BMC in disarray?

[dlwssonic]

Hitting Timmy with a logical argument rarely works.

well he always thinks he is right.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

So you are going to be unsurprisingly narrow minded and base it on a few editions of Amstel Gold?

I was simply paraphrasing what he said. Amstel Gold was a big target for him last year and is this year.

no, but I would appreciate if you would counter the undulating point
I am not basing this on AGR, but I haven't seen nearly enough evidence from GVA to have him as a favorite. Top 5 would genuinely surprise me.

Unlike you, who clearly - and foolishy - is basing this on GVA's finishing skills.
Who's really narrow minded

and lol, LBL is not much harder then LBL. It might be a much better race, more prestigious, but your incorrect if you think LBL "is much harder" then agr. Simply not true.

 

[dlwssonic]

Im basing that GVA has a chance to do well in AGR. Only if he is the leader. It still might be unlikely with Evans and Gilbert

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Hitting Timmy with a logical argument rarely works.

ahahahahaha coming from you.. HAHAHAHA.
AT least I counter the point with relevant points, kiddo.

Hey, show me evidence where you have logically beaten me in a debate and I have ignored such... please do provide...
I think we both know which one of us avoids logic and reason

 

[El Pistolero]

LBL is harder than AGR though.

 

[movingtarget]

Im basing that GVA has a chance to do well in AGR. Only if he is the leader. It still might be unlikely with Evans and Gilbert

GVA has some sort of chance. Better than Gilbert for what it's worth. Gilbert will probably improve but not enough to podium I don't think. I think Gerrans and Rodriguez will probably be the favourites. Gerrans is in the form of his life.
I think the Amstel course really suits Gerrans. Once again BMC will probably look strong during the race but will find it hard to win.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

LBL is harder than AGR though.

Maybe, but a lot harder no. I trust you understand the difficulty of the undulating course with AGR.

 

[dlwssonic]

GVA has some sort of chance. Better than Gilbert for what it's worth. Gilbert will probably improve but not enough to podium I don't think. I think Gerrans and Rodriguez will probably be the favourites. Gerrans is in the form of his life.
I think the Amstel course really suits Gerrans. Once again BMC will probably look strong during the race but will find it hard to win.

yeah.... thats always the case. I thought it would be solved with having Gilbert but he got that tooth infection. At least it ain't like that with the always reliable evans

 

[El Pistolero]

Maybe, but a lot harder no. I trust you understand the difficulty of the undulating course with AGR.

I've ridden both courses, so I know how they're like

AGR is like a maze and it's important to know where the wind is coming from. It has narrower roads than LBL has, so positioning is a lot more important and the actual race is a lot more nervous because of it. But quite frankly, I'll take the hills of AGR any day over the hills of LBL. The hills are much much harder... La Redoute, la Roche aux Faucons and Saint-Nicholas in a final is deadly... Much harder than any of the hills in Limburg.

 

[movingtarget]

yeah.... thats always the case. I thought it would be solved with having Gilbert but he got that tooth infection. At least it ain't like that with the always reliable evans

I would love to see Evans have another crack at Fleche which I think is the Ardenne race that really suits him. Even if he is was not at peak fitness he would still have a good chance.

 

[dlwssonic]

I would love to see Evans have another crack at Fleche which I think is the Ardenne race that really suits him. Even if he is was not at peak fitness he would still have a good chance.

He would have a GREAT chance. the only person who can stop him is JROD, samu, anton. But it will all depend on his form and his position at the bottom of the mur.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I disagree with Timmy here.

I've always said GVA looks more like a hilly specialist to me than Flanders. He only does well there too because he's been raised with those races. But it's really not his type of race even though GVA himself doesn't seem to realize.

He was very good in several hilly races over the past few years but never really focussed on the ardennes classics. I believe he can do really well there. Only FW might be too much because I think the finish does not suit him there.

But for Amstel Gold Race I think GVA in top form can do a top 5 there...

 

[Panda Claws]

Gilbert was so far above the others last year in the Ardennes that I would discount him just yet.

After all, he doesn't even need to approach that form in order to win.

 

[Angliru]

Well he is not a favorite but a good dark horse. The hills in paris tours are quite similiar to AGR and he did well there. Of coursr though PT is much easier and less
competed. He looked good in LBL last year and on the hills in RVV this year.

Not according to Gilbert.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Gilbert was so far above the others last year in the Ardennes that I would discount him just yet.

After all, he doesn't even need to approach that form in order to win.

Wow. Your inflated opinion of Gilbert is only matched by your dismissive opinion of his opposition.
At this level and in these races, small margins in form are the difference between winning and losing.
A number of his opponents might.............or might not have super form.
He has to be on his best game, or at least, very close.

 

[Panda Claws]

Wow. Your inflated opinion of Gilbert is only matched by your dismissive opinion of his opposition.
At this level and in these races, small margins in form are the difference between winning and losing.
A number of his opponents might.............or might not have super form.
He has to be on his best game, or at least, very close.

Not literally.

Of course all cyclists are within 3% of each other. But relatively speaking he was way above the competition and since those last few % are the hardest...

He should not be discounted yet.

 

[movingtarget]

Not literally.

Of course all cyclists are within 3% of each other. But relatively speaking he was way above the competition and since those last few % are the hardest...

He should not be discounted yet.

I will go out on a limb and say that Gilbert cannot win the Amstel. If he proves me wrong, fair enough. The fact that Gilbert was in the form of his life last year and needed to be to beat some of his rivals and comparing that form to his his current results, I just can't see it happening even though I am a fan. I would be putting my money on Gerrans for the Amstel. BMC will have the advantage of having Evans and GVA riding with Gilbert. Will be interesting to see the tactics BMC uses.

 

[El Pistolero]

Since when did Simon Gerrans become an unstoppable force for the Ardennes?

I'd put my money on Sagan at this moment.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

sagan should be empty by now I guess

 

[El Pistolero]

sagan should be empty by now I guess

For LBL I think he will, but AGR is doable.

 

[movingtarget]

Since when did Simon Gerrans become an unstoppable force for the Ardennes?

I'd put my money on Sagan at this moment.

No one said Gerrans is an unstoppable force. He is in good form and finished third in the Amstel last year, why wouldn't he have a chance ? I He will finish ahead of Gilbert but I agree that Sagan is looking very good also. As of now I can't see Gilbert winning any of the Ardenne races but then again he could be unstoppable later in the year, who knows. I wonder if Valverde can still deliver in the classics ? He has looked good in easier races.

 

[greenedge]

I have to say i can see ACF's/Dlwssonics' points. I think they started off talking about how GVA would be a better leader than Gilbert ( with his form ) and should along with Evans co-lead at AGR. I do understand T_L_R though your point about how he is not yet a leader. He did however score his best ever monument result though recently so that might imply he is in form. He should handle the hills before the Cauberg well ( probably evident by CSS ) - even though as you say he has not finished high there before and this year he has an even stronger Ardennes team with Evans/ Gilbert both lining up.

I would say this is his chance to prove that he could go well in this race so i think he shall be motivated. Remember Oscar Freire came 6th there last year ( evidently GVA is not as talented as Freire was in his youth or as sneaky ). BMC would not want to have no presence at the race so they need leaders.

 

[greenedge]

I will go out on a limb and say that Gilbert cannot win the Amstel. If he proves me wrong, fair enough. The fact that Gilbert was in the form of his life last year and needed to be to beat some of his rivals and comparing that form to his his current results, I just can't see it happening even though I am a fan. I would be putting my money on Gerrans for the Amstel. BMC will have the advantage of having Evans and GVA riding with Gilbert. Will be interesting to see the tactics BMC uses.

Thats' a good point about Gerrans he seems suited to the race ( not too hard like in LBL where al the better riders ride away ). BMC will probably do a mixture of chasing the breaks/ sending their riders not in form ( Gilbert Kruisberg ) on the attack to toughen the race up.

I think Gilbert still has a possibility to win at least 1 Ardennes Classic ( if he has no more interruptions ).

 

[movingtarget]

It's looking better for BMC than it was a couple of weeks ago. Ballan is riding really well but I think he will have to be at his best to beat Boonen at Roubaix or Boonen will have to have some bad luck to give an advantage to his rivals. If it rains anything could happen and GVA, Evans and Gilbert might be able to get some sort of result between them at Amstel.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

nothing has changed for bmc at all. ballan was already great a month ago in strade bianche. van avermaet was great too then but is now injured. he won't be a factor for the classics and gilbert is just as far as he was. no improvement at all and hushovd is out too. in fact it's looking worse