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Cool, now I hope Alpecin brings in Del Grosso. The way he rode in Denain over the cobbles was impressive.Brennan IN for Visma
Brennan the only teenager to ride the race after WW2 apart from Tanguy Turgis?
yep. From PCS:I think Tarling did Roubaix in 2023, August did it as well last year.
Is there anything about this system (other than rider error in terms of timing of increasing/decreasing pressures) that would make flats more likely? Doesn't it use the same tires and Reserve rims they would otherwise be using?I already had a bad feeling (after the mishaps with Laporte's flat on the system), but the flat on Arenberg in the recon today, strengthens my feeling that Wout shouldn't treat Roubaix as a testing ground / guinea pig for manufacturers / sponsors.
View: https://x.com/flobikes/status/1910308534169788740
so Brennan could set a short term target of placing better than 42nd.
it's more that the age structure in cycling changed a lot recently, I think. It feels normal now, while Turgis was still the youngest finisher in 50 years.Fair enough, I keep overestimating the exceptionality of Brennan's youth.
All valid questions and I don't have answers.Is there anything about this system (other than rider error in terms of timing of increasing/decreasing pressures) that would make flats more likely? Doesn't it use the same tires and Reserve rims they would otherwise be using?
Visma having been playing around with this product since at least 2023. Is it still in the guinea pig phase?
I think the system is gimmicky too, but the team obviously thinks there are advantages to be gained or they wouldn't be expanding their use of it after testing it in races for several season. Correct use of the system should make crashes less likely and allow riders to get to the end of the race with a bit less accumulated fatigue from getting bounced around on the cobbles, though I am sure there are trade-offs.All valid questions and I don't have answers.
But my main gripe with this system is, that the race isn't won thanks to the system. But the racecould be lost due to the system (even if e.g. in this particular incident the system maybe isn't to blame, it just adds an extra chance for something to fail), and every time WvA was in a race-winning position and lost the race, it was due to either flats, crashes or bad tactics. Not due to a bar more or less in his tires. One could argue that he could actually increase pressure in his tires on the worst cobble sections so he doesn't pinch flat and has less chance of a tubeless tyre burping / rolling off, but (and this could well be the reason here) the system can also tempt someone to get the pressure down too much and thus have a tire rolling off.
WvA normally rides the same tires as MvdP. So the tires are good enough to win the race. Now get a good WvAon the bike, no gimmicks and good luck, and there is a good chance he will finish very high.
I'm all for it, I'd love to see him finally get a big win in a one-day race.Maybe Kung...since he's 31, and apparently, that's like being a granddad in 2025 years.
The second youngest in the RVV Top 10 was Ganna at age 28. 31 is still not old in the classics. Maybe one of WVA and MVDP can win, they‘re in their 30s now.Maybe Kung...since he's 31, and apparently, that's like being a granddad in 2025 years.
You're right, it's not the same as PR, but still, Andy Schleck was the last rider you'd expect to follow Cancellara so well. Plus, their group gained over a minute on the others, including Contador.First, Stages with 10 km of cobbles are not exactly the same as PR with 260 km and 60 km of cobbles.
Other thing is: Do you really think Cancellara was going all out?
Quietly a very impressive rider in these races since '22. Kung has achieved top 7 in six of his last seven cobbled monument participations.I'm all for it, I'd love to see him finally get a big win in a one-day race.
Which is many times worse than hard rain, as any oil on any surface will not be washed away as quickly. Lots of vehicles riding over the cobbles this week.So light rain expected on Sunday again both in Compiegne and Roubaix according to Google Weather.
Van Aert will pull rank and use Brennan as a workhorse. It's always all about Wout.For me, Merlier...OR, dark horse of stupid picks by me, Brennan.
Maybe, but they let Wout make the call in DdV (we can't call it Dwars because Bruyneel says we can't) and that turned out stunningly well...for Powless. Combine that with the fact that they pulled Brennan early from Catalunya, so I guess my hope is that they didn't do that so he could carry bottles at Roubaix, particularly because it isn't like he was carrying bottles anywhere else this season, and he has more wins than any other Visma rider this year.Van Aert will pull rank and use Brennan as a workhorse. It's always all about Wout.