Okay, so I'm am flying out from PDX on Thursday for Ardennes week. I need you classics freaks to tell me what to look for on the ground. I know for Fleche I am set up with a "VIP" viewing area on the Mur, the other races I am just a pedestrian.

as in places to visit/watch the race, or just key events in a race?

for LBL, you can go to St. Nicholas, which is in Liege, or the finish at Ans. Philippe Gilbert's fan club usually has something going on at la Redoubte

If anyone is interested in what caused Terpstra's crash at PR, Specialized has kind of admitted fault.


All of the other riders on the team but Terpstra were using the FutureShock system, Terpstra wanted a rigid front end so Specialized put a pre-production aluminum rigid cartridge into the Roubaix in place of the FutureShock. This was the cause of the failure that caused the crash. Though Specialized say there was miscommunication and that a better engineered one should have been in place.

Interesting about Specialized. Still don't know what happened to Boonen at Flanders as well. Something on the drivetrain, though, apparently.

Amstel Gold:

Playing it safe this time.

1) GVA
2) Kwiat
3) Valverde
W) Colbrelli, Alex Howes (!)

1) Deignan
2) Borghini
2) Guarnier
W) Rivera, Ferrand-Prevot

If GVA wins this late into the spring season after destroying himself at Roubaix he is drinking the same cocktail as Valverde this season. Admittedly he is still on my fantasy team ;) I think the removal of the final climb (or displacement) might cause some earlier attacks? It will depend on how teams want to play things out. If its a pure sprint it is hard to overlook Matthews. Kiwat, Valverde, Valgren and company might want to make an early move. Honestly i can think of 15 people who have a real shot at winning, all depends on how it plays out.

I have Albasini, Gilbert, GVA, Vermote, Mattews, Kiwat, and Valverde on the team right now, hopefully somebody can pull it off.

to be fair, GvA has done well. Though if he keeps on winning i may have to refer to him as van Ozonemat or vAminolat

I'd say that this change would sort Tim Wellens and encourage attacks

note that the ladies will finish have the same place as 2012 Worlds (viz. top of Cauberg with 1.8km to go). You'd want to get Niwiedoma or Vos in there

I'm going ABV- anybody but Valverde

dark horse special: Wellens, Keukeleire, D Martin,

i'm clueless but love watching

Valverde
Kwia
Gilbert

WC
Costa
Kreuz

My heart says Matthews, but my head says Kwia.

---

res, non verba

Wellens could do well. Martin would get swamped in Amstel.

Matthews, GvA, Gilbert
Wellens and Felline

Good point, but too late to change. And I can't quite figure out Vos. She's obviously mostly back. Great cross season. But she doesn't seem nearly as frightening as 2009-2013 Vos. I don't think the top riders are afraid of her anymore. (which may be to Vos' advantage to some degree)

Good call on Niwiedoma. Thought I did well with Deignan and Rivera. Thrilling finish. And the U.S. women been killing it at road/track recently.

On to the men.

BMC won't let this go. Cdale, et al has to help. Good race!

They did, though! GVA isolated.

They did indeed. 18 k left and I don't know who can beat Kwiat. He bridged like it was nothing.

Would love to see Haas do something.

fark, essentially picked the second group. actually dumped Kwiatek from podium

Yes. Wow. Get across!!!!!

Wonder if Gilbert's ungainly aero position would undo him (a là Sagan's less than aero position)

Guess not. Unreal how he was able to claw his way back into Kwiat's draft.

Good for Haas to 4th. Good guy.

Tight competition between Valverde and Gilbert for most unlikely late-career resurgence.

well, there was a severe headwind hampering Kwiatek. Just like how Sagan went perhaps 50 meters too soon at MSR, Kwiatek went about 100 meters to soon.

Valverde has been having a comeback for the past 3-4 years; this is the first for Gilbert. Quite a bit of eye rolling for both, unfortunately.

Hopefully they'll restore the LBL finish back to what it was before they moved it to Ans

two more to go. Perhaps the most boring of the spring classics, Fleche Wallonne...

anyone but Piti; i say Martin is due

Martin, Piti, Sergio Henao
Albasini and Michael Wood

Nothing has gone exactly to script this year, so maybe it'll be a little less boring.

Tired of the same dudes. Going completely off the rails.

Mollema, Fuglsang, Kelderman
Haas and Woods

I thought Woods was a dark horse, but turns out he's got the sixth best odds to win