Question What about a fantasy cycling season

[Wvv]

There's a group of 15 riders that seem to get clear a little. Some names: Jelle Wallays, Rick Zabel, Heinrich Haussler, Stijn Vandenbergh, Lukasz Wiszniowski, Jan Tratnik, Franck Bonnamour and Frederik Backaert.

 

[Wvv]

The peloton doesn't allow them to get a big gap. It's around 15-20 seconds for a few kilometres, but everything is coming back together.

 

[Wvv]

We're approaching the first cobbled section of the day, after 97,5 km of racing. The speed in the peloton dropped, but there's lots of movement in the front of the bunch. New breakaway in the making?

 

[Wvv]

There's a larger group getting away now. We see Backaert and Wiszniowski again. Also in front: Edoardo Affini, Alex Krisch, Lawrence Naesen, Boy van Poppel, Nathan Van Hooydonck, Davide Ballerini and eleven others.

 

[Wvv]

The 19 leaders begin the second cobblestone section with a 30 seconds bonus. The names:


Frederik Frison (LTS)
Tom Van Asbroeck (ISN)
Davide Ballerini (DQS)
Lawrence Naesen (ALM)
Alex Aranburu (AST)
Maciej Bodnar (BOR)
Nathan Van Hooydonck (CCC)
Lukasz Wiszniowski (CCC)
Damien Touzé (COF)
Edoardo Affini (MTS)
Johan Jacobs (MOV)
Alex Kirsch (TFS)
Scott Thwaites (AFC)
Boy van Poppel (CWG)
Biniam Ghirmay (NDP)
Eduard Grosu (NDP)
Clément Russo (ARK)
Romain Cardis (TDE)
Frederik Backaert (BVC)

 

[Wvv]

Bad news for Ballerini and Ghirmay, with a puncture ending their breakaway story. They fall back to the peloton, which is letting the 17 others go. We have an early break ladies and gentlemen!

 

[Wvv]

After 130 kms, at the slightly uphill section of Capelle-Ruesnes (making its comeback on the course), the gap between the 17 leaders and the bunch is already 4 minutes.

 

[Wvv]

We've seen punctures for Tim Merlier, Elia Viviani, Niki Terpstra and Gianni Moscon, but they all returned to the peloton.

 

[Wvv]

The breakaway's gap stopped growing at 4'20". The bunch is speeding up since we are less than 20 kilometres away from the Wallers Forest.

 

[Wvv]

Deceuninck-Quickstep, Jumbo-Visma and Alpecin-Fenix taking control.

 

[Wvv]

MEN DOWN! Approaching the Haveluy section, the last one before the Trouée, the bunch splits up following a crash. We see Degenkolb, Lampaert and Küng on the ground.

 

[Wvv]

Only 30 riders aren't affected by the accident, Jumbo seem to have all riders safe and continues to pace.

The rest of the bunch are spread on the course. The Alpecin squad is waiting for Van der Poel to start pursuiting. Van Avermaet, Kristoff, Vanmarcke and Sagan lost contact too.

 

[Wvv]

Meanwhile the 17 leaders begin the terrifying Trouée d'Arenberg. Almost 2,5 kms of pure horror with around 95 kms to go. Their advantage on the first part of the peloton is less than 3 minutes, and the group in front is splitting up. Backaert, Van Hooydonck and Thwaites seem strong.

 

[Wvv]

The first part of the peloton consists of six Jumbo's (minus Eenkhoorn), five Deceunincks (minus Lampaert and Keisse), O. Naesen, Dillier and Vandenbergh for Ag2r, Garcia and Haussler for Bahrain, Stuyven, Pedersen and Simmons for Trek, Rowe and Van Baarle for INEOS and a dozen more with Terpstra, E. Viviani, Langeveld, Durbridge, Wallays and S. Kragh.

They enter the Wallers forest with 2'50 down on the leaders. Behind them the bunch is shattered.

 

[Wvv]

DNF Lampaert, Degenkolb and Modolo due to the crash.

 

[Wvv]

 

[Wvv]

Touzé, Grosu, Russo and Cardis had to let go of the leading group. Jacobs, Naesen and Van Asbroeck had a hard time but limited the damage and will return.

 

[Wvv]

Van der Poel with an impressive pace on the Arenberg cobbles. He leads a group of around 25 riders with GVA, Vanmarcke, Politt, Démare on his wheel. They also have teammates with Merlier, Vermeersch, Van Keirsbulck, Cort, Keukeleire, Greipel and Sinkeldam. Also there are Le Bon, De Vreese, Hermans, De Buyst, Burghardt, Oss and Stannard and a few others.

Kristoff and Philipsen are desperately trying to get back to them, but the Norwegian seems to suffer. For some reason, this race never suits him.

They have to make up 40 seconds to the Jumbo group.

 

[Wvv]

Sagan is even further back and it seems almost impossible for the triple world champion to get back into contention. His brother and Drucker are at his side but the speed isn't there. Behind him we can also unravel Gilbert, Bettiol, Trentin and Moscon.

 

[BlueRoads]

In the prediction game I said Pedersen would make it

 

[Wvv]

In the prediction game I said Pedersen would make it

He's still there in the group with Jumbo, no setbacks so far.

 

[Wvv]

Situation with 85 km to go:

Frison, Van Asbroeck, L. Naesen, Aranburu, Bodnar, Van Hooydonck, Wiszniowski, Affini, Jacobs, Kirsch, Thwaites, B. van Poppel & Backaert
<1'30">
Touzé, Grosu, Russo and Cardis
<30">
Van Aert, Jansen, Teunissen, Van der Hoorn, Wynants, Roosen, Stybar, Asgreen, Ballerini, Declercq, Sénéchal, , O. Naesen, Dillier, Vandenbergh, Garcia, Haussler, Stuyven, Pedersen, Simmons, Rowe, Van Baarle, Terpstra, Petit, Viviani, Langeveld, Durbridge, Wallays, S. Kragh, Roelandts, Boasson Hagen, Bystrom, De Backer & D. van Poppel
<20">
Van der Poel, Merlier, Vermeersch, Van Avermaet, Van Keirsbulck, Vanmarcke, Cort, Keukeleire, Politt, Greipel, Démare, Sinkeldam, Kristoff, Philipsen, Le Bon, De Vreese, Hermans, Vanspeybrouck, De Buyst, Burghardt, Oss, Ganna, Siskevicius, Theuns, Stokbro, Cullaigh & Edmondson
<1'10">
Group Sagan

 

[Roku]

De Backer always delivers in Roubaix. Watch him go for a Top10

 

[Wvv]

With 80 kms to go, the Hornaing to Wandignies section is up next. With its 3,7 kms one of the longest of the race.

There the front group is getting diminished once again. Frison, Aranburu, Bodnar, Van Hooydonck, Kirsch, Thwaites, B. van Poppel & Backaert are the stronger ones. Almost two minutes behind them, we have a peloton of around 60 men again. But for how long?

 

[Wvv]

Not for long! Jumbo drops a new bomb once again with Wout van Aert himself! An enormous acceleration that makes the remains of the bunch burst all over the place.