Ronde van Vlaanderen 2017- How good was it?

[carolina]

8, because of the crashes.

 

[tobydawq]

7. I'm hugely biased as a Sagan fan and that crash ruined the race completely for me.

Throughout the whole finale I was thinking that Gilbert's move was incredibly stupid because QuickStep had a dream situation going into the first Kwaremont - especially considering that most of the domestiques would probably not make it over that climb in the peloton, which would prevent much collaboration.

However, with his attack, it would be all against QuickStep and a solo attack with 55 kilometers to go seemed completely unrealistic. But he was very impressive and benefited from the fact that especially Trek-Segafredo had some weird tactics with sending Felline on the attack instead of taking responsibility as the team with numbers to actually pull Gilbert within reasonable distance.

It was really frustrating to watch them underestimate Gilbert that much, but when Sagan, van Avermaet and Naesen got away on the Taaienberg, it suddenly looked as though he would get caught. However, they didn't cooperate well, which was strange because Trentin was visibly having cramps and was never going to make it over the final climbs. Neither was Offredo. And then, finally it looked like we would get a shoot-out on the Kwaremont and the Paterberg, but a stupid crash ended it all.

But kudos to Gilbert. Once again it was proved that illogical actions are not always as stupid as they seem to be and his ride will definitely go down as one of the most legendary of our era.

But, personally, I don't find long solo rides that compelling to watch, even though not many in here seem to share that sentiment. However, it wasn't as ridiculously one-sided and foregone conclusion-al as PR 2010 and 2012 and still very exciting until the Kwaremont.

The very early opening is of course also a factor that elevates the grade.

 

[screaming fist]

With exception that I am not a Sagan fan, I pretty much agree with tobydawq.

I will alway prefer a race that is more dynamic with multiple moves going and coming back over on that has the rest of the world against an out of the world attacker that goes from 60k to go all the way to the line.

 

[Anderis]

Re:

I will alway prefer a race that is more dynamic with multiple moves going and coming back over on that has the rest of the world against an out of the world attacker that goes from 60k to go all the way to the line.

This.

Roubaix 2016 >>> Flanders 2017.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Would have rated it higher if there was someone with Gilbert, and thus had a more exciting finale. Gilbert's ride was epic but doesn't change the fact that actually there wasn't *that* much action.

The group getting away on the Muur
Gilbert's solo attack
Felline & Van Baarle attack
Vanmarcke & Rowe Crash
Boonen mechanical on the Boonenburg
Sagan GVA Naessen attack
Sagan GVA Naessen crash

 

[Ramon Koran]

Don't understand so many 10's and 9's I gave it an 8 and believe that's generous, yes Gilbert move was fantastic but that was it, no exciting racing behind, no attacks, counter attacks... and then the crash ruined the ending if this was any other race no way would it be getting all this hype. What's more 60k plus moves are not unheard of on cobbled classics even in recent times from boonen and cancellara. A solid race yes but not one to go down in history, Paris roubaix last year was twice as good as this

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Don't understand so many 10's and 9's I gave it an 8 and believe that's generous, yes Gilbert move was fantastic but that was it, no exciting racing behind, no attacks, counter attacks... and then the crash ruined the ending if this was any other race no way would it be getting all this hype. What's more 60k plus moves are not unheard of on cobbled classics even in recent times from boonen and cancellara. A solid race yes but not one to go down in history, Paris roubaix last year was twice as good as this

I think it looks less exciting in hindsight, because we know the attack stayed away quite comfortably in the end. But Gilbert basically had a minute advantage for 50km to a reasonably sized chasing group; that could have come crashing down at any time. Gilbert could have blown up on any one of the climbs, or misjudged a corner. The chasers could have got organised. For me, there was a huge amount of tension from 90km until 10km to go. There was uncertainty in the race and a lot of tactical considerations from the chasing group. Just looking back from the final result and extrapolating doesn't do a race like this justice imo.

 

[frisenfruitig]

Re:

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.

We had like a 100k finale and you give it a 3? Come on dude :lol:

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I gave it a 9. Action from 95 km's out, and despite a 55 km solo the race was never boring (or the result even completely certain) - and that's really rare. Lots of action, attacks, counter-attacks, crashes.

 

[Rollthedice]

How good was it? Too good to be true.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Great ride by Gilbert, but the most interesting part were the crashes and the "will he make it" suspense, which was killed after that crash with Sagan, GVA and Naesen. So I rated it a 7/10.

 

[VO2 Max]

Eleven at least, maybe more. Glued to it from about 130km out. Gilbert was immense; the way GVA/Sagan didn't panic at the 80km mark when the QS/Sky group were still pulling clear was very impressive in hindsight, despite QS setting things up so well those two made the right moves and were still exactly where they would have wanted to be inside 20km to go; when they crashed I was just 'wow, wtf next??' The luck leveling out, to go as far out as Phil did you need things to fall in place, maybe he was only meant to be the foil to allow Boonen to sit on GVA&PS for 50km then outsprint them, but it working out for him. The GPS blips coming back down the N453 even gave us some false drama at the end - just the idea that, after all that, Niki Terpstra could have been dragged back to win it after doing nothing all day, come on Phil, dig in! Sean Kelly constantly getting his predictions wrong; how long he and Kirby took to realise Sagan & GVA weren't in the Kapelmuur split even though they were clearly visible on the screen stuck in the middle of the bunch. Riders having big crashes or mechanicals ages after the racing was on full gas and me wondering why they were getting back up, the race is done for them now surely, hang on there's still 50km to go... probably a load of other cool stuff I forgot.

 

[Volderke]

I feel sure Sagan / GvA / Naesen would have caught Gilbert (and that was a major bummer for the excitement), but this race really was 'a numero' from Gilbert.
Just re-watch the race and start 5kms before the Muur... Gilbert was already pulling there, with 100+K to go.

After the Muur, he was riding in the break as if he was helper for Boonen. To pull off that ascend of Kwaremont, and keep the lead with 1 minute for such a long time... Any other rider (except Sagan, Cancellara in their best days) would have given this lead away before the last time on Kwaremont, and there would be no 'if then else' discussion like now.
So brilliant by Gilbert and for me it's a 9/10

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

I gave it a 9. Action from 95 km's out, and despite a 55 km solo the race was never boring (or the result even completely certain) - and that's really rare. Lots of action, attacks, counter-attacks, crashes.

This. Nobody expected decisive action from 95 kms out - least of all Sagan and GVA. And a great classics rider became even greater.

 

[Pippo_San]

An amazing 10/10 until Sagan's crash.
Then I switched off my TV.

Kudos to Phil, but it could've been so thrilling without that crash. Aww *** it. Gimme the Paris Roubaix now.

 

[King Of Molehill]

Re:

just the idea that, after all that, Niki Terpstra could have been dragged back to win it after doing nothing all day.

Terp was dragged to the finish and still couldn't beat VA in the sprint for 2nd, too busy thinking about stopping his Strava recording (again).

 

[VO2 Max]

Re: Re:

just the idea that, after all that, Niki Terpstra could have been dragged back to win it after doing nothing all day.

Terp was dragged to the finish and still couldn't beat VA in the sprint for 2nd, too busy thinking about stopping his Strava recording (again).

We know that now... it could easily be different if they make the catch at 2km to go and Niki manages to sneak away solo. The GPS was wrong anyway as we know Phil had time for his photo op on the line with the podium contenders barely in the picture.

 

[Hellyea]

Re:

Don't understand so many 10's and 9's I gave it an 8 and believe that's generous, yes Gilbert move was fantastic but that was it, no exciting racing behind, no attacks, counter attacks... and then the crash ruined the ending if this was any other race no way would it be getting all this hype. What's more 60k plus moves are not unheard of on cobbled classics even in recent times from boonen and cancellara. A solid race yes but not one to go down in history, Paris roubaix last year was twice as good as this

This. I voted 8, too.

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

Don't understand so many 10's and 9's I gave it an 8 and believe that's generous, yes Gilbert move was fantastic but that was it, no exciting racing behind, no attacks, counter attacks... and then the crash ruined the ending if this was any other race no way would it be getting all this hype. What's more 60k plus moves are not unheard of on cobbled classics even in recent times from boonen and cancellara. A solid race yes but not one to go down in history, Paris roubaix last year was twice as good as this

This. I voted 8, too.

I also agree with this assessment. I was on vacation and was just finally able to watch it. A 10 performance from Gilbert but not even close to a 10 race. There just wasn't enough action and suspense in the finale for a 9 or 10. I'd give it a 7 or 8 but if the crash hadn't happen it had potential for something better.

Not even remotely close to last year's Roubaix.

 

[Netserk]

How many recent editions of Ronde were better?

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

How many recent editions of Ronde were better?

'11 and '14 had much more action and uncertainty in the final kms.

 

[Netserk]

Uncertainty, yes, but so did '12 and '15. I don't think '14 had nearly as much action over the whole route as this year, but then again I can't remember how much action there were before the final when Greg attacked.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

How many recent editions of Ronde were better?

'11 and '14 had much more action and uncertainty in the final kms.

Yeah but this had action and uncertainty for the previous 90km. I really enjoyed the race. I missed the opening so I had it on record, so then I watched it while fast-forwarding the moments where less happened, and the race to me seemed incredible perhaps because of it. There was a lot of intrigue throughout. Mind you, I didn't fast forward much until the final 10km when the race was decided. I caught up to real speed in the last kilometre, so the ending for me was much shorter than for ayone else. So basically the final 10-12km lasted the equivalent of 3 or 4 which may expalin why I didn't have the same reaction as many others.