Pro Cycling Discussion 2016

I am so happy with E3 result, that was great! Racing so far this year has been incredible.
No spoilers from E3 result, but so glad for the winner and also the typical comedy we are all so used to now with these races, it's getting quite ridiculous :p

Edit, also, can we have speak about how bloody awful Ettix really are? Look at them stats/tactics wise last season this time of year and do the same for this season so far. Absolutely loaded for classics yet every single time it comes down to it, WTF are they doing? Terpstra, Boonen and Stybar all on the front of that group and they couldn't bring it back and that's just this race. Tactically, they get it wrong, very wrong. Over and over again..... I love watching them race, such a cool team with great riders but something is clearly very wrong within that team.
 
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Seen both now. Was dozing watching e3 but woke up properly with about 40km to go. Fantastic race!

Catalunya forgot to put it on record but caught the last 12km. Great finish but the coverage was terrible and kirby is an idiot.
 
Gent Wevelgem, Ettix 5 guys on front working now. Let us watch as they mess it all up as always! Putting all faith on a sprint clearly, daft.
5 of them chasing down Spartacus, Sagan and Van Marke.... gap growing. It's glorious.
 
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This is a done deal, this group has ridden away.
Spartacus 1st and Sagan another 2nd. Watch ;) Sep 3rd and Katusha-suck might not even get 4th he is dead.
 
Bear said:
Wonder what Lefevere has to say this time, with 6 of their team in the chasing peloton and coming nowhere again :p
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It's shocking tactics and execution every single time. Not just now and again, every single time. With the firepower and specialists they have it is pure comedy.... Look at what Sagan is achieving in every clasic he races, constant podiums and he is basically riding it teamless when it matters whereas Ettix have 3/4/5 constantly. If this was football, someone would have been sacked 5 games ago :p
 
How can they be so bad!

Good race and well deserved by Sagan, managed that pack of 4 perfectly to get the sprint he needed. Going to be good next Sunday, Etixx are going to be on a hiding for nothing if they don't get something! Their riders just keep failing to read the moves/race when it really matters.
 
I think the problem comes in that thy have too much firepower and it's managed terribly.

Stybar and Terpstra could be leading teams for Classics, yet today, they were hung out to dry and for who? Such a waste.

Boonen is clearly not on the form required, which sucks big time but it's not his year right now. So they essentially had two classic beasts in Sty and Terpstra today, both of which were as above and then couldn't bring it back when they missed the move. Just horrific management.
 
Big contrast to Sky, who have the firepower but generally manage it quite well. It takes a very different sort of rider to win from a sprint as it takes to win from a break 3km out as it does to win from a break 30km out as it does to pull on the front for ludicrous amounts of time when it's needed by the team. Stybar and Terpstra are amazing riders, but they're not Stannard.
 
PermaBanned said:
Big contrast to Sky, who have the firepower but generally manage it quite well. It takes a very different sort of rider to win from a sprint as it takes to win from a break 3km out as it does to win from a break 30km out as it does to pull on the front for ludicrous amounts of time when it's needed by the team. Stybar and Terpstra are amazing riders, but they're not Stannard.
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They're both far better riders than Stannard but have been horrifically managed. EPQS are a car crash in the one day races, seems like no one knows who is in charge and there doesn't seem to be a tactic. How can you have 5 riders in a group and let a 4 man break go?
 
Omloop 2015 lol. He Stannard'd em' good!

Sky is a great comparison. Kwiat essentially free reigns on these despite being clear 1 day classic leader. Luke Rowe they never lead him out for a sprint, he's a have a go hero, like Stannard. Sky are a totally different kettle of fish on stage racing, they essentially play the commanding role like Ettix try to on one days, except they pull it off rather than fail every single time no matter how strong and commanding they appear.

It's not through lack of talen at Ettix, clearly! So something must change at that team because this is now 2 spring seasons long this train wreck.
 
I dont think Ettix did anything wrong tactically today.
They got Stybar in the right place and got him in the right break (which he then lost when GvA dropped a wheel in front of him).
They were quick to get all their riders working to chase once they realised Stybar had been dropped.

They should probably have done better considering the numbers they had but it was down to their riders not being as strong as the riders up the road rather than any tactical errors.
 
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