Man the cycling gods can’t be so mean denying Wout a monument
PRX: Wout, Mads, Gana
Mvdp, Pogi
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Does Lamperti have the raw horsepower for this race?
As much as I want him to succeed, he doesn’t look like he’s there yet. But then again, Sonny Cobrelli won it. Who knows? That’s the cool thing about the Hella. Lots of guys can win.
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I’m down for that.
Magnus ‘father of Zoe’ Backstreet boys won it too! and dirk demol (I think from some old (1988?) vhs tape)…. but… modern teams go all in for the leaders. I see saturday drizzlies (women’s race issues?), but no idea if it will fairly dry/ less unstable conditions for sunday?
Going all in on (Top) Ganna / Mads (winning the sprint) /MVDP // Pogi / Wout.
whats next picks race after Roubaix? amstel? MVDP might be raging if he doesnt get a W before Amstel…
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^^^ That my play against MVDP… let see how he handle the no winning period during the race.
Big Maggie. The Patron Saint of the large guys.
In going long shots this season, I’ve been reminded how hard it is for anyone but the top 5-10 guys to win at all. PR though offers hope. Tough sprinters like Cobrelli, O’Grady, Degencobble. Phillipson could be right there if he’s got form. Big dudes like Haymen, Maggie B, hell, Boonen is 6’3” I think. MvDP is the prototype. He could win 5.
I’m in the tank for a Mads/Wout bike throw finish. Then they collapse and do a Rocky Apollo Creed thing. “Ain’t gonns be no rematch……Don’t want one.”
May I recommend the 2014 race as a psych up? (I think Carlton Kirby had money on Damien Gaudin, another steam engiine who was top 5 one year.) All the big dogs were rolling and I had forgotten the improbable ending and the very strong BMC team that was there for Taylor Phinney- but Boonen wasn’t cottoning to that monkeyshine and did his Belgian thing. It’s ballerific.
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Pogi admitting today that put on a couple kilos to improve his raw power - I called that out a couple weeks ago. Prob. why he looked so empty after flanders… he had to put a lot more horse power to drop mvdp than the year before due to the extra weight.
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Yeah, that’s what Apollo said in the ring… when the cameras came out, at Pennsylvania Hospital (I used to live a few blocks over, btw), it was a whole other story; and it didn’t work out so well for Apollo the next time
I digress, sorry
Back to the Sexios thing.
I heard on another podcast yesterday that they don’t think he stays on Decathlon, I sure hope that they are wrong.
Looking at the background images - as I am want to do - I noticed that they do enjoy their graffiti tags in the area
Seixas was incredible again today.
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I watched the 2016 edition last night, as my spouse had never seen it. I think it’s my favorite - the last 20km are just one attack after another, ending with a deserving, improbable, and disbelieving winner.
That and Sagan’s one-handed reverse wheelie off onto the grass … 
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Lipowitz is super solid. Descended incredibly well.
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That was a pretty fun watch with Seixas descending like a demon a Lipo glued to his wheel.
That’s what makes it great.
I think maybe one of my picks from 2016 actually hit (Boonen), but that was a glorious edition, and I hope that every edition could be as epic.
In the words of CycloCosm, one of the best saves in bike racing or in saving things at large
Unfortunately, I think that video disappeared into the ether with CyclingTips biting the dust.
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Slightly off-topic, but I saw that 19yo Cam Myers ran a 3:29 1500m solo at the Australian championships. Last month, Cooper Lutkenhaus won the indoor world championships at 800m as a 17yo. It is amazing how fast these kids are.
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Reading today that Pogi is riding on 35s tomorrow (measure 38 mounted) - if he wins riding those tires nobody else will ever ride 28-30s ever again LOL
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I was shocked to hear Pello Bilbao is retiring after this year. Then I realized he is 36 and I’m just old myself and had forgotten how long he’s been racing.