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Flandrien 2017

Who's your Flandrien of the year?

  • Thomas De Gendt

    Votes: 2 2.6%
  • Philippe Gilbert

    Votes: 33 43.4%
  • Yves Lampaert

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Oliver Naesen

    Votes: 2 2.6%
  • Greg Van Avermaet

    Votes: 39 51.3%

  • Total voters
    76
So, with the Worlds done, cycling season is nearing its end. Time for some end-of-year polls.
Since 2003 the Flemish newspaper "Het Nieuwsblad / Sportwereld" is organizing Flandrien of the year, which awards the best Belgian cyclist of the year.

They just announced the nominees of this year:

Thomas De Gendt
Always in the attack. Yes, always. But with little result this year, except for a stage win in the vuelta, and thereby having won a stage in all three GT's.

Philippe Gilbert
Found his winning legs again this year when he moved to QS. Winning Flanders after being in the attack for over 100k. Winning Amstel by beating Kwiatkowski in a sprint.

Yves Lampaert
He won Dwars door Vlaanderen, Belgian national TT, a Vuelta stage.

Oliver Naesen
Was really strong in the spring but won nothing, won Belgian national RR.

Greg Van Avermaet
Has been strong all year, leading the World Tour ranking. Won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem and Parijs-Roubaix in the spring.


For the past 4 years GVA won. And he'll most likely win it again.
There's also a poll on the site of Sportwereld at the moment, Thomas De Gendt is leading with 27%, Gilbert is last, with 12%. No idea how one could explain that besides Sportwereld being a Flemish newspaper and Gilbert is from the other side. Curious what an international crowd thinks.

Personally I'm going for Gilbert, winning a cobbled classic and an ardennes classic beats GVA's winning streak in all very similar races imho. And winning Flanders after such a solo? Doesn't get more old school Flandrien than that... However as always, Belgians are too focused on those few spring classics, and I appreciate De Gendt's effort for doing something different.
 
This shouldn't even be a competition as no one else is even close. Picking anyone other than GVA is just being contrary or playing favorites.

1st - Roubaix, G-W, Omloop, E3, Tour of Luxembourg + 2 stages
2nd - RVV, Strade Bianche, Quebec

Best year for Gilbert in awhile but no way he was the best Belgian cyclist in 2017.
 
1. GvA
2. Gilbert
3. Daylight
4. De Gendt
=5. Everyone else.



Don't they have an international Flandrien award too? I couldn't help thinking Dan Martin must've been in line for it as he attacked for the millionteenth time on the Tour despite 2 broken vertebrae.
 
No, it's for all Belgian riders. Though next to it, you have an international trophy (it was strictly international until 2007), a women's trophy (Belgian only) and a cyclocross trophy (international).

It used to be the "Cristal Bike Award" in the nineties if I'm not mistaken.
 
Apr 28, 2016
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Re:

RedheadDane said:
And here I was, thinking you'd have to be from Flanders to be seleced as Flandrien of the Year. Gilbert is from Wallonie, right? Or did the Flandrians practically adopt him?

Well, being a Flandrien has little to do with being Flemish (= being a Fleming). And Gilbert is a Walloon indeed. 'Flandriens' is used when referring to powerful cyclists that are very combative and excel in harsh weather conditions, making them very suitable to do well in the Flemish springtime classics. Hence the origin of the name. Hope this clears things up a bit.
 
It's more complicated than that, actually. The word comes from the Six-Day teams formed by Karel Steyaert (also named Karel Van Wijnendaele) back in the 1910's each made of one East-Fleming and one West-Fleming because they rather tended fight against one another. When they came to the Brussels, they were despised by the Francophone press (and I am Walloon, though with Flemish roots) as half savages, hence the ungrammatical French term "Flandrien". So it all came from the track actually.

The word "Flandrien" has even reached general use now, beyond cycling. It refers to people from the two provinces of East and West Flanders while "Fleming" can also refer to Antwerpers, Limburgers and Northern Brabantians.
 
Apr 28, 2016
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Oh wow, I didn't know it went that far back. That's some interesting information. I was mainly referring to what the term means nowadays, so I was wrong in writing it was the origin of the name. I suppose the confusion for many people mainly comes from the term being ungrammatical to begin with, as you mentioned.
 
Based on results it should be GVA (PR was very impressive), but my vote goes to Gilbert.
To see him leading up the peloton from 100+km to go and then just keep going - no doubt most impressive performance of the year.
Also, he saved us from usual Ardennas week boredom.
 
Tough, tough call.
Gilbert's solo was special in many ways. Set the standard of epicness by soloing the circuit(s)... And picked another Amstel along the way.
GVA's Paris - Roubaix after all the mishaps was impressive. And all preceding victories were remarkable.

I'll use the figure skating criteria:
Phil had better interpretation and choreography, while GVA was better in transitions. They were equal in performance/execution, and the skills are a matter of taste (Phil balancing on Paterberg was unforgettable, and GVA coming back through groups certainly required bike handling excellence).
 
If you count from before he dropped Leukemans, then where do you start from with Boonen and Phil?

PGwBsgN.png
 
Re:

Netserk said:
Boonen was 53km out in '12 (when Terpstra couldn't hold his wheel anymore), Gilbert was 56km out in Vlaanderen. Cancellara was 46km out in Roubaix '10.
I have problem though with his attack being put alongside those two (and I'm not sure you are). And that is the simple fact that if Sagan, van Avermaet and Naesen hadn't crashed he almost certainly would have been caught.

I won't begrudge him his win - it was a daring performance and he who dares wins. But it did require a little bit of fortune.
 
Re: Re:

Parker said:
Netserk said:
Boonen was 53km out in '12 (when Terpstra couldn't hold his wheel anymore), Gilbert was 56km out in Vlaanderen. Cancellara was 46km out in Roubaix '10.
I have problem though with his attack being put alongside those two (and I'm not sure you are). And that is the simple fact that if Sagan, van Avermaet and Naesen hadn't crashed he almost certainly would have been caught.

I won't begrudge him his win - it was a daring performance and he who dares wins. But it did require a little bit of fortune.
Because nobody crashed while chasing the other guys? Wasn't it a crash behind Tom and Terpstra that set them clear in the first place? (Edit; nope, I was thinking of a different year) Crashes and luck are part of racing and especially classics, and especially cobbled classics. Part of the advantage of being in a solo break is not getting caught out by somebody else crashing.

Besides which, we're no closer to answering how long since anyone had a solo win in a monument for as far out as Phil. Do we have to go all the way back to Jacky Durand?
 
Agreed, he would have been caught if not for the crash, but the solo was mind-blowing nonetheless. So, so legendary. Escaping in a group with Boonen on the Muur over 100km out, riding in the national champion's jersey. Goosebumps.