La Flèche Wallonne: September 30th, 2020

[Vesica]

If there was a bike shaking contest, we would have a clear winner. Jeez, Cosnefroy is ugly on the bike. If he put some more energy in his legs, than on shaking his bike, maybe he'll be more efficient. I'm really surprised btw, after all his early droppings in the Tour.

Nice ride by Hirschi, always in second wheel, jumping from one wheel to another and a perfect timing to start the ultimate jump.

 

[Alexandre B.]

This Mur lacked a more explosive climber to ignite things early. Good effort, Richie Porte, but you're not that guy.

 

[ppanther92]

Vansevenant has superstar potential and it's nice to see Hirschi and Cosnefroy confirming their classics ability, but the race itself was pretty meh. And that new climb is followed by roads that make it easy for an organized chase.

Fleche Wallone is what it is. But I do actually enjoy it once a year.

 

[Bolder]

Lol Alaphilippe would have destroyed these pretenders

Hirschi was a pretty good stand in.

 

[Keram]

Hirschi with ease. Pogi seems fading after Tour. Nice start of spring classics at the end of September

 

[Mayomaniac]

Porte did what he had to do, he has no sprint so he tried his usual 1km long Willunga Hill attack.
Nice to see Wawa finishing 4th, he came out of the Tour with great legs. Bagioli really imploded at the end.

 

[movingtarget]

Dan Martin was also way too far back and finished well. To be fair when Porte was done there were only 11-12 guys still close to him.

The level of the ‘also-rans’ was lower this year due to the obviously loaded schedule.

Porte's only way to win is to attack at the bottom with some seconds up his sleeve. He just doesn't have the kick at the finish. Still a nice ride for him. See how he goes at Liege.

 

[SafeBet]

After winning a stage in the Tour, getting a medal at the WC and winning Fleche Wallonne the real challenge for Marc Hirschi will be getting a decent haircut.

 

[JosephK]

Hirschi with ease. Pogi seems fading after Tour. Nice start of spring classics at the end of September

Pogi may be human. Have to wait and see.

 

[movingtarget]

What a past few weeks for Sunweb. The team must be on a high at the moment.

 

[Bonimenier]

Vansevenant says that 30s would have been enough to win at the start of the mur of Huy. I doubt it, but still a hell of ride for someone who is a pro for 3 months.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Vansevenant says that 30s would have been enough to win at the start of the mur of Huy. I doubt it, but still a hell of ride for someone who is a pro for 3 months.

Not a chance.

 

[gunara]

I forgot to come back to the race! That's what happen sometimes when you're too sure you know you have to come back at a predictable moment, you forget it altogether.

And Hirschi!

 

[Anderis]

Uran attacking!

It's a classic, not a stage race. In classics he tends to attack more.

Vansevenant impressed me.

Woods has always done better in LBL than in FW so if he was this strong in FW...

 

[RedheadDane]

Woods gotta feel a bit out of place on that podium; he's the only one who isn't a former U23 World Champion!

Also, accidentally swapping the medals?!

 

[yaco]

Today's race showed how AG2R misused Cosnefroy at the TDF - He was a chance to win a stage instead of wasting time chasing 30 points for the Polka Dots jersey.

 

[Eclipse]

Vansevenant says that 30s would have been enough to win at the start of the mur of Huy. I doubt it, but still a hell of ride for someone who is a pro for 3 months.

Literally no chance he does so much solo work and holds off the bunch for 30s on it.

Literally no universe where he goes onto the climb with 30s either, the bunch aren't stupid.

 

[broppo]

Anybody saw the odds for Hirschi?? I need to start finding a site who provides bets for cycling.

hirschi opened at x8 and dwindled to x 4.5 right before the start of the event.

 

[movingtarget]

Woods the nearly man. Like to see him win one. Uran decided to try something different. For someone out of form, a good ride by Dan Martin.

 

[Earns1985]

Pogi seems fading after Tour.

Perhaps a bit. But it also seems that he is just more the climbing guy then the puncheur guy. All the others who finished in the first ranks are pure puncheur guys..

 

[movingtarget]

Perhaps a bit. But it also seems that he is just more the climbing guy then the puncheur guy. All the others who finished in the first ranks are pure puncheur guys..

Yeah he is at his best on the longer climbs I think where he can use that TT engine.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Woods the nearly man. Like to see him win one. Uran decided to try something different. For someone out of form, a good ride by Dan Martin.

It was a decent ride by Martin and he made ground up the climb, his problem once again though was really poor positioning, he was at least 30/35 back when the road got steeper. He may have made a podium had he been towards the front.

 

[Velolover2]

Very close this time.

Porte's pace is great, even on steep gradients.. but he doesn't have the acceleration required to get away.

 

[shalgo]

Dan Martin was also way too far back and finished well.

As is tradition. You could just put that in the opening post of this thread every year and it would inevitably come true.

 

[johnymax]

Today's race showed how AG2R misused Cosnefroy at the TDF - He was a chance to win a stage instead of wasting time chasing 30 points for the Polka Dots jersey.

That's how it works usually in TdF. You accidentally wear the jersey, you try to keep is as long as possible.