2021 World Championships in Flanders: Road Races

[Breezy1985]

Excuse me, everyone who had seen the Voeckler in celeste bathing shorts photo knew what would happen.

Once you see Tommy in his underwear you know you are about to get fckd

 

[Pantani_lives]

Voeckler's plan wasn't constantly attacking?
Okay, that's it! We're definitely in a parallel universe!

Titi told Alaf to join the early break with the Japanese guy. But do they listen? Oh no!

 

[Alexandre B.]

 

[noob]

They sang really awful, but man the emotions! And Cosnefroy looked just as happy as Ala

 

[Breezy1985]

They sang really awful, but man the emotions! And Cosnefroy looked just as happy as Ala

Is it me or do most of them look related

 

[noob]

Is it me or do most of them look related

Agree! They totally do!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It has been a great weekend for national anthems in fairness. We got two of the best.

 

[Extinction]

Alaphilippe never ceases to amaze. He has the explosivity and penache of Bettini, the stamina of a deisel, the fight of Mahammad Ali in the thrilla of Manila...on his day the rest fight for second place.

 

[Tonton]

What a winner, chapoeu

Is that Gallopin jumping off the building in the background?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Imagine being a World Champion AND dating Marion Rousse.... whatever man.....

Congratulations, Alaf! Im more of a Van Aert/Van der Poel-guy, but i really do not care when hes riding this aggressively and flat out just being the strongest rider winning this way. Those are the types of rides we want to see in the biggest one day races and what we will remember. Aint nobody really remember Cav 2011 or Sagan 2016 (because they were bad races and they only put their nose in their wind last 200 m), but this one I will definitely remember as a great race with a great and deserving winner.

Hopefully Roubaix will be just as great next weekend with a great champion as a winner!

 

[ciranda]

It has been a great weekend for national anthems in fairness. We got two of the best.

Need a Russian winner to get the best one but it would probably not get played anyway with those weird sanctions still in effect.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Worst possible winner for this race again.

Who deserved it more? Who would have been more worthy?
(Well, everyone according to your comment, but perhaps you could give us reasons for a few of them)

 

[Norbea]

Hoelgaard is going to be a huge addition to the Trek classics team. 3 headed mini-monster?

He has been in great form this season. Almost perfect race by Hoelgaard, until he gambled on staying with MvdP and van Aert rather than going with Valgren and that was the only mistake he made. It makes me sad that Uno-X isn't invited to Paris-Roubaix, but next year he'll be on the WT where he deserves to be.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Need a Russian winner to get the best one but it would probably not get played anyway with those weird sanctions still in effect.

We can't get the original lyrics though, sadly. I don't know the new ones, only the Soviet ones.

 

[tobydawq]

Honourable mention to Rasmus Staghøj and Rolf Sørensen. Especially the latter was firing on all cylinders despite the tragic loss of Chris Anker. Unfortunately, I didn't hear the interview with Andreas Kron but what he said clearly moved them both so that they had to keep quiet for a minute.

By the way, you know a race is absolute bonkers when Rolf of all people says that the riders are attacking too early!

 

[Breh]

I teared up a little at the start.

Ylber Sefa was the only Albanian at the start of this WC. He was so so happy to just start at the WC. You could really feel how proud and grateful he was.
I hope he thoroughly enjoyed his special day.

 

[Leinster]

Imola was raced super closed. Innsbruck too (but it's a special case). Likewise for Bergen, really. If the teams had approached today like Bergen, I'm certain it would have been a reduced sprint.

Bergen had fewer climbs, though, and not as steep. It was probably just as “hard” a course to ride around, but didn’t have as many tactical points.

Richmond would have been a more exciting course if raced like today.

I thought a small group sprint was likely because it’s what we’ve seen for most of the big 1-day races this year; Flanders, Liege, Amstel, San Sebastian all came down to 2-5 riders in the finale, and MSR had a solo attack from 3km that held off the sprinters.

We saw so many GT stages this year fall to a solo attacker in front of a disfunctional chase group, that if you told me before that the Worlds would end that way too, I would’ve been disappointed, but Alaf did it so well, and the whole rest of the race was so good, that I really enjoyed it.

 

[tobydawq]

Bergen had fewer climbs, though, and not as steep. It was probably just as “hard” a course to ride around, but didn’t have as many tactical points.

Richmond would have been a more exciting course if raced like today.

I thought a small group sprint was likely because it’s what we’ve seen for most of the big 1-day races this year; Flanders, Liege, Amstel, San Sebastian all came down to 2-5 riders in the finale, and MSR had a solo attack from 3km that held off the sprinters.

We saw so many GT stages this year fall to a solo attacker in front of a disfunctional chase group, that if you told me before that the Worlds would end that way too, I would’ve been disappointed, but Alaf did it so well, and the whole rest of the race was so good, that I really enjoyed it.

The Richmond race was actually ridden much more aggressively than what people tend to remember but the lap started with ten flat kilometers and every single time, there was a total regroup before they hit the climbs again.

 

[johnymax]

Great race, fantastic winner! What an entertainer this man is.

 

[Mex_17]

Anyone have a link where I can watch the reply of the race? The only option in the US is Flobikes, and they are credit card thieves. Thanks in advance!

 

[Breezy1985]

The Richmond race was actually ridden much more aggressively than what people tend to remember but the lap started with ten flat kilometers and every single time, there was a total regroup before they hit the climbs again.

Also it seems so long ago now but there was a time when it seemed impossible to imagine Sagan could lose a big race like this

 

[Tonton]

Need a Russian winner to get the best one but it would probably not get played anyway with those weird sanctions still in effect.

Berzin needs to come back out of retirement

 

[Ripper]

Comedy gold!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK2AN9peZgE

 

[Ripper]

Berzin needs to come back out of retirement

Too busy selling cars

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Anyone have a link where I can watch the reply of the race? The only option in the US is Flobikes, and they are credit card thieves. Thanks in advance!

Here's a link.