De Ronde van Vlaanderen (270.8 km), 2024 March 31 (Sunday)

[scribers]

He’s better off not riding any one day races. Enough people think he would win there is no need to actually race them

 

[ashhutch1997]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-2024-tour-of-flanders-due-to-safety-concerns

Kanarieberg and Kortekeer have been removed from the route of the 2024 Tour of Flanders. The organizers hope this will make the competition safer.

Just another reason to bring back the Muur.

 

[Colombiano Cadence]

Trek are the new Jumbo, they have the riders to rip these races apart…..Trek did to MvDP in Sunday what Jumbo have been dreaming of doing - they could have Mads/Stuyven going on the attack, Mads/Stuyevn marking WVA, Milan for the sprint - pretty good formation imho

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

The decisions about removing two hills from the Ronde might be perfectly valid, I have no reason to gripe about them.

But this part of the rationale could be strange if applied to other parts of other races:

We have analyzed the editions of recent years. We looked at whether someone who attacked on the Kanarieberg or the Kortekeer ever stayed ahead. So no one."

When was the last time an attack on the Trouée d'Arenberg was decisive? or the first 250 km of Milan-San Remo? or numerous integral parts of other races?

 

[Keldergoat]

What maybe relevant to add is, they haven't just skipped two hills, they replaced them with two others:

"Na feedback van het peloton hebben we de twee hellingen eruit gehaald en vervangen door de Nieuwe Kruisberg en de Kapelleberg."

 

[Didinho]

It was mostly because the run-in was too dangerous. (And easier to remove because less important hills)

 

[Netserk]

What maybe relevant to add is, they haven't just skipped two hills, they replaced them with two others:

"Na feedback van het peloton hebben we de twee hellingen eruit gehaald en vervangen door de Nieuwe Kruisberg en de Kapelleberg."

Kapelleberg has not only replaced Kortekeer, but also Eikenberg. It's more of a substitute for the latter, so I think it's fair to say that the former has been removed.

As for the high-speed funnel from the Pottelberg descent to Kanarieberg, another option would be to turn right after Ten Houte and climb Kanarieberg/Muziekberg from the NE via Sint-Pietersbosstraat. Then you keep a section of narrow roads that makes it harder to organise a chase.

 

[Nick2413]

The decisions about removing two hills from the Ronde might be perfectly valid, I have no reason to gripe about them.

But this part of the rationale could be strange if applied to other parts of other races:

When was the last time an attack on the Trouée d'Arenberg was decisive? or the first 250 km of Milan-San Remo? or numerous integral parts of other races?

Might as well not even bother racing PR at all with their type of reasoning.

In times when racing is getting more and more predictable, the beauty of the chaos caused by cobbles and other hazards needs to be protected, as long as it’s not an excessive safety risk.

 

[Berniece]

The beauty of the chaos caused by cobbles and other hazards needs to be protected, as long as it’s not an excessive safety risk.

In this case it was a safety risk

 

[Nick2413]

In this case it was a safety risk

That’s fine for minor sections 100k from the finish, but what about things like Arenberg, Poggio, etc that are known risks? I’d hate to see the same logic used for more meaningful sections of races.

 

[Brullnux]

The decisions about removing two hills from the Ronde might be perfectly valid, I have no reason to gripe about them.

But this part of the rationale could be strange if applied to other parts of other races:

When was the last time an attack on the Trouée d'Arenberg was decisive? or the first 250 km of Milan-San Remo? or numerous integral parts of other races?

I agree, but Arenberg is a bad example given it was less than twelve months ago that the winning split emerged there.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I agree, but Arenberg is a bad example given it was less than twelve months ago that the winning split emerged there.

OK: it was a genuine question because for all I enjoy watching racing I am hopeless at remembering details.

 

[Volderke]

* * * * * - Van der Poel
* * * * - Van Aert, Pedersen (??)
* * * - Van Baarle (??), Jorgenson, Stuyven, Wellens, Mohorič
* * - Benoot, Narvaez (??), Lazkano, Philipsen, Asgreen, Küng, Bettiol
* - Girmay, Tratnik (??), Politt, Alaphilippe, Powless, Trentin, Turner

I would change this into:

* * * * * - Van der Poel
* * * * - /
* * * - Jorgenson, Wellens, Küng, Pedersen (??)
* * - Lazkano, Philipsen, Asgreen, Mohorič, Bettiol
* - Politt, Alaphilippe, Trentin, Turner, Lampaert
? - Tratnik, Van Baarle, Narvaez

 

[scribers]

My hat eating is officially off the table!!

Mvp can sit in a select front group and win riding away at the end of the race

 

[scribers]

Hmmm. Jorgensen. Can climb wins Paris Nice. Seems really strong right now

 

[Netserk]

I agree, but Arenberg is a bad example given it was less than twelve months ago that the winning split emerged there.

I didn't though. Laporte punctured and Ganna attacked from the peloton, but the split happened before that.

 

[Brullnux]

I didn't though. Laporte punctured and Ganna attacked from the peloton, but the split happened before that.

Ah, my bad. Still, can be considered to have been decisive imo

 

[DNP-Old]

Van Aert trok vervolgens naar de spoed van het ziekenhuis in Ronse. Daar blijkt nu volgens onze informatie dat Van Aert meerdere breuken heeft opgelopen en gehecht moet worden. Het harde verdict: geen Ronde én Roubaix...

It's Joever. Multiple broken bones.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Giro also seems impossible, and depending on how bad the fractures are, Tour and even Olympics may be in jeopardy. When I said I wanted him not to win a monument until age 36, this is not what I meant...

 

[Nick2413]

Time for Pogi to get in the ring, this race needs him now

 

[Elos Anjos]

Time for Pogi to get in the ring, this race needs him now

That would be cannibalesque.

 

[kn0s]

Is it not possible that the crash today is actually bad for MvdP's winning chances? I see the opportunity for a much more uncontrollable race, without the iron grip og Visma or tre,k that he often exploits.

 

[Salvarani]

Time for Pogi to get in the ring, this race needs him now

”But you promised you wouldn’t! ” says MVDP.

 

[pastronef]

Is it not possible that the crash today is actually bad for MvdP's winning chances? I see the opportunity for a much more uncontrollable race, without the iron grip og Visma or tre,k that he often exploits.

that's all I want. I want so much mayhem and Alpecin having troubles and someone not being VDP winning. even a wild breakaway like Vansummeren and O'Grady at Roubaix

 

[Nick2413]

Is it not possible that the crash today is actually bad for MvdP's winning chances? I see the opportunity for a much more uncontrollable race, without the iron grip og Visma or tre,k that he often exploits.

that's all I want. I want so much mayhem and Alpecin having troubles and someone not being VDP winning. even a wild breakaway like Vansummeren and O'Grady at Roubaix

It’s going to be like a scene out of Lord of the Rings - infinite riders attacking all around in a frenzy while MVdP slashes them all away on his horse, riding to victory.