BEMER Cyclassics Hamburg 8th September 2024

[QueenStagiaire]

Crazy sprint, Kooij wins

 

[postmanhat]

Just tuned in for the end as well. Is that Declan Quigley doing the commentary?

 

[Didinho]

Kooij takes it. Milan only free in the end and close. Philipsen had to stop sprinting 2x.
De Lie started his sprint in 25th position again.

What a crazy fast run-in the last km’s.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Trek leadout sent Philipsen to the barriers and he got boxed it looked like

 

[Brullnux]

Philipsen also boxed in behind Meeus, Kooij picked his line the best and that's what mattered.

Meeus pretty poor, sadly, given he was in prime position.

 

[Rob5091]

Chapeau Kooij & Visma - holds off Milan to win.

 

[Brullnux]

Trek leadout sent Philipsen to the barriers and he got boxed it looked like

Honestly I thought it was more Bora – Philipsen took over on Milan's left which is where Consonni was trying to go, then Bora blocked him out of it.

 

[Ricco']

Perfect positioning for Kooij and also to myself, after opening Tiz precisely with 500m to go.

 

[tobydawq]

Yeah, quite a pathetic race

Also a particularly bad edition, I would say.

 

[Samamba]

Forgot Kooij was even here;

Think worst edition of this year in a long time. And they are often quite bad

 

[Brullnux]

Forgot Kooij was even here;

As did I...

Kind of inevitable the race ends like this given the startlist. Gotta wonder, again, what the hell Ineos are doing.

 

[KZD]

Kooij is not as fast as Merlier, Milan or Philipsen but he is one of the best at positioning and today that was the key to beat Milan, Girmay and the rest.

 

[skippo12]

Philipsen also boxed in behind Meeus, Kooij picked his line the best amd that's what mattered.

Meeus pretty poor, sadly, given he was in prime position.

Bora's leadout was incredible. Meeus in 2nd position with 250m to go. Just needed to finish it but went backwards.
Him winning in Paris last year has to be one of the biggest fluke sprint results.

 

[E_F_]

You thought this was boring? Copenhagen Sprint says "hold my carlsberg, I'll show you boring."

 

[Netserk]

Not even 200km lmao. 1.WT. Yeah that makes sense.

I never watch this but the idea of the race isn't bad. It just attracts a field lopsided to sprinters for fairly obvious reasons.

It's a horrible race. By far the worst race that has been PT/WT since 2005.

 

[tobydawq]

You thought this was boring? Copenhagen Sprint says "hold my carlsberg, I'll show you boring."

How will it be more boring?

 

[tobydawq]

It's a horrible race. By far the worst race that has been PT/WT since 2005.

Yes, but if it was as prestigious as MSR and the biggest names really wanted to win, it could be a wonderful race.

But when every team goes for a sprint - even teams without a sprinter - it will inevitably be godawful.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Kooij is not as fast as Merlier, Milan or Philipsen but he is one of the best at positioning and today that was the key to beat Milan, Girmay and the rest.

He is definitely as fast as Philipsen. Philipsen is so overrated man, he just wins important races because he has the best leadout man of all times. In a mano a mano, he can't beat Millan.

 

[theyoungest]

Kooij is not as fast as Merlier, Milan or Philipsen but he is one of the best at positioning and today that was the key to beat Milan, Girmay and the rest.

They're all pretty similar, each one can beat the other on their day. Usually Philipsen has the best leadout, which gives him an edge. Kooij is good at freewheeling in the final k (also out of necessity, because Visma are notoriously bad at helping their sprinters). In terms of pure speed Merlier is probably the fastest.

 

[E_F_]

How will it be more boring?

There were some attacks on Waseberg...

 

[tobydawq]

There were some attacks on Waseberg...

I guess it is possible we will not see a single attack after the break of the day has been brought back in which case you would technically be correct, but it's not like the attacks on Waseberg really gave much entertainment this year. Usually, they do a bit more damage, albeit not much.

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, but if it was as prestigious as MSR and the biggest names really wanted to win, it could be a wonderful race.

But when every team goes for a sprint - even teams without a sprinter - it will inevitably be godawful.

Every race that ends in a bunch sprint is usually called the most boring race ever on here, it's not like there's much depth to the argument I think what you see these days is that nearly every sprinter can survive a climb. So unless there's really serious climbs in it or Pogacar is on the start line, a race like this is bound to end in a bunch sprint.

 

[tobydawq]

Every race that ends in a bunch sprint is usually called the most boring race ever on here, it's not like there's much depth to the argument I think what you see these days is that nearly every sprinter can survive a climb. So unless there's really serious climbs in it or Pogacar is on the start line, a race like this is bound to end in a bunch sprint.

I don't think a bunch sprint automatically means the race has been bad, but if there is no jeopardy at any point as to whether it would end in a sprint, then it hasn't been a good race.

 

[Netserk]

Yes, but if it was as prestigious as MSR and the biggest names really wanted to win, it could be a wonderful race.

But when every team goes for a sprint - even teams without a sprinter - it will inevitably be godawful.

It's horrible even by that standard. Horrible roads, ugly race.

Frankfurt even when it was most sprinter-friendly was so much better.

 

[Netserk]

Every race that ends in a bunch sprint is usually called the most boring race ever on here, it's not like there's much depth to the argument I think what you see these days is that nearly every sprinter can survive a climb. So unless there's really serious climbs in it or Pogacar is on the start line, a race like this is bound to end in a bunch sprint.

Do you disagree that no other race that has been on the PT/WT since 2005 is worse than this one? If so, which one?