Probably, change it to "most" thenYou don't think anyone from the lineup will go race the awesomely named Three Days of De Panne?
Probably, change it to "most" thenYou don't think anyone from the lineup will go race the awesomely named Three Days of De Panne?
Three days for the price of one. Good offer.You don't think anyone from the lineup will go race the awesomely named Three Days of De Panne?
Fastest three-day race ever!Three days for the price of one. Good offer.
It's a deadpanne comedy.Fastest three-day race ever!
Not really hidden last year, there were some really strong signs like 2nd in Paris-Nice ITT and 6 in E3, his Flanders and Roubaix didn't come out of nowhere, I remember I gave him a star for Flanders last year. This year he doesn't have this kind of results.He acted similarly "hidden" last year and then suddenly appeared in top positions second at Roubaix and fifth in Flanders. Top 10 would be decent for sure. His team isn't bad when it comes to cobblelstone.
Nah Politt was visible in other races in 2019. This year he was dropped even in flat TDF stages. Not expecting much from him.I am curious what role Politt will play.
In that strange corona year he took part in many belgian one-day-classic-races, but I never saw him in a leading group in the crucial phase, so I think.
He acted similarly "hidden" last year and then suddenly appeared in top positions second at Roubaix and fifth in Flanders. Top 10 would be decent for sure. His team isn't bad when it comes to cobblelstone.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”I am ready for a Van der Poel tactical disasterclass
I'd think you gotta switch Alaphilippe and Pedersen. JA hasn't shown anything on the cobbles IMO.
- * * * * van Aert, van der Poel
- * * * Alaphilippe
- * * Pedersen, Bettiol, Trentin, Andersen, Asgreen, Lampaert, Stuyven, Benoot
- * Küng, Sénéchal, Van Marcke, Teuns
- Degenkolb, Kristoff, Naesen, Wellens
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
I rate Alaphilippe just below WvA and MvdP.I'd think you gotta switch Alaphilippe and Pedersen. JA hasn't shown anything on the cobbles IMO.
they where even training as a team on the Ronde Van Vlaanderen route yesterday!You know EF are serious about this race when they announce their roster 4 days early.
He has never ridden on them.I'd think you gotta switch Alaphilippe and Pedersen. JA hasn't shown anything on the cobbles IMO.
Yeah, OK, but Simon Gerrans has retired, sadly.“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
never say neverHe has never ridden on them.
Nevertheless, I have no doubt he deserves four stars.
I rate Alaphilippe just below WvA and MvdP.
Main reasons:
Pedersen on the other hand seems to struggle a bit on the steeper cobbled climbs (like Paterberg). He seems 'droppable' by WvA and MvdP.
- Alaphilippe was really doing well on cobbled steep climbs in Brabantse pijl (Moskesstraat, cobbles and >20%). Better than MvdP. It seems to me that Paterberg is actually tailormade for Alaphilippe.
- Alaphilippe has a CX background as well. So while he is lighter, he should still be more than able to handle cobbles.
- The main problem for Alaphilippe will be the Oude Kwaremont. It's long, with bad cobbles, and requires more power than power / weight. If Alaphilippe hangs on there, I really don't see anyone that can drop him on Paterberg.
Actually, on Belgian TV the former CX rider and world champion Sven Nys doesn't think Alalfpolak will be able to drop WVA or MVP on the Paterberg as, certainly if its wet, it a climb you have to tackle sitting and not 'en danseuse' as Alafpolak usually likes to climb.If they don't drop Ala on Oude he's gonna jump from everyone on Paterberg. That's a given. Cobbles or not his acceleration on climbs like that is lethal.
he can't just put it on the big ring and attack out of the saddle halfway up the Paterberg. It wont work like that on cobbles.If they don't drop Ala on Oude he's gonna jump from everyone on Paterberg. That's a given. Cobbles or not his acceleration on climbs like that is lethal.
I don't think he can just ride away from those two either. They looked pretty damn fast on the Kemmelberg. But if they cancel each other out, Alaphilippe has a playground to exploit.Actually, on Belgian TV the former CX rider and world champion Sven Nys doesn't think Alalfpolak will be able to drop WVA or MVP on the Paterberg as, certainly if its wet, it a climb you have to tackle sitting and not 'en danseuse' as Alafpolak usually likes to climb.
Sven Nys argues that when climbing sitting down, most of the power comes from the lower back and WVA and MVP just have a lot more muscles and should be able to drop Alaphilippe on the Paterberg.
For what it's worth I don't think they'll be together when hitting the final Paterberg climb, but it would be an interesting scenario.
Hmm, Poggio isn't the steepest of climbs, either, and he is far and away the best rider there. So maybe he is more on equal terms with the crossers on the Kwaremont. It is true, though, that he can't stand up in the saddle there.It's also unlikely he can follow the best riders on the Kwaremont.