I've come to like Wiggo too. Seems like more of a bloke than a prima donna.

The whole Sky at the front thing is a big zzzzzzzzzz. It matters when you've got guys like Kennaugh and "G" (as the suck up English commentators refer to him) are crushing the rest of the world up a long climb. But on the flats, for one day, it pretty much allows for a lot of sitting on. It's not like they're really making the race that much harder most of the time.

Paolini should be pretty fresh from RvV and there doesn't seem to be any drama between him and Kristoff. Both are being pros. Paolini is a smart dude.

I'm really pulling for Sagan. All this no monument talk is true, per se, but he rides his ass off and is almost always in the money and he'll get his and when he does it will be great. He's doing some growing up under a very harsh spotlight. I'd like to see him smiling and grabbing booty on a podium soon.

I'd like Sagan to win. I'd like Stybar to win. I'd like Wiggo to win in a certain manner. I've got issues...

I'll cheer for Sagan when he's shown he's actually grown up. I look at the way he handled himself when he was younger vs someone like Taylor Phinney, and it's massive. Taylor still acted young, but he showed class. He was just quirky, and he still is (a big part of why I like him as a person/rider) He wasn't pinching girls asses on the podium, or being photographed wearing completely inappropriate (and wholly uncreative) t-shirts (I'm at work or I'd post the picture, just google "Peter Sagan t-shirt" it's the first image). Sagan sort of took winning for granted so much during his first few years as a pro, that I'm fine watching him struggle a bit. And, as we talked about previously in this thread, I think he's been coming "back to earth" the last two seasons from being on something undetectable 2013 and prior. Time will tell on that one.

total noob question but what the hell happened to Stybars mouth? I just hope for shat weather so everyone gets coated in a nice layer of Belgian toothpaste

This: https://vimeo.com/103453321

He apparently had to take his false teeth out during Flanders because they rattled loose.

Not many 23 year old men act very grown up...especially pro athletes who've never had a real job or responsibilities. Of course I'm biased in his favor. I don't deny that his performances 2 years ago and before we're suspicious either. But then there are still plenty of unusual performances today. Anyway, picks for tomorrow:

Greipel
Kristoff
Renshaw

Viviani
Sagan

I was comparing the early days of Boonen and Cancellara and in many regards Sagan age wise is more impressive than either of them. He is getting stronger each year, he no longer gets dropped on the climbs and is almost always latching on to the winning moves.

I'd like Wiggo to win in a certain manner


It would be nice for him to exit on a winning note!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

holy crap sandwich! he ate a big mouthful of galvanized steel & tarmac on that one. Surprised he didn't break his neck given how violently he pitch-poled.

seeing as three's 80k left, i'm going dark horse for this mid week classic and going Viviani, Farrar, and Petacchi

would u like to go into a sprint finish with him, sagan, and sep?

after he went over the last climb the race was over it was second or forth... I will take second any day.

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev

btw: Niki, GT, Sep :D

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev

It was Greg van Avermaet chasing with Sagan, not Sep. Sep was a good 50 positions back at the finish...

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

my bad, I typed the wrong name but I now make sense cause BMC = red lol

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev

But your point still stands. As it is, Terpstra isn't the best of sprinters, so if he managed to distance one (Sagan) of them and another puncheur like himself, he might as well ride for second place rather than fourth. He was trying to balance staying away with saving strength, but he didn't stand a chance against Kristoff anyway. Those few short turns he took didn't really harm his non-existent chances, anyway. Kristoff knew it as well, that's why he didn't force Terpstra any more than he needed.

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

My sense is that there is some form of mutual agreement that is reached, either actually discussed or assumed, by the parties when you get away in these two-up breaks late in a race where their are substantial differences in strengths. Both Kristoff and Terpstra acknowledged this after the race in post race comments.

I got away in a two up break a few years ago in a local race with, I guy who was way stronger than I was. We agreed to really drill it for about 10 minutes or so, me contributing what I could, and see where we got. We gaped the field by a couple of minutes in this time, then backed off and rode a a decent pace to the finish, where I was dusted in the sprint. I gave it a bit of an effort, but it was next to useless - I'm not going to beat the Masters Provincial Road Champ. I was happy with 2nd place. There were guys back in the main field who were much fitter stronger than me! It was my lucky day. That's road racing! :)

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Yup, one of the things I enjoy the most about road cycling - both participating and spectating. Allies of circumstance that fulfill the roles given to them, with codes and agreements that don't even need to be discussed.

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

geez, that sucked.......bad, bad, crash.........i don't wanna race no mo.....

Geez, Kristoff is en fuego. Theuns made a pretty nice move splitting the uprights for second.

Nasty crash, I hope everyone gets up off the carpet in one piece.

Jeez....Kristoff is definitely the man on fire right now. Although I am not certain why he rode that hard with Roubaix coming up.

nasty crash in the last KM.....still waiting to see who is among the causalities.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

well $hit...I pick Kristoff to win everything from now on... Considering Greipel didn't even show I had the right guy up top...

well $hit...I pick Kristoff to win everything from now on... Considering Greipel didn't even show I had the right guy up top...

. . . but imagine for a moment if Greipel, who was clearly on good form and with great legs at RVV, had instead of all of his other moves and attacks, just waited and then latched on the back of the Kristoff/Terpstra move?

That could have killed the move, or if it did stick and the three of them stayed away, made the complexion of the finale, now with two really strong sprinters a whole different ball game!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Good day for Katusha....J-Rod just won the stage in Pais Vasco.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

jeezes farking kristoff

amazing.