La Flèche Wallonne 2022, one day race, April 20

[CyclistAbi]

Congratulations to Dylan Teuns for taking the win.

Didn't watch the whole race. Valverde almost won and chapeau to that. Alaphilippe made a bet on Pogi today. Pogi was trying but was not at his best today. All in all something was missing in this race and i can't put a finger on it.

 

[Boes]

Congratulations to Dylan Teuns for taking the win.

Didn't watch the whole race. Valverde almost won and chapeau to that. Alaphilippe made a bet on Pogi today. Pogi was trying but was not at his best today. All in all something was missing in this race and i can't put a finger on it.

Primos Roglic... that's what it is.
Or Victor Campenaerts. The choice is yours.

 

[JosefK]

Pog being a little off today is probably bad news for everyone else at LBL.

 

[Salvarani]

Congratulations to Dylan Teuns for taking the win.

Didn't watch the whole race. Valverde almost won and chapeau to that. Alaphilippe made a bet on Pogi today. Pogi was trying but was not at his best today. All in all something was missing in this race and i can't put a finger on it.

Froome could have put a mean pace here for Woods.

 

[Lequack]

Pogacar beaten by an old man.
PS: How does this time compare to last year's Roglic and Alaphilippe? I believe they set a record with something like 2:41 or 2:43 if I'm correct.

 

[Lequack]

I don't know...I feel like OP is kinda overstating the unbeatability of a guy who last won when Vincenzo Nibali was the reigning Giro champion, Pogacar 18 years old and Van Aert and MvdP two guys doing cyclocross.

I wasn't off by much in the end eh

 

[fbjim]

It's still a race where everyone waits for the final hill, the only difference is that it's 10 kilometres further from the line. It's been discussed to death but they really should get rid of Roche aux Faucons too, having Redoute be the last hard hill, with a better run-in, followed by Forges and maybe another easier climb. Basically following the style of the Amstel revamp in completion rather than the halfway house they've currently implemented.

Also I miss the drag to the line in Ans, it would have worked a lot better if they'd kept the 1990s finale without Saint-Nicolas. Example: the 1992 race, with a much harder central section and Redoute as the last big climb (and a different drag in Ans).

The Redoute was raced hard last year, it was just a weird situation where Ineos basically ended up with too many riders in the selection meaning the other riders weren't going to do anything but hang behind them.

 

[acm]

Pogacar beaten by an old man.
PS: How does this time compare to last year's Roglic and Alaphilippe? I believe they set a record with something like 2:41 or 2:43 if I'm correct.

2:41

 

[fbjim]

Also good lord Ineos can win like half the spring classics despite almost never being a classics team but one Bahrain win and out come the thinking emojis.

 

[Lequack]

The old man at the back

 

[CyclistAbi]

Primos Roglic... that's what it is.
Or Victor Campenaerts. The choice is yours.

Darn. You nailed it. How could I have missed that.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Valverde should make a commercials for Alpecin. I would buy it.

 

[Orbit501]

Two lovely winners today from both women's and men's race.

Marvellous scenes!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The old man at the back

There's also the old man with the bag.

 

[jaylew]

I think Pog was pretty clearly still extremely strong, he was just waaaaay too far back and went too deep too early getting up the pack and lacked the tiny bit extra he needed.

Looking back and pausing the replay, neither Bala, Pog, nor Ala are very poorly positioned with about a K to go but they then get swamped a bit at around 900 (Bala looks almost like he chooses to move back) and with around 800m to go the three of them are actually together in a line and all look to be in a relatively poor position with Ala on Valverde's wheel and Pog on Ala's wheel with riders on both sides of them. Soon after that, Bala makes a big move up the inside to take himself to the front and Pog makes a similar move a bit later.

Teuns on the other hand, moves up to the front as Valverde is moving back at around 900m to go and stays in the first few wheels all the way up.

 

[Bonimenier]

Pogacar beaten by an old man.
PS: How does this time compare to last year's Roglic and Alaphilippe? I believe they set a record with something like 2:41 or 2:43 if I'm correct.

2:41 last year, 2:46 this year. For the old man it was 2:47 and 2:48.

 

[ppanther92]

Pogacar beaten by an old man.
PS: How does this time compare to last year's Roglic and Alaphilippe? I believe they set a record with something like 2:41 or 2:43 if I'm correct.

Yes, funnily enough Valverde did the exact same time (2:47). So thats a good reference point.

 

[ppanther92]

2:41 last year, 2:46 this year. For the old man it was 2:47 and 2:48.

Wasn't it 2:45 for today earlier? But ok, then I stand corrected. Valverde declines. By 1s but still.

 

[Koronin]

What music would they have played if Vlasov won? Does the UCI have an anthem like UEFA do or would Vlasov get to choose walk-on music like they do in WWE?

Good question. If the UCI doesn't, I agree with letting him pick his music.

 

[search]

What music would they have played if Vlasov won? Does the UCI have an anthem like UEFA do or would Vlasov get to choose walk-on music like they do in WWE?

Good question. If the UCI doesn't, I agree with letting him pick his music.

it's regulated, of course

"In the case of protocol ceremony, organisers must play Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" instead of the Russian or Belarusian national anthem and choose between rising a white flag or no flag at all."

 

[Netserk]

Fastest ascent of the Mur after Cherave, but yesterday was perhaps the slowest ascension of it and the weather was perfect.

 

[Red Rick]

Fastest ascent of the Mur after Cherave, but yesterday was perhaps the slowest ascension of it and the weather was perfect.

I also think that yesterday had a better pacing strategy than Roglic last year

 

[gregrowlerson]

Froome could have put a meme pace here for Woods.

Fixed it for ya.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Yes, funnily enough Valverde did the exact same time (2:47). So thats a good reference point.

Contador and Schleck thought they were cool doing track stands, but for Valverde time literally stands still.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I also think that yesterday had a better pacing strategy than Roglic last year

Better is a relative term.