Strade Bianche 2025, March 8, one-day classic (men's)

[zlev11]

Instead of complaining about the likely Pogacar dominance, what about asking Plugge why the hell they select their dev team to do one of the biggest one day's on the calender? Jorgenson would be 3rd favorite for this. Wout should go and Vingegaard should go obviously. I kinda think Rabobank is doing this just so that the argument for One cycling where the "best will compete against each other more often " to make more sense. The best could be facing each other very often if guys like Plugge and Roodhoft made their biggest stars do the biggest races. Absolute joke that MVDP skips Omloop but does Le samewhatever race. Disgrace.

yep. Roglic should be here too, especially since there is a Strade stage in the Giro he is targeting. i don't really understand why this race gets such bad fields now.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Who, and where? In this thread no one was whining about Pogacar winning before you made that comment.

Training ride and funeral procession: Edition 81 here we go

Hard to get excited for this, sadly, other than the fact we get to see 2025 Scaroni in a WT race for the first time

Maybe you should read again.

 

[Pozzovivo]

Were they deleted?

No.

zlev11 said:
no im just not very excited to watch the race be over with 65k left

I'll watch until pogačar attacks, then I'll get on with my day.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Training ride and funeral procession: Edition 81 here we go

Don't worry, it will be an exciting race. We can't be sure if Pogi will attack 81 km or 79 km from the line!

 

[Peyroteo94]

No.

zlev11 said:
no im just not very excited to watch the race be over with 65k left

Seriously this thread is full of users whining...

 

[Pozzovivo]

yep. Roglic should be here too, especially since there is a Strade stage in the Giro he is targeting. i don't really understand why this race gets such bad fields now.

Back in the Jumbo-Visma days they had Roglic, Vingegaard and Wout in great shape and neither one of them went to the ardennes classic. They showed up with the freakin' Tiesj Benoot as leader for those races and PLUGGE compliants that it's a problem that the best don't compete against each other.

Keeping Jonas in a fermented glass jar on top of the vulcano for 3 months each spring. Great work Team SKY 3.0.

 

[Pozzovivo]

Seriously this thread is full of users whining...

I agree. I am one of them but not directed at Pogacar - not his fault that Plugge and Roodhoft are ruining the excitement.

 

[Sciatic]

Back in the Jumbo-Visma days they had Roglic, Vingegaard and Wout in great shape and neither one of them went to the ardennes classic. They showed up with the freakin' Tiesj Benoot as leader for those races and PLUGGE compliants that it's a problem that the best don't compete against each other.

Keeping Jonas in a fermented glass jar on top of the vulcano for 3 months each spring. Great work Team SKY 3.0.

True in general, but Roglic did win one of them.

 

[Lequack]

yep. Roglic should be here too, especially since there is a Strade stage in the Giro he is targeting. i don't really understand why this race gets such bad fields now.

UAE should announce a team without Pog so that others come, and then swap for Pog at the last moment. A bit of shenanigans.

 

[Pozzovivo]

True in general, but Roglic did win one of them.

Yes, in 2020 when LBL was held after the Tour de France... Not participated since 2021 in any ardennes classic.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Roglic stealing a monument just seems so bizarre in retrospect, perhaps the funniest win in recent history.

 

[Lequack]

Everyone is sleeping on Mikel Landa.

 

[dazaau]

Should be stripped of its WT status until the organisers are forced to delete the nugatory 30km from the race.

UCI should also come out with a statement banning the race from ever having 'monument' status to save us having to listen to asinine debates and deter future organisers from trying to force the issue by making ridiculous and dishonourable parcours alterations.

Who looks at races like this and thinks I know lets start tinkering.

Seems harsh - but then you can't argue with the evidence provided at the conclusion.

 

[Netserk]

Back in the Jumbo-Visma days they had Roglic, Vingegaard and Wout in great shape and neither one of them went to the ardennes classic. They showed up with the freakin' Tiesj Benoot as leader for those races and PLUGGE compliants that it's a problem that the best don't compete against each other.

Keeping Jonas in a fermented glass jar on top of the vulcano for 3 months each spring. Great work Team SKY 3.0.

That only happened one year (Benoot was 7th in both FW and LBL). Vingegaard rode the Ardennes the three previous years, only once with a top-70 (28th in Liège).

Impressive how he managed to win Itzulia while in a fermented glass jar. Heck, he managed to podium one of the big one-week stage races each spring since 2021. He has the third best track record in the spring stage races behind the two Slovenes.

Yes, in 2020 when LBL was held after the Tour de France... Not participated since 2021 in any ardennes classic.

2022: Injury
2023: Giro
2024: Injury
2025: Giro

 

[Pozzovivo]

That only happened one year

I know that's why I said it. Its a poor look for the sport when the best don't race the biggest races.

Benoot is a good leader for Cofidis to bring to the ardennes not Visma. Kinda like Teuns vs Benoot this year probably. Visma or Cofidis leader, who do you prefer?

Vingegaard rode the Ardennes the three previous years, only once with a top-70 (28th in Liège).

He did not ride since 2022.

Impressive how he managed to win Itzulia while in a fermented glass jar. Heck, he managed to podium one of the big one-week stage races each spring since 2021. He has the third best track record in the spring stage races behind the two Slovenes.

True. And should then obviously do the ardennes. But he goes to altitude at that time....

2022: Injury
2023: Giro
2024: Injury
2025: Giro

Giro is absolutely no excuse as Pogacar, Remco, and others have shown.

 

[ashhutch1997]

I wasn't complaining or whinging with my post, I was just being honest.
I personally find it hard to be excited about a race that we all know what the outcome will be, and others on this forum share that opinion.

 

[Froome]

Seriously this thread is full of users whining...

And at the same time we have you whining all day against everybody who says anything not so good about pogacar.

 

[E_F_]

Why am I not allowed to whine about how/note the fact that one of the best races will be completely worthless this year?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Why am I not allowed to whine about how/note the fact that one of the best races will be completely worthless this year?

You can do whatever you want but if it will be worthless, why even watch it? Do you like to suffer?

 

[E_F_]

You can do whatever you want but if it will be worthless, why even watch it? Do you like to suffer?

If you went back a bit, then you would read, that I won't watch it.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Either Visma management is trash or their top riders are deathly afraid of getting a demoralizing beat-down from Pog this early in the season. Or both.

 

[Unchained]

Either Visma management is trash or their top riders are deathly afraid of getting a demoralizing beat-down from Pog this early in the season. Or both.

I believe in pro bike racers. I think riders believe that they can beat Pogacar or they wouldn't show up!! The only essence that believes that race is over, won by Pogacar is the internet, he doesn't believe it or say it, but sock puppets have him winning without racing

 

[Coffeeplanter]

Am looking very forward to this race, just so I can skip it and not watch a second.

 

[tobydawq]

Why am I not allowed to whine about how/note the fact that one of the best races will be completely worthless this year?

It might be unwatchable to seem but it certainly isn't worthless.

 

[tobydawq]

Am looking very forward to this race, just so I can skip it and not watch a second.

Haha what a funny way to say you're not looking forward to the race. Haha.

Ha.