Off to a good start with a tense TT finish!
Next week's race could be epic, let's hope MVdP is on for as Van Aert and Remco certainly are, can Alaphilipe get in on the act?
quite like the UK team for the road race.
Much as I like WvA, I was pleased Ganna won it, absolutely smashed it!
Such a depth of talent all round though, makes great viewing for us, the road race should be brilliant.
Yeah, for some reason I can't fathom I'm not a WVA fan. Ganna smashed it. Evenapoel was pretty bloody amazing for a little guy too. Putting over a min into Pog is a statement for the future.
Yeah, for some reason I can’t fathom I’m not a WVA fan
Funny, I can't figure why I AM a massive WvA fanboi, yet can't take to MvdP. Am fearing an MvdP victory despite WvA's form of late. Or they both mark one another out again... 🙄
MvdP seems an outside bet given form but if he sits on WVA it opens it up for others!
Dutch mugged by the Italians
Good team ride by the Italians today, the Dutch were, unsurprisingly getting marked every time they moved. Thought the gb team worked very hard only for no one to deliver in the last ten km, Henderson looked really good at various points but was too gone at the end.
Right, come on Mr Pidcock, under the radar!
Hayter down !!!!
though the Brits might have tried to get cav in the break
Just a heads up that the BBC2 coverage isn’t live but it is live on the red button channel
Here's my favourite footage from the race:
https://twitter.com/OutOfCycling/status/1442139524612624386?s=20
won with panache chapeau julian
Now that's what a road race should be like.
Another race where Van Der Poel only cares about beating WvA? Maybe the highlights just weren't very kind to him.
Alaphillipe though, awesome!
Another race where Van Der Poel only cares about beating WvA?
Bit harsh, think he just didn't have the legs, you could just as easily argue that WVA sat and watched the break go too. If MVdP has the legs he will attack he always does. Real story is Alaphilipe was awesome. Nice to see Pidcock dig in for as high a place as possible.
Another race where Van Der Poel only cares about beating WvA? Maybe the highlights just weren’t very kind to him.
Certainly sounds that way. Watching the whole race that's not how it came across to me.
Insane race. I was just going to skim through it until the pointy end but ended up watching the whole thing. Belgians played a blinder until it looked like WvA just didn't have the legs. And I don't think MVDP was ever a contender. More than deserving winner, that was incredible from Alaphilippe.
Watching the whole race that’s not how it came across to me.
Fair enough, could also just be WvA's tendency to chase too much, commentators did talk about how he needs to start racing from the front and attacking more a la Alaphilipe, rather than constantly chasing down other people's attacks!
The Belgians had a perfect race until 30km to go. WvA didn’t need to chase with Stuyven in front, and everyone sitting on his wheel. Props to Alaphilippe for really taking on the race - he was 100% committed and no one else was prepared to give as much at that stage of the race.
Fantastic course. Really set up to give a break a chance. The atmosphere out there was brilliant too
Fair enough, could also just be WvA’s tendency to chase too much,
Did you watch it? He chased nothing.
Fantastic course. Really set up to give a break a chance
Did you watch it, no break stuck all day, I agree it was a great course but it was just attritional.
Belgium had some odd tactics
See the 2021 European Championships for why Remco Evenepoel might not be a fan of Sonny Colbrelli.
Did you watch it? He chased nothing
Just highlights, he (unsuccessfully) chased at least one of Alaphilipe's attacks that I saw but I was meaning in general, my hazy general recollection over the last couple of years, 1 day races in particular, is of WvA chasing or trying to chase things down lots. Adam Blythe sort of confirmed that by saying WvA needs to change his style of riding rather than just trying to keep everything together for an eventual sprint.
Another race where Van Der Poel only cares about beating WvA? Maybe the highlights just weren’t very kind to him.
MVdP has said on Instagram that he just didn't have the legs to launch his usual crazy attacks (his words) after all he's only been back racing for a couple of weeks.
Interesting take from David Millar on the Never Strays Far podcast. He reckons going all in on the ToB took some of the edge off WvA's performance whereas JA left a bit in the tank for the Worlds.
Plus he was going for a win in the time trial.
Interesting take, I tend to agree much as I dislike the bloke.
Sorry I can't watch 20 minutes of that.
Sorry I can’t watch 20 minutes of that.
I know exactly what you mean, but it is also very interesting analysis. His basic point being Belgium should have saved Evenapoel for the last 50km so that he could help WVA chase the likes of Alaphilipe as these attacks were inevitable. Instead they kept trying to fire Evenapoel up the road from 180km out which was pointless.
Sorry I can’t watch 20 minutes of that.
I skipped through a bit to see if he stops shouting. He does not.
and also that Stuyven blew the chance at the end - he didn't have the chance to win vs JA with about 15 to go, no-one else in that group had the legs to close to him and so instead he could / should have dropped back and pulled the third group back up. They may have had the capability to close the gap but no catalyst to make it happen because they had WvA in the group and no-one was going to set him up other than another Belgian, but if Stuyven had started it then likely/possible the Italians would have supported.
I think MvDP might have just been using this race as an opportunity to cross train for some kind of new Dutch biathlon
https://twitter.com/renaudb31/status/1442526582443331587?s=21
