Strade Bianche: August 1, 2020

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That's true, but he got a wheel almost instantly it seems. If he has one of his "blessed" days, that wouldn't have taken him out that early. Anyway, I'm still not inclined to believe Adrie when he says Mathieu is a "good climber" and could win Lombardia. Not writing him off for Strade, but i think he'll have to win it like Wout did today.

oh i agree about lombardia, but strade bianchi is well within his reach.

I think Adrie refers to his junior period, but MvdP was about 10 inches shorter and 20kg lighter... so it doesn't compare

 

[Red Rick]

I just want to see VdP in a big climbing race so we get some reference in what type of stages he can still compete, not really if he can win LBL or Il Lombardia.

 

[Anderis]

Woods 36th. Not bad considering he broke his femur in March.

 

[Red Rick]

Strongest guy won, beautiful racing. What do you want more?

I missed racing!

More coverage would be nice

 

[BlueRoads]

Pogacar wasn't bad, considering it didn't rain anything but grains of sand. Well, still 10 minutes down... but just next to Kwiatkowski.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

WVA is developing a better tactical understanding. He was always strong but he previously too often killed himself.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Pogacar wasn't bad, considering it didn't rain anything but grains of sand. Well, still 10 minutes down... but just next to Kwiatkowski.

If he really sucked in the heat, he wouldn't finish at all.

 

[HelloDolly]

The winner was definitely the strongest
Though Stbar was pretty strong too....not sure why he was behind
Mechanical or crash

What happened with Sagan ...DNF

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The winner was definitely the strongest
Though Stbar was pretty strong too....not sure why he was behind
Mechanical or crash

What happened with Sagan ...DNF

At times i thought Bettiol looked strongest, then Schachmann... but turns out van Aert was riding conservatively until the final 25k. He was very focused on drinking, eating and keeping cool. When Schachmann attacked it was clear van Aert was better than he had seemed up till then (when he was sometimes dangling at the back). When Bettiol attacked he bridged the gap without going all out.

Stybar also looked strong, but once van Aert attacked, he lost 3 extra minutes on 12 kilometers. Difficult to say if he could have competed had he not wasted all that energy.

Sagan was already over 3 minutes down when Fuglsang attacked. Don't know if something happened (crash, punctures) but maybe he didn't think it was worth it to keep going.

 

[RedheadDane]

So, turns out Van Dijk had an interesting solution to the bike theft, borrowing De Kort's bike. Dunno if she broke any watt-records...

 

[SafeBet]

At times i thought Bettiol looked strongest, then Schachmann... but turns out van Aert was riding conservatively until the final 25k. He was very focused on drinking, eating and keeping cool. When Schachmann attacked it was clear van Aert was better than he had seemed up till then (when he was sometimes dangling at the back). When Bettiol attacked he bridged the gap without going all out.

I think Bettiol felt the strongest when the race exploded on Sante Marie. He did most of the chasing when Fuglsang attacked and pulled a lot even when the group bridged to Fuglsang.
Van Aert rode the perfect race from a tactical point of view. He actually didn't look particularly good on Sante Marie and was dropped by Formolo/Bettiol for some time. In hindsight he was probably pacing himself and not wasting energy as the two Italians did.

 

[Jagartrott]

Van Aert said he took some risk in the downhill of the last sterrato section, then he had a gap on Schachmann before attacking on the uphill bit. He also said he didn't feel the strongest of the group earlier on, but was hoping the heat and distance would sap the energy of the others more, so he focused a lot on staying cool and hydrated.

 

[Salvarani]

Fuglsang saving his energy instead of attacking from 50km he might not have cracked in the end

 

[RedheadDane]

Fuglsang saving his energy instead of attacking from 50km he might not have cracked in the end

And that still might only have been good enough for fifth. Better try and fail, than not try at all.

 

[Salvarani]

And that still might only have been good enough for fifth. Better try and fail, than not try at all.

Ok. If he wanted to win he should have waited.

 

[tobydawq]

And that still might only have been good enough for fifth. Better try and fail, than not try at all.

Lol, what? You don't have to attack 50 kilometres out to try to win...

 

[RedheadDane]

Ok. If he wanted to win he should have waited.

Lol, what? You don't have to attack 50 kilometres out to try to win...

My point is that there's no saying he would he won if he'd waited. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't, we don't know. Can't change what happened.

 

[tobydawq]

My point is that there's no saying he would he won if he'd waited. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't, we don't know. Can't change what happened.

Well, that's kind of the point with a forum, right? To discuss what happened and could have happened if someone had done anything differently...

 

[RedheadDane]

Well, that's kind of the point with a forum, right? To discuss what happened and could have happened if someone had done anything differently...

I just like the fact that we don't know. That it's not if not X then Y.
The attack could have worked, it didn't.
The attack probably meant that he had burned a few matches.
Not having attacked might have meant that he'd have had those matches in the finale, and that might have meant that he'd have been able to get away - and I think he would've needed to get away - to the win, or it might not.

And basically at the end of the day I don't see the point in regret, especially not second-hand regret.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Fuglsang saving his energy instead of attacking from 50km he might not have cracked in the end

I still don't understand it. From those 6 riders, he had the best cards to wait until Sienna and was the one who didn't have to go from far.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

I still don't understand it. From those 6 riders, he had the best cards to wait until Sienna and was the one who didn't have to go from far.

At the point at which he attacked, it wasn't a case of 'those 6': his attack reduced a group of 10-12 with several others not very far back into 5 chasers and took a large number out of contention. Would he have been favourite against Kwiatkowski once inside the city walls?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

At the point at which he attacked, it wasn't a case of 'those 6': his attack reduced a group of 10-12 with several others not very far back into 5 chasers and took a large number out of contention. Would he have been favourite against Kwiatkowski once inside the city walls?

If i remember correctly, the group had already been reduced right before?
Either way, with 55k to go at that point, there was plenty of natural selection to come. He could have attacked at 30k as well of he needed to drop some guys.

 

[janraaskalt]

If i remember correctly, the group had already been reduced right before?
Either way, with 55k to go at that point, there was plenty of natural selection to come. He could have attacked at 30k as well of he needed to drop some guys.

It looked like he didn't need to put extra effort in escaping, since it was a slight downhill part with curves/corners which he was taking at near maximum risk. Often in Strade Bianche you see the riders behind a group of escaped riders look at each other and not giving full gas. It could've worked, it didn't.

 

[Lequack]

Some pics:

2020 strade-bianche photos page-01

www.steephill.tv

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Van Aert's final 15k were a minute faster than Benoot's 2 years ago. Different weather conditions though.

It looked like he didn't need to put extra effort in escaping, since it was a slight downhill part with curves/corners which he was taking at near maximum risk. Often in Strade Bianche you see the riders behind a group of escaped riders look at each other and not giving full gas. It could've worked, it didn't.

Has there ever been a 55k solo to the finish in Strade Bianche? And if there has, chances are it wasn't a climber that did it. Chances at success were slim to say the least. I guess it doesn't matter anymore but i think he blew his chance then and there. Just how i see it.