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

[topcat]

If WVA was that strong he wouldn't have been looking around for help in the final 12 kms. He knew Phillipsen wouldn't ride with him and the others could barely contribute. The gap went from 18 seconds to 35 then VDP knew he had it won and backed off a little. I thought it was obvious who was the strongest.

I agree. If Wout was that strong. He would have eaten into MVDP’s lead. He’s the better timetrialer after all. Wout rode a great race up till that point. But it was up to him to chase down MVDP if he wanted to win. He didn’t because he couldn’t or else he had a brain fart.

 

[Didinho]

Maybe, maybe not. A tire that is going down, can still allow you to go around that corner that quickly...because it wasn't at blazing speed.

It's just stupid to suggest he wouldn't have been able to hold MVDP's wheel. Nothing in the race suggested that. Nothing.

Where did I say he couldn't hold the wheel? I just said when I thought his wheel slipped the first time. If it was this flat in the corner he would've slipped even harder than when he was riding straight.

For me they would be together after the sector, but the finale would be totally different. Maybe even more chance for a Philipsen win, if he goes with an attacker if it all came together.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

With a flat you can't take the corner like that. 20-30m after the turn you could see his backwheel slip for the first time. Mathieu was already closer there.

No evidence, other than Wout saying he had a flat before the corner...you know, but since you know so much about the physics of cornering, he has to be wrong:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ai9NHaB5eY&t=71s

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

I agree. If Wout was that strong. He would have eaten into MVDP’s lead. He’s the better timetrialer after all. Wout rode a great race up till that point. But it was up to him to chase down MVDP if he wanted to win. He didn’t because he couldn’t or else he had a brain fart.

Two riders at the same level of fitness, after 200km of racing, one is 30 seconds ahead, the other has to chase for 12km. Nobody eats anyone's lead. Even if you're stronger, as...not sure if you understand this...when one rider catches another, that means the chasing rider is expending greater energy than the rider who was in front. Even if you catch, you're kanckered at that point.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Where did I say he couldn't hold the wheel? I just said when I thought his wheel slipped the first time. If it was this flat in the corner he would've slipped even harder than when he was riding straight.

For me they would be together after the sector, but the finale would be totally different. Maybe even more chance for a Philipsen win, if he goes with an attacker if it all came together.

Maybe, but Philipsen would have had to catch, and that assumes that MVDP doesn't keep riding, which, based on his tactics earlier, is not guaranteed. In fact, I say he thinks he's strong enough to not wait for Philipsen, in that scenario.

But like I said, all I have is "would have - could have's", and your guy got the win. Chapeau to MVDP. I don't dislike him, I just dislike some of his fans. Some of you guys are obnoxious.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Generalizing fans of a certain rider is stupid as well. I actually agree with most of what you're saying here but you might wanna chill a bit.

Fair enough, SOME of his fans...particularly some who post here.

 

[Gratemans]

Fair enough, SOME of his fans...particularly some who post here.

Just put that one guy on ignore, I know I did

 

[RobertCrawley]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1645083813939224580

View: https://twitter.com/parisroubaix/status/1645083813939224580?s=20


Sportsmanship.

 

[vwpe]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1645083813939224580

View: https://twitter.com/parisroubaix/status/1645083813939224580?s=20


Sportsmanship.

Van Aert is a huge sportsman and seems like a really good man, talked to him on several occasions its hard not to have respect for the guy. Just cause someone is better doesnt mean the other is bad just mean someone is better...


Today i feel for Wout as PR is the one place he can compete vs MVDP and he had terrible luck at terrible timing.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1645083813939224580

View: https://twitter.com/parisroubaix/status/1645083813939224580?s=20


Sportsmanship.

As is typical between these two.

 

[Didinho]

Fastest ever Roubaix? Wasn't this also the case in Sanremo?

 

[Leinster]

Him too. But it's harder to win flat monuments when the world is against you (he didn't have a convenient foil like wva). If you can lead the tdf into the third week and also win fleche 3x you have no excuse not to take out liege multiple times.

Alaphillipe spent his early career plagued by impatience and poor judgement and the last couple years by injury and crashes. The number of times he's shown up to a race with the best legs and gone home empty handed is unrivaled. Look at his one Flanders result. He's very creative in finding rakes to step on.

I’m not gonna make “excuses” for him, but there was really only one LBL where you could say he blew it; the rest he was either just not the strongest, or his teammate was up the road. I agree that he should have a couple more monuments than he does, but a) 8 is overdoing it and b) if his 2 WC wins are the karmic exchange he makes for that, I’d say he’s happy.

 

[ppanther92]

MvdP and WvA were really good today (as expected, I would say). The best two of the pack. To me the race looked like they matched each other quite evenly on the pavees, in the sprint I would have slightly favored MvdP anyway.

The rider I am really gutted for is Degenkolb though. Crash was really unfortunate for him and he looked the strongest he has been for a long time. Think podium would have been totally possible.

 

[fbjim]

Fastest ever Roubaix? Wasn't this also the case in Sanremo?

and Flanders.

strong tailwind today, and Flanders had the unusual situation of a break not going until very late in the opening section (and a period of flat out riding due to a field split)

 

[Hugh Januss]

VdP probably should have sat on in that situation with Philipsen just behind, but he likely wouldn't have judging by the boneheaded way he'd ridden up to that point.

VDP wants to win every race he is in, his odds are better than 50-50 if he goes to the line with just Van Aert and much less from a small group. The longer and faster the sprint is the better Van Aert's chances vs. VDP, however with Pederson and Ganna in the group you could tell that neither VDP or Van Aert wanted to leave it to a group sprint. VDP regarded Phillipsen more as a foil to aid his own chances rather than a potential winner. I wonder if Van Aert and LaPorte were using the adjustable tire pressure gimmick, they each had 2 flats during the race.

 

[Boehmand]

Fair enough, SOME of his fans...particularly some who post here.

There is no need for a disagreement on an alternative theoretical outcome of a cycling race, to devolve into snide comments, check yourself.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

VDP wants to win every race he is in, his odds are better than 50-50 if he goes to the line with just Van Aert and much less from a small group. The longer and faster the sprint is the better Van Aert's chances vs. VDP, however with Pederson and Ganna in the group you could tell that neither VDP or Van Aert wanted to leave it to a group sprint. VDP regarded Phillipsen more as a foil to aid his own chances rather than a potential winner. I wonder if Van Aert and LaPorte were using the adjustable tire pressure gimmick, they each had 2 flats during the race.

Evidently, they weren't...at least they didn't have a carbon wheel collapse.

 

[Lequack]

What a race, Paris Roubaix delivers yet again. Shame for Wout's puncture, that would have been an awesome sprint at the end.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

If WVA was that strong he wouldn't have been looking around for help in the final 12 kms. He knew Phillipsen wouldn't ride with him and the others could barely contribute. The gap went from 18 seconds to 35 then VDP knew he had it won and backed off a little. I thought it was obvious who was the strongest.

I agree. If Wout was that strong. He would have eaten into MVDP’s lead. He’s the better timetrialer after all. Wout rode a great race up till that point. But it was up to him to chase down MVDP if he wanted to win. He didn’t because he couldn’t or else he had a brain fart.

Oh my god, you guys are serious. Yes, Van Aert should obviously kill himself off trying to bridge to Van der Poel with 5 guys in his wheel, including the best sprinter of the past 12 months. WTF lol.

 

[Spine Concept]

Both Wout and Mathieu are huge sportsmen and both have shown grace both in winning and in losing. Both also have toxic fans. This is inevitable. It’s not like the one’s fanbase is more toxic than the other, but that’s the case for most great riders. For example, I wouldn’t engage with several Evenepoel fans on this forum.

Anyway, any real cycling fan should be disappointed with Wout’s puncture. Seeing Mathieu and Wout in a sprint a deux on the Velodrome after such a battle is a dream scenario for anyone who is a cycling romanticist.

This is not to say that Mathieu isn’t a deserving winner. He animated the race and attacked the most. Any of Wout or Mathieu would have been a deserving winner today. No one in here can say the one would have beaten the other in a sprint. It’s fanboyism to say you “know for sure”. They’ve both gotten the better of each other in a sprint in many different races.

Chapeau Mathieu, you beast.

 

[pmcg76]

Sadly, my 2 favourite races of the year over again(De Ronde & P-R). Amazing that the race was "on" so early with all the favourites in the break, but felt it lacked a bit of action until Carrefour section, and we were then robbed of an epic finish.

On the incidents, the Degenkolb crash was just a racing incident. Sadly robbed the German of a chance to compete for the win.

I think MDVP and WVA were evenly matched today which is why the puncture was such a heartbreaker. Of course WVA was not going to close the gap by himself, towing Philipsen all the way. If it had been a mano-a-mano chase it might have been more interesting.

Great ride by Philipsen, I loathe sprinters or at least one-trick pony sprinters so clearly Philipsen does not fall into that category. Scheldeprijs and 2nd in Roubaix in the same week, impressive, most impressive.

Overall, think Flanders was the better race this year.

 

[Lequack]

Ia this a conspiracy?

 

[Rackham]

Both Wout and Mathieu are huge sportsmen and both have shown grace both in winning and in losing. Both also have toxic fans. This is inevitable. It’s not like the one’s fanbase is more toxic than the other, but that’s the case for most great riders. For example, I wouldn’t engage with several Evenepoel fans on this forum.

Anyway, any real cycling fan should be disappointed with Wout’s puncture.

Yes.

It robbed the race of the finale we all wanted. Incidents (crashes & mechanicals) are part of the reason the sport is so exciting because anything can & usually does happen, but today we just wanted a fair mano-a-mano between the two best riders in the race.

I think any Van der Poel fan who's really a mega fan of the rider would have wanted the same, for the sake of historical significance. A Van der Poel versus Van Aert sprint for the win in Roubaix would have been replayed for years to come (& remembered).

 

[Bolder]

MvdP and WvA were really good today (as expected, I would say). The best two of the pack. To me the race looked like they matched each other quite evenly on the pavees, in the sprint I would have slightly favored MvdP anyway.

The rider I am really gutted for is Degenkolb though. Crash was really unfortunate for him and he looked the strongest he has been for a long time. Think podium would have been totally possible.

My thoughts exactly. Even if Degenkolb's crash hadn't split the group, MvdP would have been able to ride away. And Wout probably could have followed. But I think he would have lost a heads up sprint.

That final group of 7 was beastly. It's a bit sad that bad luck played such a big role, but that's PR for you.

 

[Didinho]

My thoughts exactly. Even if Degenkolb's crash hadn't split the group, MvdP would have been able to ride away. And Wout probably could have followed. But I think he would have lost a heads up sprint.

That final group of 7 was beastly. It's a bit sad that bad luck played such a big role, but that's PR for you.

Stuyven and Laporte punctured on Arenberg, Asgreen and Van Baarle crashed there. Lampaert held back by the crash. The other stronger riders were all in front early. You knew they were gone for the win.