No way. They should keep it to one week for several more years. Quality and depth simply isn’t there yet. Not a great sign when the peloton is bruised and battered after 3-4 stages and struggles to catch 1-2 riders in the breakaway on flat stages.
Pro Cycling 2023
- Thread starter Suedesi
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Still 70km to go but so much has happened already. VDP and Pogacar look super strong, van Aert and Pedersen also up there. Shame about Trentin and Laporte, they looked good as well.
How friggin' good is Rempo Evekoel, unbelievable so far. He's riding like he knows that he's gonna drop them all if and when he wants to.
Still a long way to go though. Van der Poel is racing very smart so far, and outsiders like Pedersen and Bettiol also impressive.
Rain is going to be a factor now, let's hope we don't see any crashes from the favourites.
Belgium's plan A is WvA or Remco?
Impossible to say, in theory Remco should attack and WVA should follow whoever reacts to that, but it's not always that simple.
That's exactly what Campenaerts just said that the tactic is yeah.
They're gonna have to do something about Bettiol though or he won't be caught anymore, this is a Ronde van Vlaanderen winner and not just your average Joe.
Van Aert, Pedersen, Pogacar and Van der Poel. Could barely select a more elite chasing group than that even if you tried.
Just Remco missing from that group and you basically have the 5 pre-race top favourites.
Remco seems done? Weird race from him.
Wasn't expecting that much considering the route but this is a fascinating watch. Think Mads Pedersen looks good from here but could be anyone from the front five.
Yeah this always seemed the most likely scenario, VDP with a Strade-like explosion. Surprised Pogacar can't follow him though.
Yeah I had VDP as top favourite, perfect parcours for him. I think it's done.
Not a big VDP guy but if he rides this out with those three behind him, and it sure looks like he will, then fair fecks to him and it will be very deserved. Wet surface also in his favour, you just have to look at Narvaez who thought he could just follow the angles in the corners right behind VDP and he crashed immediately.
So glad that Pogacar seems to have his number on the Oude Kwaremont because of its length though. Otherwise VDP would've won San Remo, Ronde, Roubaix and the Worlds in 2023 which is a ridiculous haul
So glad that Pogacar seems to have his number on the Oude Kwaremont because of its length though. Otherwise VDP would've won San Remo, Ronde, Roubaix and the Worlds in 2023 which is a ridiculous haul
Okay I totally jinxed it, fecking hell!!!
Holy shit! Still first but what does this change?
How the feck does he still have 20" ffs.
Adrenaline levels must be through the roof now, looks like his shoelace is broken though.
Adrenaline levels must be through the roof now, looks like his shoelace is broken though.
Feels like the others had already given up. He is clearly miles better than the others.
The three chasers have been riding terribly but still, unreal stuff from MvdP to crash and not lose time. Fair play, the strongest wins.
I've got to be honest here, but as someone who has been watching VDP win everything since 2015 in cyclocross, I'm tired of it.
No radio. The others have assumed they were playing for silver and if they'd known he was down I think we'd have seen the chasing group put the hammer down. Contrast to VdP who just put the hammer down to make back the time he lost, but he's just consistently pushed on now.
Yeah same. You can't really take anything away from him since he's uber talented and an exciting rider to watch who always goes for it, but... yeah, just same
Just imagine how Van Aert will feel if he (possibly) once again will stand one step lower than VDP on that podium later on today.
Sublime from Van Der Poel.
Must be so depressing being Van Aert, you are such a good rider but just don't have that one true explosion punch like Van der Poel does. Frustrating stuff.
What a podium though, the biggest three names in the sport on there.
What a podium though, the biggest three names in the sport on there.
This has to be one of the most insane individual years I've ever seen from a cyclist. World champion cyclo and road, winner of Milan Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, second in Flanders. I've seen crazy years from Boonen and Pogacar but this is up there.
Yeah it's definitely up there. Boonen did it twice though, 2005 and 2012 were incredible.
Fabulous race and an incredible last 20 km from MvdP! That final group with Wout, Pogacar, can see Poel and Pedersen was something else.
I was in disbelief when he still has 30 seconds after his crash.
I was in disbelief when he still has 30 seconds after his crash.
I'm tired of Dutch people winning speed based sporting events.
Remco world champion ITT 
Get the feck in, sensational stuff.
Also what a performance by Joshua Tarling. 19 years old and only trumped by giants like Evenepoel and Ganna.
Get the feck in, sensational stuff.Also what a performance by Joshua Tarling. 19 years old and only trumped by giants like Evenepoel and Ganna.
Having won both the road race and the ITT world championships at age 23 is something else. Wonder if he’s the youngest to do it.
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At least she was wearing a mask and he won't catch covid from her.
The Vuelta is having a mare this year so far - not really helped by the terrible weather conditions but the darkness fiasco in the TTT, then the fecked up communication yesterday with timing on top of the mountain but bonus points at the finish line, now this incident today, ...
Sepp Kuss with nearly three minutes on the main GC guys. Jonas and Roglic were always just competing to play second fiddle. GC Kuss is for real!
Seriously though, will TJV go for it with him? Imagine winning the three Grand Tours in a year with three different riders.
Seriously though, will TJV go for it with him? Imagine winning the three Grand Tours in a year with three different riders.
What a shitshow this Vuelta is from an organisational point of view. Two cones as a makeshift finish line today, and then the last two kilometers actually ended up looking decent enough to race. Strange scenes. Think Roglic looks a good bet for the red jersey despite Kuss's advantage.
The gap in production quality to the Tour is insane.
Tour de Kuss?
Vuelta a Vingegaard?
Evenepoel losing 27 mins.
There goes any excitement for this Grand Tour. TJV got it wrapped up, and I think Kuss will take it, unless he cracks unexpectedly.
There goes any excitement for this Grand Tour. TJV got it wrapped up, and I think Kuss will take it, unless he cracks unexpectedly.
Tour de Fiss'