Paris-Roubaix 2023, one day monument, April 9 (men's)

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for all the talk about Roubaix being a lottery it's not as if scrubs win the race. you get an upset win once a decade or so like Guesdon or Hayman but it's not like randos are winning the race all the time
Hayman was epic too.

It's true, though, that you get some more unexpected winners (Colbrelli and Van Baarle), but the flip side of that is 105km of constant, consistent action. It's a roulette, but part of the excitement comes from that - and I think unlike Flanders, being the strongest guarantees little.
 
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for all the talk about Roubaix being a lottery it's not as if scrubs win the race. you get an upset win once a decade or so like Guesdon or Hayman but it's not like randos are winning the race all the time
Hayman wasn't a real upset, he had multiple top 10 finishes and the race was his favourite. Even Boonen wasn't terribly surprised and was happy for Hayman.
 
Yeah, they made amazing moves like Laporte puncturing in Arenberg and Van Aert puncturing in Carrefour de l‘Arbre when he was in front on his own because Van der Poel and Philipsen did a bike handling and coordination master class crashing another guy out of contention.
Luck, not puncturing , and not crashing (not all the same thing, but certainly all inter-connected) have always been part of the uncontrollables of winning Roubaix.

That has nothing to do with Alpecin leveraging Philipsen’s presence in the front group to help MvdP get away solo.
 
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Gotta love how you can now cause crashes to your own benefit in the final of a monument.
A benefit taking 7th instead of being in podium chances?

It's a combo of Degenkolb's own fault, being too eager, and a racing indicent.

Degenkolb becomes belligerent as MvDP passes him.
Instead of giving in, behind MvDP, Degenkolb gives him a 'wing' to force his place - when just in very same moment Philipsen - totally coincidently and without any fault at all, looking ahead on hard cobble section - moves right in MvDP's and Degenkolb's direction.
I write it again - I've been keen of Degenkolb for years, but neither Philipsen nor MvDP is to blame here.
 
Everyone who thinks it would be a sprint if he didn't puncture. Mathieu would stay in Wout's wheel with Philipsen just behind. It would be more tactical and it would be a whole other final.

I'm so happy right now, Mathieu got his Roubaix. Philipsen finally his breakthrough in the classics (although I think de Ronde is too hard). Strong team effort from Alpecin, a little bit of luck with the Degenkolb crash.
A pitty it happened this way, but that's part of Roubaix. You got to be strong and lucky.

Also was immagining this race with Pogi, he doesn't weight much more than Philipsen I think. He's gonna choo choo here next year for sure.

And Mathieu could do a leadout for Philipsen when he finished.
 
Hayman wasn't a real upset, he had multiple top 10 finishes and the race was his favourite. Even Boonen wasn't terribly surprised and was happy for Hayman.
Hayman had a good record at Roubaix, but that doesn’t mean him winning it, from the early break, in a 4-up sprint with a TdF green jersey, wasn’t an upset/surprise/underdog result. You could dig up 100 preview articles, online and in print, from the week before the race, and any mention you might find about him would have been more about his broken arm than his chances of winning.
 
A benefit taking 7th instead of being in podium chances?

It's a combo of Degenkolb's own fault, being too eager, and a racing indicent.

Degenkolb becomes belligerent as MvDP passes him.
Instead of giving in, behind MvDP, Degenkolb gives him a 'wing' to force his place - when just in very same moment Philipsen - totally coincidently and without any fault at all, looking ahead on hard cobble section - moves right in MvDP's and Degenkolb's direction.
I write it again - I've been keen of Degenkolb for years, but neither Philipsen nor MvDP is to blame here.
From what I saw, Phillipsen held his position which he is entitled to do. The initial mistake wasn't caused by him.
 
A benefit taking 7th instead of being in podium chances?

It's a combo of Degenkolb's own fault, being too eager, and a racing indicent.

Degenkolb becomes belligerent as MvDP passes him.
Instead of giving in, behind MvDP, Degenkolb gives him a 'wing' to force his place - when just in very same moment Philipsen - totally coincidently and without any fault at all, looking ahead on hard cobble section - moves right in MvDP's and Degenkolb's direction.
I write it again - I've been keen of Degenkolb for years, but neither Philipsen nor MvDP is to blame here.
Ah here. I don’t think “fault” or “blame” are words that should be thrown around either way, but to blame Degenkolb for his own crash is really pushing it.