Rate La Doyenne 2016

[Valv.Piti]

I planned to watch the race later, but whatevers, this didn't look like a good race. Safe to say, really! Sky and dutchman translate into a not so great winner for me personally and Valverde didnt like the coooooldzz. Probably gonna catch the last 6-7 kms and rate it a Gerrans. Wait, Betancur was in the attack twice and looking spicy again (relative terms if there ever was on), so at least 2 for me... without having watched the race.

Amstel is the race that gets on my grits, I have no problem with Flèche and LBL as they are. Proper stage racing next, por favor... y aupa Meana!!

 

[vladimir]

I gave it a 5. When it snows in Belgium late April it means that there is wind from the North. And unfortunately that means that attacking in LBL is almost 100% sure to fail, even if the crybabies here thinks otherwise. I guess we will have to wait until there is a normal west/southwest wind direction to see if the new climb towards the end is a good idea or not.

 

[jsem94]

2. Rubbish.

 

[laurensde+]

One for this...

and another one for this...

2 / 10

 

[Valv.Piti]

One for this...

and another one for this...

2 / 10

Hahahahahaha. I love it. AGREE!

 

[hrotha]

Re:

I gave it a 5. When it snows in Belgium late April it means that there is wind from the North. And unfortunately that means that attacking in LBL is almost 100% sure to fail, even if the crybabies here thinks otherwise. I guess we will have to wait until there is a normal west/southwest wind direction to see if the new climb towards the end is a good idea or not.

How does the wind excuse make this any better of a race? A snorefest remains a snorefest no matter how inevitable it is.

 

[jsem94]

Re: Re:

How does the wind excuse make this any better of a race? A snorefest remains a snorefest no matter how inevitable it is.

Couldn't agree more. It's really unfortunate, but should we adjust our ratings just as compensation? If it's boring, it's boring. The riders suffered but that doesn't mean it was exciting. Same as if a PR had horrible headwind all day, our scoreline should reflect that.

On the other end of the spectrum, Gent-Wevelgem 2015 has the score 10/10. If the winds were normal, maybe I'd give the race a 6.5/10, I don't know. So should I also compensate that score because I know that the winds aren't like that normally?

 

[Põhja Konn]

A Gerrans. As with AGR a week ago, the expectations were low. But contrary to last week, today's race even failed to clear that admittedly low bar.

 

[Pippo_San]

I can't believe this was the race I loved the most. What happened I don't know. Do we miss great champions? Clinic reasons? I don't know really.

Anyway this is a full Gerrans.
Even worse than the ridiculous AGR.

 

[phanatic]

5/10 Betancur still not where he should be, but doing better. With a new climb and terrible weather, you get what you get.

 

[Jancouver]

If the weather was good, this would probably be full *** Gerrans. This way there was at least the element of tough conditions that some can't handle well.

The problem with important and hard races like LBL is that the race route makes the race too predictable. Most teams will bring very strong squads that are under normal circumstances able to control the race so the race is decided on the last climb.

I thought the tactics from SKY were pretty good and when Kwiat put the hammer down, he created a panic and the field got strung out. Many strong riders got dropped and Movistar and Orica were unable (thank God) to bring it back.

The first 90% was crap, the last 10% was great. Better than most races we are seeing these days

 

[The Hegelian]

Re:

I can't believe this was the race I loved the most. What happened I don't know. Do we miss great champions? Clinic reasons? I don't know really.

Anyway this is a full Gerrans.
Even worse than the ridiculous AGR.

I reckon it's the increased degree of specialisation, probably connected in various ways with clinic type reasons. LBL used to be a race for the one day climbing specialists and the top GC riders. Always favoured the former, but the latter were always in with a shot. Was a curious mix, and increased both prestige + unpredictability.

But the GC guys don't rock up anymore and when they do they're way off form.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

I see people praising the weather, but what's the point if it didn't translate into any sort of epicness on the road? Are you voting on the scenery and the water drops on the lens?

+1
There is only one thing sillier that rating the weather or the scenery, and that's rating the history. And that is exactly the reason why cr6p races like MSR and LBL are still part of the WT calendar. Add 60kms to Strade Bianche and get rid of the Ardennes.

I'm starting to think that Strade Bianche's lenght is part of why it is so great

Because riders have to drop other riders. It doesn't happen automatically by sheer exhaustion

 

[Alexandre B.]

Please don't scream

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

I see people praising the weather, but what's the point if it didn't translate into any sort of epicness on the road? Are you voting on the scenery and the water drops on the lens?

+1
There is only one thing sillier that rating the weather or the scenery, and that's rating the history. And that is exactly the reason why cr6p races like MSR and LBL are still part of the WT calendar. Add 60kms to Strade Bianche and get rid of the Ardennes.

I'm starting to think that Strade Bianche's lenght is part of why it is so great

Because riders have to drop other riders. It doesn't happen automatically by sheer exhaustion

Fair point. Allthough I'm a fanatic against reducing the kms.....
The way these races are being raced right now is 1 or 2 teams racing a very high pace non stop. Choking the race and it doesn't give riders the feeling they can attack with success. This way riders areonly being dropped instead of someone dropping others riders fall out of the back.
When they hit the bottom of the Naniot there were about 30-35 riders left only because of racing a high pace all the time........

Back in the days the favourites openedthe race on redoute and a bit later on RaF, but I failto see which rider could actually do that in this peloton?

I think the best solution isn't reducing the kms, but reducing the teamsize. It's becoming more and more of a problem. Strong teams controlling the entire race...

 

[veji11]

Re:

Please don't scream

Disgraceful... it just goes to show that L'équipe doesn't know anything anymore about cycling.

 

[ILovecycling]

La Borienne for 3 stars...interesting uphill grinding in the finale and return of the rockstar!


I really lol'd at the Gerrans option

 

[GP Blanco]

6, at least no bunch sprint.

 

[jens_attacks]

5 because of rosa, betancur and zaka

 

[IndianCyclist]

5
Albasini - 2
Zakarin, Rosa, Betancur - 1
Gerrans dropped - 1
Valverde left watching, Tactical mistake - 1

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

I see people praising the weather, but what's the point if it didn't translate into any sort of epicness on the road? Are you voting on the scenery and the water drops on the lens?

+1
There is only one thing sillier that rating the weather or the scenery, and that's rating the history. And that is exactly the reason why cr6p races like MSR and LBL are still part of the WT calendar. Add 60kms to Strade Bianche and get rid of the Ardennes.

I'm starting to think that Strade Bianche's lenght is part of why it is so great

Because riders have to drop other riders. It doesn't happen automatically by sheer exhaustion

Fair point. Allthough I'm a fanatic against reducing the kms.....
The way these races are being raced right now is 1 or 2 teams racing a very high pace non stop. Choking the race and it doesn't give riders the feeling they can attack with success. This way riders areonly being dropped instead of someone dropping others riders fall out of the back.
When they hit the bottom of the Naniot there were about 30-35 riders left only because of racing a high pace all the time........

Back in the days the favourites openedthe race on redoute and a bit later on RaF, but I failto see which rider could actually do that in this peloton?

I think the best solution isn't reducing the kms, but reducing the teamsize. It's becoming more and more of a problem. Strong teams controlling the entire race...

\
I agree, team size in the most important one. But I don't want to stop at one solution

 

[KyoGrey]

0, Zero, Cero patatero.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Problem with reducing team size is it's easy to say as a spectator, but it just makes it even more difficult to win if you're a marked man, and is it really fair to have the odds stacked against you like that if you're the top cyclist on certain terrain?

Yes the Olympics road race is like that, and is a great spectacle pretty much every time, but I think one race like that is more than enough. If you are the strongest, you deserve a reasonably high chance of winning.

There are other solutions such as moving the toughest climbs further from the finish and making the finish easier

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

Problem with reducing team size is it's easy to say as a spectator, but it just makes it even more difficult to win if you're a marked man, and is it really fair to have the odds stacked against you like that if you're the top cyclist on certain terrain?

Yes the Olympics road race is like that, and is a great spectacle pretty much every time, but I think one race like that is more than enough. If you are the strongest, you deserve a reasonably high chance of winning.

There are other solutions such as moving the toughest climbs further from the finish and making the finish easier

Agree that team radios should be banned though. There should be a race radio that provides info about time gaps, riders up the road etc, but riders should have to think about tactics using their own brain in the heat of the moment, not some relaxed DS chilling in a car who only has one job

 

[SeriousSam]

Is it fair? Yes, more variance and unpredictability would make things fairer. Redistribution from the more talented to the less talented, in terms of the odds to win major races, is surely something people with egalitarian-leaning worldviews can get behind.

But as a fan, I actually do like it when it comes down to strength, even when it's ugly, like when Sky have the strongest rider and the strongest team and turn a race into a TTT.