New year, new thread. Lots of intrigue in the works for 2025:
How will Tadej follow up on one of the all-time great seasons?
How does Vollering fare on a new team?
Can Wout catch a break and hit the classics healthy and fit, and win a Monument?
Will PFP and AvdB get right back to the front?
Bring me the Belgian Spring! Until then, CX and Kangaroos. Happy New Years and may the good riding be upon you all.
Tadej question is a good one. Not only was he on all-time form but also had a run of exceptionally good luck, especially after breaking wrist in 2023. Here’s hoping he, Venga, Remco and Rogla all start the Tour at 100%.
Also seems like MvdP has put his back issues in rear view mirror. Wout will need to be at his best to take him on. Appreciate how he just gets down to business without any drama and keeps on winning.
Demi has all the talent, seems as though it’s more a question of her personality. Whenever she and Lotte, who seems down-to-earth, square off it ought to be fireworks.
I want to see Kopecky or Vos stick it to both Vollering and Anna vdB. I used to think Anna vdB was harmless, but apparently she pulled a lot of shenanigans and is somewhat condoning of the backstabbing culture.
Are you traveling to Flanders in 2025?
I didn’t know that about van der Breggen. It’s tough to decipher what really happened among vdB, Kopecky, and Vollering. And even Wiebes. At the very least it seems SD Worx as a whole did non-spectacular job at personality management. If Anna vdB was fostering some of that, it’d be a shame. She was always my favorite vs. van Vleuten. But maybe I got it wrong all along. I tend to be on Team Kopecky, but not for any rational reason, just because I like her track racing.
As for @ClayDavis’ question from the other thread, I think AvdB will do OK. She’s just clinical and methodical in both preparation and racing tactics. But I don’t think will be able to ride away from fields like she and AvV did in the past, and will be more “in the mix” vs. able to dominate.
As for Pog, I think he has another great year. He was on his own level last year, and I just don’t anyone closing that gap. Maybe Venga on the right day. And maybe MdVP can challenge him at Flanders or close him down over the Poggio like he did in '24. Rib injury notwithstanding, looks like we’re still at peak MdVP given his cross performances.
My wife has poo poo’d the idea for the family, but I’m trying to convince my brother and dad to make the trip. We are going to be in Europe anyway from early March through April to visit family so its not a big hop. You’ve already tentatively booked, correct?
I’m curious about Anna vdB’s involvement in that. She didn’t seem to do anything to quell it from what I could tell, but that’s through my optics and I know no one really in the women’s peloton who could even share a bit of gossip.
Agreed with the comment about AvdB not being able to ride away from the field (not likely anyway). The women’s peloton is getting better and more depth year over year.
If Pog is on last year’s level, only a healthy Jonas is in the same area code. Has Pog announced what his spring program will be? In my dream scenario we get a healthy and peaked out Wout to give MvdP and Pog some challenges.
I guess i just don’t see backstabbing from volering. Her WC ride was a bit questionable, yes, but she’d also had a season of being screwed over so i guess i can understand wanting to win there. Other than that, i can remember plenty of times in 2023 of her working for teammates, and gifting wins, so where is that reputation coming from?
See 2023 Strade Bianchi, where she was in the driving seat only b/c Kopecky bridged up and towed the former to the previous lone leader. Without the team having given orders as to who should take the win, Vollering and Kopecky sprinted for it, only to have the former scold the latter as “kwijf” (aka a ct of a shrew).
I think that reflects badly and implies something about how Vollering felt entitled to having the win be hers by default. Except without Kopecky doing serious pulls to close thegap, Vollering wouldn’t even have been in contention for the win.
Yes indeed. Refundable fare booked to CDG, with me getting a few days to myself in Kortrijk on the weekend when Roubaix is supposed to take place. Actually about to reserve hotels this weekend.
Still haven’t decided how to spend the other eight days with my wife. The ville du lux really isn’t for me, and the hope is to spend five days elsewhere (say Utrecht, Den Haag, or perhaps Berlin). I know, sacrilege to put Paris low on the list.
I think you need Wout and MvdP to hopefully be able to work together to bring back Pogi when he goes at Flanders. Either way, a healthy Wout means better racing and some redemption/revenge/whatever for him. He’s had a raw deal over the last little while.
I think Pog will take MSR this year. UAE kind of screwed things up last year, and I think maybe some lessons learned and perhaps some roster tweaks and they nail the leadout for him to do his thing in the finale.
As for CX, you know it’s kerstperiode when your wife is starting to get exasperated (“cyclocross AGAIN?!”) - I’ve been off work so have enjoyed being able to tune in live from the couch pretty much every day.
Paris certainly has its charms, but there are a lot of places in France I’d choose first.
I got dropped hard in the thread changes last Fall. I think I have the wheel now, so I’m going to fight hard to hang on. It seems early to do much prognosticating (doesn’t usually slow me down) - so I’ll keep it simple for now - just hoping the big dogs (and the union dudes) stay incident free (or at least minimize the consequences of crashes). Tadej might have all his original skin from Winter 2023 - that’s great and uncanny in modern riding.
Just like Mads (and his BALLER team) every extra rider making the splits (or staying close enough to chase on) is good for every rider except MvdP, Pogi, Demi, Kopecky. J. Milan for Paris Roubaix? for Faulks sake for Liege? McNulty/Simmons/Powless/Jorg podiuming a monument or another huge win?
Hope springs eternal. First mid-atlantic January looks trainer-centric - need to stay strong.
I am really liking and enjoying Sweeck’s season. He is so quiet and workman-like that he often seems an afterthought, but is almost always right there. Last year he was a bit off. Loving his current form.
Obviously excited about spring. Will be fun to see what Lazkano can do with Red Bull juice. Nys is apparently planning on competing. Not sure how or where. I have DB-Pjil circled.
Would like to see Wout take Flanders or P-R. Otherwise, hoping for a bit more drama than last year.
I contend that Pog won’t win MSR. It is just the crack in the door he can’t slip through. I am fully prepared for him to prove me wrong.
Also, anyone catch Venga’s end of year interview? Talked about being on the ground that day. Made him railing his first descent in Le Tour all the more amazing. It is a reminder of how truly mentally tough all these guys are. With an occasional exception 
Agreed on Lazkano… along with Pithie, Tratnik and the Van Dijke bros there’s a decent classics squad in there.
Nys has the Ardennes written all over him, I expect to see him up there in a bunch of those races for sure.
MSR is one of those races where I’d normally say that one can’t easily take it, but with Pogi I wouldn’t bet against just that. Especially if UAE races better this year.
I was so high on Lazkano last year, but alas its hard when you are on the Movistar of late. Bora made so many good moves and I expect Lazkano to not only contribute to his new teammates, but for him to also benefit and get some wins.
Those first few sessions on the trainer are a huge psychological barrier. Less so when I was racing, but without any racing and having ridden almost exclusively outdoors since our move, I just couldn’t get motivated enough…
Rode in 28 F for an hour yesterday afternoon, and I count it as a success. Probably my last ride outdoors until March.
Just looked up the weather forecast. About 8-9 inches of snow due up? That’s an ugly (though welcomed amount). Roads probably not rideable for a week afterwards, I’d presume. We certainly have yet to have any comparable amount this year.
I haven’t ridden outside since (checks notes) November 23rd. But I ride the trainer all year, so there’s not a big psychological barrier to retreating to the basement for the winter. Likely won’t be riding outside again until April… there’s often weather that’s warm enough before then, but the roads are too wet/salty/dirty and the trails are too soft/muddy.
The fat biking community is pretty huge up here - I almost get the impression there are people who look more forward to fatbiking season than they do the main road/MTB/gravel season. I’ve never done it and haven’t really been tempted, though there are trail networks around that have rental fleets. I have XC ski trails closer by so that’s my go-to outdoor cardio. There definitely is a crowd here that boycotts indoor trainers though. I can respect that.