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Dunno if Pedersen still can be described as half-injured 11 days after Dwars door Vlaanderen. Frankly, that's the only guy that beat him at Gent-Wevelgem!
Paris-Roubaix is harder than the Glasgow WC course and like you said: No crash. Instead Mathieu perfectly steered & cycled over the cobbles which results in a 3 minutes lead over Philipsen & Pedersen!
Guess that leads to our different valuation!
But can he do the electric slide? I'll have to pay more attention to him...
I don't know, but i think he can do the funky chicken if he slows down a bit.
With what he's shown the past two weeks, I don't think anyone but teddy can touch him, and he isn't racing...but I hope you're right.
Why do people expect that to continue in this race?
Interview with Matteo Jorgenson: "I am hugely impressed with the team"
Newcomer Matteo Jorgenson has not missed his start at Team Visma | Lease a Bike. He impressed in the spring classics and this month he also managed to win…
www.teamvismaleaseabike.com
View: https://twitter.com/vismaleaseabike/status/1778729119326339351
Because he is the only "big one" at the start. Let's hope Healy, Skjelmose, Ayuso and euh, obviously Mollema, Fuglsang and Matthews can make it interesting.
I can't listen to Jorgenson's interview on my end because I'm not an "exclusive fan" of Visma, but I'm sure the interview went just fine?Interview with Matteo Jorgenson: "I am hugely impressed with the team"
Newcomer Matteo Jorgenson has not missed his start at Team Visma | Lease a Bike. He impressed in the spring classics and this month he also managed to win…
View: https://twitter.com/vismaleaseabike/status/1778729119326339351
Because he appears to be on another level than everyone else, and he's won the race before. I hope you're right, but I've hoped for the past 2 weeks for something to be different than what appeared to be the most likely outcome, and he convinced me last Sunday that betting against him is stupid...maybe my streak of being wrong will continue, and Mathieu's streak of winning races will end...so really, it's me versus Mathieu Sunday. What's the handicap on that?
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I don't know, on the one hand I'm like 'can he really keep this level for so long?'
Then again, in the classics season we all seem to experience some kind of time-dilation. Because it was only a mere four weeks ago he rode his first race.
Aside from that, I don't get people saying that AGR wouldn't suit him. It's actually the perfect race for Mathieu. Tight twists, turns and short climbs... coupled with his alien in-race recovery? Barring a crash out of over-confidence or a tactical mistake (which he was definitely not immune to in the past), I can't see anyone else taking this one.
Then again, in the classics season we all seem to experience some kind of time-dilation. Because it was only a mere four weeks ago he rode his first race.
Aside from that, I don't get people saying that AGR wouldn't suit him. It's actually the perfect race for Mathieu. Tight twists, turns and short climbs... coupled with his alien in-race recovery? Barring a crash out of over-confidence or a tactical mistake (which he was definitely not immune to in the past), I can't see anyone else taking this one.
Last year I think he started racing earlier but then reached his peak in San Remo and stayed on that level untill Roubaix. I think that was three weeks? Maybe he could have been good in Amstel also, but he took a break there and then.
Now he reached his peak in E3 and will be more or less three weeks on form during Amstel also, so I think he should still be good. Ofcourse we don't know about the mental side, Flanders and Roubaix were his biggest goals, and with Van der Poel you never know. After the world's last year he was kind of done.
What you are saying about his this course being suited to him: I see your reasoning and you absolutely have a point. There is just not much to go on from the past (other than that we know he is obviously not bad on these roads). But unlike Flanders there are not really any moments I recall of him riding away on this or that hill. I guess while I understand your logic, it's a matter of seeing and believing for me.
Then there is the aspect that his team is better than ever for this race. That can work for him obviously. But if someone like Hermans, Laurance or SKA or even Vermeersch is on a super day, and they made a selective group with mvdp, I can also see scenarios where one of them rides away while they all mark MVDP. He seem to like to be able to give back sometimes in races that mean less to him. Imagine Vermeersch being up the road, I think he would love that.
If MvdP does not win it'll be a huge shock. It's almost as certain as someone throwing beer over him! Who'll be the "first of the humans"? Healy looked really good in France, but there's a whole bunch of guys who on a good day could come second.
If the race goes as usual, probably we will see the first serious attacks on the Kruisberg or Eyserbosweg. Then Keuterberg will be a popular place to attack. From there on, it could be a small group of 1 - 4 riders, with another few still in striking distance. Wheather is expected to be cloudy, around 15°C, no rain.
I don't expect Van Der Poel to dominate this race like he did i Flanders and Roubaix, but he's the favorite to win, I agree.
It depends on many things, mainly from his will to attack from a far, but I think he can't make a difference at will, like he did in cobbled races. If he's feeling strong, he'll probably move for the first time on Kriusberg/Eyserbosweg, and from there it depends of the size and composition of the group. It could get tactical as well, and he may even send SKA, Hermans or Vermeersch up the road and try to bridge on Keutenberg or Cauberg.
Anyway, if he's strong as in Roubaix, or close, I can't see him losing, but I don't expect some long solo from him.
It depends on many things, mainly from his will to attack from a far, but I think he can't make a difference at will, like he did in cobbled races. If he's feeling strong, he'll probably move for the first time on Kriusberg/Eyserbosweg, and from there it depends of the size and composition of the group. It could get tactical as well, and he may even send SKA, Hermans or Vermeersch up the road and try to bridge on Keutenberg or Cauberg.
Anyway, if he's strong as in Roubaix, or close, I can't see him losing, but I don't expect some long solo from him.
We can only hope that the motorbikes and race director themselves do not deliberately rig the race. As they did when van der Poel and Pogacar have won the race. Just to get a big name on the results list. I still don't understand why the UCI never intervened. As they didn't when Demare won San Remo after hanging on the team leader's car uphill.
Just came back from cycling in the Limburg area.
Headwind in the section following Keuterberg and tailwind in the "false flat" selction following Bemelerberg. Might have an impact on the tactics tomorrow.
Headwind in the section following Keuterberg and tailwind in the "false flat" selction following Bemelerberg. Might have an impact on the tactics tomorrow.
I would be a bit surprised if Leo van Vliet would pull the same antics as last year. But then, he seems to know no shame or remorse, so who knows. I'll be glad when he is gone.
Mate, he pulled out frigging Matrix signs during the world championships in Limburg (2012?) to bypass the ban on earpieces. Any dumb thing you can imagine he is capable of doing.
According to the WF article, they are counting on Benoot and Jorgenson.
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