2022 Strade Bianche, 05/03

[Sciatic]

QUOTE="Leinster, post: 2668272, member: 117254"]
Weak field or no, it’s still a peloton full of World Tour riders, with several monument, classic, GT stage wins in the palmares, and he rode them all off his wheel and solo’d 50km over steep hills and gravel roads to the finish.

Of the missing riders, only a handful in the world could arguably have lived with Pog today, and of those, you’d have to say it’s unlikely any of the others could have won that way in the same situation.
[/QUOTE]
perhaps, but you would have seen some teams put a lot more umph into the chase when there was still a peloton of sorts remaining. It’s not just a matter of whether the other guys could have ridden at his level—their presence also chang s the dynamic of the race.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

That ride by Pogacar todays was just out of this world. That was like vintage Remco.

Ah back in me grandfathers day, vintage Remco was the person to win 2.Pro races in August. Those good Ol’ days are long gone.

 

[Leinster]

perhaps, but you would have seen some teams put a lot more umph into the chase when there was still a peloton of sorts remaining. It’s not just a matter of whether the other guys could have ridden at his level—their presence also chang s the dynamic of the race.

Yeah but nah. Strade is the one WT race/classic left where the peloton is usually well enough reduced by the 50km to go mark, and team tactics no longer really come into it.

 

[Bolder]

Where did Simmons finish?

7th, and pretty great for a 20 year old.

 

[Sciatic]

Yeah but nah. Strade is the one WT race/classic left where the peloton is usually well enough reduced by the 50km to go mark, and team tactics no longer really come into it.

That makes some sense—but we don’t have much prior evidence for that since I don’t think we’ve seen this particular scenario [major crash that splits up the group when it’s not under pressure and then one the favorites going off the front with 50 km to go]come up at SB before have we? Yes whatever peloton remains with 60-70km to go usually fractures on the toughest sections of gravel. But today it seemed the peloton really failed to muster a chase on the tarmac before the reached a decisive sector, which several folks on this thread pointed out at the time.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1500166331093725196

View: https://twitter.com/DanyProCycling/status/1500166331093725196

 

[Ranagazoo]

For me Pogacar is pretty much the favourite for every race he rides now.

And it was even easier than I thought, we're now at the stage where it's a shock if he doesn't win. Not only is he an insane climber/punchuer/time trialer but he also seems to have been taking voodoo lessons from Nibali.

 

[Escarabajo]

Put Carapaz or Superman at the front instead of Pogacar and you'll see a chase by Valverde of epic proportions.

In a serious note I saw Valverde in that group of 5 and all of a sudden he didn't want to work and I said, not again. Then to my surprise he was so strong at the end. I can understand why some people can some issues with that tactic. But very impressive. Sometimes I wonder why he is so defensive.

 

[tobydawq]

In a serious note I saw Valverde in that group of 5 and all of a sudden he didn't want to work and I said, not again. Then to my surprise he was so strong at the end. I can understand why some people can some issues with that tactic. But very impressive. Sometimes I wonder why he is so defensive.

I feel the same. And presented my theories in my previous post.

 

[red_flanders]

Just saw the end of the women's race...much better than the men's. Incredible mano a mano battle.

Some irony there I think...

 

[tobydawq]

Some irony there I think...

He should have said womano a womano battle.

(mano means hand)

 

[SafeBet]

It was an epic win but it was probably the least thrilling version of Strade Bianche in recent times. That was my fear when so many big names dropped out of the race. The Alaphilippe crash certainly didn't help.

Hopefully next year we'll have WVA, VdP, Pidcock give Pog a run for his money.

 

[red_flanders]

He should have said womano a womano battle.

(mano means hand)

That’s funny, thanks. I always thought it meant man on man.

 

[Sciatic]

That’s funny, thanks. I always thought it meant man on man.

As a colloquialism in American English that’s pretty much the accepted usage, even though it disguises the original meaning,

 

[The Hegelian]

Merckx.

 

[Akuryo]

Looking at the top 10 again this morning, Asgreen really is the outlier in this one. It used to be a race for classics guys but has more and more attracted climbers in recent editions. Asgreen did some solid climbing once in California but still seems out of place compared to the rest of the top finishers of yesterday. Stybar and Gva were locks for a good result a few seasons ago. Sagan as well. Not to forget Cancellara dominating this race in early editions. And now you have guys like Pogacar, Bernal, Fuglsang or Bilbao fighting for the top spots. I love how this race, depending on how each edition is ridden, can give basically any type of rider a chance of victory.

 

[Leinster]

Looking at the top 10 again this morning, Asgreen really is the outlier in this one. It used to be a race for classics guys but has more and more attracted climbers in recent editions. Asgreen did some solid climbing once in California but still seems out of place compared to the rest of the top finishers of yesterday. Stybar and Gva were locks for a good result a few seasons ago. Sagan as well. Not to forget Cancellara dominating this race in early editions. And now you have guys like Pogacar, Bernal, Fuglsang or Bilbao fighting for the top spots. I love how this race, depending on how each edition is ridden, can give basically any type of rider a chance of victory.

Simmons isn’t going to be wearing polka dots at a GT any time soon.

I agree, the way almost all rider types can compete is the best thing about Strade.

 

[tobydawq]

It was an epic win but it was probably the least thrilling version of Strade Bianche in recent times. That was my fear when so many big names dropped out of the race. The Alaphilippe crash certainly didn't help.

Hopefully next year we'll have WVA, VdP, Pidcock give Pog a run for his money.

And Roglic. He has to try it sometime but I understand if he has unfinished business at Paris-Nice. I hope he gets the job done next week

 

[SafeBet]

And Roglic. He has to try it sometime but I understand if he has unfinished business at Paris-Nice. I hope he gets the job done next week

Yeah could be interesting.
I flirted with the idea of including Bernal in the list but let's go step by step there.
Having peak Bettiol in Strade would be nice too.

 

[tobydawq]

Yeah could be interesting.
I flirted with the idea of including Bernal in the list but let's go step by step there.
Having peak Bettiol in Strade would be nice too.

And peak Schachmann.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Asgreen question.
After the big crash, did he have to work to help bring Ala back?
If so that bodes well for the rest for the classics season.

 

[limak_]

Asgreen question.
After the big crash, did he have to work to help bring Ala back?
If so that bodes well for the rest for the classics season.

No. IIrc, he's stayed in the peloton all the time and after Alaph had joined, then he spent some time at the front.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

In the end a podium with a combined tally of seven monuments and three GTs isn't that bad.

Recent editions have had World Champions (Road, CX), Monument winners, and GT winners - it's as good a one day race as you'll get.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

And it was even easier than I thought, we're now at the stage where it's a shock if he doesn't win. Not only is he an insane climber/punchuer/time trialer but he also seems to have been taking voodoo lessons from Nibali.

What was so impressive was he got the gap on a gravel descent, and just kept increasing the lead.......

He can win almost any type of race; Sanremo and Flanders are possible........

 

[Boes]

The new Eddy Merckx has emerged. And it's not remco.