Paris - Roubaix 2024, one day monument, April 7

[kingjr]

It's insane how every Roubaix commentators will tell the story of "Hinault hated the race, raced it once and won it" then you check the actual stats and he raced it 5 times, including after he won

If you want your mind truly blown, check his GT stats.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Kind funny how Mads Pedersen gets hyped when the absolute best riders in the biggest one day races time and time proves to be not one, but two levels above him. He's just the second best bet which speaks more of the rest of the field with depleted rosters everywhere. He's a great rider, don't get me wrong - and I love how he race etc. - he just doesn't have the god given talent of riders like Mathieu, Pogacar and Van Aert.

That excludes his race in Glasgow in 2023 which I found highly impressive, much more so than his win in 2019 which was in a weird transition phase with bad weather and bonking Mathieu.

 

[USAChrisKY]

For me, this years race was very underwhelming compared to last year. But just a personal opinion.

 

[Volderke]

got lucky the race had already split up

would have been a disaster had the peloton been together

Would have been all the same, me things. It would be like just any other curve, the only difference being that you can take that curve even slower as there is another curve coming immediately.

If the peloton would have been together, a bigger disaster was any high speed crash in the forest.

 

[Slavique Nuke]

2010 Paris Roubaix average speed 39.32kmh (the one where people question whether Fabian had a motor)

2012 Paris Roubaix average speed 43.4kmh (Last time Boonen won)

2024 Paris Roubaix average speed 47.85kmh (And they had a freaking chicane)

Canc and Boonen don't make top 50 in todays race. Max Walscheid Joey Rosskopf is a superior rider to both of them.

EDIT:
In fact, every rider (even those outside of the time cut) beat Canc, and they also beat Boonen. Both are OTL in today's race.

You do the math.

Go out and ride a bike that is almost 15 years old and then compare it with a current top-of-the-range bike. And see which one is faster.

 

[Valv.Piti]

For me, this years race was very underwhelming compared to last year. But just a personal opinion.

It was. Take out Laporte and Wouts bad luck and thats the pinnacle of Roubaix

 

[titan31]

Can't be the only one getting a bit bored of cycling. Feels like most races we get one of the bigger guys entering and just dominating. Unless they line up alongside each other, races seem way too predictable. Considering the crashes lately, we're likely getting some boring GTs too to go with all one days.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Go out and ride a bike that is almost 15 years old and then compare it with a current top-of-the-range bike. And see which one is faster.

So, you're telling me that Cancellara and Boonen don't beat Joey Rosskopf because of a bike? Is that a joke?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Can't be the only one getting a bit bored of cycling. Feels like most races we get one of the bigger guys entering and just dominating. Unless they line up alongside each other, races seem way too predictable. Considering the crashes lately, we're likely getting some boring GTs too to go with all one days.

Extremely unlucky. How it have played out this year we get completely robbed over and over. Hopefully we will see Mathieu in Liege, but really, against Pogacar?

Next really big race where I can see them lining up is TdF (Remco, Jonas, Pogi, Roglic) and Olympics/Worlds. (Wout, Pog, Mathieu, Remco). These better deliver

 

[jmdirt]

WOW! Team Hair Booster
WOW! MvdP!

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Wow, MVP absolutely crushed the rest here: 60 km attack and 3 minute gap. Congrats on his 6th monument (or 7th with WC) and Flandres-Roubaix double! Hopefully next year Mighty Wout will be present during cobbles season (and Teddy Merckx as well!).

 

[jmdirt]

I didn't want to dilute my WOW! post with this so...the thing that they put at the entrance to the Arenberg Forrest is STUPID with a capital F!

And not even playing semantics, that isn't a chicane in any language.

 

[awavey]

got lucky the race had already split up

would have been a disaster had the peloton been together

It likely almost forced that to happen as everyone had identified it as problem area to avoid.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Kind funny how Mads Pedersen gets hyped when the absolute best riders in the biggest one day races time and time proves to be not one, but two levels above him. He's just the second best bet which speaks more of the rest of the field with depleted rosters everywhere. He's a great rider, don't get me wrong - and I love how he race etc. - he just doesn't have the god given talent of riders like Mathieu, Pogacar and Van Aert.

That excludes his race in Glasgow in 2023 which I found highly impressive, much more so than his win in 2019 which was in a weird transition phase with bad weather and bonking Mathieu.

Am I the only one who thinks that Mads rode a stupid race when he seemed to think it was all on him to chase (and chase) Kung, Politt and Vermeersch? There was about 75 K's to go at that point, time to play poker not use up your last remaining teammate and then some of yourself to do all the chasing for a group of at least 20. He seems to spend his energy too freely, like he thinks he's on an equal footing with VdP and not that his only job should be try to stay with VdP when the big attack comes.

 

[staubsauger]

Am I the only one who thinks that Mads rode a stupid race when he seemed to think it was all on him to chase (and chase) Kung, Politt and Vermeersch? There was about 75 K's to go at that point, time to play poker not use up your last remaining teammate and then some of yourself to do all the chasing for a group of at least 20. He seems to spend his energy too freely, like he thinks he's on an equal footing with VdP and not that his only job should be try to stay with VdP when the big attack comes.

It was.

That actually was a superb error by Alpecin. Philipsen gets back on. Vermeersch instantly attacks with overconfidence. Taking Küng & Politt with him. Exactly the 2 big motors that never should be allowed away at Paris-Roubaix.

Then, Lidl saves Van der Poel the race.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Am I the only one who thinks that Mads rode a stupid race when he seemed to think it was all on him to chase (and chase) Kung, Politt and Vermeersch? There was about 75 K's to go at that point, time to play poker not use up your last remaining teammate and then some of yourself to do all the chasing for a group of at least 20. He seems to spend his energy too freely, like he thinks he's on an equal footing with VdP and not that his only job should be try to stay with VdP when the big attack comes.

No, Lidl rode like idiots. Again.

 

[jmdirt]

Am I the only one who thinks that Mads rode a stupid race when he seemed to think it was all on him to chase (and chase) Kung, Politt and Vermeersch? There was about 75 K's to go at that point, time to play poker not use up your last remaining teammate and then some of yourself to do all the chasing for a group of at least 20. He seems to spend his energy too freely, like he thinks he's on an equal footing with VdP and not that his only job should be try to stay with VdP when the big attack comes.

The answer to your question is probably no.

I don't agree with you though. Team Hair Booster was stalling for JP so they weren't doing anything. Trek had to make a decision. Obviously they could have assumed that ADC would drill it back, but Trek was playing several what ifs. One of them being, "what if we can keep JP out of the break?', another being, 'what if we put MvdP under pressure while he is waiting?'. Should they have called it off a little quicker? Maybe?

Mads was just sitting on ADC (just like MvdP) for a lot of the race so...
Mads/Trek has to at least do something in the race, right?...

 

[Mayomaniac]

It was.

That actually was a superb error by Alpecin. Philipsen gets back on. Vermeersch instantly attacks with overconfidence. Taking Küng & Politt with him. Exactly the 2 big motors that never should be allowed away at Paris-Roubaix.

Then, Lidl saves Van der Poel the race.

Pretty much this.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Am I the only one who thinks that Mads rode a stupid race when he seemed to think it was all on him to chase (and chase) Kung, Politt and Vermeersch? There was about 75 K's to go at that point, time to play poker not use up your last remaining teammate and then some of yourself to do all the chasing for a group of at least 20. He seems to spend his energy too freely, like he thinks he's on an equal footing with VdP and not that his only job should be try to stay with VdP when the big attack comes.

Tbh ADC really dropped the ball, or Vermeesch really in that part. But given what we know it wouldnt have changed a thing since Mathieu would have attacked with 60 to go anyways and just won, but I dno, I think ADC really played it terrible when he attacked and then Lidl failed to called the bluff. That was the only bad situation for Mathieu in the entire race

 

[Slavique Nuke]

So, you're telling me that Cancellara and Boonen don't beat Joey Rosskopf because of a bike? Is that a joke?

I'm just telling you that your comparison is ***

 

[Hugh Januss]

It was.

That actually was a superb error by Alpecin. Philipsen gets back on. Vermeersch instantly attacks with overconfidence. Taking Küng & Politt with him. Exactly the 2 big motors that never should be allowed away at Paris-Roubaix.

Then, Lidl saves Van der Poel the race.

It looked to me like Vermeesch went to the front to get the pace back up after Philipsen's recovery and there was a general hesitation then the other 2 jumped across. Had they stayed away (had Vacek not dragged them back) Vermeesch would have a free ride and Van der Poel would have a target to bridge across to. Because no way he lets that go to the velodrome, he plays the teammate up the road card for a while and then basically does what he did anyway only maybe a bit later. And that is what Mads should have been waiting for, not "let me work my ass off so Matthew can attack over me and ride off to glory".

 

[Unchained]

Watching Alpecin bully the peloton was pretty depressing. Almost felt bad for some of them.

It was actually the highlight of the race for me, seeing Alpecin immediately getting on anyone moving was impressive. And seeing them win the race and the sprint was really incredible!!

 

[jmdirt]

[content dleted

Chewy isn't stupid, but comparing years without comparing about 10 other factors isn't relevant.

 

[Volderke]

It looked to me like Vermeesch went to the front to get the pace back up after Philipsen's recovery and there was a general hesitation then the other 2 jumped across. Had they stayed away (had Vacek not dragged them back) Vermeesch would have a free ride and Van der Poel would have a target to bridge across to. Because no way he lets that go to the velodrome, he plays the teammate up the road card for a while and then basically does what he did anyway only maybe a bit later. And that is what Mads should have been waiting for, not "let me work my ass off so Matthew can attack over me and ride off to glory".

I said that live in the race, but even then, some forum members (and Trek DS) thought it was a brilliant idea to sacrifice Vacek / Theuns, and Pedersen next, to give MvdP that free ride. Vermeersch was on form though, and not doing anything was high-level poker. But it seems even before MvdP went, Trek was already riding for the podium and not for the win.

 

[ppanther92]

Unpopular opinion: I liked the chicane and going in Arenberg at low speed. Makes it even harder. But obviously it helped that it was a 30 rider group going in there and not a 120 rider peloton.