Lesser known races thread 2022

[Devil's Elbow]

Actually an awesome race. Helps that there were a lot of good names on the startlist.

The route change has improved this race so much. They used to only climb the first of the two steps of this climb and it was usually a reduced bunch sprint. Last year they added the full-length climb for the final laps and now it's in every lap.

 

[DaLong]

Sagan finished 69th ahead of ....Quinn Simmons who came in at 75th out of 80. Yikes. Both having terrible years. At least they finished I guess.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Sagan finished 69th ahead of ....Quinn Simmons who came in at 75th out of 80. Yikes. Both having terrible years. At least they finished I guess.

First race back for Sagan after taking break and the route was hilly, no surprises.

 

[yaco]

So that's why Matthews and Groves dissapeared of the Argau startlist?

Groves is riding the two races - Matthews is riding Suisse - The relegation system is making a farce of cycling.

 

[DaLong]

First race back for Sagan after taking break and the route was hilly, no surprises.

Totally. I am a huge Sagan fan so was no dig on him at all, more so a dig at Simmons - did something happen to him since his stint as a mountain goat at T-A?

 

[postmanhat]

The route change has improved this race so much. They used to only climb the first of the two steps of this climb and it was usually a reduced bunch sprint. Last year they added the full-length climb for the final laps and now it's in every lap.

Thanks. Watched it for the first time time today and thought it was a great course. But was wondering how Kristoff had won it three times.

 

[Ricco']

Sagan finished 69th ahead of ....Quinn Simmons who came in at 75th out of 80. Yikes. Both having terrible years. At least they finished I guess.

Simmons was very recently doing long training sessions with his father and brother in Colorado. I think it was even last weekend (not sure, but I recall seeing that in social media very recently), so he should have traveled and gone straight to racing.

I also think calling it terrible years is a bit harsh. Sure it's not Evenepoel level of results but winning Tour de Wallonie as a 1st and a half year pro is not terrible and he was also very good in the beginning of this season (good performance in Strade Bianche and very strong overall in Tirreno-Adriatico, winning the KOM) before falling ill before the classics.

 

[DaLong]

Simmons was very recently doing long training sessions with his father and brother in Colorado. I think it was even last weekend (not sure, but I recall seeing that in social media very recently), so he should have traveled and gone straight to racing.

I also think calling it terrible years is a bit harsh. Sure it's not Evenepoel level of results but winning Tour de Wallonie as a 1st and a half year pro is not terrible and he was also very good in the beginning of this season (good performance in Strade Bianche and very strong overall in Tirreno-Adriatico, winning the KOM) before falling ill before the classics.

Ah, I was referring to his 2022 season so far, only 75 PCS points and most from that stellar result at SB. I didn't know he fell ill, could explain why he slumped so hard since.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Sagan finished 69th ahead of ....Quinn Simmons who came in at 75th out of 80. Yikes. Both having terrible years. At least they finished I guess.

Has Simmons had a good year though? Last year was probably the best since starting as a pro in 2020 but even then it was average at best.

 

[Ricco']

Ah, I was referring to his 2022 season so far, only 75 PCS points and most from that stellar result at SB. I didn't know he fell ill, could explain why he slumped so hard since.

Yes, after Tirreno and before going to Belgium. I think it was the same kind of flu/bug that caught several riders of the peloton at that period. When he returned racing the legs he felt at Tirreno weren't there.

 

[DaLong]

Has Simmons had a good year though? Last year was probably the best since starting as a pro in 2020 but even then it was average at best.

Fair. Putting him in the same sentence as Sagan isn't really fair to one of the best cyclists of our generation.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Meanwhile Reyes and Duarte made a 1-2 in the Vuelta a Colombia, with Duarte taking the leaders jersey.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Might Babyface finally be getting past it? Still 14 minutes down...

 

[Mayomaniac]

Might Babyface finally be getting past it? Still 14 minutes down...

Ib4 he dominates the final TT...

 

[Devil's Elbow]

F. Vermeersch, Wellens, Van der Hoorn and Van Den Bossche on the attack in Hageland. Up to half a minute with 33k to go, first and second peloton about to regroup - about 50 riders between both groups.

 

[Bonimenier]

They have a lot of trouble closing the final gap on the 4

 

[Devil's Elbow]

All back together, might well end up in a sprint up the Citadel.

 

[Bonimenier]

Riesebeek with a decent gap now. 7 km to go.

 

[Didinho]

Alpecin controlling the race very well, could be over

 

[postmanhat]

Vermmersch was going well on the gravel but was then called back to look fter De Lie. Could be a costly mistake

 

[Didinho]

Hard last km, can be close

 

[Didinho]

Alpecin 1-2. Senechal 3th with a puncture

 

[Devil's Elbow]

They handed that on a platter.

 

[Orbit501]

Senechal said he had three punctures in the race today. The last one meant riding up to the Citadel for the sprint on a flat tyre
With luck like that, is he Sep Vanmarcke in disguise?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I didn't know who Rainer Kepplinger was and was surprised to learn he had beaten Guerin in Oberösterreich. Apparently he's a former rower who only started riding (seriously) last year after he had suffered from glandular fever at then end of 2020.