Ronde van Vlaanderen 2017- How good was it?

[Irondan]

Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xgx4k83zzc

Yeah, I would have chosen an 11 if it was available.

 

[meat puppet]

This was a mixed race. Was a solid 8 until it became clear that the specially ridiculous move by gilbert will stick. Then the crashes turned the tragedy into a farce. Good action from a long way out, the muur featured, but an absolute mockery of an ending.

So a 4.

 

[TromleTromle]

Re:

This was a mixed race. Was a solid 8 until it became clear that the specially ridiculous move by gilbert will stick. Then the crashes turned the tragedy into a farce. Good action from a long way out, the muur featured, but an absolute mockery of an ending.

So a 4.

:surprised:

 

[loge1884]

Re:

This was a mixed race. Was a solid 8 until it became clear that the specially ridiculous move by gilbert will stick. Then the crashes turned the tragedy into a farce. Good action from a long way out, the muur featured, but an absolute mockery of an ending.

So a 4.

... sure Sagan's crash (he doesn't crash often) was good luck for Gilbert and maybe (who knows and in the end, who cares?) he might have got caught (personally I think there is some likelihood he would have), but then again: (at least to me) the fact that the "specially ridiculous move" (and that is exactly what I thought when Gilbert drove away on the 2nd Kwaremont) did pay out in the end is better than any Hollywood-ending to me ....

Edit: so much more fun to see a "specially ridiculous move" paying out than seeing another "smart-win" like Kwiatkowski in MSR or even worse, a sneaky Gerrans-type win

 

[zlev11]

9. if the Sagan crash didn't happen it was going to probably be a 10. i'd rather see a 3 or 4 man sprint for the win at the end to keep the suspense, but Gilbert's solo raid was awesome.

 

[Red Rick]

8. Good to see the long move work, but that's about it. The suspense at the end wasn't really great, and I think that the Felline move killed the race as he and van Baarle were never going anywhere and prevented Trek from helping with the chase.

 

[Carols]

9 exciting race! De Rode always gives us a show

 

[The Barb]

Re: Re:

9. Almost as good as 2011. But it was the best classic race, I've seen since that race.

Of course it depends on how much one prefers solos to tense finishes, but I preferred this one.

Regarding your last sentence, I don't get why Roubaix last year isn't ahead of Ronde '11 for you.

Yes. Great race but Roubaix last year was an all-timer.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

The race that could not possibly be more exciting (a 10/10) never has, and never will, happen. It is a shame that we never got to see what would have happened had Sagan, Van Avermaet and Naesen chased unhindered by railings, so a bit less than the best we can ever expect. An 8.5, therefore, but it was thoroughly entertaining, so I'm happy to round it up to 9 for the purposes of the poll.

FWIW, I don't think they would have got there: people said they would close the gap in the 10km from Taaienberg to Kruisberg, or in the 10km from Kruisberg to Kwaremont, but the gap hardly diminished in those stretches, and the chsers gave little evidence that they had much more left than Philbert did.

 

[barmaher]

9/10. It would have been nice to see GVA and Sagan hunting down PG. Preferably with a QS rider on their wheel.

 

[Gigs_98]

Lol, who voted 2? :lol:

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xgx4k83zzc

Nope that's reserved for 2015 Gent - Wevelgem and the last edition of Paris - Roubaix, the Ronde was "only" a 10.

 

[Jagartrott]

Without the crash, Gilbert would've been caught, which would also (like the crash) have been a bit of an anti-climax. I give it 9/10, because the weather was too nice.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

2.

The only reason they let phil gil have 1 minute is because without the crash he needed so so much more.

 

[kingjr]

9 even though I didn't like the results. At least GvA didn't win so there's that.
Would have been a 10 if Gilbert would have had to fight until the line to be sure of victory, or if they had caught him.

 

[blaxland]

7 was all i could give it.great ride by gilbert and quickstep team but stupid crash stopped it being an epic classic.so many unknowns right now.but gilbert was really impressive..Also feel sorry for naessen,what could have been

 

[hfer07]

7 for me. The crash killed the entire thrilling build up. It would have been amazing if Sagan & GVA had gone on to catch Gilbert - or at least to try it.

 

[The Hegelian]

3.

I'm clearly heterodox here as well. My reasoning:

Van Marcke, Boonen, Sagan, GVA & Rowe all taken out at critical junctures by crashes or mechanicals.

I expect that kind of thing at Roubaix, but not Flanders.

When Sagan et al crashed the whole race just totally deflated.....just at the point of a potentially interesting finale.

 

[movingtarget]

i give it a 6. Great ride by Gilbert all the same.

 

[IndianCyclist]

10
Rides like this donot happen in this time. At no point till 3 k to go was it certain that Gilbert will win since he lost 20 s very quickly. Especially as Terpstra made the chasing group into 2 collaborating riders

 

[Akuryo]

I don't like to rate something on stuff that could've happened. With that logic I might say that Boonen would have won it, cause he could sit behind Sagan and GVA and just overtake them in the final. But that did not happen. Sagan crashed, Boonen had mechanicals and Gilbert rode a fantastic race who was a deserving winner. This was one of, if not the most incredible solo rides I have ever seen. And for that it should be rated. Not on things that maybe could be different if other things happened or not.

 

[SafeBet]

A solid 9. Only lacked a thrilling finale, but killer of a race nonetheless.

 

[the asian]

A Gilbert solo from 55 Km out can only mean a 10.

 

[Volderke]

Re: Re:

This. Initiating a break from 90km and then going solo for the best part of 60km. And holding the advantage pretty much the whole way. That just doesn't happen in this era. It never works. Especially not from a guy who has limited experience on the cobbles.

Welcome to cycling. From your last sentence, I guess you are new here?

 

[spalco]

A solid 9 for me. It wasn't particulary eventful, but a legendary victory by a well respected rider and I don't blame anyone voting 10.