La Flèche Wallone (WT) / Wednesday 18-04-2012

[Unkown]

Gotta say great ride from Ryder Hesjedal, finished only 18 seconds down from Rodriguez and was in that 10 kilometer breakaway. I think that the new route proves that somebody in top form can win Fleche in a breakaway.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gotta say great ride from Ryder Hesjedal, finished only 18 seconds down from Rodriguez and was in that 10 kilometer breakaway. I think that the new route proves that somebody in top form can win Fleche in a breakaway.

This proves nothing

On the old route Rik Verbrugghe, Mario Aerts, Francesco Casagrande and Igor Astarloa won from breakaways as well. And that all 4 years in a row

 

[Unkown]

This proves nothing

On the old route Rik Verbrugghe, Mario Aerts, Francesco Casagrande and Igor Astarloa won from breakaways as well. And that all 4 years in a row

Well the past couple years all the best teams would just wait till the Murr to attack, the only people in breakaways were guys who stood no chance on the Murr against guys like Gilbert, Rodriguez, Contador, Evans, etc.

 

[Wergeland]

According to this http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,25120_7683162,00.html
Nordhaug didn't have good legs today while Henao said he was feeling good so Nordhaug just went for an attack hoping something good would come of it.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

New route just about a success - seems plausible a break could make it in future so the excitement is 20 mins rather than 3.

Agreed. Hesjedal and Nordhaug are strong riders in their own right, but you could quite easily have a stronger break who would be tough to pull back.

 

[BillytheKid]

Thought the new route an improvement.
Purito's power punch, once again.
Gilbert still can't find his kick, so he's short of top form.
Albasini free and reveling at GreenEdge.
Vandenert's had his go. VDB will be LBL leader.
Nibali died in the final 50, but is back on the up.
TGBM Rabo's only number one at the moment.

Star studded RSNT's fail season continues.

Nothing to say about the various Columbians that hasn't already been said in spades...........and spades.

Cancellara's crash at Flanders began the slide. Bad luck again today for a top 10 placing for FS with a mechanical on the second to last climb. Nice to see he was able to ride back to the front group on his own. Sad to see Horner being sent to the front on the Mur at 31Ks with Gilbert and the others riding back in the middle.

Enough said.

A very good race, except we seldom see the broken groups and a small breaks that once succeeded here. Great effort by Hesjedal and Nordhaug, but answered by Katusha. Rodriguez didn't let them down.

Agreed on the rest.

Rodriguez
Albasini
Gilbert
Vanendert
Kiserluvski
Martin
Mollema
Nibali
Ulissi
Van Den Broeck

Congrats.

 

[will10]

According to this http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,25120_7683162,00.html
Nordhaug didn't have good legs today while Henao said he was feeling good so Nordhaug just went for an attack hoping something good would come of it.

How dare the directors listen to what the riders say, don't they know the CN forum demands that Nordhaug be the leader regardless?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema started in 15th position and ended 7th. Wish he would have started more upfront
But what about D Martin?? Started in 50th position and finished 6th

 

[Escarabajo]

I think Ryo jinxed Henao a bit... ever since he said that Mollema isn't such a big talent and Henao is much better, Mollema has kicked his asz everywhere.

Maybe Ryo should quit talking about Henao so people leave him alone.

I don't see anything wrong with his performances for a newcomer in the pro-peloton.

Who Sky makes their leader, is their problem not mine. If Nordhaug is their leader, fine with me. If Uran is their leader is fine with me too.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

henao is not made for steep climbs. I've said numerous times. liege is the one that suits him the best. I also said I expected nothing from agr since it was his first ever agr. he finished in the group. that was very good. today he did respectable as well.

all I ever said was he could podium giro first time. I still think he could.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

But what about D Martin?? Started in 50th position and finished 6th

I was looking out for him in the replay of the climb and couldn't see him in the front 30 a third of the way up. I thought I might be going blind, but that explains it.

He must have gone up that climb like a rocket. Pity his positioning was so terrible. Doesn't matter how good your legs are if you start at the back of the bunch.

 

[happytramp]

He must have gone up that climb like a rocket. Pity his positioning was so terrible. Doesn't matter how good your legs are if you start at the back of the bunch.

Especially after he criticized his own positioning at AGR! Still improving though, think Leige was his main plan all along. He was more of a Garmin plan B today.

 

[BillytheKid]

“We wanted to make this race hard,” emphasized Horner.* “We hoped the second time up the Mur would work if we tried something, and we were trying to be as aggressive as possible each time.* Fränk’s flat was at a difficult time and he had to use so much energy trying to come back.* I offered my wheel when but he chose to take the wheel from the car and that usually works better anyway, but I certainly was there to work for him if he needed me.* I put in a little acceleration to see who would show….just about everyone showed.”

OK? If you stop to offer a wheel, why would you not help bring him back up? Once Horner stopped, he would have to do some chasing of his own even if he did not wait. It was of his own accord most likely, however, and probably not decided in the team car.

I think the acceleration he's talking about was at 31Ks on the Mur. I can't imagine him stopping, chasing and then attacking. I certainly never saw it or him at the front after the FS flat.

What luck! But at best, I think Frank could have done no better than 5th today. WT points loss and another crappy day for RSNT.

 

[goggalor]

because of the time trial where henao isn't any good.

that's like saying velits has been more impressive then purito in the 2010 vuelta because he finished ahead.

Not really, since Nordhaug isn't a particularly strong time trialist either.

 

[norwegian]

the norwegian army here is more pathetic than any other one

Are we, really.....

 

[BillytheKid]

Good story.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-horner-working-for-schleck-in-fleche-wallonne

And end of story.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

he crashed and he retired out of the race. the norwegian army here is more pathetic than any other one

Nice piece of generalization there, we aren't all the same you know.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

I was looking out for him in the replay of the climb and couldn't see him in the front 30 a third of the way up. I thought I might be going blind, but that explains it.

He must have gone up that climb like a rocket. Pity his positioning was so terrible. Doesn't matter how good your legs are if you start at the back of the bunch.

It seems he wasn't expecting his legs to be that good;

'Very surprised at result. Felt bad all day but stayed mentally strong. Poor position at bottom but kept it going. Tough tough day'

https://twitter.com/#!/DanMartin86/status/192647140839919616

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

It seems he wasn't expecting his legs to be that good;

That's not really much of a excuse. It's not as if he was so certain that he had no legs that he didn't bother trying on the climb. If it's worth giving it a shot, it's worth positioning yourself well enough that you can actually be in contention if your legs suddenly come good.

Taking into account the inevitable delays getting stuck in traffic causes, he may well have been the fastest up the climb. He was certainly faster than everyone bar Purito at least. It's a bit silly to do that from the back of the pack. You can't just make up for bad positioning with speed. If you could Theo Bos would be a big star.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I looked back the footage again. And apart from the superb ascent of D. Martin (from 50th to 6th). Gesink didn't do bad either. Halfway the climb he is in 45th position. He finished 22th.
Guess he is improving now.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

That's not really much of a excuse. It's not as if he was so certain that he had no legs that he didn't bother trying on the climb. If it's worth giving it a shot, it's worth positioning yourself well enough that you can actually be in contention if your legs suddenly come good.

Yeah, I agree. Hopefully he's learnt from his experience today and we'll see him near the front at LBL.

 

[hfer07]

last 8Km

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk6G...pI4MPQ9Rz8hTbbA&lch=email_reply&feature=email

 

[will10]

I looked back the footage again. And apart from the superb ascent of D. Martin (from 50th to 6th). Gesink didn't do bad either. Halfway the climb he is in 45th position. He finished 22th.
Guess he is improving now.

Also Duarte starts at the very back of the group on route to his INCREDIBLE 32nd

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Also Duarte starts at the very back of the group on route to his INCREDIBLE 32nd

i know what you are trying to do but duarte didn't break his leg + got sick

 

[will10]

i know what you are trying to do but duarte didn't break his leg + got sick

Think you misunderstood me - wasn't a reference to Gesink at all. I was referring to Ryo's incredible statements this last week or so