Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026, monument, April 5 (men's)

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Quinn Simmons picked up a highly creditable 4th in Lombardia last year after attacking in the opening kilometres and spending all day in the break.

Plenty of riders have picked up top 10s in Flanders and Roubaix from the break of the day being caught both relatively late and with the race behind already splintered.

Trying to play your second card very early such as Laporte could be an intriguing option.

<Johan Vansummeren enters the chat>

 

[jono]

I haven't looked. Is that in the forecast?

Right now, depending on where you look, it calls for showers in the morning, and fairly windy, but I don't put much stock in weather forecasts this far out.

 

[Sciatic]

<Johan Vansummeren enters the chat>

That’s still more viable chance at Roubaix than at RvV I think. But for both races the favorites teams rider harder in the earlier stages of the races and attacks from the biggest favorites come earlier, while Pogacar and MVDP are typically a level above their competition.

 

[ashhutch1997]

RVV has been the best race of the last 15 years due to that change.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great day of racing, but 9 times out of 10 the race gets decided on the last ascent of Oude Kwaremont, and it ends up in one's and two's. With the old route, it suited many different riders and there were always different race dynamics, solo wins, small groups and even reduced sprints, realistically only 2 riders can win on Saturday on this new course, as it's so hard.
And I'm a sucker for Mur deciding the race, such an iconic climb and image.

 

[canina82]

Don't get me wrong, it's a great day of racing, but 9 times out of 10 the race gets decided on the last ascent of Oude Kwaremont, and it ends up in one's and two's. With the old route, it suited many different riders and there were always different race dynamics, solo wins, small groups and even reduced sprints, realistically only 2 riders can win on Saturday on this new course, as it's so hard.
And I'm a sucker for Mur deciding the race, such an iconic climb and image.

I get what you are saying but I have the impression Pogacar would just kill everyone with 70-100 km to go in the old route. The old route was more demanding before the last 55 km meanwhile this new route is very difficult in the last 55 km. For some reason, we had 80-100 riders reached together the bottom of Kwaremont (2nd time).

 

[Oldman]

That's not 100% true. Ask Wout.

And ask Pogacar. Realistically the best can ride at a tempo that stresses breakmates well beyond hurting themselves and adjust to keep/grow a gap. Meanwhile; monitoring the chasing contingent team motivations. I'd tow a mediocre sprinter quite a ways if their team is doing patrol work for the break then dump everyone on the best terrain for the job. Long races require more than one culling session but the studs will always save a finish if a limpet stays attached.
Pogacar is good at cleaning limpets.

 

[Pantani_lives]

I haven't looked. Is that in the forecast?

The weather will be the same like every year: rain on Saturday; dry on Sunday. There are cycling laws to be respected.

 

[hayneplane]

I get what you are saying but I have the impression Pogacar would just kill everyone with 70-100 km to go in the old route. The old route was more demanding before the last 55 km meanwhile this new route is very difficult in the last 55 km. For some reason, we had 80-100 riders reached together the bottom of Kwaremont (2nd time).

It’s probably an oversimplification but in broad terms it’s said that the difference between the Boonen/Cancellara era and the MVDP/Pogacar era is that back then they used to ride hard to the entry on the bergs then block the road to prevent attacks to then attack at the top to cause splits whereas now the bergs are used from bottom to top to brutalise the race and create solo attacks rather than team attacks.

 

[ashhutch1997]

The weather will be the same like every year: rain on Saturday; dry on Sunday. There are cycling laws to be respected.

We had a wet RVV in 2024 and it was rubbish IMO. Basically only two riders were able to ride up the Koppenberg without walking and the race was over, it wasn't a bike race.
A wet Paris Roubaix is what I want.