European Championships 2023: Road Races (September 22-24)

[postmanhat]

What a stupid race. Congrats to the winner for realising it.

 

[Dk one]

Ugh. Good race by Norsgaard, seems CUL did not quite have the legs today. Sad for Balsamo, also helped NED / SD Worst.

 

[KZD]

Some tactics were difficult to understand here. The Dutch chaing their own rider, Bredewold, at the end and Reusser not following Norsgaard when she attcked just because Vollering was in her wheel.

 

[Red Rick]

The parcours is just super underwhelming.

 

[JR1012]

Wiebes isn't happy at all, despite a teammate won.

 

[theyoungest]

Some tactics were difficult to understand here. The Dutch chaing their own rider, Bredewold, at the end and Reusser not following Norsgaard when she attcked just because Vollering was in her wheel.

Not difficult to understand at all. The Dutch weren't chasing Bredewold, they were chasing Norsgaard. It was too big a risk that she would catch Bredewold (it definitely looked like that for a while) and then they'd be left with nothing.

As for Reusser: she wanted Vollering to chase Norsgaard, and then to attack out of her wheel. That's what she had been doing for the past 10 k.

Great race, I don't know what people are complaining about. It's a course that allows for tactical racing and for many different scenarios to unfold.

 

[theyoungest]

Wiebes isn't happy at all, despite a teammate won.

I think they weren't supposed to attack anymore in the final lap, Bredewold said something along those lines to Dutch tv. As if she was apologizing for doing so.

Wiebes is the Roglic in this story. She feels she's been robbed of "her" win. I'm pretty sure that's what's going on.

 

[Leggitte]

Wiebes seemed livid. Bredewold not sticking to the plan.

 

[ManicJack]

Great race, I don't know what people are complaining about. It's a course that allows for tactical racing and for many different scenarios to unfold.

Tactical racing? The men will be a bunch sprint.

 

[theyoungest]

Tactical racing? The men will be a bunch sprint.

Maybe, but that's mostly because they've made it too easy by not including enough local laps.

 

[Unchained]

Tactical racing? The men will be a bunch sprint.

If the U23 men's race is a lesson there will be 50+ riders in the men's race contesting the sprint.. the little rollers on the course aren't big enough to shake anyone

 

[RedheadDane]

If the U23 men's race is a lesson there will be 50+ riders in the men's race contesting the sprint.. the little rollers on the course aren't big enough to shake anyone

You mean Junior men's race?

 

[ManicJack]

If the U23 men's race is a lesson there will be 50+ riders in the men's race contesting the sprint.. the little rollers on the course aren't big enough to shake anyone

Mads Pedersen for the win.

 

[DNP-Old]

The parcours is just super underwhelming.

Yeah, it just doesn't work when you have a peloton where the difference in level between riders is so relatively small. Useful for a NC, where you will shed big portions of riders regardless of the course and the peloton is much smaller as well. Here, with 150 riders all worthy of being pro, you can hardly drop anyone.

Hard to see beyond De Lie for me.

 

[Lequack]

Zak Erzen - remember that name.

His father Milan Erzen was also a pro cyclists in his time, but is now more known as the general manager of Bahrain Victorious. I think he will ride for Bahrain from 2025 onward.

 

[Lequack]

As for the women's race, it's good to see an attacking rider win, and unexpected one at that. And I'm sure Kopecky would've loved to win, but being the world champs she wouldn't ever get to wear the jersey, which would be a shame.

 

[Izzyeviel]

As for Reusser: she wanted Vollering to chase Norsgaard, and then to attack out of her wheel. That's what she had been doing for the past 10 k.

When I said it was a brave move from Reusser... that wasn't a compliment Unless the plan was for her to do the lead out for Chabbey, It was the wrong move. If shes made the calculation shes not going to beat Vollering or Norsgaard, then she needs to attack and give herself a chance. She has zero chance from the bunch. There is logic to what you're saying, but when you do that in the final 2-3Km, you're throwing your race away. It's the time to go not dilly dally.

 

[theyoungest]

When I said it was a brave move from Reusser... that wasn't a compliment Unless the plan was for her to do the lead out for Chabbey, It was the wrong move. If shes made the calculation shes not going to beat Vollering or Norsgaard, then she needs to attack and give herself a chance. She has zero chance from the bunch. There is logic to what you're saying, but when you do that in the final 2-3Km, you're throwing your race away. It's the time to go not dilly dally.

I thought Reusser was pretty smart. Vollering reacted to everything, and she actually couldn't let Norsgaard go. So Reusser gambled on Vollering closing the gap. But of course Vollering knew that as well, and she didn't. Which then created a less than ideal situation for the Dutch.

 

[Izzyeviel]

If the less than ideal situation for the Dutch is the strong possibility of winning solo or a bunch sprint with Wiebes...

 

[Rob5091]

Mens elite seems to be a sprint between the big guns - who ever is fastest up the Col de rubbish tip wins! (you can not make this stuff up). Big Mads seems a good bet.

 

[Dk one]

The wc route in Glasgow wittled the Duth down to just their 1 or 2 strongest riders, along with the rest of the strongest riders in the race. The ec was not hard enough to get rid of the second best Dutch riders - or the world’s best sprinter - so they had the numbers they did not in Glasgow. It could pretty much only end one way, though there is of course always the chance of a Dutch olympic size brain fart..

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Wærenskjold is sick and won’t start today. Not one of the favorites but could’ve been a dark horse on such a parcour.

 

[Wvv]

Fleur Moors is the best of the woman juniors.

Quite rare to see a Belgian girl get a gold medal in an international championship. Promising.

 

[Samamba]

Belgium only with 8, no De Buyst, sick again. And he was De Lie's roomie.

 

[RedheadDane]

Random VDP interview.

Well... let's hope the start goes a bit better than for the ladies yesterday...