Ronde van Vlaanderen: April 7th, 2019

[Pantani_lives]

Enough with all the preparation, the speculation and the exploration. It's time for the real deal: the 103rd Tour of Flanders. The course is almost the same as last year. Only the third hill is new: the Ladeuze. There will be seventeen climbs in total, including three times the Oude Kwaremont and twice the Paterberg. The rider who wants to win this will have to make the right tactical decisions, be strong on cobblestones and against the wind, and have enough energy and will power left to finish it off after a long, exhausting ride over Flemish roads.

Climbs:
1. Oude Kwaremont (150 km)
2. Kortekeer (140 km)
3. Ladeuze (134 km)
4. Wolvenberg (130 km)
5. Leberg (119 km)
6. Berendries (115 km)
7. Tenbosse (108 km)
8. Muur-Kapelmuur (97 km)
9. Kanarieberg (70 km)
10. Oude Kwaremont (55 km)
11. Paterberg (51 km)
12. Koppenberg (45 km)
13. Steenbeekdries (39 km)
14. Taaienberg (37 km)
15. Kruisberg/Hotond (25 km)
16. Oude Kwaremont (17 km)
17. Paterberg (13 km)

Flat cobbled sections:
1. Lippenhovestraat (181 km)
2. Paddestraat (179 km)
3. Holleweg (128 km)
4. Haaghoek (122 km)
5. Mariaborrestraat (41 km)

Recent winners:
2009 Stijn Devolder
2010 Fabian Cancellara
2011 Nick Nuyens
2012 Tom Boonen
2013 Fabian Cancellara
2014 Fabian Cancellara
2015 Alexander Kristoff
2016 Peter Sagan
2017 Philippe Gilbert
2018 Niki Terpstra
2019 ???

 

[Red Rick]

Wout van Aert will win this bike race.

 

[SafeBet]

After hiding for months, Peter Sagan will drop everyone for good 50 km from the finish and never look back.

 

[Laplaz]

Re:

Wout van Aert will win this bike race.

Seconded.

 

[Alexandre B.]

I picked Bob Jungels.

He has what it takes to be another rider to win both Belgian Monuments.

 

[Velolover2]

If Jungels is Quick Step's long range opinion again, he could win it. The other teams need to close his move down instantly before their captains are isolated.

Is Van Baarle there? He is a solid rider who always performs well in Flanders.

 

[Tim Booth]

Re:

If Jungels is Quick Step's long range opinion again, he could win it. The other teams need to close his move down instantly before their captains are isolated.

Is Van Baarle there? He is a solid rider who always performs well in Flanders.

151 MOSCON Gianni
152 DOULL Owain
153 KNEES Christian
154 BASSO Leonardo
155 ROWE Luke
156 STANNARD Ian
157 VAN BAARLE Dylan

 

[THEORYY]

Peter Sagan for the win!

 

[Flamin]

***** GVA
**** Stybar, Van Aert
*** Naesen, Gilbert, Sagan
** Van der Poel, Jungels, Terpstra, Trentin
* Rowe, Langeveld, Benoot, Kristoff, Bettiol

 

[Robert5091]

QS will win this bike race.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Re:

***** GVA
**** Stybar, Van Aert
*** Naesen, Gilbert, Sagan
** Van der Poel, Jungels, Terpstra, Trentin
* Rowe, Langeveld, Benoot, Kristoff, Bettiol

equal favs

 

[Singer01]

Re:

QS will win this bike race.

In all seriousness you would probably say it's 50% chance QS, 50% chance the field.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Should have added MVDP to the options. I still would have picked WVA, but i think Mathieu has a better shot than, say Kristoff.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Van Aert is currently leading the poll, which is remarkable for a 24-year old talent in his second participation. He's clearly strong on the climbs, but can he make a decisive gap and defend it after the Paterberg?

Personally I think it will be between Sagan, GVA and DQSt as a team. Who will chase if Lampaert attacks long before the finish? This could be a long and hectic final.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re:

Should have added MVDP to the options. I still would have picked WVA, but i think Mathieu has a better shot than, say Kristoff.

Yes, Van der Poel will be in many people's top 10, but he says himself that he's not a top favorite yet over this distance. I couldn't leave out Kristoff as a former winner in form, but I don't really think he can win either.

 

[repre]

Re:

I picked Bob Jungels.

He has what it takes to be another rider to win both Belgian Monuments.

Also picked Jungels. He wont be a marked man, so can sneak into the brake 70-100 kms to go and have power, climbing, cobbles and TT skills to go distance in this race. Group of main favourites will be too desorganised without help of QS to chase effectively.

 

[pink_jersey]

Re:

Van Aert is currently leading the poll, which is remarkable for a 24-year old talent in his second participation. He's clearly strong on the climbs, but can he make a decisive gap and defend it after the Paterberg?

Personally I think it will be between Sagan, GVA and DQSt as a team. Who will chase if Lampaert attacks long before the finish? This could be a long and hectic final.

No one. He isn't strong enough. From DQS only Gilbert and Jungels have what it takes to win from distance. Stybar can win by having a teammate in front and stay in the wheels until the last kms. He doesn't have the engine to go from distance.

Jungels is my pick as well but I hope for GVA/Gilbert. GVA looked really good in E3. People talk about WVA but even if he drops everbody on Paterberg I don't think he can sustain it till the finish. GVA and Naesen if collaborating can regain the seconds they will lose on Paterberg. Sagan is a mistery till now.

 

[krakenKE]

Voted for Stybar. But it is very hard to pick a winner this year. There are many riders who could realistically win it. Should be a great race anyway.

 

[WheelofGear]

If they are riding it like the previous editions, it's way too hard for the power sprinters like Kristoff and Degenkolb.

It will be a pure specialist. Only 8 names comes to mind for victory: Van der Poel, Van Aert, Stybar, Terpstra, Naesen, Gilbert, Sagan or Van Avermaet.

 

[yaco]

Sagan's ride in Gent Warelgem suggests he's the rider to beat - It was a powerful performance - GVA should be hard to beat - Doubt Lampaert is strong enough for this race, while Gilbert could be best of the Quick Steppers.

 

[red_flanders]

I haven't seen anything to suggest Van Aert can escape from all the challengers, which he'd have to do to win. Sagan is off form. Stybar FTW.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re: Re:

People talk about WVA but even if he drops everbody on Paterberg I don't think he can sustain it till the finish.

Except for Jungels, i think he has the best ITT in his legs after a tough race. We saw what he did in Strade, he rode further away from a chasing group with Van Avermaet, Benoot, Wellens, Lutsenko... He is a very good ITT'er.

So, it depends who is chasing. Are there multiple DQS in the chasing group? Are only isolated riders chasing? Is Kristoff or another sprinter still in the chasing bunch? Who is going to drag him/them to the finish to get his ass wooped in the sprint? The thing is, Van Aert isn't slow, but i don't see him winning a sprint against, Naesen, van der Poel, Van Avermaet, Sagan... So if those guys are still in the mix, he will need to try something.

I haven't seen anything to suggest Van Aert can escape from all the challengers, which he'd have to do to win. Sagan is off form. Stybar FTW.

If you have seen the races the past few weeks, he's shown he's the best on the climbs. If by the time they arrive at the last climb, the peloton is shattered and there is no strong team to chase, who knows.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

If they are riding it like the previous editions, it's way too hard for the power sprinters like Kristoff and Degenkolb.

It will be a pure specialist. Only 8 names comes to mind for victory: Van der Poel, Van Aert, Stybar, Terpstra, Naesen, Gilbert, Sagan or Van Avermaet.

You can maybe add Bettiol/Sep, but I dont really believe in either for this race tbh. Havent been impressed with Niki at all either, but you gotta include him. Valverde could play the role as a joker, as could some of the danes, but Valgren and Kragh has been sick and Mads Pedersen I dont really know.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

If they are riding it like the previous editions, it's way too hard for the power sprinters like Kristoff and Degenkolb.

It will be a pure specialist. Only 8 names comes to mind for victory: Van der Poel, Van Aert, Stybar, Terpstra, Naesen, Gilbert, Sagan or Van Avermaet.

You can maybe add Bettiol/Sep, but I dont really believe in either for this race tbh. Havent been impressed with Niki at all either, but you gotta include him. Valverde could play the role as a joker, as could some of the danes, but Valgren and Kragh has been sick and Mads Pedersen I dont really know.

I think Pedersen is by far our biggest hope.

 

[fuiers]

Since my pick Valgren has been so off form Im gonna pick Tim Wellens to suprise us all.