2024 European Championships in Heusden-Zolder/Hasselt (September 11-15) Discussion Thread For All Races

[Brullnux]

Well that's very painful for the Italians.

Perfect race until the final 800m, where Belgians took over the race and Consonni/Milan went wrong, then Milan boxed himself in.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Really just happy to see Philipsen lose. Doesn't even have the class to congratulate Merlier, who was far and away the fastest there, and won without the leadout. Philipsen is such a loser.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Merlier was much faster and with much better timing than all but Kooij who was too late.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Rickaert disrupted the Italian leadout. The 2 riders following Merlier got the podium.

Typical dirty Alpecin tactics or just an incident? Nothing against Merlier, classy rider.

 

[Brullnux]

He was blocked and Consonni didn't have it, got manhandled and blocked. That said, Milan also looked cooked in that sprint.

I don't think he was cooked, I think he just never got going. Didn't position himself well and then, yeah, didn't get out of the wheels and gave up.

 

[Netserk]

 

[KZD]

Merlier is the best sprinter in these one day races.

However after going behind his team car for so long I think he should have been DQed.

 

[Didinho]

Typical dirty Alpecin tactics or just an incident? Nothing against Merlier, classy rider.

Just positioning. Boxed them in. That’s what I meant with disrupting their leadout.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Rickaert disrupted the Italian leadout. The 2 riders following Merlier got the podium.

It also ruined Démare's sprint.

 

[Brullnux]

State of italian cycling in 200 meters, no way they *** up an entire race with that disgraceful ending lmao

Be fr, Milan is one of the quickest sprinters in the peloton and has beaten Merlier/Philipsen/Kooij several times this year, this was a perfect race they just messed up the ending.

This is the issue with a sprint, it often doesn't go the way you intended. To add to that, as @Mayomaniac has been saying, Consonni isn't a great leadout man

 

[Jagartrott]

Laporte ends ahead of Démare.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Kristoff coming in 5th - not too shabby for an old man. Also good to see Bittner in the top 10.

 

[proffate]

Just positioning. Boxed them in. That’s what I meant with disrupting their leadout.

How can you disrupt a leadout? That is the point of the leadout. The fastest train gets in front and their rider gets the best position. Doing a leadout implies disrupting a leadout. Doing a leadout well implies being unstoppable. Well at least until we have a race finish on the Katy freeway and there's room for everyone to ride abreast.

 

[yaco]

I posted earlier that if you have 2 quality sprinters you bring them to this type of race which was vindicated today. Merlier and Kooij have ridden a total of 2 GT's in the last two years.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Great sprint by Gudmestad for 56th place.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

And don't tell me that Mathieu couldn't have done more for Kooij for a leadout. I guess he only really rides for himself or his trade team. Weak.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Philipsen displaying sub-Juan Ayuso levels of excitement for his teammates victory at the finish there.

 

[Red Rick]

He was blocked and Consonni didn't have it, got manhandled and blocked. That said, Milan also looked cooked in that sprint.

Milan in hard races is so overrated it's not even funny

 

[Brullnux]

Milan in hard races is so overrated it's not even funny

This wasn't a particularly hard race and Milan has done harder and done better. It was a simple *** up in positioning, not much to read into re "can't do well in hard races".

Not convinced this was any harder than the race last weekend in Hamburg, where Milan was quite clearly the quickest sprinters (but got boxed in there, too). It happened at the Giro 2023 a few times, ghost of that re-appearing a bit, which I guess is to be expected for a guy who only really started sprinting on the road two years ago.

 

[Red Rick]

Merlier is the best sprinter in these one day races.

However after going behind his team car for so long I think he should have been DQed.

20s for Roglic.

If they do it more times he may lose his Vuelta still

 

[Coffeeplanter]

20s for Roglic.

If they do it more times he may lose his Vuelta still

Rent free.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Jasper "the best sprinter in the world"

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Even in is interview Philipsen is a f**king loser. Only talked about not having legs, nothing about his teammate winning, nothing about the Belgians wasting all of their leadout on him, and him still not being able to win. Team should have been 100% for Merlier.

 

[Red Rick]

Rent free.

See double standards in live action and proceed to ignore it for your own narrative.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

See double standards in live action and proceed to ignore it for your own narrative.

But I already called for a Merlier DSQ.