Binck BankTour 29 september - 3 october

[johnymax]

Well, Søren Kragh has gone on the record and said that Van Der Poel was simply too strong today.

It's arrogance.

 

[Netserk]

I didn't watch it, but I think most of us here are aware of your own national bias from Gesink to Dumoulin ;-)

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Just watched the race, that was cycling with courage as of the old days.
Matthieu is a pure gift for any cycling fan.

 

[tobydawq]

And I'm calling ***. Just a poor attempt at trying to make anything less of that victory. The motors aren't as close as you think. You know they have a telelens.

Instead of what this should have been, applauding the winner and enjoying the final. I think it's just a poor attempt at hiding frustration that a Dane didn't win. No coincedance it's Danes that bring it up in the topic

To be honest, I was really annoyed by each of Kragh's victories because I was rooting for Sagan. But he won by huge margins each time. Mathieu had two seconds to spare.

 

[RedheadDane]

To be honest, I was really annoyed by each of Kragh's victories because I was rooting for Sagan. But he won by huge margins each time. Mathieu had two seconds to spare.

Sorry, I'm going to have to remove your citizenship!

 

[jmdirt]

I love it when aggressive racing pays off!

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

To be honest, I was really annoyed by each of Kragh's victories because I was rooting for Sagan. But he won by huge margins each time. Mathieu had two seconds to spare.

I don't quite understand. Are you criticizing a rider who took the initiative and risking it all on the long distance?
I've allways very much liked courage and spontanity in any race, especially when it's paid off by a very deserved victory, as MVdP's undoubtly is.
Regarding the TV motorbike the distance was definately not closer than normal. It was not like the one in front of Nico Mattan in a Belgian semi-classic, I think more than a decade ago.

 

[tobydawq]

Sorry, I'm going to have to remove your citizenship!

Hmm, maybe I will be without country then. It doesn't appear as though a Dutch citizenship is forthcoming in any case. Maybe Slovakia?

 

[tobydawq]

I don't quite understand. Are you criticizing a rider who took the initiative and risking it all on the long distance?
I've allways very much liked courage and spontanity in any race, especially when it's paid off by a very deserved victory.

Or course I'm not criticising him... I just hoped it would end in a sprint.

 

[Mavic]

What a performance today by Mathieu. Deserved that win thoroughly. Managed to stay away from an elite group of riders after a lot of questions were being asked about his form this season.

A true display of absolute courage and determination only to be admired and respected by true cycling fans. I was at the edge of my seat until the very last pedal stroke.

Cycling has won today, everyone should appreciate that.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Or course I'm not criticising him... I just hoped it would end in a sprint.

Ah in that way. It's fair to have idols
Despite I'm Danish, provable back to the 12th century (though some 1/32 or 1/64 Dutch missing link in a corner of the family), I must say I was sitting on the edge of the chair for Matthieu and for me brave riders with great courage making bike racing exciting, opening the race, for me every time overrules nationality.

THOUGH I still clearly remember as a preteen a tsunami of dissapointing close-to-victory but no cigar by Danish riders, leaving me with alot of bizarre unfair thoughts about tve actual winners

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

surely, that average speed was wrong ?

 

[Red Rick]

surely, that average speed was wrong ?

Brb you'll find me in the Clinic

 

[Samu Cuenca]

surely, that average speed was wrong ?

Just goes to show that even the speed trackers' numbers are higher than ever this season.

 

[Bolder]

What a performance today by Mathieu. Deserved that win thoroughly. Managed to stay away from an elite group of riders after a lot of questions were being asked about his form this season.

A true display of absolute courage and determination only to be admired and respected by true cycling fans. I was at the edge of my seat until the very last pedal stroke.

Cycling has won today, everyone should appreciate that.

The CX guys can really go deep for a long time.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I missed it
Forgot about it while watching the Giro.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Okay, I don't think this should turn into a nationality issue but Søren Kragh would win those two stages without the motos, no question at all.

Van der Poel would not have made it to the finish today without motos. But it was a brilliant ride by him nonetheless.

And I'm calling ***. Just a poor attempt at trying to make anything less of that victory. The motors aren't as close as you think. You know they have a telelens.

Instead of what this should have been, applauding the winner and enjoying the final. I think it's just a poor attempt at hiding frustration that a Dane didn't win. No coincedance it's Danes that bring it up in the topic

Good then that we have the neutral and level headed Dutch to explain the situation.

im sorry but it just pisses me off to much.

You just saw this stage, a 50km solo and an exciting stage. And the first thing you talk about is moto's?? I can't see it loose from their nationality then

Ok ok, i will watch the stage later tonight or tomorrow and i will make the call, as an impartial judge. But don't come crying if my ruling suggests Evenepoel would have won by 3 minutes instead of 2 seconds. I can not promise something like that would not happen! As an impartial judge i mean.

 

[Mavic]

The CX guys can really go deep for a long time.

More like, Wout and Mathieu from CX can go deep for a long time, if that’s what you meant.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I will pretend like you guys actually want to hear my opinion:

When van der Poel dropped Sénéchal, and there was still a chance the Frenchman could come back, Mathieu was 100% getting motorpaced. It was not a fair fight. However, after about 10km, the camerabike started riding behind Mathieu or next to him. From then on, it were the chasers that often got motorpaced. When Pedersen attacked, when Cortina attacked, when Sütterlin was setting the pace for the chase... they were also definitely being paced by the camerabike for miles. Between 40k -10k from the finish, the chasers definitely got more motorpaced than Mathieu. When SKA, Naesen, Küng, Colbrelli... dropped Pedersen, they were also still being motorpaced. In the back, Pedersen was also getting motorpaced chasing the SKA group. Camerabike still behind Mathieu at this point, with 17k to go. From +/-15k from the finish, the camerabike with the SKA group, also got behind the group, while Pedersen was still getting dragged. Every so often a different motorbike would get in front to take pictures or with the time (this happened with all groups) but not enough to make much of a difference or too far ahead. With 10k to go, the Claeys/Lampaert attack was motorpaced initially until they had a gap, then the camera got behind them, but still no motor in front of Mathieu. In the final 7k, the camerabike again got in front of Mathieu.

Conclusions:
1/ Best man won
2/ He did get motorpaced on crucial moments, but not more than the chasers. Likely significantly less.
3/ If he wouldn't have been motorpaced, he wouldn't have won. If NOBODY would have been motorpaced, he would have won.
4/ Evenepoel would have won by 3 minutes.

 

[RedheadDane]

Neat little detail I noticed:

Pedersen and Van Der Poel basically just swapped places.

 

[SafeBet]

I will pretend like you guys actually want to hear my opinion:

When van der Poel dropped Sénéchal, and there was still a chance the Frenchman could come back, Mathieu was 100% getting motorpaced. It was not a fair fight. However, after about 10km, the camerabike started riding behind Mathieu or next to him. From then on, it were the chasers that often got motorpaced. When Pedersen attacked, when Cortina attacked, when Sütterlin was setting the pace for the chase... they were also definitely being paced by the camerabike for miles. Between 40k -10k from the finish, the chasers definitely got more motorpaced than Mathieu. When SKA, Naesen, Küng, Colbrelli... dropped Pedersen, they were also still being motorpaced. In the back, Pedersen was also getting motorpaced chasing the SKA group. Camerabike still behind Mathieu at this point, with 17k to go. From +/-15k from the finish, the camerabike with the SKA group, also got behind the group, while Pedersen was still getting dragged. Every so often a different motorbike would get in front to take pictures or with the time (this happened with all groups) but not enough to make much of a difference or too far ahead. With 10k to go, the Claeys/Lampaert attack was motorpaced initially until they had a gap, then the camera got behind them, but still no motor in front of Mathieu. In the final 7k, the camerabike again got in front of Mathieu.

Conclusions:
1/ Best man won
2/ He did get motorpaced on crucial moments, but not more than the chasers. Likely significantly less.
3/ If he wouldn't have been motorpaced, he wouldn't have won. If NOBODY would have been motorpaced, he would have won.
4/ Evenepoel would have won by 3 minutes.

5/ Surprise surprise: somebody is going to be motorpaced in a cycling race and most of the time that somebody will be an attacker.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

5/ Surprise surprise: somebody is going to be motorpaced in a cycling race and most of the time that somebody will be an attacker.

This is actually not true according to what i have noticed (unless it's TDF). When a large group or peloton is chasing, it makes no sense for the camera to be filming the back of that group. In 99% of cases, this group will get a camerabike in front.
In most cases, the camera will stay behind the attacker once the initial gap has been made.
Obviously, the camera in front of the peloton/group will initially pick up the attacker who is bound to use that bike to draft.
Personally i believe chasers are more likely to get pulled.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

surely, that average speed was wrong ?

Apparently he wasn't motor paced....... he was JET PACED