chase group to stand a chance, even after Nibali and Henao crashed and only Majka was up front.I have (how about 2018), but also really happy for Alaf. I feel like he has been close on numerous occasions in these big championship races and finally he got one. Not surprised if he sweeps the Ardennes..
Hahah, how could I forget. For sure also 2019, but truth to be told, I was more stoked about my man Alejandro taking it home. In your estimation, should I still have taken my citizenship away?What about last year? Or should you have your citizenship taken away?
I think cycling needs both the showy types, like Alaphilippe and Voeckler, and the guys who prefer to just do their work, and not attract too much attention to themselves (of course I can't think of an example, perhaps because of the not attract too much attention to themselves part.)
You can have that and still have a good personality like Sagan. Alaphilippe and Voeckler are exceptionally annoying to the point I can't stand them.
Hahah, how could I forget. For sure also 2019, but truth to be told, I was more stoked about my man Alejandro taking it home. In your estimation, should I still have taken my citizenship away?
What? They are pros, not athletes. Mercenaries for sale is a cool feature of cycling.Riders from different nations helping their trade-teammates is one of the most disgusting traditions of the WC and I honestly find it shocking people here are complaining because of someone not doing it.
No, it's the job of the best sprinter (who also happens to have a silver medal from the TT the other day) to do most of the work to catch the lone escapee.So, best not to ride and fight for bronze, than to ride and fight for silver (assuming van Aert wins easily).
Pedersen is a strange name in that list tbh, especially if you don't add Boonen.He is one of those truly worthy winners as a WC. Since 2000, I feel Freire, Cipollini, Bettini, Cavendish, Gilbert, Kwiatkowski, Sagan, Valverde and Pedersen truly deserved their win as they were either already very close and at a seriously high level in previous years, or were the outright favourite and managed to cope with that stress, or really made the decisive move (stick).
Alaphilippe is between those. He didn't steal anything, nobody could follow (or even came close) and he worked very hard from a long way out.
I thought you meant the penultimate lap, but anyway only Caruso was strong enough. I think he had a protected role as well.Italy did have a decent amount of doms there, didn't they? Sounds harsh but why not just burn them on the penultimate climb? What use are they of afterwards? Keeping the group together so Nibali can win it in a sprint?
I mean, possibly earlier as well, but I think my main point was that Italy were never gonna win a race that wasn't blown to pieces before the final climb already.I thought you meant the penultimate lap, but anyway only Caruso was strong enough. I think he had a protected role as well.
I just don't see how Alaphilippe is annoying. Yes, he's showy, but he seems like a genuine guy.
You can keep it.
Italy didn't really have anyone who was going to drop Alaphilippe. Their best hope was that over the final climb, someone could sneak away while other riders looked at each other.I mean, possibly earlier as well, but I think my main point was that Italy were never gonna win a race that wasn't blown to pieces before the final climb already.
Italy did have a decent amount of doms there, didn't they? Sounds harsh but why not just burn them on the penultimate climb? What use are they of afterwards? Keeping the group together so Nibali can win it in a sprint?
Thank you Redhead, means a lot to me. <3
Part of it is the style of riding, which is very much like Voeckler whom I couldn't stand. Part of it is both come across to me as arrogant. For me that's a huge turnoff. Confidence is fine, but arrogance is a problem and I see him as arrogant. There are other things I see in his personality, both when he's riding and interviews that I personally don't like. There's nothing that can change that at this point. I tried to like him. I really did. I just can't.
Pedersen went in a break and thus fully deserved the win. Boonen his main effort was following and being lucky that the break was caught just in time. He wasn't the outright favourite either.Pedersen is a strange name in that list tbh, especially if you don't add Boonen.
In the end this was really a total classic's race, the top10 very much a possible top10 for Liège.
Ah makes sense. Didn't know he said that. In fairness though I'm not sure even spring season '17 Bala could have won this race. Valverde doesn't go from long and the climb wasn't tough enough to dispatch of Wout. A long range attack was ideal given his presence. Alla deserved winner!If he doesn't have the form to win LBL he's not going. He basically said this before the season restarted. His comment was after the Tour his schedule was Worlds maybe LBL then Vuelta. He flat out said he would have to have the form to win LBL or he wasn't going to the Ardennes. He's not missing la Vuelta. He doesn't have close to the form needed to win LBL, so there's no way he'll go to it and instead go home and get ready for la Vuelta.
They didn't have to drop Alaphilippe though. They just had to put him in a position where it's up to him to chase whichever Italian attacks, not his teammates.Italy didn't really have anyone who was going to drop Alaphilippe. Their best hope was that over the final climb, someone could sneak away while other riders looked at each other.