Sep Vanmarcke appreciation thread

[El Pistolero]

No.Most people, including myself, like a certain rider that tries to win by riding like a man better than a guy that wheelsuck his way towards the finish line to beat the others undeservedly in a sprint. Yes, I'm talking to you Nick Nuyens

He's being paid to win races. That's the objective. You have to maximize your chances of winning.

It will save him a lot of tears in his career. Sad tears at least.

A pro rider does not ride to please fans(most of them anyway), no matter what they say.

 

[katkotom]

The only mistake was letting Cancellara pushing him to the front for the sprint. And that's experience.

well the Czech co-commentator on Eurosport said it is not that bad to start the sprint from the first place as you need to overcome a deficit of at least 2-3 meters to overtake and that is not that easy after 250 km...Sep played it that way and he just fell short...

 

[Roderick]

He's being paid to win races. That's the objective. You have to maximize your chances of winning.

It will save him a lot of tears in his career. Sad tears at least.

A pro rider does not ride to please fans(most of them anyway), no matter what they say.

But it can help him in his future career. The next time when Van Marcke is up front with Cance, Cance will ride along no matter what. Because he knows that Van Marcke is a good guy who rides as well. Do you think Cance will ever ride along with Hushovd after what Hushovd did in 2011? Why do you think guys as GVA or Leukemans are well respected in the Belgian Peloton and no one wants to ride along with a guy like Nuyens?

 

[movingtarget]

Lol Hitch, even you have to realize what Sep did was not very smart. Especially starting the sprint from the front, 90% of the times you have lost the sprint then. I can't think of many moments where someone won a small group sprint when he started from the front.

Cancellara was the big favorite, so Vanmarcke should've played some poker and stay in his wheel and only sometimes take over. Worked for Gerrans, Ciolek and Nuyens didn't it? Anyone blaming them for their Monument wins? It was probably their only chance in their career(although Gerrans is looking good for the Ardennes) and they took it.

Yeah it was dumb. Near the finish he was probably thinking more about the win than about what he should have been doing and he would have been a bundle of nerves waiting for Cancellara to attack him. With a km to go he should have done why Stybar did. Cancellara would have tried every trick to make him come through but I don't think Cancellara would have delayed to the point where the chase group was too close. Interesting comments by Cancellara after the race saying he was struggling on the cobbles but going well on the road because at one point when Vanmarcke went to the front on the last lot of serious cobbles, Cancellara looked to be struggling and after the race he could barely walk. Vanmarcke's mistake reminded of Uran's at the Olympics when Vino beat him ( now that was really dumb) but that's how they learn. Still, PR was a good race but I enjoyed Flanders more.

 

[l.Harm]

How can you compare Uran at the Olympics with this

 

[movingtarget]

How can you compare Uran at the Olympics with this

Most sprinters will never lead out a sprint if they can avoid it. Not to say Cancellara would not have won but that was Vanmarcke's best chance to wait for Cancellara to jump first.

 

[l.Harm]

Sagan was the first man when he was with battling with Roelandts for 2nd place in Flanders. Did he make a mistake? If you watch the sprint I doubt Vanmarcke would have the power to make a jump to beat Canc.

But you enjoyed Flanders more you said, so probably you just watch it differently

 

[Lanark]

Vanmarcke started sprinting with a 175 meters to go according to himself. At that point being in the front is almost an advantage on a track, the second guy will always start sprinting a little later, and on a track it's not as easy to overtake someone. Cancellara was just faster.

 

[The Hitch]

So it's better to lose than to win, especially if you lose to Canc?

iF that's what you took from my post then both your English skills and understanding of cycling seem to be lacking.

 

[The Hitch]

Lol Hitch, even you have to realize what Sep did was not very smart. Especially starting the sprint from the front, 90% of the times you have lost the sprint then. I can't think of many moments where someone won a small group sprint when he started from the front.
.

what's the sprint got to do with it? I'm clearly talking about the question whether he should have wheelsucked or not.

Cancellara was the big favorite, so Vanmarcke should've played some poker and stay in his wheel and only sometimes take over. Worked for Gerrans, Ciolek and Nuyens didn't it? Anyone blaming them for their Monument wins? It was probably their only chance in their career(although Gerrans is looking good for the Ardennes) and they took it

Only sometimes take over is exactly what he did. Canc still did the majority of the pulling.

I think you are getting confused. Nuyens gerrans and ciolek didn't "only sometimes take over'. They never took over. What gerrans did in a 3 man group for a couple of k was bad enough. But to wheelsuck for 20k 1 on 1 as you are suggesting. Pff. That's the kind of lenthgs you would go to?

Not to mention it wouldn't even have worked. Canc made clear he isn't going to do any more long leadouts. He would have spent the rest of the race attacking and either get away or get caught by the group behind.

 

[max_powers]

Vanmarcke will get more opportunities. Especially for these kind of riders, they want to 'koersen' like Boonen always says it. They have some pride.

Not like this opportunity. Once a rider breaks out like this, he is watched more more closely. like Sagan

 

[El Pistolero]

what's the sprint got to do with it? I'm clearly talking about the question whether he should have wheelsucked or not.


Only sometimes take over is exactly what he did. Canc still did the majority of the pulling.

I think you are getting confused. Nuyens gerrans and ciolek didn't "only sometimes take over'. They never took over. What gerrans did in a 3 man group for a couple of k was bad enough. But to wheelsuck for 20k 1 on 1 as you are suggesting. Pff. That's the kind of lenthgs you would go to?

Not to mention it wouldn't even have worked. Canc made clear he isn't going to do any more long leadouts. He would have spent the rest of the race attacking and either get away or get caught by the group behind.

Uh, Vanmarcke did just as much work as Cancellara in the final kms. And Gerrans took over, once.

It would've worked, Cancellara would've kept going because otherwise he'd lose the sprint against other riders. In fact, Vanmarcke could've probably beaten most of those guys in a sprint if he was "well rested"(no such thing during such a hard race of course) in Cancellara's wheel.

In love and war everything is fair.

Unless your name is Boonen everyone should wheelsuck Cancellara during these classics. Why? Because he's better than all of them. You have to tire your enemy out first. Only then you strike.

 

[zigmeister]

what's the sprint got to do with it? I'm clearly talking about the question whether he should have wheelsucked or not.


Only sometimes take over is exactly what he did. Canc still did the majority of the pulling.

I think you are getting confused. Nuyens gerrans and ciolek didn't "only sometimes take over'. They never took over. What gerrans did in a 3 man group for a couple of k was bad enough. But to wheelsuck for 20k 1 on 1 as you are suggesting. Pff. That's the kind of lenthgs you would go to?

Not to mention it wouldn't even have worked. Canc made clear he isn't going to do any more long leadouts. He would have spent the rest of the race attacking and either get away or get caught by the group behind.

As others have mentioned, you should watch the last 20km or so again. Vanmarcke pulled just as much as Fabian.

But, this whole wheelsucking nonsense has to stop. It is a stupid tactic, what I mean by that, wheelsucking is a great tactic IMO.

Fabian's "riding my wheel" tactic comments in the press, is complete nonsense and head games to try and play with people's egos to get them to tire out.

How come it is OK for Fabian, around 6km, after Vanmarcke did a good pull, he then attacks his fellow rider and tries to take advantage of him being exhausted?!?!

It almost worked in fact. So, that is a perfectly legit tactic for Fabian, because it plays to his strengths?!?! But, if you are a sprinter, and say, screw that, I'm not pulling, I'm going to save my energy and just blow your doors off the last 200m, and that is your strength, that isn't OK?!?!

Nonsense.

I'm glad Sagan sucked Fabians wheel previously and blew him away on the sprint. Fabian turned into a baby whining about it.

Then, Fabian learned he needs to just try other tactics to win, the next time with Sagan, he dropped him on a short climb to win the race...great move.

San Remo, Sagan was foolish, and who was wheel sucking then???? Fabian and the rest on Sagan. Sagan should have held up, never took the lead the last 1KM and just outsprinted everybody to take the win. Overconfident and young.

If I was Vanmarcke, and Fabian pulled that attack around 6km to go after I did a pull and try to take advantage of that, I wouldn't have pulled 1 second longer the rest of the race. I would have been willing to just sit and let people catch us, just to screw him for that crap he tried.

But, that is a race tactic, and I'm ok with what Fabian did, as long as everybody else understands that sucking a wheel sometimes is a race tactic, and Fabian has done it plenty himself!

 

[Afrank]

How come it is OK for Fabian, around 6km, after Vanmarcke did a good pull, he then attacks his fellow rider and tries to take advantage of him being exhausted?!?!

It almost worked in fact. So, that is a perfectly legit tactic for Fabian, because it plays to his strengths?!?! But, if you are a sprinter, and say, screw that, I'm not pulling, I'm going to save my energy and just blow your doors off the last 200m, and that is your strength, that isn't OK?!?!

It's okay to do that because...wait for it...it's a bike race! Attacking is part of it, if cancellara attacks his opponent after he takes a poll on the front than that's just part of racing, nothing wrong with it.

San Remo, Sagan was foolish, and who was wheel sucking then???? Fabian and the rest on Sagan. Sagan should have held up, never took the lead the last 1KM and just outsprinted everybody to take the win. Overconfident and young.

If sagan had done that he would have sprinted in for 3rd, Stannard would have ridden away to take the win.

But, that is a race tactic, and I'm ok with what Fabian did, as long as everybody else understands that sucking a wheel sometimes is a race tactic, and Fabian has done it plenty himself!

Of course wheel sucking is a race tactic, but the last couple years Cancellara has multiple times found himself the victim of losing the race due to someone sucking his wheel. And he's had his wheel sucked much more than he has sucked others wheels. It's only natural that he should feel frustrated about that and want to make sure people don't do that to him anymore.

 

[gthx_gthx_]

How about Vanmarcke really thought he was better in a sprint so he decided to collaborate with Cancellara so that Canc wouldn't attack him too much.

IMO I think If he hadn't taken his turns Cancellara would have dropped him with an attack at some point , Sep knew that and to "calm" Spartacus he decided that collaborating was the best thing to do.

I think finishing with Cancellara was already a great performance , perhaps he was simply not able to do any better.

 

[wiggos sideburn]

How about Vanmarcke really thought he was better in a sprint so he decided to collaborate with Cancellara so that Canc wouldn't attack him too much.

IMO I think If he hadn't taken his turns Cancellara would have dropped him with an attack at some point , Sep knew that and to "calm" Spartacus he decided that collaborating was the best thing to do.

I think finishing with Cancellara was already a great performance , perhaps he was simply not able to do any better.

I agree that was his best way of winning, the only mistakes he made was leading out the sprint and doing the last pull into the velodrome

 

[Scott SoCal]

Uh, Vanmarcke did just as much work as Cancellara in the final kms. And Gerrans took over, once.

It would've worked, Cancellara would've kept going because otherwise he'd lose the sprint against other riders. In fact, Vanmarcke could've probably beaten most of those guys in a sprint if he was "well rested"(no such thing during such a hard race of course) in Cancellara's wheel.

In love and war everything is fair.

Unless your name is Boonen everyone should wheelsuck Cancellara during these classics. Why? Because he's better than all of them. You have to tire your enemy out first. Only then you strike.

Then wins come in a cowardly fashion. If Gerrans can live with that, then fine.

It was a win that I would never ever mention if I were him.

 

[Scott SoCal]

How about Vanmarcke really thought he was better in a sprint so he decided to collaborate with Cancellara so that Canc wouldn't attack him too much.

IMO I think If he hadn't taken his turns Cancellara would have dropped him with an attack at some point , Sep knew that and to "calm" Spartacus he decided that collaborating was the best thing to do.

I think finishing with Cancellara was already a great performance , perhaps he was simply not able to do any better.

Ding, ding, ding. There's your winner.

 

[El Pistolero]

Then wins come in a cowardly fashion. If Gerrans can live with that, then fine.

It was a win that I would never ever mention if I were him.

Yeah, those Mongols were a bunch of cowards. Who remembers their conquests?

 

[pastronef]

an open letter to Sep


http://www.wielerupdate.nl/wielernieuws/24251/column-een-open-brief-aan-sep-vanmarcke/


Sep Vanmarcke did not stop crying in Roubaix. Second in the most beautiful day race of the year, at one meter from Fabian Cancellara. He did not win, but gave cycling fans something special; honesty. An open letter to Sep Vanmarcke.

Dag Sep,

What is occasionally a ****ing sport, eh? Then you work yourself 250 kilometers from the seam, then a thump of a disappointment to have to process. And while you cry in the arms of your parents, is located a few meters away the world's best cyclist in the grass. Broken. Op. But as the winner. You have empty wrenched him to the Swiss sweat drop. But you did not win.

Your teammate Bram Tankink shared on Twitter are stress, when it became clear that you know it was going to break up with Fabian Cancellara at Paris-Roubaix. He had the highest heart rate of the year, let him know. That says a lot for an athlete of his stature. But Bram knew what was possible. Cancellara may inappropriately hard drive, his sprint is not waterproof. And you, Sep, you Tommeke Boonen had been beaten.

You face creased in the last few kilometers to a continuous grimace. Cancellara had to get the impression that you were broken, so that he is ignorant sprint would go to the Velodrome. But Cancellara severed with that ax. Shaking his head, he sat on his bike. Also stage. Cycling as a theater, with the Velodrome stage.

Two countries were in tension. Belgium, because they know you too well, and the Netherlands. Many Dutch cycling fan grants Blanco Winning a Monument. But sprint. You could wait longer, but Cancellara was not gone? I fear that you've asked yourself that question last night several times I also fear that sleep has not been sufficient.

As a consolation there might tell you that you ever win Paris-Roubaix. Beautiful words, may also true words, but you will have a message No one has anything to your day will come 'as' your day' today should have been.

 

[will10]

I'm assuming that has more impact in Dutch, prior to being massacred by google translate.

 

[pastronef]

I'm assuming that has more impact in Dutch, prior to being massacred by google translate.

ahahah, yes

 

[boomcie]

Aah Sep. Looking forward to the coming weeks.

 

[Netserk]

Nice to see you again boomcie

 

[boomcie]

Nice to see you again boomcie

Bilateral Netserk.