Gent - Wevelgem in Flanders Field 2023 March 26, 260.9 km (1.WT)

[fmk_RoI]

If the hard-liners round here had their way, one of the most iconic photos in the sport would be banned

 

[KOM]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640004996761632770

View: https://twitter.com/GentWevelgem/status/1640004996761632770

They seem quite insulted indeed

 

[fmk_RoI]

They seem quite insulted indeed

Absolutely fuming.

 

[fmk_RoI]

As there's been some wacky tinfoil-hattery ... one more bit: the order for Laporte to win came direct from Aigle. It's a 'shadow ban' of sorts for Friday, the deal there being we'll let WvA keep this E3 (despite lubing up mid-race) but we're going to insist he give the next one away, quid pro quo.

And with David Lappartient known to be in the pocket of ASO, this is Prudhomme and co getting one over on Flanders Classics. It's all there, clear as day, all you have to do is join the dots.

 

[search]

well wasnt the TJV DS being interviewed on Sporza during the race ?

and assuming this is the translation not directly in English so maybe it wasnt presented as obvious as this, but was asked "Could it be that Laporte get the win today?" answered "Could be"

he said that indeed, but fairly late in the race. At that point Laporte was heavily favored by the bookies already

 

[gunara]

I stopped watching when the gap went past 1.30. I'm not enjoying constant superiority, not only TJV, and it has gone on and on. My clouded memory remembers 2011 as probably the last and one of few seasons where top level cycling was not dominated by one or two teams. Gilbert did his things in a team that only had Greipel as another source of results, HTC winning machine was approaching its end, QS was shaky a.f. with all sorts of problem for Boonen since the previous year, Cadel won the tour but look at his team, Contador trounced the Giro field then went off, Valverde was in holiday, and Sky was in its final rehearsal. Strangulation resumed 2012 oonwards. It's tiring.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Men's cycling is looking increasingly like women's cycling. The favourites going alone early and staying out in front to the finish line. Not good. It's in fact quite the opposite of what I find interesting about cycling. It's fine as an exception to the rule, but it's just become too common these last couple of years.

 

[awavey]

he said that indeed, but fairly late in the race. At that point Laporte was heavily favored by the bookies already

ah ok I didnt know what point it came in the race, just saw it quoted and thought why on earth were people then surprised by the result, their DS has basically just told you what the deal was.

though it seemed pretty obvious as WVA mountain goated up the Kemmelberg, and then soft pedalled at the top for his team mate to catch up

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Have there ever been multiple riders from the same team breaking away who sprinted for it in the end? Don‘t think so.

Did you not watch Strade Bianche 3 weeks ago?

 

[theyoungest]

DNF for Jasper Philipsen... that's quite a spectacular collapse in the last few kms. Touted as the next classics hardman by Tom Boonen, maybe not quite there yet.

 

[VO2 Max]

...Wout just gave away a major win...not a P-R or Ronde, but it was a nice gesture.

I felt very uncomfortable. Sometimes a gift is too showy, too ostentatious, it makes the whole thing more about the power of the giver than being to the benefit of the receiver. Laporte is too good a classics rider to win like that with all the attention on WvA.

Probably they expected that someone could follow on the Kemmelberg and they can create more of a racing scenario in the finale that still sets it up for Laporte to win in a more normal team leader way.

 

[saunaking]

lol

Not gifting big races to inferior riders to keep them happy (does Laporte not get paid?) is not being a good DS? You think big champions generally give away races of this calibre to keep their domestiques happy? looool

Its called non-cash compensation and can make employees happier, more motivated and improve the entire culture and performance of your workforce.
Its a well-studied and proven concept.

also big champions dont care about these shitty small races with Flanders and PR coming up ;-)

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

also big champions dont care about these shitty small races with Flanders and PR coming up ;-)

Eddy Merckx: "Ik zou mijn ploegmaat niet laten winnen hebben" - Tom Boonen: "Wout gaat er spijt van krijgen" | sporza

Eddy Merckx (77) had gisteren verwacht dat Christophe Laporte Gent-Wevelgem zou winnen, het heeft hem zelfs 1.000 euro opgeleverd, maar zelf zou hij die geste niet gedaan hebben. Tom Boonen treedt Merckx bij: "Gent-Wevelgem is geen ritje in Parijs-Nice." Dirk De Wolf toont begrip voor de keuze...

sporza.be

 

[red_flanders]

Does Laporte feel good about this "win"? I'm sure he's happy to get it and appreciates the gesture from a teammate, but he and the whole world know it's not a win. Will anyone looking at his contract consider this "win" a real thing? Nope. Were he on another team he'd have been dropped like a stone, 100%, with no chance for the win. He rode a great race. A podium spot is absolutely a great thing for him here.

Gent-Wevelgem is an old and important classic, 260 kms over tough terrain. This was the 85th running of this race. I think it demeans the race and the winner to gift it. You want to gift someone a stage of a GT, for me that's a different thing.

I didn't like it.

 

[search]

Does Laporte feel good about this "win"? I'm sure he's happy to get it and appreciates the gesture from a teammate, but he and the whole world know it's not a win.

going by that logic, would it be a real "win" for van Aert instead, if they had finished the other way around? What difference does it make who gifts it to whom?

 

[BR2]

going by that logic, would it be a real "win" for van Aert instead, if they had finished the other way around? What difference does it make who gifts it to whom?

Van Aert, to me, is one of THE riders of our age. It feels right if he gets such wins on such a day.
He was dropping Laporte on the Kemmelberg - and I'm honestly not sure if he did it because it's better to just ride your own pace or to make a point and show the viewers that he could - and then basically pulled Laporte to the line for about 40km. Laporte did a few short pulls during that time.
Some things that are wrong for me in this:

• van Aert dragged him to the line
• it's the dominating team of our time
• Laporte wins much more on that team already than he would in any other case
• Laporte has not been a loyal and decisive helper of that team/ for van Aert for years, nor has he had special difficulties to endure in the past years or anything like that which would change the circumstances for me
• it is an important race
• it feels like a PR stunt of the team, with samenwinnen etc.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

It's a team sport: I don't mind gifts within the team.

But other gifts I would consider patronising, disrespectful to the competition and to fans, and carrying an odour of corruption.

 

[search]

Van Aert, to me, is one of THE riders of our age. It feels right if he gets such wins on such a day.
He was dropping Laporte on the Kemmelberg - and I'm honestly not sure if he did it because it's better to just ride your own pace or to make a point and show the viewers that he could - and then basically pulled Laporte to the line for about 40km. Laporte did a few short pulls during that time.
Some things that are wrong for me in this:

• van Aert dragged him to the line
• it's the dominating team of our time
• Laporte wins much more on that team already than he would in any other case
• Laporte has not been a loyal and decisive helper of that team/ for van Aert for years, nor has he had special difficulties to endure in the past years or anything like that which would change the circumstances for me
• it is an important race
• it feels like a PR stunt of the team, with samenwinnen etc.

it really didn't look like he dragged him to the line to me. The cameras were more focussed on the chase group, but when they switched to the front, Laporte often did his turn as well.

I am of course aware of the fact that van Aert was stronger on the climb, but as I mentioned yesterday, I still don't think it would have made sense to go solo at that point. Not even if it wasn't a team mate with him, but someone like Mohoric or Küng instead, for example. Not with a 1 minute gap and >30k to go.

And we are not talking about some random domestique here, who got into that position because he had a 5 minute head start. Laporte got into that position because he was strong enough - and he has beaten van Aert before in a sprint, in last year's World Championships.

 

[Andy262]

So it counts for nothing when the Jumbo Train drags Vingegard up the Galibier. Maybe they leave Vinge to do it on his own?

Of course not, it’s a team sport as much as an individual sport and if Wout thought Laporte had earned this one that’s fine by me.

 

[BR2]

it really didn't look like he dragged him to the line to me. The cameras were more focussed on the chase group, but when they switched to the front, Laporte often did his turn as well.

I am of course aware of the fact that van Aert was stronger on the climb, but as I mentioned yesterday, I still don't think it would have made sense to go solo at that point. Not even if it wasn't a team mate with him, but someone like Mohoric or Küng instead, for example. Not with a 1 minute gap and >30k to go.

And we are not talking about some random domestique here, who got into that position because he had a 5 minute head start. Laporte got into that position because he was strong enough - and he has beaten van Aert before in a sprint, in last year's World Championships.

Well, why didn't they sprint it out, then? I think it is possible to sprint in all seriousness and then be respectful and friends afterwards.
And maybe we looked at the screen at different times, but I recall Wout being in front all the time apart from a few short pulls from Laporte. That's also why I think he could have stayed in front on his own.

 

[Blanco]

Its called non-cash compensation and can make employees happier, more motivated and improve the entire culture and performance of your workforce.
Its a well-studied and proven concept.

also big champions dont care about these shitty small races with Flanders and PR coming up ;-)

Which ones?
Cause Merckx, Museeuw and Boonen all said they wouldn't gave it.

 

[search]

Well, why didn't they sprint it out, then? I think it is possible to sprint in all seriousness and then be respectful and friends afterwards.

I obviously would have preferred to see that as well. But I guess Laporte was always supposed to be the leader yesterday, and so he won.
Basically just reversed roles as in E3 last year.

 

[jmdirt]

It's so gone, in fact, that a millionaire like Froome can't even buy a win.

Since Liège 2010, when K didn't sell the win to V, doesn't count, I guess it ended the year before when Kreuziger offered to buy a Vuelta stage from Deignan.

We were talking about buying off another guy in a break, not paying the entire platoon to stop racing.

 

[jmdirt]

If the hard-liners round here had their way, one of the most iconic photos in the sport would be banned

what's with the grapes to watermelons comparison?

 

[VeloMaster]

And maybe we looked at the screen at different times, but I recall Wout being in front all the time apart from a few short pulls from Laporte. That's also why I think he could have stayed in front on his own.

Well, the TV producers could hardly be blamed for mostly showing the leaders when the star was front and center. Are you confident you saw a representative sample of the relative workloads? Seems unlikely.