Grand Prix de Denain 2022 (March 17)

[Devil's Elbow]

Time for Little Roubaix. This race has consistently up in a cat-and-mouse between the attackers and a peloton that's usually been whittled down to about 30 riders since the return to the cobbles in 2018. We've had one edition where Dehaes won with a late attack, one edition where Van der Poel hung on after a long solo, and last year it came back together for a sprint won by Philipsen. This time, the biggest names are the GC riders, but unlike in Milano-Torino there's good reason as Roglic, Vingegaard and Martinez are all testing themselves for the cobbles at the Tour. In any case, this could well be the most entertaining race of the week.

Startlist

The route

The same as last year with two separate flat circuits, then two laps of the cobbled circuit. An overview:

• Haspres - Thiant (1700 m, ****): last seen in Paris-Roubaix in the 2004, was a four-star sector then (h/t to LeGruppetto)
• Monchaux-sur-Écaillon - Maing (1600 m, ***): currently used in Paris-Roubaix, three-star sector there
• Maing - Quérénaing (2500 m, *** **): currently used in Paris-Roubaix, three-star sector there
• Quérénaing - Verchain-Maugré (1600 m, ***): last used in Paris-Roubaix in 2019 and will return there this year, three-star sector there
• Verchain-Maugré - Saulzoir (1200 m, **): last used in Paris-Roubaix in 2019 and will return there this year, two-star sector there
• Avesnes-le-Sec - Hordain (1800 m, ****): never been used in Paris-Roubaix except the U23 version. The whole sector is 2600 metres, sadly they skip the final 800 metres (unlike in 2019).

The finish line isn't in the same place anymore, but this is still as good opportunity as any to bring up this crazy sprint by Dan McLay in 2016 again.

 

[will-10]

no idea what to expect from Martinez, Roglic or Vingegaard but I hope they get through in one piece.

Capiot FTW

 

[sir fly]

The GC lot shouldn't just ride it for the feel or to test, the cobbles will be raced in the summer hence they need to be approached here equally.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

no idea what to expect from Martinez, Roglic or Vingegaard but I hope they get through in one piece.

Capiot FTW

Roglic does this Denain race two days before he does San Remo. And San Remo is 300kms, so you have to be fresh there. Primoz, this year, wants to attack with Pogi and Wout on the Cipressa. I don‘t know if today‘s 200kms in Denain will help on Saturday…

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Roglic does this Denain race two days before he does San Remo. And San Remo is 300kms, so you have to be fresh there. Primoz, this year, wants to attack with Pogi and Wout on the Cipressa. I don‘t know if today‘s 200kms in Denain will help on Saturday…

I very much doubt this.

I think MSR two days later might be a slight issue if his body is sore but it's probably a good way two assess how his body handles the cobbles. In the Tour they have no rest day and Pdbf two days later...

 

[Roku]

Looking forward to this race. My bet is Taco Van der Hoorn.

Other favourites should be Dries de Bondt, Timo Roosen, and Amaury Capiot (latter only for 2nd / 3rd)

 

[Mayomaniac]

those flat cobbled sectors suit a powerhouse like Walscheid really well, he's my pick for today.

 

[RedheadDane]

I like how Jumbo's lineup is Roglic, Vingegaard, and five giant Dutch guys.
Seriously, I checked, and the shortest of those is Eenkhoorn at 1.85 m.

 

[Red Rick]

Roglic vs that influencer who made a song and video in ski suit about him

 

[CyclistAbi]

Considering Rogla will race on cobbles. Looking forward to it. Lets see how it goes.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I like how Jumbo's lineup is Roglic, Vingegaard, and five giant Dutch guys.
Seriously, I checked, and the shortest of those is Eenkhoorn at 1.85 m.

Do you recon we will see Roglič in this race at all. Hopefully some side shots of the peloton.

 

[SafeBet]

Break: Terpstra, De Tier, Fretin, Vermeulen, Paillot.
They have over 4 minutes on the peloton with 160 km to go.

 

[tobydawq]

I like how Jumbo's lineup is Roglic, Vingegaard, and five giant Dutch guys.
Seriously, I checked, and the shortest of those is Eenkhoorn at 1.85 m.

So, now I'm a giant for being 1.85?

 

[Red Rick]

So, now I'm a giant for being 1.85?

No you're evidently an average Dutch male

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Curious to see how far Clément Davy can go here, he was part of the trio also containing Kwiatkowski and Dewulf that had led over the cobbles and got caught in the final kilometre last year. He's my pick for the shock Roubaix top-10 of the year, almost picked him in the CQ game as a result.

 

[sir fly]

No you're evidently an average Dutch male

And half of a Frisian.
... almost Dinaric.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I do wonder on who gave this guys a driving license. They don't even know how to ride on the road.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Rogla chasing Gino again on Eurosport.

 

[Netserk]

So, now I'm a giant for being 1.85?

No, you should be at least 1.90 m to be considered tall.

 

[tobydawq]

No, you should be at least 1.90 m to be considered tall.

So, you're 1.90m?

 

[Netserk]

So, you're 1.90m?

No, I'm 1.79 m.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Jumbus nurturing Rogla and Vine like a mother would her newborn child.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Whoever thought of an idea to ride the whole Tour peloton through this.

Sheer brilliance.

 

[tobydawq]

Jumbus nurturing Rogla and Vine like a mother would her newborn child.

Vine?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

So, now I'm a giant for being 1.85?

For cycling it's big. Less so normal life