Gent - Wevelgem: October 11th, 2020

[Volderke]

Jolien D'Hoore clearly violating the socks rule!

 

[RedheadDane]

Great win by Jolien.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Kopecky and D'Hoore in an open NC rematch

To past self: You called it.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Brilliant sprint from D'hoore, who becomes the first Belgian woman to win G-W. Kopecky second. Deignan already looked tired on the Kemmel and didn't have the legs left for the sprint.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

It's perhaps not the thread for this, but since you mentioned it.

Considering Greg was blamed all those years for 'dumb riding' with continous attacks and never tactical gambling, but delivering spectacle all the time in all kinds of races, it's really unfair to accuse him of being the rider that rode negatively against Sagan. He finally learned to use his head a couple of times on occassions when Sagan didn't and he also proved himself to be the better of the Slovakian in multiple races. Sagan isn't a holy rider, he himself isn't free from idiot race decisions that made him and others lose. And he has a much less pleasant personality in general.

It's biased bullsh*t, which I unfortunately detect more than once here, and I feel I have the right to defend him at least as much as you have to give him a wrong reputation.

I’m not making a moral judgment of GVA. He did indeed throw away good legs with ill judged attacks in his earlier years. Then, when up against a stronger but not too tactically shrewd rider as Sagan then was, he had his greatest successes by marking him ruthlessly. Sometimes that worked, sometimes they both lost as a result, but it’s hard to argue that GVA had some kind of moral responsibility to ride more entertainingly and continue to lose.

I’m less forgiving of generational talent MVDP taking that approach.

 

[Velolover2]

I don't know with you guys, but this alternative calendar (unfortunate events aside) has proved that you don't have to race all in the classics in March and April. And the standard Giro -> Tour -> Vuelta shouldn't be a locked position. Having a lot of races in the autumn and even winter makes the program more wholesome.

 

[Anderis]

I don't know with you guys, but this alternative calendar (unfortunate events aside) has proved that you don't have to race all in the classics in March and April. And the standard Giro -> Tour -> Vuelta shouldn't be a locked position. Having a lot of races in the autumn and even winter makes the program more wholesome.

I hate the alternative calendar for the sole reason that they don't show many of the classics on TV here in Poland because on Polish Eurosport one channel is reserved for tennis, another one for the Giro and I couldn't watch LBL or GW live on TV.

 

[Volderke]

Actually if there is one race I would like to have in autumn, it would be Paris-Roubaix. April is actually the driest month in Northern France. Even if it rains some days in advance, because of the wind most of the cobbles are blown dry. Autumn and the fact that fields are bare result in more mud on the cobbles, and if it rains, it doesn't dry out completely.
So a definitive October slot for Paris-Roubaix would be awesome.

The big stage races (Giro/Tour/Vuelta) could be difficult if held in autumn / early spring, with many mountain passes only opening in May and closing end of September.

 

[Carols]

I just finished watching this race . Another Pedersen! Great win. It's a shame he didn't get to show off his Rainbow all spring and summer.

 

[staubsauger]

Very strong last kilometer from Petersen,who put in two very strong sprints. First to close the gap and then again to win the race.

Vanderpool & Van Art marked each other, but actually worked quite well together before. In Flanders there will be more hills in the final, so they can play out there rivalry more productive.

The big loser today actually is Küng. If he makes his 3rd move just 5 seconds later, he wins the race. It was completely stupid to go from the front of the group. A tiny moment later when WvA & VdP look at each other he can just jump away instead of Trenton and has his gap. Big tactical mistake.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I don't know with you guys, but this alternative calendar (unfortunate events aside) has proved that you don't have to race all in the classics in March and April. And the standard Giro -> Tour -> Vuelta shouldn't be a locked position. Having a lot of races in the autumn and even winter makes the program more wholesome.

We have the entire Southern hemisphere for races during winter, so no need to spread out the already dominating European schedule IMO.

I'd rather see new races emerge in South America, Africa, Australia and tropical Asia during winter.

What I would like to see though, is Strade Bianche and M-SR moved to the fall, close to Lombardia, so we had all the big Italian classics in fall.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I only saw the last 10km or so. And I think a big group like that (later a smaller group) on the flat always works against the top favorites.
VDP had to react to too much and was gassed when he needed to.

Van Aert gambled on VDP to close the gap while he was gassed, so lost as well. He can be mad at VDP but VDP basically had to react to everything. Every group without Van Aert/VDP is a winning one who will co-operate.

I wonder how long it will take for the rest of the peloton to realize that if you go to the finish with Pedersen you're equally as stupid as to go to the finish with VDP/Van Aert. Because if they finally realize this with Pedersen he's gonna have the same issue.

RVV is different though as there won't be such a large group remaining. Which is I think ultimately better for VDP/WvA. GW is a very hard race for them to win because of the easy final.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Agreed. Arm-chair cyclists galore.

Oi! What have I done wrong?

 

[Velolover2]

I wonder how long it will take for the rest of the peloton to realize that if you go to the finish with Pedersen you're equally as stupid as to go to the finish with VDP/Van Aert. Because if they finally realize this with Pedersen he's gonna have the same issue.

RVV is different though as there won't be such a large group remaining. Which is I think ultimately better for VDP/WvA. GW is a very hard race for them to win because of the easy final.

Pedersen is a different kind of rider. He doesn't have 10-20 attacks in him like WVA/VDP.. While his acceleration is worse, his absolute top speed is properly higher than the cyclo-cross riders.

He is a bit like Kristoff a few years ago. A kind of marathon-sprinter in the classics.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Very strong last kilometer from Petersen,who put in two very strong sprints. First to close the gap and then again to win the race.

I didn't think Pedersen had it today, until I saw him close the gap to the front 3...... he went like a rocket and closed the gap in seconds.

None of those behind could bridge the gap like that way, so tactics probably did not play a part in the end.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Pedersen is a different kind of rider. He doesn't have 10-20 attacks in him like WVA/VDP.. While his acceleration is worse, his absolute top speed is properly higher than the cyclo-cross riders.

He is a bit like Kristoff a few years ago. A kind of marathon-sprinter in the classics.

You might even say, that he is a classic classics rider

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I only saw the last 10km or so. And I think a big group like that (later a smaller group) on the flat always works against the top favorites.
VDP had to react to too much and was gassed when he needed to.

Van Aert gambled on VDP to close the gap while he was gassed, so lost as well. He can be mad at VDP but VDP basically had to react to everything. Every group without Van Aert/VDP is a winning one who will co-operate.

I wonder how long it will take for the rest of the peloton to realize that if you go to the finish with Pedersen you're equally as stupid as to go to the finish with VDP/Van Aert. Because if they finally realize this with Pedersen he's gonna have the same issue.

RVV is different though as there won't be such a large group remaining. Which is I think ultimately better for VDP/WvA. GW is a very hard race for them to win because of the easy final.

If anything it currently looks an even worse idea to bring Pedersen to a flat finale than it does WVA or MVDP. He has after all just beaten Ackermann twice in a big bunch sprint and just before that came second on the Champs Elysees. Obviously that doesn’t apply if there’s an incline and other big classics riders will fancy their chances of beating Pedersen on the bergs in a way that they won’t with WVA or MVDP. But they didn’t go to the line with Pedersen. They ditched him, then he closed the gap on his own and came back.

I think your partisanship is showing in your comments on WVA and MVDP today. MVDP was only interested in chasing WVA in the approach and finale, everyone else he just leaned on WVA to chase. It was a very negative approach and really not one I expect from him of all people. I admire cynical calculation more when it comes from a weaker rider!

Agreed that RvV should suit the new big 2 more.

 

[Velolover2]

You might even say, that he is a classic classics rider

What about power sprinter? Is that a word? I wouldn't even say that he is a typical rouleur like Küng, Rowe, Terpstra and Vanmarcke because they aren't really fast.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

What about power sprinter? Is that a word? I wouldn't even say that he is a typical rouleur like Küng, Rowe, Terpstra and Vanmarcke because they aren't really fast.

He's a similar rider to GvA, but a slightly heavier version, so that he climbs slightly worse, but has a slightly higher top speed.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I didn't think Pedersen had it today, until I saw him close the gap to the front 3...... he went like a rocket and closed the gap in seconds.

None of those behind could bridge the gap like that way, so tactics probably did not play a part in the end.

I agree with that on balance. If MVDP works with WVA they probably do get back, just in time for Pedersen to accelerate again. Pedersen was extremely strong.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Every time Trentin looks right, and see Pedersen blazing past, this plays in his head:

View: https://youtu.be/xTw3O6HhZtw

 

[Bardamu]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1315202173739958278

View: https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/1315202173739958278


Snollebollekes taking over the peloton

 

[Jagartrott]

None of those behind could bridge the gap like that way, so tactics probably did not play a part in the end.

Of course they played a huge part. Pedersen had to close one gap. I think everyone in that group had already attacked or closed gaps - except for Pedersen. He was not the strongest, he was the smartest.

 

[zenoiz]

You might even say, that he is a classic classics rider

I would say Pedersen is a classics rider in the mold of Boonen, and with MvdP a lot like the Gilbert 2011 vintage and WvA a new Cancellara with improved sprint, it looks like it will be 2011 all over again this coming Sunday - not sure who the present-day Nick Nuyens will be though...

 

[RedheadDane]

I would say Pedersen is a classics rider in the mold of Boonen, and with MvdP a lot like the Gilbert 2011 vintage and WvA a new Cancellara with improved sprint, it looks like it will be 2011 all over again this coming Sunday - not sure who the present-day Nick Nuyens will be though...

Nuyens was quite unexpected, wasn't he? So probably someone we don't expect.