CYCLINGFORUM.COM - Where Cyclists Talk Tech --- Return To Home

 

    Register FAQ'sSearchProfileLog In / Log Out

 

****

cyclingforum.com ****

HOMECLUBS | SPONSORS | FEATURESPHOTO GALLERYTTF DONORS | SHOP FOR GEAR

Return to CyclingForum Home Page CYCLING TECH TALK FORUM
          View posts since last visit

Spring Classics
 Goto page Previous  1, 2

Author Thread Post new topic Reply to topic
daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

4/11/18 4:33 PM

How about "It's a race discussion. I haven't seen it yet. Better not go there."

And then come back Wednesday with

HOLY MACKEREL, So what if Sagan bridged a thirty second gap in two minutes, the ride of the day goes to Silvian Dillier. Taylor Phinney might just snatch one yet.

Nothing but respect for you Dan, I get where you're coming from.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

4/11/18 4:41 PM

Spoiler

If you put "spoiler" in the thread title, then those who don't want to know the result won't read it. Am I missing something?

 Reply to topic    

Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/11/18 5:16 PM

I was most impressed with Silvian Dillier. I said he'll pop soon after dying look at those shoulders rock like 6 times.

Liked his comment too: “With Peter, it’s like he’s the angel and the devil at the same time”

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

4/12/18 6:01 AM

This is probably the highlight of Dillier's career

He deserves all the accolades he gets and it will be interesting to see how this affects him going forward. He should be brimming with confidence.

As for Goolaerts' death, it's not the first time this has happened. In 2016, another young Belgian rider who previously rode for the same team as Goolaerts died from a heart attack. Perhaps it's just a sad coincidence, but something smells fishy to me. At a minimum, this deserves a serious and thorough investigation, as riders lives are obviously at stake.

 Reply to topic    

greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA

4/12/18 6:32 AM

Any race thread contains spoilers. Deal.

For me, the ride of the race was Taylor's. He gets so much crap on the interwebs for his hipster lifestyle/outlook. Folks really need to walk a mile. The guy had an extremely promising career almost ended, deals with chronic pain, and is a very loving son to a dad in a very tough situation. People were talking about him playing out the string and being on his last contract. So there. He's in the front chase, absolutely buries himself on the front to try to pull them to Sagan, gets no help and gets blown out the back, and still claws his way back to them to get 8th. Chapeau.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

henoch
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 1690

4/12/18 7:57 AM

These are my quick thoughts.
Some people are calling Sagen lucky, I say he made his luck, he attacked at the absolute perfect moment, Greg VA had just done a huge attack, was just caught and was still on the front catching his breath, all 3 Quick Steps, were in the back of the small group, so the timing was text book.

Man of the match, Dillier 100% he was out front for 214k was still going pull for pull with Pete the last 10k and gets 2nd, totally awesome!.

Nikki Terspstra might actually have been stronger, the way he dropped Van Averment, Vanmarke, etc.. and cut the gap in half over the last few K was impressive, if he initially went with Sagan, I think there is a good chance he could have dropped Sagen, but could have would have... Sagen was a well deserving winner.

Overall I thought it was a fantastic race to watch, I mean it was "game on" from like 70k out, with the big boys really putting their cards on the table and putting out big hits.


Last edited by henoch on 4/12/18 10:03 AM; edited 1 time in total

 Reply to topic    

daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

4/12/18 8:44 AM

On NBCSN Phil and Paul noted several cobbled sections that are on the TDF route this year. In 2014 it was a threshold stage for Nibali.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

henoch
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 1690

4/12/18 10:05 AM

Indeed.
That is why some of the GC guys have done some of the cobbled classics this year.
Valverde and Quintana did Dwers van Vlandaren (I think), Nibali did the Tour of Flanders.

 Reply to topic    

Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

4/12/18 10:52 AM

Sagan wasn't lucky, the others were stupid

A rider with the strength and talent of Sagan rides off the front - not even with a big attack initially - and everyone else just looks at each other and lets him go? Seriously? I'll bet that Petey was more surprised than anyone that nobody countered his move and the group didn't chase. These are the top pro riders in the world and they couldn't get their $hit together! They essentially handed him the race.

I'm not implying that it didn't take a huge effort for Sagan to win, but once he had a minute on the group, it was pretty much game over and you could see it in the way they reacted. You can't allow someone with his strength and talent that much time and expect to be able to reel him in with a disorganized chase. It definitely showed that Quickstep is not invincible; it just takes a strong individual effort to disrupt their plans.

I was happy - and somewhat surprised - to see that Terpstra had soloed away for third. Apparently they didn't chase him either, but he is a beast that's capable of just dropping riders like flies. It's too bad that we didn't get any highlights of that action during the broadcast; it would have added even more drama to the final few Ks.

 Reply to topic    

dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

4/15/18 8:27 AM

Amstel Gold race is on Tiz cycling now. the link is on the 1st page of this thread.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/15/18 11:52 AM

"Sagan rides off the front - not even with a big attack initially - and everyone else just looks at each other and lets him go? Seriously?"

Bingo! IMO.

It is one thing to let a Jens go off the front, but a Sagan or a Martin? Not to mention the chasing group needs to take into consideration [probably]: There is little likelihood they will get time back on Sagan on the cobble sections, no?

Thus seems they'd have to be even more aggressive on the smooth sections to close.

Maybe they all were recovering on the smooth sections after the cobbles when they needed to be hammering?

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Nick Payne
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 2625
Location: Canberra, Australia

4/16/18 1:16 AM

Amstel

Amstel Gold was another good and exciting race. Last hour in particular worth watching.

 Reply to topic    

Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

4/16/18 5:26 AM

Agreed

I caught a live Dutch broadcast while I was building some wheels. Both activities were quite enjoyable.

Once again, it appears that to win these races it takes boldness and well-timed aggression that catches everyone else looking at each other.

 Reply to topic    

daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

4/16/18 10:40 PM

Amstel Gold 2018 - Spoiler

9 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First–Drapac p/b Cannondale + 30"

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

4/17/18 5:16 PM

DVR - Fleche Wallonne, Liege Bastogne Liege, Tour of Croatia

NBCSN Thursday 1:30 AM to 3:00 AM Fleche Wallonne

Expect 'Hockey Overtime' (live) to run long and 'Best Wood Pellet Grill!' to start on time.

Also, Sunday night at 11:00, Liege Bastogne Liege
and, Friday the 27th at 3:00 in the afternoon Tour of Croatia

That's all for the next two weeks.

My source:
http://affiliate.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCGrid.do?aid=nbcsports

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

henoch
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 1690

4/18/18 7:09 AM

Thanks for posting.

 Reply to topic    

daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

4/21/18 8:26 AM

Fleche Wallonne spoiler

I really thought Nibali was going to pull this one off.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

4/25/18 1:46 PM

Liege Bastogne Liege - spoiler

One rider was left with enough energy to stay away from the dissolving field in the Doyenne: Bob Jungles

By the finish line his win was anti-climactic, he was clearly the class of the field. And looking at the top ten that's a lot of class. There were several attacks that could only squeeze the gap and then pace Jungles while they were being chased down. Jungles never really seemed on the rivet to my eye, but Bob Roll saw his shoulders strain.

The struggle was for the podium. The coverage I saw seemed to miss the solo attack for the second step, but you have to hand it to Woods and Bardet, they held off a who's who of the 2018 peloton for the last two K.

It was good to hear Bob in the color seat.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail


Return to CyclingForum Home Page CYCLING TECH TALK FORUM
           View New Threads Since My Last Visit VIEW THREADS SINCE MY LAST VISIT
           Start a New Thread

 Display posts from previous:   


Goto page Previous  1, 2  
Last Thread | Next Thread  >  

  
  

 


If you enjoy this site, please consider pledging your support

cyclingforum.com - where cyclists talk tech
Cycling TTF Rides Throughout The World

Cyclingforum is powered by SYNCRONICITY.NET in Denver, Colorado -

Powered by phpBB: Copyright 2006 phpBB Group | Custom phpCF Template by Syncronicity