Tour of Flanders, 2014

[maltiv]

I'm betting Cancellara would tell you it was not easy to dump Sagan.

If it were harder, he'd have to attack several times to get rid of him. In both E3 and RVV Cancellara dropped him with one attack and got a 30 second gap almost immediately. I'd define that as relatively easy.

 

[coimbrawu]

The Boonenberg/Taaienberg is just after Koppenberg. So Tommeke will drop Cance on that hellingen

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

If it were harder, he'd have to attack several times to get rid of him. In both E3 and RVV Cancellara dropped him with one attack and got a 30 second gap almost immediately. I'd define that as relatively easy.

In de Ronde he definitely did try to drop him before and in E3 Sagan had a mechanical at an unfortunate time, IIRC.

Also, Cance sure as hell didn't get a thirty second gap on the climb itself. It's obvious that he is going out-TT the opposition by a considerable margin. Once he has a gap he's off.

 

[Scott SoCal]

If it were harder, he'd have to attack several times to get rid of him. In both E3 and RVV Cancellara dropped him with one attack and got a 30 second gap almost immediately. I'd define that as relatively easy.

Maybe we watched different races. Cance punched Sagan on the Kwaremont. Didn't work, punched him again on the Paterberg, which was the last opportunity to win the bike race. No way Cance wins dragging Sagan to the line.

Pre-race speculation had centred almost exclusively on the battle between these two individuals: the former best Classics rider in the world against the future best Classics rider in the world. Sagan has spent the last 12 months and more slowly inching his tanks on to Cancellara’s lawn, and this season has seen neither give any quarter to the other. There was stalemate in Milan-San Remo before Cancellara struck in E3. Then Sagan took Ghent-Wevelgem.

The problem facing both riders as they hammered away from the disintegrating peloton was simple. Cancellara needed to drop Sagan, the superior sprinter. Sagan had to stay with Cancellara. The result would depend on who would succeed.

Up and over the Kwaremont, Sagan gave no more than a bike length and a half to Cancellara. The Swiss rider was stronger, but not by enough. Sagan’s resistance was bending, but not breaking.

But on the Paterberg, the balance of power between the two riders, which has been shifting imperceptibly towards the Slovak for so many months, suddenly swung violently back to Cancellara. As Cancellara progressed relentlessly up the 20 per cent slope, Sagan’s body language changed, and he got out of the saddle. Riding out of the saddle on a cobbled climb is poor technique, and it showed that he was at his limit. Students of cycling history will remember the battle between Cancellara and Boonen over the Muur van Geraardsbergen in the 2010 Tour of Flanders: Cancellara hammering relentlessly to the summit, Boonen climbing out of the saddle and visibly losing ground, along with the race.

A small gap appeared between Cancellara’s wheel and that of Sagan as they rounded the shallow left-hand bend halfway up the Paterberg. Then it grew. On one side of the gap: the winner of the Tour of Flanders. On the other: the also-rans. The immoveable object on Cancellara’s wheel had finally been shifted.

At the top of the Paterberg, as he turned left onto the concrete slabs of the Stooktestraat, Cancellara looked back, saw that gap, and clicked through his gears, visibly accelerating away. When Sagan got to the top, instead of focusing his attention on his greatest rival, he also looked back. His race was now based on defending second, not winning first.

Cancellara’s lead ballooned. Sagan was picked up by Jurgen Roelandts, the crafty last survivor of a late break, but the pair could make little impression on the Swiss rider. Off the descent, with 12 kilometres to go, Cancellara had 15 seconds’ lead. Two kilometres later it was 30 seconds. Into the final five kilometres, he’d moved over a minute clear.

http://www.cyclesportmag.com/news-and-comment/tour-of-flanders-analysis-cancellara-versus-the-rest/


If Sagan is healthy and on form he will be a favorite.

 

[red_flanders]

This approach is 3857291,6x better than the 2012-13 route. Maybe even 3857291,7x.

The big problem with the Oudenaarde finish is nothing more than the insanely long, straight and dull closing stretch on the N453. Even if it took the climbs a couple more km from the end, going in on the N8 and around the north of the town, or from the N453 route turning left and heading through Bevere, having a few corners and running through the city streets (even on the occasional urban cobbles that are nothing more than ceremonial, like sector 1 in Roubaix) would make it just much more scenic and appealing a finale rather than an interminable straight line. I'd vastly prefer it if they finished in the Markt, which would be much more scenic, create a much better carnival atmosphere, be better for tactical racing whenever there's a group coming to the finish, and also finish almost in front of the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen.

No cycling fan needs to be reminded what Oudenaarde Markt looks like, but I don't get tired of looking at it, so I'm going to post it anyway.

Wonderful post and great suggestions.

I like the new course a lot, and don't mind that the Muur isn't there due to the placement of the Koppenberg. Hard to imagine that isn't going to blow the race apart.

I think if they took this year's planned course and added Libertine's suggestions you'd have something wonderful.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

I have to agree this is a huge improvement. Looking forward to the race already

 

[Scott SoCal]

Quick comments on GCN (including Freddy Maertens) at 2:02.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fba-ZcMGZc&feature=c4-overview&list=UUuTaETsuCOkJ0H_GAztWt0Q

 

[manafana]

Sagan is going to own Cance, just like this year

i wouldnt mind seeing it a new winner and all

 

[SKSemtex]

Please, can somebody tell me the finish time of Tour de Flanders 2014

I want to book the flight. Can I make it by car from the finish to Charleroi by 18.30? Or Do I have to flight next day?

I trying to find this information on the tour web site, unfortunately I cannot find it there.

 

[Little Fane]

Please, can somebody tell me the finish time of Tour de Flanders 2014

I want to book the flight. Can I make it by car from the finish to Charleroi by 18.30? Or Do I have to flight next day?

I trying to find this information on the tour web site, unfortunately I cannot find it there.

Here you go.

 

[SKSemtex]

Here you go.

Thanks a lot

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Please, can somebody tell me the finish time of Tour de Flanders 2014

I want to book the flight. Can I make it by car from the finish to Charleroi by 18.30? Or Do I have to flight next day?

I trying to find this information on the tour web site, unfortunately I cannot find it there.

Consider staying overnight. Visit a couple of pubs after the race, sleep in hotel and fly out next day. Book the hotel in advance.

 

[SKSemtex]

Consider staying overnight. Visit a couple of pubs after the race, sleep in hotel and fly out next day. Book the hotel in advance.

Thanks for advice. Traveling with my wife . But anyway we are staying overnight. The problem is that it is not easy for her to take day off. We are doing MSR two week earlier as well, and her boss is allready mad about these cycling tours.

Where is the best place to take the hotel? Any advice?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Thanks for advice. Traveling with my wife . But anyway we are staying overnight. The problem is that it is not easy for her to take day off. We are doing MSR two week earlier as well, and her boss is allready mad about these cycling tours.

Where is the best place to take the hotel? Any advice?

No sorry, perhaps a Belgian would point you in the right direction. Remember this is a big day in Belgium, so booking a hotel soon is key imo.

Your wife will love a good Belgian pub.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Thanks for advice. Traveling with my wife . But anyway we are staying overnight. The problem is that it is not easy for her to take day off. We are doing MSR two week earlier as well, and her boss is allready mad about these cycling tours.

Where is the best place to take the hotel? Any advice?

Oudenaarde or Ronse will book up very quickly, if they haven't already. Gent is half an hour from Oudenaarde by car and not especially long by train, and due to larger size has the benefit of more hotel options. Aalst is also fairly accessible from Oudenaarde. I'm assuming you'd need to go to Charleroi the following day, however, and these are in the wrong direction for that, however to head in the right direction you'd be heading past race route areas from Oudenaarde which could cause delays and/or difficulties as you'll have thousands of people emerging from the small roads there where they've been watching on the hellingen. If you want to go that way Tournai's a good bet, but then you're on Walloon ground so the atmosphere may be a bit different than if you're on Flemish terrain. Kortrijk is also not a bad bet - it's west of Oudenaarde so again not the right direction, but it's all Autoroute from there to the airport.

 

[SKSemtex]

Oudenaarde or Ronse will book up very quickly, if they haven't already. Gent is half an hour from Oudenaarde by car and not especially long by train, and due to larger size has the benefit of more hotel options. Aalst is also fairly accessible from Oudenaarde. I'm assuming you'd need to go to Charleroi the following day, however, and these are in the wrong direction for that, however to head in the right direction you'd be heading past race route areas from Oudenaarde which could cause delays and/or difficulties as you'll have thousands of people emerging from the small roads there where they've been watching on the hellingen. If you want to go that way Tournai's a good bet, but then you're on Walloon ground so the atmosphere may be a bit different than if you're on Flemish terrain. Kortrijk is also not a bad bet - it's west of Oudenaarde so again not the right direction, but it's all Autoroute from there to the airport.

Waw. Walking cyklopedia. . Thanks. I took some hotel 17 km from Kwaremont. Prices are allready our of "my range". Car rent is doubled agains the prices from from MSR. But I am quite excited. This will by my first RVV and cobbles generaly.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Seems much improved although the last 13k of dead flat on idiotic large roads are still there. . . .

Still it seems like a big improvement.

When does the Oudenaarde finish deal end? The race hasn't been the same since it moved there. . .

they so desperately want boonen to win

 

[theyoungest]

they so desperately want boonen to win

Because on the previous course he couldn't?

 

[burning]

Because on the previous course he couldn't?

He said that previous course was too hard for him