• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Alberto Bettiol is the new classics contender thread

Page 2 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Re:

tobydawq said:
Oh, okay. Does that fit him, though? And that doesn't mean he won't do the Ardennes, right?

Well, today made clear he is not really happy with the Gazzetta journalists. The Roubaix news unfortunately is not true. He will be back in Fleche Brabanconne.
 
Re: Re:

tobydawq said:
Eli said:
Van Der Poel was super strong but No way in Hell was the group going to let Him go Solo.

If he had made a Bettiol-like attack on the Kwaremont, I don't think the group would have been able to prevent him from going away solo.

I really think he lost the race with his crash.

Very true but I think the bunch behind might have been slightly more motivated. All 'ifs' and 'buts' I know but a certain podium is guaranteed without the crash. Kristoff was the only faster sprinter in that group
 
It was already clear in Harelbeke that he was one of the strongest. I expected a top 10, at best a top 5. Sincerely, today it was a surprise, especially the way he won. They didn't let him go, he simply rode away and no-one could follow.
It became apparent on the Kruisberg that he was the strongest and EF made it perfectly (quite unusual for them).
First pro win. Youngest Ronde winner since Boonen 2005.
Hoping for more to come.
 
The impressive thing is not that he has won because he's clearly on fire but how he has won, on the Oude Kwaremont there was van Avermaet digging deep with everyone hanging on for the dear life behind him and he rode away with incredible ease. After that this thread should be renamed in "Bettiol is the new Cancellara" :eek:
 
When winning RvV, he came as a surprise and some people thought that were his 15 minutes of fame because he was an underachiever, lazy etc

Glad to see that on a few occasions he's already shown to be stepping it up since. I think we'll see a lot more of him the next 5 years. He was a genuine threat yesterday.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Red Rick