Paris-Roubaix 2025, one day monument, April 13 (men)

[Netserk]

Ineos must be a bit short on riders. According to German Eurosport, they have called Heiduk to abandon Itzulia and head over to Roubaix instead.

Can't they call up Wurf?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Can't they call up Wurf?

Yes, yes, bring this dude to the race and let him cook

 

[SHAD0W93]

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.

Like RR said, Frank’s crash held up the chasers for quite awhile while Cancellara accelerated off the front. In regards to Contador, he fell off his bike with the crash, got back up from the second group behind to the first, and finished with a broken spoke and flat tire causing him to lose more time at the end.

 

[Panda Claws]

Like RR said, Frank’s crash held up the chasers for quite awhile while Cancellara accelerated off the front. In regards to Contador, he fell off his bike with the crash, got back up from the second group behind to the first, and finished with a broken spoke and flat tire causing him to lose more time at the end.

Having your brother hold up the rest is actually game-breaking.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Having your brother hold up the rest is actually game-breaking.

Andy took the, “I’m getting my older brother to help” troupe literally.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Pog to win it by just riding everyone off his wheel and the whole narrative of Roubaix will change to it being the steepest elevation changes in all of cycling over a 2cm span repeated 6 million times

Spot on! PR total elevation gain is 10+ km. If there were rounds Teddy would lap those helpless big boys.

 

[Red Rick]

Like RR said, Frank’s crash held up the chasers for quite awhile while Cancellara accelerated off the front. In regards to Contador, he fell off his bike with the crash, got back up from the second group behind to the first, and finished with a broken spoke and flat tire causing him to lose more time at the end.

TdF stages also I'm pretty sure have the dynamic of top cobble riders doing domestique work going easy on the cobbles and going full throttle on the asphalt

 

[Sciatic]

TdF stages also I'm pretty sure have the dynamic of top cobble riders doing domestique work going easy on the cobbles and going full throttle on the asphalt

That was definitely true in the case of Cancellara for Andy.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Kung 66/1 BF I honestly think is outrageous odds, I'm not betting much anymore but could be tempted.

Last 3 finishes 3,5,5

Just finished Flanders 7th at 83kg losing time every climb after a deep run, his best showing in my opinion and in career best form, seems to have nailed his peak and there's no massive favourite for the race. Both Veermersches, Pithie, Milan, Merlier, Meeus are the same odds as basis for comparison. Does anyone know if he's been sick or something because there must be some sort of catch.

 

[kingjr]

Kung 66/1 BF I honestly think is outrageous odds, I'm not betting much anymore but could be tempted.

Last 3 finishes 3,5,5

Just finished Flanders 7th at 83kg losing time every climb after a deep run, his best showing in my opinion and in career best form, seems to have nailed his peak and there's no massive favourite for the race. Both Veermersches, Pithie, Milan, Merlier, Meeus are the same odds as basis for comparison. Does anyone know if he's been sick or something because there must be some sort of catch.

He pretty much has to arrive solo to win. All the riders you named would probably beat him in a sprint, except maybe Florian Vermeersch.

 

[Sciatic]

Kung 66/1 BF I honestly think is outrageous odds, I'm not betting much anymore but could be tempted.

Last 3 finishes 3,5,5

Just finished Flanders 7th at 83kg losing time every climb after a deep run, his best showing in my opinion and in career best form, seems to have nailed his peak and there's no massive favourite for the race. Both Veermersches, Pithie, Milan, Merlier, Meeus are the same odds as basis for comparison. Does anyone know if he's been sick or something because there must be some sort of catch.

Because there's so much money being put down on MDVP and Pogacar the odds for the next tier of riders is higher?

 

[Tim Cahill]

He pretty much has to arrive solo to win. All the riders you named would probably beat him in a sprint, except maybe Florian Vermeersch.

True but I think there's a reasonable chance of a solo move (last 3 editions). I also don't think he has the element of 'we need to snap close this guy' like the top 5 or so favourites would have, so maybe something like what he tried in Omloop with the top guys nullifying each other could work.

 

[hayneplane]

Kung 66/1 BF I honestly think is outrageous odds, I'm not betting much anymore but could be tempted.

Last 3 finishes 3,5,5

Just finished Flanders 7th at 83kg losing time every climb after a deep run, his best showing in my opinion and in career best form, seems to have nailed his peak and there's no massive favourite for the race. Both Veermersches, Pithie, Milan, Merlier, Meeus are the same odds as basis for comparison. Does anyone know if he's been sick or something because there must be some sort of catch.

It’s a nice price for an each way bet as he is consistently strong and good and a worthy bet for a top 5 but I would not bet a penny on him winning because he just doesn’t have that edge.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

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.

As good as he looks, Brennan is a 19 year old rookie and Van Aert's ego would never allow such a thought.

 

[RedheadDane]

Maybe, but they let Wout make the call in DdV (we can't call it Dwars because Bruyneel says we can't)

Yes we can!

 

[ChasingPotatoes]

Kung 66/1 BF I honestly think is outrageous odds, I'm not betting much anymore but could be tempted.

Last 3 finishes 3,5,5

Just finished Flanders 7th at 83kg losing time every climb after a deep run, his best showing in my opinion and in career best form, seems to have nailed his peak and there's no massive favourite for the race. Both Veermersches, Pithie, Milan, Merlier, Meeus are the same odds as basis for comparison. Does anyone know if he's been sick or something because there must be some sort of catch.

The fact there is no massive favorite is actually not favouring an outsider, as there are 2 main favorites (mvdp and pog, even though pog is new to the race so it could be that hopes are too high) and 2-3 more favorites / podium contenders (wva, pedersen). So those will all ride and the second tier favorites even have to attack / anticipate themselves, so there won’t be any room for third tier favorites attacks, I fear.

Ps: no disrespect, just trying to be clear about the pecking order.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

As good as he looks, Brennan is a 19 year old rookie and Van Aert's ego would never allow such a thought.

 

[jono]

The fact there is no massive favorite is actually not favouring an outsider, as there are 2 main favorites (mvdp and pog, even though pog is new to the race so it could be that hopes are too high) and 2-3 more favorites / podium contenders (wva, pedersen). So those will all ride and the second tier favorites even have to attack / anticipate themselves, so there won’t be any room for third tier favorites attacks, I fear.

Ps: no disrespect, just trying to be clear about the pecking order.

In addition, the team tactics of Alpecin in 2024, and what most think UAE should do in 2025, are the same: make the race as hard as possible, as early as possible, which does not leave much room at the front of the race for second or third tier favourites to get away.

 

[Lequack]

Wout almost crashed himself out of PR before even starting

https://twitter.com/x/status/1910433865086181455

View: https://x.com/jon_snow_pt/status/1910433865086181455

 

[Gratemans]

Wout almost crashed himself out of PR before even starting

https://twitter.com/x/status/1910433865086181455

View: https://x.com/jon_snow_pt/status/1910433865086181455

Fudge, I felt the panic/adrenalinespike myself just watching that!

I really hope he hasn't already ran out all his luck there, because even though I'm kinda neutral about Wout, I would really like to see him grab this particular monument. No I stand corrected, I'd love it.
Just look at him and his achievements. If nothing, Paris-Roubaix should be on his palmares at the end of his career.

But I also get some pretty strong Vanmarcke-vibes from him lately: the perfect coureur for the classics yet always cruelly stricken by bad luck.

Ah man, I just hope for a great race in my favourite monument. I just can't wait!

 

[Hugo Koblet]

It’s a nice price for an each way bet as he is consistently strong and good and a worthy bet for a top 5 but I would not bet a penny on him winning because he just doesn’t have that edge.

How does an each way bet make sense then? With an each way bet, you place two bets: one on the rider winning, and one on the rider placing (top 3/4 whatever the terms are). So half of what you bet is on the rider winning - practically cutting your price in half of you don't think your rider has a chance of winning.

 

[rghysens]

Having your brother hold up the rest is actually game-breaking.

De Vlaeminck already did that 55 years ago ...

 

[Salvarani]

De Vlaeminck already did that 55 years ago ...

Maybe he can speak on that next time instead. Would be far more interesting to hear his views on that.

 

[Pantani_lives]

But I also get some pretty strong Vanmarcke-vibes from him lately: the perfect coureur for the classics yet always cruelly stricken by bad luck.

Or he might copy the Paris-Roubaix trajectory of Gilbert Duclos-Lasalle. The Frenchman finished second twice in his twenties. At his fourteenth attempt, aged 37, he finally won it. And a year later he won it again. It's dogged that does it.

 

[hayneplane]

How does an each way bet make sense then? With an each way bet, you place two bets: one on the rider winning, and one on the rider placing (top 3/4 whatever the terms are). So half of what you bet is on the rider winning - practically cutting your price in half of you don't think your rider has a chance of winning.

Mainly because very few bookies allow you to bet on a podium or top 5. The top ten odds are ridiculously skinny considering the likelihood of crashes and bad luck with mechanicals.