I’m pretty sure MvdP is done for now, they shouldn’t see each other again until the Tour. Not sure if MvdP has any MTB races lined up? Pog is in for Amstel, Fleche and LBL.
Amstel’s got Pog, Wout, Pidcock, Remco plus Matthews, Nys, Healy, etc.
We’ll get our first look at Remco this Friday (against Pidock and Wout), hopefully he’s in good enough shape to have a solid Ardennes campaign.
Nice work - thanks for doing this. What are the races that count for the rest of the season?
Amstel should be a good one. Looking forward to seeing Pogi vs Remco, and how much Nys can elbow his way in.
DB-Pijl, Amstel, Fleche Wallone, Liege
Awesome - thank you 
VdP has said he’s full-on for a run at MTB worlds this year. That essentially requires participation at enough world cup races to get a decent start position, so I expect we’ll see him on the Mtb next month when the racing returns to Europe.
Sounds like his knee might not be completely normal, but I’m also hoping that this is more from a year of super interrupted training than the new normal for wout. Fingers crossed if he stays healthy that we’ll see a resurgence at the end of the year, or next season
@WannaB - a - thanks for the record keeping work.
b - the longest and hardest to spell race de brab pijl - la fleche…will be an interesting pick. the start list looks pretty complete. it looks smaller than many races (I count 19 teams x 7 riders). it is 2 days before amstel but still has a lot of heavyweights. i’ll study up to consolidate my back of the pack status.
c - Roubaix thoughts - having bad luck early and close to start of cobbles is deadly. Ganna just couldn’t seem to get back in the frame before Pogi and MVdp detonated the race the sector before Arenberg and then Arenberg and the road just after to whittle down the 2 front groups (Wout did and was right on Pogi’s wheel entering Arenberg but lost the wheels there - how to explain clinging to the best at Flanders and losing wheels at Roubaix?). Mads’s flat feels to me that it should have been better supported - was his car right behind or not in the gap between 2 groups yet??
Both Pogi and MVdp had cars right there for their issues. They had also already taken advantage of the bad luck of others to make it a 2 horse race by the time of their bad luck.
passing 100+ riders on cobbles seems MUCH different than passing 1,2, or none.
finally - the fade of Philipsen and Brennan was sizable. I have to think nothing in modern nutrition could solve going nuclear for 4 hours then not having anything left for the final 90 minutes???
one more thing on Roubaix - I’m assuming Pogi had power meter while initially chasing MVdp (and getting within 12-15 secs). He obviously closed on Pidcock to win Strade. Pidcock might only weigh 3/4 of MVdp but Pogi not being able to close that while being able to check his power surprises me.
I see now that Pogi DID change bikes after his crash (chain too jammed). I’m pretty sure no power meter and that to me says - I’m crushing myself and not sure when/if I might blow up and that doomed his chance to close that last 12-15 secs. MVdp also said he had no working radio - so unaware how big his gap was. radios and power meters - do pros practice NOT having them to make best efforts in these situations?
In Germany right now. Unfortunately without a bike. Thought about it and actually packed my (coupler) bike, but wasn’t sure how good of a job I did.
Getting in my picks early in case I forget.
WvA, Remco, Wellens
Benoot and Powless
Also, anyone know why the race is now on a Friday? I think it had traditionally been a race on Wednesdays?
Specifically so you can train over there
Just fwiw, VdP was also without a power meter for the latter stages of the race. He mentioned this as something that made the final solo effort particularly challenging.
If road worlds continues to look like this, Pogacar might retire in the jersey:
The 2027 Sallanches loop will focus on the Côte de Domancy, like it did in 1980. The 2.5-kilometer “wall” packs a gruesome 9.4 percent average gradient.
Elite men will repeat the 13.3km circuit 20 times for a total of 266km and some 5,700m ascent.
Seriously.
They really need to throw some red meat to the sprinters some time soon. It’s been a long, long time.
I think we’re somewhat cursed by a sportocracy that seems convinced that objectively hard races make for better racing, when I think the opposite is generally true and is definitely much more conducive to producing surprising results. And who doesn’t like a surprise winner at a big race?
Moving DBP back might have something to do with De Ronde van Limburg, which was today but I think normally is in May.
Enjoy Germany! Taking a detour into the low countries for some spectating this weekend in the cards?
As for my picks for Friday:
Pidcock, Del Grosso, Powless
Wout, Remco
Pijl (dbplfb - what a long name!) picks -
Wellens / Remco / Benoot // Narvaez / Joseph Blackmore
leery of big dogs racing Fri and Sun going all in / Figure UAE boys want all in if Tadej is not racing.
I found out something really interesting about Ganna at Roubaix. When he punctured he took Connor Swift’s bike. Connor is allowed by the team to set his brakes up as is traditional in the UK (i.e. moto style, front brake on the right, rear on the left). Ganna then said he was losing 5 bike lengths at every corner and this went on for some time before he could get back on a proper bike for him. I cannot believe Ineos let’s a domestique do this. I wondered how he lost so much positioning and now we know.
Wout, Pidcock, Remco
Jonny Knarvaez, Turgis
Love that Blackmore pick @fredericknorton
I’m going to keep picking from the heart until Wout wins, imaginary internet points be damned. Hopefully the drought ends at some point.
Wout, Powless, Remco
Timmmay, Del Grosso
Women’s
The Incredible Cat Ferguson
Artic Faulks
Wout (in disguise)