Lesser known races 2023 edition

[staubsauger]

It wasn't Venturini in the dump. It was Stan Dewulf.

Yes, just wanted to correct me. It was De Wulf indeed!

 

[Lequack]

That was a pretty exciting race today, a lot of small groups and also crashes unfortunately.

Hugo breaking his handelabars twice

https://twitter.com/x/status/1636376975442079749

View: https://twitter.com/eurosport/status/1636376975442079749?s=20


AG2R rider heads into a pile of manure

https://twitter.com/x/status/1636374276432625667

View: https://twitter.com/eurosport/status/1636374276432625667?s=20

 

[Orbit501]

Stan de Wulf took a tumble into a dung pile. Steering error -> misses the turn - > somersault into the doo-doo!

I assumed it was Stan DeWulf as he was the AG2R rider off the front of the peloton and chasing, but wasn't quite sure. A funny moment in a race that had a few to be fair, which all added to the excitement.
Mikkel Bjerg was the star rider today for me, along with EBH and a nice win for Molano.

 

[Lequack]

Mikkel Bjerg was the star rider today for me, along with EBH and a nice win for Molano.

I agree, Mikkel Bjerg in an absolute beast, in a good way. Not to mention how much he's contributed to all the Pogacar wins this season as well. I wish he or the team would let him to go for the wins himself, but then again maybe he doesn't want the pressure.

 

[staubsauger]

I agree with you too. Bjerg held off a whole Jumbo team chasing nearly on his own. Although they were eventually helped by the last crashes.

I haven't seen Boasson Hagen this strong for a long time. This race wasn't exactly weak. Didn't saw this performance coming any more.

Molano won this deserved. It wasn't just a lame bunch sprint. In fact he was the one sprinter that always had been alert and came through the cobble section without harm.

 

[tobydawq]

Sounds like he was having a shitty day...

He probably had to walk home. I wouldn't imagine the bus driver would want such a smell in his bus.

 

[DNP-Old]

Raining super hard on Rhodes. There goes the first win for Herzog or The Flying Moustache.

The Moustache 3rd today!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Those were two very pointless ascents of Kemmelberg, all that happened was Lotto and Intermarché going for the chasse patate with two riders each. All the sprinters need to survive now are De Moeren (not sure the wind is strong enough though) and of course the potential for a demolition derby. Tesson and Weemaes have crashed out, Mihkels was a DNS.

 

[Samamba]

Those were two very pointless ascents of Kemmelberg, all that happened was Lotto and Intermarché going for the chasse patate with two riders each. All the sprinters need to survive now are De Moeren (not sure the wind is strong enough though) and of course the potential for a demolition derby. Tesson and Weemaes have crashed out, Mihkels was a DNS.

Race is horrible without wind. Can't do anything cause there's always teams that don't want to attack cause its still 90k after the last Kemmel. Same as last year.

Races in Belgium are really unlucky with the weather lately. A lot of days with a lot of wind but then the only days without wind are the onew when Nokere and Bredene are being raced.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Race is horrible without wind. Can't do anything cause there's always teams that don't want to attack cause its still 90k after the last Kemmel. Same as last year.

I honestly can't remember the last time we had echelons in Belgium in a spring race, been a few unfortunate years weather wise. I guess the lesson is that more Belgian races should start in Zeeland

 

[tobydawq]

I honestly can't remember the last time we had echelons in Belgium in a spring race, been a few unfortunate years weather wise. I guess the lesson is that more Belgian races should start in Zeeland

Scheldeprijs 2022?

 

[Samamba]

Lotto tries but just impossible with this wind.

Also pretty annoying QS has Merlier now. They are normally the team that tries to make a race hard in Belgium, now they do the opposite. Strongest team having the best sprinters is always bad for a race.

 

[Samamba]

Ffs. Campenaerts classic season is done.

 

[staubsauger]

Scheldeprijs 2022?

2020 De Panne when Yves Lampert won as well. VdP got blown into a dike!

 

[search]

are UAE and Alpecin racing this hard due to the wind or because Merlier is caught behind after a crash+mechanical?

 

[search]

2021 De Panne when Yves Lampert won as well. VdP got blown into a dike!

that was a great race indeed (2020 btw), but more of a "fall classic" back then.

 

[Samamba]

are UAE and Alpecin racing this hard due to the wind or because Merlier is caught behind after a crash+mechanical?

Think we all know why. They can, but I don't like it. Definitely knowing jury doesn't let the cars behind the peloton while it was split due to a crash and not due to some teams trying to cause echelons.

 

[Netserk]

Commentators in my country are usually great and they have commentated for a long time and have great chemistry with each other commenting.

However, for some smaller races we have to make due with the English commentary sometimes and this woman has been commenting a few of these early in the season races. I am not a fan, I will leave it at that.

Speaking of commentators, Danish Eurosport had Bay and Worre commentating, my favourite pairing.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Scheldeprijs 2022?

Those echelons were formed completely in the Netherlands, hence the Zeeland remark.

 

[RedheadDane]

"This your bike?"
"Nope."
"This one?"
"Nah..."
"How about this?"
"No..."
"This?"
"YES"

 

[RedheadDane]

Thijssen!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Molano was already celebrating for Ackermann. Oops.

 

[Faserr]

He is really fast at the moment. Ackermann should have won this.

 

[RedheadDane]

Molano was already celebrating for Ackermann. Oops.

Ackermann has people to do the "celebrating too early" thing for him.

 

[DNP-Old]

Molano celebrated a win that wasn't even himself too early, yet Thijssen somehow still ends up being the bigger clown. What the hell was that?