Clasica San Sebastián 2018, 4/8 - 228.7km

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

I don't really fault Mollema's tactics. He probably should have stopped working a bit earlier than he did even if his last "pulls" were more for appearances than anything else - Ala was certainly driving that break. I'm not sure if he knew the gap but once there was only a 2-3k left and he knew there was no chance of getting caught he probably should have stayed in the back but I don't agree with any tactic that could have brought the chasers back.

Totally agree.

Only if you have a good sprinter in the chasing group, it's okay to do absolutely nothing. But in the situation Mollema was in? With him being the only team's asset and an -for him at that point- unknown quantity of riders chasing them down? No way. You'd just look like a major d*ck imo and if I was Alaphilippe, from there on I'd be the first one to jump on Mollema's wheel whenever he attacks in many years to come.

Alaphilippe has twice as many WT wins this season as Mollema has in his whole career. I don't think he would be suddenly dedicating the next few years of races to sabotaging Mollema.

Of course not. Point is he likely wouldn't have forgotten it and whenever a situation in the future occurs where they're in a break together, I'm pretty sure Ala wouldn't think twice if Mollema went for a winning move.

Alaphilippe might be waiting for a long time before this occurs.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

I just think it'd be an overreaction.

In a 2-up sprint, anyone and everyone knows that Alaphilippe is going to beat Mollema. You know it, I know it, everyone watching the race knows it, and Alaphilippe and Mollema both also know it. In that situation, it is perfectly normal for the non-sprinter to sit on. See (for a couple of examples) vanAvermaet and Lampaert behind Degenkolb on the stage into Roubaix this year, Kristoff and Terpstra in Flanders '16, and any break involving Peter Sagan in any bike race ever. It's just part of bike racing, and sometimes the guy who sits on profits (did you know that Gerald Ciolek won Milan San Remo?) I don't think Cancellara spent the rest of his career trying to block any move Simon Gerrans ever made, because while what he did was a bit of a *** move, it was really just part of bike racing.

Or the opposite in the 2016 Giro, stage Valverde won. Up until the final 3 K all 3 did work, however that final 3K Valverde basically sat on. Funny part was Steven K's comments after the stage. Why he choose to sit on and not contribute in the final 3K, I don't know because we could have put more time into everyone else. I guess he was more interested in the stage win, which he was going to get whether he worked with us, did all the work or sat on because Zakarin and I can't sprint with him and everyone on the planet knows that.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

I just think it'd be an overreaction.

In a 2-up sprint, anyone and everyone knows that Alaphilippe is going to beat Mollema. You know it, I know it, everyone watching the race knows it, and Alaphilippe and Mollema both also know it. In that situation, it is perfectly normal for the non-sprinter to sit on. See (for a couple of examples) vanAvermaet and Lampaert behind Degenkolb on the stage into Roubaix this year, Kristoff and Terpstra in Flanders '16, and any break involving Peter Sagan in any bike race ever. It's just part of bike racing, and sometimes the guy who sits on profits (did you know that Gerald Ciolek won Milan San Remo?) I don't think Cancellara spent the rest of his career trying to block any move Simon Gerrans ever made, because while what he did was a bit of a *** move, it was really just part of bike racing.

Or the opposite in the 2016 Giro, stage Valverde won. Up until the final 3 K all 3 did work, however that final 3K Valverde basically sat on. Funny part was Steven K's comments after the stage. Why he choose to sit on and not contribute in the final 3K, I don't know because we could have put more time into everyone else. I guess he was more interested in the stage win, which he was going to get whether he worked with us, did all the work or sat on because Zakarin and I can't sprint with him and everyone on the planet knows that.

Nevertheless Zakarin worked in that final km's like a madman, I get the feeling Valverde made him an offer he can't refuse

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

I just think it'd be an overreaction.

In a 2-up sprint, anyone and everyone knows that Alaphilippe is going to beat Mollema. You know it, I know it, everyone watching the race knows it, and Alaphilippe and Mollema both also know it. In that situation, it is perfectly normal for the non-sprinter to sit on. See (for a couple of examples) vanAvermaet and Lampaert behind Degenkolb on the stage into Roubaix this year, Kristoff and Terpstra in Flanders '16, and any break involving Peter Sagan in any bike race ever. It's just part of bike racing, and sometimes the guy who sits on profits (did you know that Gerald Ciolek won Milan San Remo?) I don't think Cancellara spent the rest of his career trying to block any move Simon Gerrans ever made, because while what he did was a bit of a *** move, it was really just part of bike racing.

Or the opposite in the 2016 Giro, stage Valverde won. Up until the final 3 K all 3 did work, however that final 3K Valverde basically sat on. Funny part was Steven K's comments after the stage. Why he choose to sit on and not contribute in the final 3K, I don't know because we could have put more time into everyone else. I guess he was more interested in the stage win, which he was going to get whether he worked with us, did all the work or sat on because Zakarin and I can't sprint with him and everyone on the planet knows that.

Nevertheless Zakarin worked in that final km's like a madman, I get the feeling Valverde made him an offer he can't refuse

And then he just stopped pedalling, losing eight seconds in the sprint. Extremely odd.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

I just think it'd be an overreaction.

In a 2-up sprint, anyone and everyone knows that Alaphilippe is going to beat Mollema. You know it, I know it, everyone watching the race knows it, and Alaphilippe and Mollema both also know it. In that situation, it is perfectly normal for the non-sprinter to sit on. See (for a couple of examples) vanAvermaet and Lampaert behind Degenkolb on the stage into Roubaix this year, Kristoff and Terpstra in Flanders '16, and any break involving Peter Sagan in any bike race ever. It's just part of bike racing, and sometimes the guy who sits on profits (did you know that Gerald Ciolek won Milan San Remo?) I don't think Cancellara spent the rest of his career trying to block any move Simon Gerrans ever made, because while what he did was a bit of a *** move, it was really just part of bike racing.

Or the opposite in the 2016 Giro, stage Valverde won. Up until the final 3 K all 3 did work, however that final 3K Valverde basically sat on. Funny part was Steven K's comments after the stage. Why he choose to sit on and not contribute in the final 3K, I don't know because we could have put more time into everyone else. I guess he was more interested in the stage win, which he was going to get whether he worked with us, did all the work or sat on because Zakarin and I can't sprint with him and everyone on the planet knows that.

Nevertheless Zakarin worked in that final km's like a madman, I get the feeling Valverde made him an offer he can't refuse

And then he just stopped pedalling, losing eight seconds in the sprint. Extremely odd.

Tobydawg, you're right that was odd that he just stopped pedaling right at the end.

Blanco, that is very possible.

 

[grizzlee]

According to Dan Martins twitter, he got held up by a small crash and lost 35-40 secs, did well to fight back finishing about 30 secs behind allaphilipe.

 

[hazaran]

Allow me to translate: he was chilling at the back even going into the decisive climb.

 

[grizzlee]

I speak perfectly good English, no need to translate. The point of your post was???????

 

[Leinster]

Re:

Allow me to translate: he was chilling at the back even going into the decisive climb.

Accurate.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

I speak perfectly good English, no need to translate. The point of your post was???????

The point is that he rode like crap!

 

[del1962]

Is that the Katusha rider at bottom of climb?

 

[Hakkapelit]

Re:

Is that the Katusha rider at bottom of climb?

Kochetkov?