La Flèche Wallonne: September 30th, 2020

[tobydawq]

Which means that Vanendert is the one to have podiumed most recently of the riders in this year's field

 

[Koronin]

So we have an open race. I want the break to win for once.

 

[Escarabajo]

Ghost of Purito
ftw

The spirit of Betancur will defeat Purito's Ghost!

 

[Tonton]

The spirit of Betancur will defeat Purito's Ghost!

...eat him alive, you mean?

 

[tobydawq]

Well, one of Betancur's superiors frim 2014 will be there: Sergio Henao.

And his general level may well have gone to crap but did you know that he hasn't DNF'ed a race since Rio and thus has the longest non-DNF streak in the current peloton?

 

[TomLPC]

We do the same dance every year I'm afraid, 'maybe this is the year it finally works.'

It's why I hate the race, it never works.

It's also why Betancur's dart off the front was probably the most animated I've ever been in a race, and why we all still talk about it, that look around at 500 metres and seeing nobody chasing had me on my feet, awesome stuff, full panache.

I'll still be tuning in, one day it will happen.

Here it is, 25 minutes in.

 

[Red Rick]

We do the same dance every year I'm afraid, 'maybe this is the year it finally works.'

It's why I hate the race, it never works.

It's also why Betancur's dart off the front was probably the most animated I've ever been in a race, and why we all still talk about it, that look around at 500 metres and seeing nobody chasing had me on my feet, awesome stuff, full panache.

I'll still be tuning in, one day it will happen.

Here it is, 25 minutes in.

FW is pretty cool if you just give up on the epic racing and appreciate it for the 3 minute slug fest it is.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

the year of D. Martin!!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Okay, Ulissi not riding either. That's the whole podium from last year gone.

Number 4 of last year won't be winning either

 

[yaco]

You know why? Everything for a top 10 spot in Liege, then season over? Or is he doing la Vuelta?

My guess is he has not recovered from the TDF - He is hoping to ride the Vuelta - No idea about LBL.

 

[movingtarget]

No Ala opens it up more but it's usually the same seven or so riders contesting the finish. Maybe Roglic if he rides ? Like to see Vanendert win.

 

[Velolover2]

I really can't see anyone outkicking Pog if he still is in shape.

He just need to go a bit earlier like Birdsong last year.

 

[Koronin]

Well apparently the TV just updated and Fleche Wallone is being shown on TV again here. Of course it's at a very strange time, but what do you expect. At least I'll get to watch it with a new winner, it well there isn't really a choice in the matter this year.

 

[Jagartrott]

We do the same dance every year I'm afraid, 'maybe this is the year it finally works.'

It's why I hate the race, it never works.

Maybe the lack of clear favourites means that this is the year it finally works. More teams will have no-one who could realistically win from the traditional sprint, so more teams could try to disrupt the race and send their main guy in a breakaway the final 20 km. It could happen. Perhaps. Maybe.

 

[tobydawq]

We do the same dance every year I'm afraid, 'maybe this is the year it finally works.'

It's why I hate the race, it never works.

It doesn't really help that people just forget the action we had the last two years because Alaphilippe ended up winning. Especially in 2018, it was really touch and go whether the break would make it and Schachmann managed to hold on to a 7th place (and Nibali was just steam-rolled but of course everybody was expecting him to win...).

It could be, however, that it's less likely that a break makes it than the last couple of years given that a lot of teams could bet on a finish where it was really only Deceuninck and Movistar that could reasonably do so in the past few years.

In other words: A diametrically opposite conclusion to jagartrott's

 

[Koronin]

Maybe the lack of clear favourites means that this is the year it finally works. More teams will have no-one who could realistically win from the traditional sprint, so more teams could try to disrupt the race and send their main guy in a breakaway the final 20 km. It could happen. Perhaps. Maybe.

Or maybe a bunch of teams that don't even have a clear leader let alone anyone who is going to win a sprint just make sure they send someone or more than one into the break?

 

[tobydawq]

Isn't that the same...?

 

[Jagartrott]

It could be, however, that it's less likely that a break makes it than the last couple of years given that a lot of teams could bet on a finish where it was really only Deceuninck and Movistar that could reasonably do so in the past few years.

In other words: A diametrically opposite conclusion to jagartrott's

This is the internet, so I'm choosing to ignore every opinion that conflicts with mine or would smash my hopes.
Fake news!

 

[jsem94]

I watch less of this race than a one week stage race sprint stage. I watch like 4 minutes of racing where I might watch about 5 minutes of a sprint stage. I don't think we'll see any other type of race than a pure slugfest for the foreseeable future.

That being said, those 4 minutes are pretty great. Sucks that any move from more than 350m out almost certainly will blow up.

 

[tobydawq]

I watch less of this race than a one week stage race sprint stage. I watch like 4 minutes of racing where I might watch about 5 minutes of a sprint stage. I don't think we'll see any other type of race than a pure slugfest for the foreseeable future.

Good for you.

A bit hard to become aware of the fact that there was much more to the race the last two years, then.

 

[jsem94]

Good for you.

A bit hard to become aware of the fact that there was much more to the race the last two years, then.

I mean, I usually end up rewatching parts of it in Eurosport Player, or having it in the background. Last year I scrolled through the race in EP and it was more exciting than usual. But while that was true, it's a bit unfortunate that it all ends up being about the last 2km anyway. It's just the way the race is built, and there's nothing wrong with that. Shouldn't expect too much.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

I watch less of this race than a one week stage race sprint stage. I watch like 4 minutes of racing where I might watch about 5 minutes of a sprint stage. I don't think we'll see any other type of race than a pure slugfest for the foreseeable future.

That being said, those 4 minutes are pretty great. Sucks that any move from more than 350m out almost certainly will blow up.

I like it for being exactly that. For me, it's about who has the best short effort w/kg - the unofficial puncheurs world champs, if you like. Except this year, of course. I'm struggling to make a decent case for anyone. Actually, for that reason I don't think a break will make it. Lots of guys who fancy their chances on the Mur, who wouldn't normally with a prime Ala or Valverde around.

 

[Bardamu]

Dumoulin's riding Fleche and LBL, he misses top form to win either but he'll be somewhere up there.

 

[Eeslliw]

No Roglic, rather going to LBL. Kinda make sense, he looks spend.

 

[Red Rick]

Dumoulin starting for 2 reasons.

1. To make the inveitably futile long range attack
2. Because I said otherwise.