Lesser known races 2026 edition

[Ilmaestro99]

I'll never cheer a uae rider. But in the modern era the riders who just go off early and get their head down are the smart ones who deserve the win. These clowns have no idea how to race in a group and this happens more and more often.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

red bull take 30km to decide to work. great stuff.

 

[Samamba]

So 2 Pinarello's, 2 Movistars and 1 Red Bull (ok dropped cause of flat) did absolutely nothing earlier and are now not in the group anymore. Like I just don't get it. What goes through their heads.

 

[Cycling111]

When Picok attacked, they reduced the gap to 45 seconds, but it's useless if they don't continue at that pace.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

what is the point of discovery/tnt having 2 feeds if you are putting ads in both...

 

[Tim Cahill]

Kindly Uncle Aldag would've got them to mow it down properly, the man who knew everyone on the team, would say hello to the tea lady and kitman in the morning, asking how his family were doing, handing out sweets to the kids at Christmas. Replaced by soulless technocrats and nepo babies who use chat gpt for their cycling tactics.

 

[Netserk]

good save

 

[RedheadDane]

 

[Samamba]

That was close

 

[Rou]

Go Tom!

 

[Rou]

MSR Mohoric is back

 

[Lievro]

The MTB-past of Wellens helped him a lot.
What a ride!

 

[Netserk]

hats off to wellens, deserved winner

 

[Squire]

I'll never cheer a uae rider. But in the modern era the riders who just go off early and get their head down are the smart ones who deserve the win. These clowns have no idea how to race in a group and this happens more and more often.

While I agree that group 2 riding has been horrible for some years now, it also gets a bit artificial and difficult when the solo attacker has 4 strong riders in the second group while the domestiques of the other leaders have slowly whittled away. It was easier to get organized when each team were only able to have one or two guys in the finale.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Wellens the strongest here but it must be disheartening to get a chase going when you look round and see 4 Saunier Duval subsidiary riders still there following every attack in the chasing group behind.

 

[Cycling111]

While I agree that group 2 riding has been horrible for some years now, it also gets a bit artificial and difficult when the solo attacker has 4 strong riders in the second group while the domestiques of the other leaders have slowly whittled away. It was easier to get organized when each team were only able to have one or two guys in the finale.

We've seen it in Alula and Provence too. And they were Lotto and a Proconti riders. Teams are getting worse at organizing unless it's a race for sprinters.

 

[Samamba]

40s if they just rode like normal smart teams they would've caught Wellens imo.

Still possible if Wellens cracks and Pidcock and Van Gils work together, but then Christen just wins ofc, so that would be very lame

 

[Tim Cahill]

The finish is brutal, they can still drag Jan Christen to the win here

 

[Netserk]

grande pidders!

 

[Rou]

They might catch him. Waiting for Christen to do a 'smart' move.

 

[Samamba]

This might be a very painful ending for Wellens

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

pidcock looking strong. he often flatters to deceive

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Wellens the strongest here but it must be disheartening to get a chase going when you look round and see 4 Saunier Duval subsidiary riders still there following every attack in the chasing group behind.

The other teams have to start signing riders with poor eye sight/colour blindness so they can't register who's in their groups.

 

[Berniece]

40s if they just rode like normal smart teams they would've caught Wellens imo.

Still possible if Wellens cracks and Pidcock and Van Gils work together, but then Christen just wins ofc, so that would be very lame

WC 2024 all over again

 

[tobydawq]

Good to see the two Red Bulls trading pulls.