How about Yates taking Jabel Hafeet today Pog's KOM in the process? Quick math says he was doing 6.5 for a bit over 26 minutes today and visually he looked both strong and relatively fresh at the finish.

They have cards to play in the spring. Evenepoel on schedule for De Brab. Pijl and LBL. Lulu with quite a full classics schedule with Strade, E3, MSR, Flanders.

What they don't look like they have is guys to take pressure off those two. No more student body to the front in the last 90K.

 
oh yeah i agree i was just trolling a bit with the qs bashing. they are def stacked for the ardennes.

its a bit of a connundrum though, lampaert/ballerini/asgreen all look to be in decent condition, but they need to end up in the right place and right time to create problems for jv.

jv seems to have a real knack for breaking the race up in ways that favour them.

I think too that the Tractor is banged up. If he's good to go that helps keep the race together longer.

Wout had the sniffles and is out for Strade. Gonna be a tough one to call nonetheless.

Yeah, this sucks. I was really looking forward to Ala, Pog, WvA, and MVdP throwing punches. Now Pog and WvA are out.

Where do you get your cycling stories these days?

I wouldn't mind paying for cyclingnews, but last time I checked, that site still places tons of ads and bloat, even for paying subscribers. Has that site gotten better?

No, it hasn't gotten better. Acres of garbage ads.

Incognito mode works to bypass the CN paywall, though. I'm normally opposed to doing that sort of thing, and have been a subscriber to CyclingTips and Velonews. I'll pay for CN as soon as they drop the clickbait ads.

Bummer

Let's hope that Wade Wallace and co can create a better experience. For such niche coverage, I think I'd be willing to pay $15/month, but it better be really light on the advertising, and preferably with live coverage.

Otherwise I think I might just go lurk on r/peloton...

Also, The Guardian's cycling section really doesn't come close to providing the level of coverage needed, with live reporting only for the really major events (TdF, and perhaps Roubaix, IIRC).

What a sad state of affairs

I scan a variety of outlets, but that’s part a function of my job. Velonews is veering back to being more news focused while CT gear and culture. CyclingNews seems to be the quickest with race coverage. I like CyclingWeekly as well, sort of a mix of what you get between VN and CN.

I think Class, and then of course the money that follows, is part of shifting landscape. Benoot, Laporte join last year, now van Baarle and Jan Tratnik? He is a solid rider. Didn't realize he signed until Saturday when he jumped to neutralize the first chase group when DvB went.

If you are a rider, support staff, or even a co-sponsor and had any other option, would Team grumpy bitter old Pat bit your first choice these days? He's got two mega contracts with Remco (for now) and Ala, and has retained riders. But who else? Tim Merlier. He brought in and then spit out Sam Bennett. The Cav deal was bartered incentives, and some charity. For the premier Classics squad, he hasn't seemed to home grow or recruit anyone of late. Remco wins a Grand Tour and he has the last three World Champions, and in that time he has had to find a new co-sponsor each year.

I know the finances can be tenuous. But several other teams have been able to find money and seem to be more on the cutting edge of physiology and tech (at least to my superficial observation). And riders follow. Innovate or Die...

EDIT: I mean Victor Campenaerts rode a 1x 62 ring! and walked the Muur :)

Today is catch-up Zone 2 trainer day. Loop and KBK back to back.

5 hrs total indoors?

The play button doing some Zone 5 efforts

Z2 whenever DeClerq is on the front. Z5 whenever a Jumbo guy goes to the front.

Not sure how long DeClerq actually lasted in KBK, though, saw he was a DNF, and he was gone by the time Flo coverage started (sigh).

To be fair, it's early yet to declare the wolfpack dead. And they'll have a chance to get back in the swing of things tomorrow. But yes, when you look at JV and even Ineos, it's clear Lefevere's squad are in tough. I do get the sense that Pat's old school and perhaps they're being left behind by more innovative teams. One also wonders whether a lack of classics performance, coupled with Remco's rise, will sort of force their hand into becoming more of a GT team. The Classics men get all the attention but you do still have guys like Masnada, Knox, Bagioli, Cattaneo, etc.

As for Le Samyn, the wolfpack's got the strongest squad, hard to look past Morkov leading out Jakobsen for the win tomorrow. I know we're not picking, but:

Jakobsen, Groves, Nizzolo
Campenaerts, Taco

Consonni, Barnes, Cordon-Ragot
Bastianelli, Coles-Lyster

Uh oh. Fabio down hard, 45 km to go.

Yeah, he's out. Quick-Step's brutal start to spring continues. The finale of the women's race was brutal to watch. No idea why Maria towed Marta to the line like a domestique. Unless you really want 2nd place, just sit up and call the bluff.

30k To go and I'll go with Dries de Bomb.

I'll go Campenaerts with his 60T and nerdy rear hub. Lotto has 2. Though Victor looks a little tired.

Based on his Strava, he did 31 hrs of training last week. Things that make you say hmmmm...

Super Mario Campy isn't the most efficient rider. Hungry like de Wulf looks good too.

 
asgreen was looking good there. but now i'm starting to think qs is cursed.

Strong spring by Menten.

Gonna be some sad faces on the Trek bus, couldn’t have wished for a better run in. And another wah wahhhhh for QS.

And Lotto Destiny (I keep thinking that sounds like a porn name) went from relegation to the premier Belgian classics team.

Wow, what a disaster for QS. Cursed indeed. More pressure on Lulu and Remco cause it's not looking good for the Classics guys. Not sure how bad Jakobsen is hurt, but that could be huge too.