Paris - Roubaix: April 14th, 2019

[pink_jersey]

Re: Re:

Quite something to have podiumed in all 5 monuments. Sadly can't see him winning MSR but hey....

Lotto Jumbo really do need to reflect on their approach today.

Gilbert to attack with 60 kilometers to go in 2020. He did it in Flanders, he did it in Roubaix. Why not San Remo? He has shown that he can go long. We doubted him 3 years ago when he said that he still wanted to win all 5. Now he has crossed two off that list and only one to go. He will be a man on a mission. He has changed himself from hilly classics specialist to a cobble specialist. Surely he has it in him to somehow be dangerous in San Remo! He wont beat the sprinters but a group like today would be perfect. On paper there was only one guy who is certainly faster than Gilbert. Sagan. If Gilbert gets into a strong group of non sprinters ...
I'm done doubting what Phil can do at this time.

He won a group sprint this year in Provence but that was against poor competiton.
Honestly, he's only chance to win San Remo is a la Pozzatto in 2016. Right now he isn't strong enough to distance them all on the Poggio and he doesn't posses a good sprint to win even against the likes of Naesen or GVA I think.
So, he's best chance is to be in a reduced group(max. 15-20 riders) and attack in the last km.

You can't win MSR with a 60km attacks. Attacks before Poggio are useless there.

 

[Pantani_lives]

In M-S the sprinters' teams are too many and to strong for a 60 km attack. It would be fabulous, but it seems impossible.

 

[wirral]

Re:

Eisel screaming at Robert Stannard lol

They finished together. Stannard reporting Eisel yelled an enslaving spell at him.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Patrick Lefevere has won his 13th P-R today.

4x Boonen
3x Museeuw
2x Ballerini
1x Tafi, Knaven, Terpstra, Gilbert

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

I was going to say, but didn't say it very elegantly, that Jumbo let WVA expend a lot of energy chasing back alone. I wasn't paying very close attention, but shouldn't they have sent someone back to help him?

Yes. I was thinking the same thing. Maybe they knew something that we didn't. At the end they looked like fools with the way the race played out.

 

[The Barb]

Re:

Ok, well, then he will be the man to beat for Alaphilippe

I somehow forgot him...

Mathieu Van Der Poel may wish to contribute to this discussion.

 

[The Barb]

Re:

Gilbert so stupid...

I know right, he's such an idiot. No understanding how to ride tactically within his bodily limits.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

So, in light of his awesome performance last week, Asgreen never played his part today. Did anything happen to him? Or maybe we've been expecting too much too soon?

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

So, in light of his awesome performance last week, Asgreen never played his part today. Did anything happen to him? Or maybe we've been expecting too much too soon?

He punctured at the same time as Rowe, but took longer to get back in, I’m sure he was in the chase group when Van Aert had his first mechanical.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Gilbert so stupid...

I know right, he's such an idiot. No understanding how to ride tactically within his bodily limits.

Easy to make comments like this nearly 7 hours later

At the time it did seem crazy to be pulling on the front when he had a teammate coming back up to join him, Politt and Sagan.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

So, in light of his awesome performance last week, Asgreen never played his part today. Did anything happen to him? Or maybe we've been expecting too much too soon?

He punctured at the same time as Rowe, but took longer to get back in, I’m sure he was in the chase group when Van Aert had his first mechanical.

He was but he also got distanced by Van Aert and Haussler when they were riding back up through the cars.

He finished the race but was really anonymous.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

So, in light of his awesome performance last week, Asgreen never played his part today. Did anything happen to him? Or maybe we've been expecting too much too soon?

He punctured at the same time as Rowe, but took longer to get back in, I’m sure he was in the chase group when Van Aert had his first mechanical.

He was but he also got distanced by Van Aert and Haussler when they were riding back up through the cars.

He finished the race but was really anonymous.

That explains it then, the last time I spotted him was in that Van Aert group. There will be better days ahead.

 

[Scarponi]

I thought Heinrech Hausslers 14th was pretty good considering he chased back on twice as well

 

[Scarponi]

Re: Re:

So, in light of his awesome performance last week, Asgreen never played his part today. Did anything happen to him? Or maybe we've been expecting too much too soon?

He punctured at the same time as Rowe, but took longer to get back in, I’m sure he was in the chase group when Van Aert had his first mechanical.

He was but he also got distanced by Van Aert and Haussler when they were riding back up through the cars.

He finished the race but was really anonymous.

That car that stopped suddenly in front of him really stuffed him and the other rider up

 

[search]

I thought Heinrech Hausslers 14th was pretty good considering he chased back on twice as well

Haussler's legs were amazing, he said, "all he had to do was steering the bike". He was super disappointed in the post race interviews, and really sounded like he'd have a shot of winning the thing without the two mechanicals at the worst possible time (and with the comissaires builing up a barrage to prevent any help from the team cars)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYPtnUBvUkQ (in German)

 

[ppanther92]

I thought Heinrech Hausslers 14th was pretty good considering he chased back on twice as well

Haussler's legs were amazing, he said, "all he had to do was steering the bike". He was super disappointed in the post race interviews, and really sounded like he'd have a shot of winning the thing without the two mechanicals at the worst possible time (and with the comissaires builing up a barrage to prevent any help from the team cars)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYPtnUBvUkQ (in German)

I mean, he was easily following van Aert when he went full gas to get back on, while everyone else (Asgreen for example) just dropped. So it is indeed sensible to believe that he would have been able to be in the front group. Surprisingly strong showing.

 

[search]

I wouldn't even say it's a surprise. Roubaix is the only race he cares about, and (when he had the freedom to go for it) he has always been a strong contender over the years.

Whether this is enough to still justify a WT deal remains to be seen though, I guess.