Yesterday was surprising. That gap was not easy to bridge, but I expected him to be up there when things went off.
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Agreed.Flamin said:Unless his form is one straight downhill from Gent-Wevelgem, he still has an outside shot in Roubaix. You don't have to be the strongest there, and the more cobbles the better for Sep. Other teams and riders have to carry the weight of the race, so he could sit back, let others close gaps and try to gamble on the right move to be in.
Flamin said:Unless his form is one straight downhill from Gent-Wevelgem, he still has an outside shot in Roubaix. You don't have to be the strongest there, and the more cobbles the better for Sep. Other teams and riders have to carry the weight of the race, so he could sit back, let others close gaps and try to gamble on the right move to be in.
Echoes said:Flamin said:Unless his form is one straight downhill from Gent-Wevelgem, he still has an outside shot in Roubaix. You don't have to be the strongest there, and the more cobbles the better for Sep. Other teams and riders have to carry the weight of the race, so he could sit back, let others close gaps and try to gamble on the right move to be in.
Really?
But well, I agree it suits Sep better. It holds for Terpstra too, though.
Apparently, he really made a youth mistake last Sunday, much more than was out of shape. That's the positive aspect of it. There's room for improvement.
Netserk said:Hmm, I don't see how Roubaix suits him better than Ronde. When he is at his best I think he is the strongest of all on the bergs, something that can't be said about the flat cobbles just yet.
Netserk said:The 'normal' cobbled ones. Kwaremont is unusual in its length. Molenberg, Taaienberg, Paterberg etc.
Netserk said:2 years? He couldn't drop the most unexplosive cobblestone rider in the bunch there and I very much doubt he'd have been the first over the top if he didn't already have an advantage over Canc and Vanmarcke before it. I also found Kristoff very impressive there last year. Unfortunately it was impossible to compare him against either of those this year as well.
Flamin said:Netserk said:2 years? He couldn't drop the most unexplosive cobblestone rider in the bunch there and I very much doubt he'd have been the first over the top if he didn't already have an advantage over Canc and Vanmarcke before it. I also found Kristoff very impressive there last year. Unfortunately it was impossible to compare him against either of those this year as well.
Ehm, he did drop Stijn, who was also sitting on his wheel for over 20k. And I remember that Greg still climbed Pater as fast as Canc-Sep, or max 1" slower.
Flamin said:Yes, I mean that Roubaix usually is a bit more tactical, more open.
How did you figure this out netserk? Kristoff and VM better suited for RVV is nonsense imo(clearly),Stybar is suited for PR only emerges from results,not from his abilities.Netserk said:2 years?
Of the 'new' generation I think GVA, Kristoff and Sagan are more suited for Ronde, whilst Degenkolb, Terpstra and Stybar are better suited for Roubaix. Vanmarcke is a bit better suited for Ronde too imho, or at least more suited to the bergs than the flat cobbles, though Roubaix being more selective suits him greatly as well.
Placement had little to do with Sep being dropped. He was not strong enough, that simple.Echoes said:But it's the opposite. In Roubaix the hardness of the cobbles automatically selects the strongest riders. In Flanders, there are so many turns and descents that the less endurant riders often have the chance to come back and placement in the peloton at the right time is much more crucial. Sep has learnt it at his expense.
Echoes said:Flamin said:Yes, I mean that Roubaix usually is a bit more tactical, more open.
But it's the opposite. In Roubaix the hardness of the cobbles automatically selects the strongest riders. In Flanders, there are so many turns and descents that the less endurant riders often have the chance to come back and placement in the peloton at the right time is much more crucial. Sep has learnt it at his expense.
Sep in stripes would be cool and he could definitely use it to rescue his season... I doubt the racing will suit him though, too easy for unless there are some crazy weather conditions. Still I'm looking forward (as always) to see the Belgians throwing it all against the wall with Tommeke, Gilbert, GvA and perhaps Vanmarcke, Benoot or Wellens; add Van Keirsbulck and some others and it's a crack of a teamFlamin said:Sep is already doing a recon of the Worlds route. He's riding California so he travelled a bit earlier to check the route and take some vacation. I'm curious about his feelings.
Who's going to be Belgian captain intrigues me more.Flamin said:Sep is already doing a recon of the Worlds route. He's riding California so he travelled a bit earlier to check the route and take some vacation. I'm curious about his feelings.
trevim said:Sep in stripes would be cool and he could definitely use it to rescue his season... I doubt the racing will suit him though, too easy for unless there are some crazy weather conditions. Still I'm looking forward (as always) to see the Belgians throwing it all against the wall with Tommeke, Gilbert, GvA and perhaps Vanmarcke, Benoot or Wellens; add Van Keirsbulck and some others and it's a crack of a teamFlamin said:Sep is already doing a recon of the Worlds route. He's riding California so he travelled a bit earlier to check the route and take some vacation. I'm curious about his feelings.
sir fly said:Who's going to be Belgian captain intrigues me more.Flamin said:Sep is already doing a recon of the Worlds route. He's riding California so he travelled a bit earlier to check the route and take some vacation. I'm curious about his feelings.