La Flèche Wallonne, April 23rd, 199K

[Dazed and Confused]

@Dazed&Confused: while I share your criticism on the conservative racing that seems to be standard at this race, I believe that picture is of one of the first passages on the Mur, not of the final sprint.

You are right of course, but it really was the best fitting picture.

 

[manafana]

As pointed out making this under 200km means way more riders hold on and make the finish which is the most testing part. That makes it more winnable for riders who don't like the 250km days

 

[dlwssonic]

Moreno involved in a crash

 

[SafeBet]

As pointed out making this under 200km means way more riders hold on and make the finish which is the most testing part. That makes it more winnable for riders who don't like the 250km days

Ulissi being one of them.

 

[richo36]

Yes, but it will not happen. The agreement will be a bunch sprint up Mur de Huy.

Thats the one thing i do not get about cycling sometimes. If you are not the fastest in a uphill sprint, what is the point of waiting for a uphill sprint finish. I feel sometimes teams are too busy just riding for there sponsors than actually racing for a win at all costs. Sending a rider in a break today just so they get some time on tv or taking a turn at the front of the peloton.

Honestly what have teams like sky, belkin, cannondale, trek, saxo, fdj, greenedge, iam, giant shimano, colombia, wanty, europcar, united healthcare, topsport, Mtn, cofidis got to lose by trying something different. I dont see any benifit for these teams to sit back and wait for a sprint besides getting 15mins of your sponsor on tv, which in the scheme of things is how valuable to the sponsors? Possible back page news if they tear the race apart and make the race one to remember. eg i will always remember a stage in the giro couple years back were liquigas-doimo attacked at the top of the climb as a team and did a ttt on a downhill. I dont remember if basso or nibali won the stage but how liquigas-domino did something different and interesting to watch.

 

[Netserk]

Thats the one thing i do not get about cycling sometimes. If you are not the fastest in a uphill sprint, what is the point of waiting for a uphill sprint finish. I feel sometimes teams are too busy just riding for there sponsors than actually racing for a win at all costs. Sending a rider in a break today just so they get some time on tv or taking a turn at the front of the peloton.

Honestly what have teams like sky, belkin, cannondale, trek, saxo, fdj, greenedge, iam, giant shimano, colombia, wanty, europcar, united healthcare, topsport, Mtn, cofidis got to lose by trying something different. I dont see any benifit for these teams to sit back and wait for a sprint besides getting 15mins of your sponsor on tv, which in the scheme of things is how valuable to the sponsors? Possible back page news if they tear the race apart and make the race one to remember. eg i will always remember a stage in the giro couple years back were liquigas-doimo attacked at the top of the climb as a team and did a ttt on a downhill. I dont remember if basso or nibali won the stage but how liquigas-domino did something different and interesting to watch.

Are you sure you don't mean the Vuelta stage in 2011 to Córdoba, which Sagan won (in a group of 4 Liquigas riders, including Nibali, and Lastras from Movistar)?

 

[Ferminal]

Basso and Nibali kinda did it on the Evans v Righi stage of the 2010 Giro.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Thats the one thing i do not get about cycling sometimes. If you are not the fastest in a uphill sprint, what is the point of waiting for a uphill sprint finish. I feel sometimes teams are too busy just riding for there sponsors than actually racing for a win at all costs. Sending a rider in a break today just so they get some time on tv or taking a turn at the front of the peloton.

Honestly what have teams like sky, belkin, cannondale, trek, saxo, fdj, greenedge, iam, giant shimano, colombia, wanty, europcar, united healthcare, topsport, Mtn, cofidis got to lose by trying something different. I dont see any benifit for these teams to sit back and wait for a sprint besides getting 15mins of your sponsor on tv, which in the scheme of things is how valuable to the sponsors? Possible back page news if they tear the race apart and make the race one to remember. eg i will always remember a stage in the giro couple years back were liquigas-doimo attacked at the top of the climb as a team and did a ttt on a downhill. I dont remember if basso or nibali won the stage but how liquigas-domino did something different and interesting to watch.

I agree about pretty much everything you say.

The modern peloton.

Tom Jelte Slagter talks about his ambitions at FW in a piece on CN:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-slagter-looks-for-improvement-at-fleche-wallonne

Essentially he is aiming for a top 10. Seriously a top 10 in FW?

 

[richo36]

Are you sure you don't mean the Vuelta stage in 2011 to Córdoba, which Sagan won (in a group of 4 Liquigas riders, including Nibali, and Lastras from Movistar)?

i Was refering to the stage below but that is another good example.

Basso and Nibali kinda did it on the Evans v Righi stage of the 2010 Giro.

Maybe its a personal thing but i would rather come 100th and try to win even if only a slim chance then come 10th but never have a chance of winning

 

[ILovecycling]

Moreno involved in a crash

anything serious?

 

[Ferminal]

I agree about pretty much everything you say.

The modern peloton.

Tom Jelte Slagter talks about his ambitions at FW in a piece on CN:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-slagter-looks-for-improvement-at-fleche-wallonne

Essentially he is aiming for a top 10. Seriously a top 10 in FW?

That is like going for a top10 into Montpellier or something.

 

[richo36]

I agree about pretty much everything you say.

The modern peloton.

Tom Jelte Slagter talks about his ambitions at FW in a piece on CN:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-slagter-looks-for-improvement-at-fleche-wallonne

Essentially he is aiming for a top 10. Seriously a top 10 in FW?

Exactly, A top team and they are not even aiming to win. I would much prefer him to say something along the lines of "We are riding for dan martin to win, so ill be doing everything i can to help him. If i top ten aswell that will be a bonus."

 

[metaCYCLE]

I hope SinkoffTaxo will unleash Beltran on the final ascent instead of Kreuzi.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I hope SinkoffTaxo will unleash Beltran on the final ascent instead of Kreuzi.

beltran needs time to adapt to europe.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

37km to go until the sprint

 

[metaCYCLE]

beltran needs time to adapt to europe.

yea. agreed. but wishes are wishes...

 

[funnie]

What can we expect from Beltran? What kind of rider is he? Sure it's a climber, but is it an explosive one (rodriguez) or more like a diesel train ( Kreuziger) or type that has it all (Contador),...
Hope he can perform well for tinkoff saxo

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

What can we expect from Beltran? What kind of rider is he? Sure it's a climber, but is it an explosive one (rodriguez) or more like a diesel train ( Kreuziger) or type that has it all (Contador),...
Hope he can perform well for tinkoff saxo

he is reasonably explosive. he's no purito but also no quintana. somewhere in between. also he's rather good at placing himself and downhil, so those are no real problems that some other colombians do have

 

[The Hitch]

Wow, we are at 25 k to go already. Seems early.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Wow, we are at 25 k to go already. Seems early.

this race always finishes early

 

[funnie]

@ryo
thanks man!!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Wow, we are at 25 k to go already. Seems early.

So that indicator at the topleft of the picture is out of sync again today.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

My god.. really nothing is going to happen until the final climb

 

[De Snelle Duif]

Andy at the front

Edit: Wow, mixing up Andy and Frank, stupid of me

 

[The Hitch]

So that indicator at the topleft of the picture is out of sync again today.

Nah, i was counting the k to go before its worth tuning in.