2021 World Championships in Flanders: Road Races

[Sciatic]

Loved seeing the entire Italian team in the front row singing during the podium ceremony!

 

[Red Rick]

So Anna van der Breggen is now officially done on the bike.

Flèche Wallonne will never be the same again.

Valverde to win and dedicate it to Anna next year?

 

[Breezy1985]

Loved seeing the entire Italian team in the front row singing during the podium ceremony!

Love seeing Italians sing the "bom diddi bom diddi bom" instrumental bit in the middle of the song

 

[limak_]

Gotta say it is next to impossible to create a gap on the Leuven circuit

Big bunch sprint or surprising solo winner sound like a very likely scenarios for tomorrow.

 

[F_Cance]

at this point it's sign for trek and you have a good chance to win Worlds. 2019 Simmons and Tiberi, this year Baroncini and Balsamo.

 

[Dk one]

She was caught behind the split on the Flandrien circuit and wound up in group 3 (there's a picture. Group 2 was able to make the junction thanks to some strong TT engines in it, but group 3 never caught back on, the Danes had people like Cille up front that they dare not risk dropping back, so there wasn't much help for Norsgaard and eventually the gap went up past a minute and a half and they sat up.

Emma in her omloop form would have been lethal on this parcour, but don’t think she is 100% at the momment, her tt showed her engine is not quite there atm. Woild have been fun with both her and Cille in the front group. Cille also did not seem to be at her very best, her long race break needed after crashing was maybe not the best prep, but 8th is very respectqble.

 

[F_Cance]

Loved seeing the entire Italian team in the front row singing during the podium ceremony!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F49nsDQUad4

 

[Red Rick]

Shots getting fired by the Dutch women in post race interviews at each other.

 

[Netserk]

I really like the Leuven circuit, it has just the right balance for an easy route. I don't like the transfer from the Flandrien circuit to Leuven, and I think it would have been better to have the two laps of it in a row.

 

[movingtarget]

Agree, every time there was a Dutch rider in the small group at the front with a gap, they were also pushing the tempo in front of the group behind which was ridiculous. Or I'm just not used to watching women's races that much..

I noticed Dutch riders closing gaps on the final lap when they had a team mate on the front. Looking at how many orange jerseys were in the final group I thought there was no way they could lose it. But the Italians set it up nicely and from the look on Vos' face after the finish, she looked like she wanted to dig a hole and jump in................

 

[Red Rick]

I really like the Leuven circuit, it has just the right balance for an easy route. I don't like the transfer from the Flandrien circuit to Leuven, and I think it would have been better to have the two laps of it in a row.

True, but I also don't think the Flandrien circuit is quite hard enough, but that's also just due to the location and being too far away from the harder Flemish climbs.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

That was a brilliant lead out by the Italians in the last kms - Hats off to Cassani and his riders - For the last four years they've nailed their tactics, rode as a team and therefore received their just rewards - Gotta say it is next to impossible to create a gap on the Leuven circuit

What i've been saying all along. If a break wants to win, it has to get a big gap on the Flandrien circuit. They do Wijnpers every year in Poeske Scherens GP, and nobody gets away here. I do think it's possible to MAINTAIN a gap, but not to create one. It's going to be difficult to organize a chase on the local laps if someone like Mohoric, Evenepoel or Van der Poel decide to go early or can attack from a break.

I don't understand why the Dutch women didn't make the race harder earlier on. From a reduced bunch, it would have been much easier for Van Vleuten or other soloists to attack. But if you have the entire peloton still together at 60k from the line, there will always be someone to counter.

 

[Salvarani]

Shots getting fired by the Dutch women in post race interviews at each other.

They do seem to have a very toxic environment and still rivals at the end of the day. There is always tons of pressure on them but instead of coming together they blame everyone else when they dont win. Got some work to do there but maybe it will change with some of them retiring in the near future.

 

[Red Rick]

They do seem to have a very toxic environment and still rivals at the end of the day. There is always tons of pressure on them but instead of coming together they blame everyone else when they dont win. Got some work to do there but maybe it will change with some of them retiring in the near future.

They just extended Loes Gunnewijk for 3 more years earlier this week.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Shots getting fired by the Dutch women in post race interviews at each other.

To me it often looks like they bring too many women who are used to be the team leader and fail to form a real team. Of course that's just my opinion as an outsider.

 

[Salvarani]

They just extended Loes Gunnewijk for 3 more years earlier this week.

Is that the national coach? Im unaware.

I was more speaking about the riders themselves. Too many cooks and egos.
But of course, management plays a big role too.

 

[Red Rick]

To me it often looks like they bring too many women who are used to be the team leader and fail to form a real team. Of course that's just my opinion as an outsider.

I think they were largely on board with trying to soften and either get a good attack going or ride for Vos as a plan B, but the coordination was lacking, and Van Vleuten shouldn't have been the one to have to do the leadout after all that work she did right before.

Is that the national coach? Im unaware.

I was more speaking about the riders themselves. Too many cooks and egos.
But of course, management plays a big role too.

Yeah she's the coach.

 

[Mayomaniac]

That hair:

Give this woman her own shampoo/conditioner commercial!

 

[SafeBet]

I don't think Dutch tactics were that bad until the final 5 km. But at that point, when it was very clear Vos was the strongest of the team, they had to take control of the race, form a train and try to deliver Vos in the best possible position to win the sprint. To me it looked like they didn't quite do enough to help her in the final.

 

[Red Rick]

What i've been saying all along. If a break wants to win, it has to get a big gap on the Flandrien circuit. They do Wijnpers every year in Poeske Scherens GP, and nobody gets away here. I do think it's possible to MAINTAIN a gap, but not to create one. It's going to be difficult to organize a chase on the local laps if someone like Mohoric, Evenepoel or Van der Poel decide to go early or can attack from a break.

I don't understand why the Dutch women didn't make the race harder earlier on. From a reduced bunch, it would have been much easier for Van Vleuten or other soloists to attack. But if you have the entire peloton still together at 60k from the line, there will always be someone to counter.

Well the Flandrien circuit climbs aren't that hard either and in Vlaanderen they would probably be among the easier climbs in the race + they come before the 200km mark mostly. So it's really hard to get huge seperation.

I do think a late attack might happen but it would be because of the mens elite are just that much more explosive than the U23s and the women. It could be a bit like Richmond or Valkenburg.

 

[RedheadDane]

That hair:

Give this woman her own shampoo/conditioner commercial!

Too bad she signed for Trek, and - to my best knowledge - doesn't do cross. Otherwise, she would have been an obvious signing for Alpecin.

 

[limak_]

Too bad she signed for Trek, and - to my best knowledge - doesn't do cross. Otherwise, she would have been an obvious signing for Alpecin.

It may be inevitable at some point of her career. Just like Kittel sigining with Katusha (then sponsored by Alpecin).

 

[Mayomaniac]

Too bad she signed for Trek, and - to my best knowledge - doesn't do cross. Otherwise, she would have been an obvious signing for Alpecin.

Trek-Segafreddo also never did a "how's that coffee Contador?" commercial and Segafreddo also never used Nibali to promote their brand in any kind of way. You'd think that they'd at least try to get something out of having those guys on their team...

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Trek-Segafreddo also never did a "how's that coffee Contador?" commercial and Segafreddo also never used Nibali to promote their brand in any kind of way. You'd think that they'd at least try to get something out of having those guys on their team...

They did do the Trek Goldilocks ad with Neff though. They could do one for a track bike with Balsamo, though she doesn't ride Trek bikes on the track.

 

[noob]

That hair:

Give this woman her own shampoo/conditioner commercial!

Her hair was absolutely insanely amazing!!!!