Strade Bianche 2023, March 4, one-day classic (men's & women's)

[RedheadDane]

I had completely missed that Honore switched to EF.

You're right. It wasn't really mentioned in the news...

 

[Berniece]

Letting a teammate win is cringy, but this did not look too good either, especially the body language afterwards. Either clearly agree that rider x can win, or that you fight for it until the end. Now, it seems nothing was agreed clearly.

Yeah it was pretty awkward, and honestly I would be pissed if I was Kopecky. She put way more effort in that chase

 

[search]

You're right. It wasn't really mentioned in the news...

we're all getting old. You read it in the news, forget about it immediately, and then act surprised when you hear it again

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The idiot on Sporza thought it was obstruction by Faulkner. As if Faulkner can't just stay where she is.

bizarre, it’s not like she was a lapped car in motorsports. She’s competing for the win and she’s in the lead. She doesn’t have to get out of the way of the likely winners. Getting around her - without touching her - is their problem.

 

[Tonton]

Ok, but I (and Vollering very likely as well) look at this situation from another perspective. At the point when they caught Faulkner, SD Worx duo was considerably faster and the American was basically out of contention already. From that point it was Vollering vs Kopecky, not Faulkner vs Vollering vs Kopecky. And we're not discussing holding your line here, but it's changing your line and blocking a rider coming from behind, when being significantly slower.

There's an expression for that, "closing the door", this is as old as cycling.

 

[RedheadDane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1631995372787707904

we're all getting old. You read it in the news, forget about it immediately, and then act surprised when you hear it again

I'm not. I knew about it the whole time.

 

[DNP-Old]

Ah, Ivan Romeo, the living negligence of Unzue.

 

[DNP-Old]

I can see a certain Gregoire peeping in third position.

 

[Tonton]

A horse in the women's race...a goat in the men's race?

 

[pmcg76]

absolute bull...
She stood her ground. Vollering tried to create a gap by pushing a rider. Don't turn it around. If anything, Vollering should decide where there is space to overtake, and should keep her hands at home (technically, if there would be any rieason for DQ, it would be Vollering taking her hands of the bar to push another rider...!). If she gently tries to indicate / push Faulkner, no harm, but it's a gesture that Faulkner can simply ignore.

Watched this back and Faulkner was in the middle of the road as Vollering came up on the right, plenty of room, then Faulkner came right across which may have been due to fatigue. Vollering put out her hand to say 'hey I am here, don't crash me' which IMO would normally see a rider give the space, but Faulkner persisted which is what looked bad. It was 600m out, not a sprint finish and Vollering was already in the process of passing when Faulkner left her racing line.

 

[Salvarani]

Watched this back and Faulkner was in the middle of the road as Vollering came up on the right, plenty of room, then Faulkner came right across which may have been due to fatigue. Vollering put out her hand to say 'hey I am here, don't crash me' which IMO would normally see a rider give the space, but Faulkner persisted which is what looked bad. It was 600m out, not a sprint finish and Vollering was already in the process of passing when Faulkner left her racing line.

This how it looked to me as well.

 

[awavey]

Yeah it was pretty awkward, and honestly I would be pissed if I was Kopecky. She put way more effort in that chase

but then Vollering was working with her the whole way once she'd got caught, even shouting at her to get more aero on the descents, plus she had the horse to contend with which dented her chase down of Faulkner.

its back to if theyre two riders on different teams, they spend those last 20km staring at each other and doing nothing, as happens so frequently when AvV goes up the road solo to win again.

if Kopecky thought she was stronger, make the selection count, she was ahead up the last climb but Vollering rode her way back into it, and didnt throw the bike for the line a few metres too early.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Can we just skip to the part where the French broadcasters linger for far to long on Gregoire, tears in his eyes and holding his knee as he's dropped 40k into a mountain stage whilst wearing the yellow. It will save us all some heartbreak.

 

[Red Rick]

Must say Gilbert is a dud on the moto commentary

 

[Tim Cahill]

Phil Gil not a natural broadcaster I must say.

 

[awavey]

Watched this back and Faulkner was in the middle of the road as Vollering came up on the right, plenty of room, then Faulkner came right across which may have been due to fatigue. Vollering put out her hand to say 'hey I am here, don't crash me' which IMO would normally see a rider give the space, but Faulkner persisted which is what looked bad. It was 600m out, not a sprint finish and Vollering was already in the process of passing when Faulkner left her racing line.

agreed ,Vollering had plenty space on the right when the move started, and yep its not clear if it was deliberate or brain fade fatigue but Faulkner then comes right "to block" the space, is then made aware of Vollerings presence, but maintains the line squeeze with Vollering towards the barriers.

as soon as Vollering decided to drop back and take the left after Koppecky, Faulkners line reverted back to where she was before she'd gone right.

so the best shine you could put on it was it wasnt very polite racing and the end of a tough race up a very steep climb and maybe Faulkner thought there was only the one TeamSD worx rider to worry about at that point, because tactically she gave Koppecky a massive advantage by just trying to focus on Vollering in that way

 

[Salvarani]

Phil Gil not a natural broadcaster I must say.

I think it is only his second race as a "broadcaster" after Omloop last weekend so maybe he will improve, right?

 

[awavey]

Emma Noorsgard confirmed multiple right-hand collarbone fractures as a result of the crash earlier in the race which I think was the one Faulkner was caught up in.

 

[Volderke]

Watched this back and Faulkner was in the middle of the road as Vollering came up on the right, plenty of room, then Faulkner came right across which may have been due to fatigue. Vollering put out her hand to say 'hey I am here, don't crash me' which IMO would normally see a rider give the space, but Faulkner persisted which is what looked bad. It was 600m out, not a sprint finish and Vollering was already in the process of passing when Faulkner left her racing line.

I suggest you (and the Sporza commentators, apparently) watch it again. This is just not what happened. Faulkner closed the door on her way too rigorously. I'm not saying it was intentional, actually the opposite, but she did.

Ok, but I (and Vollering very likely as well) look at this situation from another perspective. At the point when they caught Faulkner, SD Worx duo was considerably faster and the American was basically out of contention already. From that point it was Vollering vs Kopecky, not Faulkner vs Vollering vs Kopecky. And we're not discussing holding your line here, but it's changing your line and blocking a rider coming from behind, when being significantly slower.

I admit I was mistaken in my assessment as I didn't watch the moment carefully before the 'blocking' started, and indeed, Faulkner was drifting. My bad, I was wrong, at least I can now understand Vollering's actions (insisting on passing on the right) much better, as she had space on the right but Faulkner closed it.

I still believe Faulkner had no bad intentions with her drifting to the right, and was surprised Vollering was there and in a split moment decided she was going to stay right no matter, concentrating on riding her own line rather than being aware of what Vollering's intentions were.

 

[topcat]

PhilGil “toughen up and figure it out yourself. I’m not explaining what’s happening in front of your eyes. You’re looking at it!”

 

[Netserk]

The break is on sector 7 now. Last minute to move up in the bunch.

 

[Netserk]

Did Valter lose the wheel of Benoot near the front? EDIT: No, he's there.

 

[pmcg76]

I admit I was mistaken in my assessment as I didn't watch the moment carefully before the 'blocking' started, and indeed, Faulkner was drifting. My bad, I was wrong, at least I can now understand Vollering's actions (insisting on passing on the right) much better, as she had space on the right but Faulkner closed it.

I still believe Faulkner had no bad intentions with her drifting to the right, and was surprised Vollering was there and in a split moment decided she was going to stay right no matter, concentrating on riding her own line rather than being aware of what Vollering's intentions were.

Yeah, I don't think there was any deliberate action on her first swing to the right, but once she felt the hand on the back, I felt she should have given the space as if Vollering had not backed off they would have crashed. Again, maybe it was just fatigue. She rode a great race and I was kinda hoping she would hang on.

 

[Netserk]

Mohoric is also near the front, it was only a few km ago that he changed bike.

 

[Netserk]

Van der Poel 2nd rider on the sector from the peloton.

Casper Pedersen has a go with Kämna.

 

[limak_]

Mohoric is also near the front, it was only a few km ago that he changed bike.

I'm curious if his spare bike also has a dropper seatpost