Pro Cycling Discussion 2018

Berger · 3 Apr 2018 at 13:36

As you said, what happened to Kwiakowski? He looked quite good but then disappeared, behind a split when people had to stop on the bergs?

Sagan super strong, never looked like he was trying. Not sure why Bora put Oss on the front to try and bring back the original break when QS had the numbers.

Bora should sign GVA and Wout Van Aert with GVA being out of contract and WVA will go full time on the road....

Roady · 3 Apr 2018 at 14:18

Berger said:
Sep Van Marcke needs to find a way to win!

The more and more hype Eurosport commentators (Carlton Kirby?) seem to give SVM the worst luck he seems to have. Maybe I missed something but he's won nothing of importance for a couple of years has he? Always getting bested by Cancellara, Boonen, Sagan & GVA.

I don't understand the hype myself - riders like Stybar, Terpstra, Trentin & GVA have won far more than him, yet don't seem to attract the same coverage and following.

Terpstra in some fine form, glad he finally has his Flanders victory as he's come close so many times before! Fantastic to see Lampaert take Dwars door too after the supreme riding in E3. Who do we think for Paris-Roubaix? I think GVA as he's looked strong and hungry for a result this spring! Him and Kwait duelling it out with Sagan after QSF (finally) have a bad day! (unlikely) :cool:

#Chri5# · 3 Apr 2018 at 15:51

Roady said:
Terpstra in some fine form, glad he finally has his Flanders victory as he's come close so many times before! Fantastic to see Lampaert take Dwars door too after the supreme riding in E3. Who do we think for Paris-Nice? I think GVA as he's looked strong and hungry for a result this spring! Him and Kwait duelling it out with Sagan after QSF (finally) have a bad day! (unlikely)

Paris-Nice was last month, so predicting form for next year is quite a stab

Roady · 3 Apr 2018 at 17:00

FFS you know I mean Paris-Roubaix

Berger · 3 Apr 2018 at 19:38

Heinrich Haussler.
Phil Gilbert
Oliver Naesen

Bear · 4 Apr 2018 at 07:17

Roady said:
Who do we think for Paris-Roubaix? I think GVA as he's looked strong and hungry for a result this spring! Him and Kwait duelling it out with Sagan after QSF (finally) have a bad day! (unlikely)

Kwiato isnt riding Paris Roubaix this year as hes currently riding the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, although he is seemingly anonymous in that :confused:

Bear · 4 Apr 2018 at 07:25

SoliD said:
QSF look so strong having so many more options than everyone else, especially critical in a race like Flanders where anything and everything in Cannondales case can go wrong! Looking forward to next weekend! Roll on Roubaix!

QS as you say have so many options, everyone else seems to mark Sagan and QS can have someone sneak off the front and nobody wants to close it down because they dont want to drag Sagan to the line so he can out sprint them all.

SoliD · 4 Apr 2018 at 07:47

Kwiato will be going for the lumpy ones in a few weeks time. Paris roubaix doesn't suit his smaller stature

SoliD · 8 Apr 2018 at 07:20

Paris roubaix Paris roubaix Paris roubaix. Gonna be a dry one but think they've had some rain like us this week so could be grim in places. No idea on who is going to win as usual. I won't even bother with a prediction.

Bear · 8 Apr 2018 at 16:55

Superb win by Sagan and an amazing performance from Dillier. Who would have thought Geraint Thomas would have to pull out because he fell off his bike in a crash

Murf · 8 Apr 2018 at 19:45

Bear said:
Superb win by Sagan and an amazing performance from Dillier. Who would have thought Geraint Thomas would have to pull out because he fell off his bike in a crash

Yup, that lad never crashes.

SoliD · 8 Apr 2018 at 21:09

Absolutely fantastic race. Watched it from start to finish and enthralled all the way through. Sagan looked on a good day going through arenberg that had me thinking he could ride away once things had been a bit more attritional.

I love the way there is a huge group and then it seems all or a sudden 50 odd riders drop out.

Hope the wellens crelan rider is alright.

Great to hear the train drivers strike as much as the farmers in France.

#Chri5# · 9 Apr 2018 at 07:58

SoliD said:
Absolutely fantastic race. Watched it from start to finish and enthralled all the way through. Sagan looked on a good day going through arenberg that had me thinking he could ride away once things had been a bit more attritional.

I love the way there is a huge group and then it seems all or a sudden 50 odd riders drop out.

Hope the wellens crelan rider is alright.

Great to hear the train drivers strike as much as the farmers in France.

Michael Goolaerts (Wellens Crelan) died last night

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/43691211

Bear · 9 Apr 2018 at 07:59

So sad that Goolaerts passed away, was only 23

SoliD · 9 Apr 2018 at 09:40

Saw the news this morning. Really sad to hear but very glad nothing was picked up by the live TV

Roady · 9 Apr 2018 at 16:45

Bear said:
Superb win by Sagan and an amazing performance from Dillier. Who would have thought Geraint Thomas would have to pull out because he fell off his bike in a crash

Haha someone said he fell on the second set of cobbles? Didn't see any coverage on TV but have only watched the first 3.5 hours...

Great win by Sagan. There was only going to be one outcome when he got away as didn't look like any of the main riders could follow.

#Chri5# said:
Michael Goolaerts (Wellens Crelan) died last night

SoliD said:
Saw the news this morning. Really sad to hear but very glad nothing was picked up by the live TV

Horrible to hear, especially as he was young and had a really promising career ahead of him. I do recall some footage on TV of a Wellens rider lay on his back on the left hand side upside down on a bank of mud. Looked totally innocuous as there was no footage of any crash.

Bear · 9 Apr 2018 at 17:07

Roady said:
Haha someone said he fell on the second set of cobbles? Didn't see any coverage on TV but have only watched the first 3.5 hours...

He didnt even make it that far, he fell off on the first sector of cobbles

Roady · 9 Apr 2018 at 17:09

Haha! Track riders! :rolleyes:

To be fair the only Sky rider I recall seeing in the first 3 hours of footage was Knees with a short spell pushing the pace. With no Sky train behind him to speak of!

Berger · 10 Apr 2018 at 11:46

Bear said:
He didnt even make it that far, he fell off on the first sector of cobbles

That’s Sky’s TDF ruined then!

Kwiakowski be their best bet.

Sagan didn’t really jump very hard when he broke away, but after QS (in the other spring races) have won from distance (Terpstra & Gilbert last year) I don’t know why they let Sagan do it (if it was Burghart or Oss you’d give them some rope), especially when they didn’t have a numerical advantage to bring him back.

Bear · 11 Apr 2018 at 06:35

A fantastic story that came out of Paris Roubaix of the guy that came in last and missed the time cut but was determined to finish the race http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/out...shed-paris-roubaix-an-hour-after-peter-sagan/