Baloise Belgium Tour 2023 (June 14-18)

[laarsland]

I rode the BXL Tour this morning, started raining just before the start. Weeks of 25-30°C and the hour of my first event the roads were soaking wet. Seen a lot of crashes and punctures.
Starting to get a bit of sun now, hopefully it will be dryer for the race.

Commiserations. The days leading up to the Flanders sportive this year was nice, but come the actual event it was pissing down and wind all day. Teeth shattered for hours after the finish.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Lmao. Acceleration merchant... You looked at the motor pacing the second group today? And he never did have that big of a lead in the BB tour. Also, there were pretty big watts chasing him there.

Motopacing is a big problem but it is there for basically every time a solo rider attacks. When a solo rider attacks, the motor will always go behind/next to him while the motor of the chasing group will always be in front of the group. So this problem wasn't there just for Van der Poel yesterday, it's also present every time one rider attacks. The camera wants to have a clear view of the group and the group dynamics, so filming the front of the chasing group with riders who are taking turns is more interesting than filming the buts of the riders in the back, i presume, when you can't see who's doing the work in the front of the group. For a solo rider there is only 1 guy to film so it doesn't matter that much and while filming from the back, they get a better view of the roads.

This was also quite apparent in LBL. When Evenepoel and Pidcock were riding away from Skjelmose and Ciccone, the motorcamera was in front. The moment Evenepoel dropped Pidcock, the motor went behind. While the chasing groups are usually alwasy filmed from the front, creating motopacing.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Baloise Lions Trek does not start, because their bikes got stolen last night.

 

[shadowrider]

Motopacing is a big problem but it is there for basically every time a solo rider attacks. When a solo rider attacks, the motor will always go behind/next to him while the motor of the chasing group will always be in front of the group. So this problem wasn't there just for Van der Poel yesterday, it's also present every time one rider attacks. The camera wants to have a clear view of the group and the group dynamics, so filming the front of the chasing group with riders who are taking turns is more interesting than filming the buts of the riders in the back, i presume, when you can't see who's doing the work in the front of the group. For a solo rider there is only 1 guy to film so it doesn't matter that much and while filming from the back, they get a better view of the roads.

This was also quite apparent in LBL. When Evenepoel and Pidcock were riding away from Skjelmose and Ciccone, the motorcamera was in front. The moment Evenepoel dropped Pidcock, the motor went behind. While the chasing groups are usually alwasy filmed from the front, creating motopacing.

I've seen motopacing of Van der poel as well, during a long distance/time..... and very close to the motorcycle. Just afterwards, the lead quickly shot up. Another proof of how selectively some view cycling. I still don't understand why the jury and competition director don't intervene. And no, it's not (only) because of the tele of the camera. As we could see from the perspective of another camera or from the helicoptercamera. I feel like it's getting worse.

 

[RedheadDane]

I just got so confused. I was wondering if Uno-X had already started wearing their TDF jerseys...
(Wærenskjold in red.)

 

[RedheadDane]

Less than 20 Ks to go.
Peloton together.

 

[RedheadDane]

Sprint coming up.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Looked like Philipsen lost the wheel in the corner

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Looks like Fabio wants to go to the Tour after all.

 

[Samamba]

Ewan is a T5 sprinter at best, wtf was this again. Dude was invincible on these kind of finishes 2 years ago.

 

[postmanhat]

Ewan is a T5 sprinter at best, wtf was this again. Dude was invincible on these kind of finishes 2 years ago.

To give him some credit in this race, he did continue after his crash on stage 2. Not too sure that would have happened in the last 2 seasons. Don't know what the damage to wrist was, but it looked painful and can't be helping his sprint. At least he's probably going to the Tour now.

 

[KZD]

Very good interview here. Jakobsen remembering not just Mäder but also Lambrecht and for him it surely matters a lot.

 

[Samamba]

To give him some credit in this race, he did continue after his crash on stage 2. Not too sure that would have happened in the last 2 seasons. Don't know what the damage to wrist was, but it looked painful and can't be helping his sprint. At least he's probably going to the Tour now.

I'm praying that has something to do with it, but that doesn't explain the first stage and the fact that he looked pretty good yesterday. He also was too early at the front today ofcourse, it looks worse than it actually is. Basically does a leadout for the rest.

I mean I can only hope, Lotto doesn't have another option for the Tour anyways.

 

[search]

Welsford also didn't really do himself any favour by doing this race, unless his Tour selection is secure anyway.

 

[jmdirt]

Congrats Fabio!
Congrats MvdP!

 

[yaco]

Welsford also didn't really do himself any favour by doing this race, unless his Tour selection is secure anyway.

Welsford is confirmed for the TDF.