Dwars Door Vlaanderen

[Scarponi]

Re:

this is the difference between hilly classics like and cobbled classics. in cobbled classics you need to be the smartest to win. in hilly you just need to be the strongest

I'll
Take the strongest over that "smart" win any day

 

[Velolover2]

Nice racing today. Let's hope for a just as aggressive version of De Ronde.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

vanmarcke could be a great domestique. no more than that.

Absolute nonsense. Most WT teams would gladly have him as undisuputed leader for the cobbled races. He guarantees loads of publicity, heaps of WT points and podium finishes.

he continues to fail on winning races.

 

[DFA123]

Benoot the moral winner today. Vanmarcke 2nd as usual.

 

[Kazistuta]

Re:

Seems like they're just giving the wins to QS these days.

"Oh, we have a rider from QuickStep amongst us? Yes, only one! We can race for second".

Not exactly a deliberate attack from Lampaert, but a move nonetheless. It only works if all others are passive, but a legitimate tactic that makes the rest look like fools. Deserved win for Lampaert despite the four others amateurish behaviour.

 

[therhodeo]

I like that everyone is getting disillusioned over QS being a super team when they're winning with a bunch of 20 somethings no one had heard of last year and guys who were domestiques for Boonen.

 

[Jagartrott]

Re:

Why is this an anti climax? A perfectly timed move by the smartest rider.
Like Paolini in GW 2015. Great finish.

Exactly this. This would end either with someone of the five taking advantage of hesitation, or a straight on sprint. Lampaert did well, it was up to Teunissen and Hagen (the two best sprinters) to get him back. They looked at each other, Lampaert wins.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

vanmarcke could be a great domestique. no more than that.

Absolute nonsense. Most WT teams would gladly have him as undisuputed leader for the cobbled races. He guarantees loads of publicity, heaps of WT points and podium finishes.

he continues to fail on winning races.

Like every other team leader this year except Quickstep and Sagan. At least people are talking about him and his racing.

 

[superconfex]

Great race, not lamps problem the other were non discript

 

[DFA123]

Re:

I like that everyone is getting disillusioned over QS being a super team when they're winning with a bunch of 20 somethings no one had heard of last year and guys who were domestiques for Boonen.

It's frightenting to think how dominant they would have been in recent history if they'd have signed Gilbert and ditched Boonen 5 years ago. Having to carry a past it Boonen for the past few years caused them no end of missed opportunities.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

vanmarcke could be a great domestique. no more than that.

Absolute nonsense. Most WT teams would gladly have him as undisuputed leader for the cobbled races. He guarantees loads of publicity, heaps of WT points and podium finishes.

he continues to fail on winning races.

Like every other team leader this year except Quickstep and Sagan. At least people are talking about him and his racing.

no... he is failing since ever. I like him but he can't a undisputed leader like GVA or sagan, the only way he can win races is the way that terpstra won paris roubaix

 

[Jagartrott]

Re: Re:

this is the difference between hilly classics like and cobbled classics. in cobbled classics you need to be the smartest to win. in hilly you just need to be the strongest

I'll
Take the strongest over that "smart" win any day

Nonsense. In hilly classics you can hide all day and win. In cobbled classics you just can't hide. You have to ride, you have to show your cards early.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

this is the difference between hilly classics like and cobbled classics. in cobbled classics you need to be the smartest to win. in hilly you just need to be the strongest

I'll
Take the strongest over that "smart" win any day

Nonsense. In hilly classics you can hide all day and win. In cobbled classics you just can't hide. You have to ride, you have to show your cards early.

this...

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

vanmarcke could be a great domestique. no more than that.

Absolute nonsense. Most WT teams would gladly have him as undisuputed leader for the cobbled races. He guarantees loads of publicity, heaps of WT points and podium finishes.

he continues to fail on winning races.

Like every other team leader this year except Quickstep and Sagan. At least people are talking about him and his racing.

no... he is failing since ever. I like him but he can't a undisputed leader like GVA or sagan, the only way he can win races is the way that terpstra won paris roubaix

He doesn't have to be as good as GVA, Gilbert or Sagan to deserve to be an undisputed leader. The next tier of riders who are leaders like Benoot, Naesen, Van Baarle aren't exactly prolific winners either.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

this is the difference between hilly classics like and cobbled classics. in cobbled classics you need to be the smartest to win. in hilly you just need to be the strongest

I'll
Take the strongest over that "smart" win any day

Nonsense. In hilly classics you can hide all day and win. In cobbled classics you just can't hide. You have to ride, you have to show your cards early.

How do you 'hide' on a climb? Not much benefit to drafting on the climbs of Liege.

 

[Jagartrott]

Re: Re:

How do you 'hide' on a climb? Not much benefit to drafting on the climbs of Liege.

Haven't been following the LBLs of the last years?
The winner doesn't make his move or show his face until one km to go. Same has been true for Flèche W for all eternity. When has that been so in Flanders, Roubaix?

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

portugal11"]

vanmarcke could be a great domestique. no more than that.

Absolute nonsense. Most WT teams would gladly have him as undisuputed leader for the cobbled races. He guarantees loads of publicity, heaps of WT points and podium finishes.

he continues to fail on winning races.[/quote]
Like every other team leader this year except Quickstep and Sagan. At least people are talking about him and his racing.[/quote]
no... he is failing since ever. I like him but he can't a undisputed leader like GVA or sagan, the only way he can win races is the way that terpstra won paris roubaix[/quote]
He doesn't have to be as good as GVA, Gilbert or Sagan to deserve to be an undisputed leader. The next tier of riders who are leaders like Benoot, Naesen, Van Baarle aren't exactly prolific winners either.[/quote]
benoot and naesen are racing cobbled classics since 2015 so they have time to grow. vanmarcke is leading rabobank since 2012. van baarle is the leader because his team is very weak. it is like saying that erviti is the undisputed leader of movistar in paris roubaix but we all know (and his team knows too) that he won't be a factor in the race

 

[Scarponi]

Re: Re:

this is the difference between hilly classics like and cobbled classics. in cobbled classics you need to be the smartest to win. in hilly you just need to be the strongest

I'll
Take the strongest over that "smart" win any day

Nonsense. In hilly classics you can hide all day and win. In cobbled classics you just can't hide. You have to ride, you have to show your cards early.

I just mean I would have preferred someone riding away with 10km to go being the strongest then that win specifically

 

[Pantani_lives]

As always Vanmarcke was strong - if not the strongest - but didn't win. Quickstep wins by its collective strength. What Vanmarcke needs to do is follow the first QS rider and ignore the others. He always accelerates on the hills and cobbles, but is then caught back. That's a waste of energy. Just follow QS and then attack once at an unexpected moment on the flat or just after a climb. His attacks now are too predictable. With his strength he should be able to win a big race, but he needs to play it clever instead of just attacking where everyone expects him to attack.

 

[Netserk]

Re:

As always Vanmarcke was strong - if not the strongest - but didn't win. Quickstep wins by its collective strength. What Vanmarcke needs to do is follow the first QS rider and ignore the others. He always accelerates on the hills and cobbles, but is then caught back. That's a waste of energy. Just follow QS and then attack once at an unexpected moment on the flat or just after a climb. His attacks now are too predictable. With his strength he should be able to win a big race, but he needs to play it clever instead of just attacking where everyone expects him to attack.

On the other hand, it was his attack on the cobbles that made him get away in a good group without any of the strongest riders. I'd do that again.

 

[staubsauger]

I got the impression that at least Theunisse noticed Lampaert was going to attack, but knew he couldn't cope with his move anymore while in fact Boasson-Hagen and Vanmarcke fell asleep in a precious moment!

 

[yaco]

Re:

Good too see Trentin attacking. One of the "sprinters" who often go into breaks and isn't afraid to work.

Except Trentin is not riding this race.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

Trentin isn't in this race today. That was Durbridge.

Ah. My commentators ****** it up. :lol:

Not your fault, Kirby does it to us all the time.

Except Kirby correctly called the rider as Durbridge - Poor form.

 

[yaco]

Lampaert looked the strongest rider and that's how it turned out - Will be interesting to Quick Steps tactics on Sunday - Will they throw up any surprises.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re: Re:

As always Vanmarcke was strong - if not the strongest - but didn't win. Quickstep wins by its collective strength. What Vanmarcke needs to do is follow the first QS rider and ignore the others. He always accelerates on the hills and cobbles, but is then caught back. That's a waste of energy. Just follow QS and then attack once at an unexpected moment on the flat or just after a climb. His attacks now are too predictable. With his strength he should be able to win a big race, but he needs to play it clever instead of just attacking where everyone expects him to attack.

On the other hand, it was his attack on the cobbles that made him get away in a good group without any of the strongest riders. I'd do that again.

You're right. He had a few good accelerations at important moments. It's just becoming frustrating that such a strong rider can't win a race. If it doesn't happen this year he might go down in history as the strongest cobblestone rider without a monument.