Stybar just sitting on the back there, holding it up!

Have Etixx played this perfectly for Boonen?

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Chase group is making it way more interesting than I thought. Stybar could almost go over the top and bridge solo!

Stannard is also at an advantage here having to do no work. Might not win, but a real chance at the podium!

Boonen doing more work than you would think.

Agreed on Stybar, but he's being the dutiful teammate! :)

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Surprised he's not contributing to stay clear at least guarantee a podium. I bet Etixx would take that deal, but not if he sits on all the way. He'll almost certainly get on if break stays clear but as soon as Etixx starts attacking the rest of front group will slow.

I'm sure there have been some, "discussions"! :)

You never know. Despite Etixx having strength in numbers and strategic advantage, it's going to come down to who has the freshest legs over the last 500 - 1000m.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Stybar again shows his classics chops. Bet he lights these guys up for 5th.

Holy cow...

How does Ian Stannard sit down with balls that big?

that was awesome, after his horrible year with all the injuries good for Stannard!

Feed froze in the last 500m...what happened?

Stannard made a nice move to break up the ETixx train.

*edit - holy schitt. 3 out of 4 guys in the break and ETixx loses the race? Fook me....

Huge props to Stannard.

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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

Terpstra shat the bed and made a weak early sprint and Stannard easily slid past, Boonen never got closer than 10-15m back.

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Looked to me like Etixx kept chasing each other down, which opened the door for Stannard? I can't be 100% sure, my feed kept cutting out. But at one point, it looked like Terpstra was about to get away, or at the very least force Stannard to drag Boonen back up for the sprint...but Boonen chased Terpstra down instead?

Either way, chapeau to Stannard for out-dueling the Etixx machine. Weird tactics, lots of questions in the Etixx camp tonight to have 3 in a 4 man break and not get the win...

Wow indeed!

Well done Ian Stannard!

Boonen comes across the line in 3rd, shaking his head, wondering how with the numbers, and the strategy all going their way, Etixx QS still did not get the win!

That's road racing! :)

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

holy schitt. 3 out of 4 guys in the break and ETixx loses the race? Fook me..

. . and Stybar sitting on the other two big threats, VanMarcke and GVA chasing - never taking a pull and just sitting in the whole time in the chase.

Etixx QS, could not have played this better from a straight up strategical stand-point and still did not get the win.

IF there was an error in my view it was Boonen, trying to go for it solo from 4K out - but Stannard was/is World Class in the 4k pursuit on the track, and was able to just motor back up to Boonen, dragging Terpstra and the other Etixx QS rider with him!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Stannard played it absolutely perfectly.

I think Etixx had no choice but to lose it like this, thanks to Vanmarke's and Van Avermaet's furious chase. If they didn't have the (very real) threat of those two latching on, I'd say E-QS would've started attacking Stannard much earlier - but as it was they had to TTT their way to the finish, with Stannard enjoying the ride.

Ian owes Sep a good pint for making Boonen work so hard ;)

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

I was surprised with how much work, the two key Etixx-QS men Terpstra and Boonen were doing on the front. Yes, I understand, that VanMarke and GVA were chasing hard - but Stybar was back there to keep things in check with them and with 10K to go I think that gap was up to a minute, so the threat had almost gone - but it was still full gas at the front for the 3 Etixx-QS men and Stannard along for the ride.

There may have been some "discussions" and even perhaps Stannard getting some grief for not contributing, but that's the way it goes!

Kudos also to the rest of Team Sky who including Wiggo, for keeping the pace high in the middle of the race and eventually reeling in the main break.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Great ride from Stannard. Big error by TB thinking he was still 27. A prideful error. He cooked himself going from so far out and not getting away. He could have jabbed, and then sat up but he went all in. You could see it happening, painfully.

Or, he could have just continued to sit on and win the sprint.
He must be super disappointed. But, awesome ride by Sky guy.

I doubt there was any grief for Stannard for sitting on. Etixx knows the drill. Sitting on was his only option.

Had the Stybar group caught on, yes Etixx would have gained one, but also had two other wild cards to account for. Smart strategy was to keep riding like they did. Where they seemed to make the mistake(s) was starting to attack the group 3+KM out. Nothing to be gained form that. Ride to the finish, set Boonen up and lead him out while keep Stannard in check.

And Stannard definitely seemed to be on the ropes around 4K to go when Etixx countered one of their earlier attacks. Two Etixx guys up the road and Stannard was slow to close the gap. Keep the pace high from that point on and let Boonen finish it off.

Armchair quarterbacking is so simple.

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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

Yeah, that seemed like where their tactics went oddball. Let Boonen, the fastest finisher, mark Stannard and the other guys attack to soften him up. Also can't understand why Terpstra led it out-- maybe to slow down and try to let Boonen back on. But he could have sat on and at least had a better shot at sprint.

Always easy to Monday morning QB it but one thing's for sure: helluva race by Stannard. He played it perfectly.

Too much bad luck for Sep today but i am happy to see how strong he was. And Stannard, I am normally not a fan of a win after sitting on people's wheels but this was different, Etixx made some really poor decisions and Stannard was strong and very gutsy. Great win, i think he diserved it!

Boonen was good, but not good enough. His attack was selfish and not powerful enough. When Terpstra went and. Vandenbergh went with him is when Etixx lost the race.

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Don't forget to attack!

Didn't try to take 5th, but showed some sportsmanship by going in the front and picking up the speed to let Sep and Greg VA sprint. Small gesture but I am sure they appreciate that.

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Don't forget to attack!

When Boonen dropped onto Stannard's wheel and started recovering, eating a gel, that race was over.

And then he tried to pass rather than run the ball.

Yeah that close to the finish, if you're eating a gel you do it because you're about to bonk.

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Don't forget to attack!

Agreed! I don't it was a bad strategy with Etixx attacking when Boonen did and Terpstra made the right move by attacking again. Vandenbergh is the one that screwed it up! Absolutely no reason to chase down or try to latch on to your teammate! They should have made Stannard chase all the way. Terpstra probably would have stayed away and if not Boonen and Vanderbergh would have been latched to Stannard leaving Boonen the opportunity to sprint. My thought is, Vandenbergh was tired of being the one that seems to be in the right position of late, but always working for Boonen or Terpstra and ends up the odd man out. It's not easy to be that close and always seem to hand it off to a teammate, but definitely no need to try and hang with Terpstra in that circumstance! Congrats to Stannard it couldn't have played into his hand any better, Etixx gave that race away

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Tom went first but had no legs to drop Ven then Nikki went and the other Etixx dude "kinda" chase?!?!?! wtf he was thinking pfffffffffffff

3 against 1... C'MON!

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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