Pro Cycling 2023

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool
Four monuments actually. Well, three different ones but four in total. And who is going to stop him at LBL in a couple of weeks?
Am very interested to find out how Remco will stack up against him. Dropping MVDP like he did today is just otherworldly, he’s the only one in the world who can do that to VDP.
 

Suedesi

Full Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2001
Messages
23,884
Location
New York City
Paris - Roubaix 20km to go! Shaping up to be a beautiful finish

Lead group: Van Aert, Van der Poel, Kung, Pedersen, Ganna, Philipsen, Degenkolb
 

Suedesi

Full Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2001
Messages
23,884
Location
New York City
MVDP with the win and Philipsen makes it 1-2 for Alpecin

Fastest Paris - Roubaix ever, 46.8km/hr :eek: :eek: :eek:
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool
Pogacar with the most obvious win ever, never in doubt there. Although he's "lucky" I feel that there aren't any riders like Valverde or Gilbert anymore in the peloton who have that one punch in the last KM that Pogacar doesn't really possess. Don't get me wrong, he's an excellent finisher but those guys were exceptional at that, and this race is obviously the one Pogi struggled with most in previous years.

Ronde, Amstel, Fleche now. You'd almost forget Paris-Nice as well of course. Would be some spring if he also adds ANOTHER Liège to his list next Sunday.

Hoping for an epic battle between him and Evenepoel. Even though Pogacar has the added benefit that he has racing legs whilst Evenepoel is only flying back from Tenerife today or tomorrow, and that Evenepoel likely has to drop Pogacar in order to win, not vice versa.
 

onemanarmy

Full Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2013
Messages
4,716
Location
Belgium
Pogacar, just ridiculous.

2 x Tour de France, Paris-Nice, Flanders, Strade Bianchi, Amstel Gold Race, Lombardia 2x, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, bronze on the Olympics, Tirreno 2x... Now the Fleche Wallonie.
 

onemanarmy

Full Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2013
Messages
4,716
Location
Belgium
Pogacar with the most obvious win ever, never in doubt there. Although he's "lucky" I feel that there aren't any riders like Valverde or Gilbert anymore in the peloton who have that one punch in the last KM that Pogacar doesn't really possess. Don't get me wrong, he's an excellent finisher but those guys were exceptional at that, and this race is obviously the one Pogi struggled with most in previous years.

Ronde, Amstel, Fleche now. You'd almost forget Paris-Nice as well of course. Would be some spring if he also adds ANOTHER Liège to his list next Sunday.

Hoping for an epic battle between him and Evenepoel. Even though Pogacar has the added benefit that he has racing legs whilst Evenepoel is only flying back from Tenerife today or tomorrow, and that Evenepoel likely has to drop Pogacar in order to win, not vice versa.
Alaphilippe in theory. He was always fantastic in these races.
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool
Alaphilippe in theory. He was always fantastic in these races.
Yeah I meant participating today. I think Van der Poel could beat Pogacar with his end shot, maaaybe even Van Aert - although for both of them a ~10kg disadvantage compared to Pogacar is huge on a climb like the Mur de Huy. But there aren't many riders like Bettini, Di Luca, Rebellin, Boogerd, Joaquin Rodriguez, ... around these days. Maybe it's just nostalgic feelings but those riders were a few notches above the likes of Bardet, Woods, and so on who are competitive in the hill classics at the moment.

Alaphilippe, yeah... Sad story to see this season, and can't imagine Lefevre is too happy with his huge contract for what he's shown. Huge contract from one of the French teams incoming for a last big payday I suppose. Seems like a perfect Sagan replacement at TotalEnergies.
 

onemanarmy

Full Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2013
Messages
4,716
Location
Belgium
Yeah I meant participating today. I think Van der Poel could beat Pogacar with his end shot, maaaybe even Van Aert - although for both of them a ~10kg disadvantage compared to Pogacar is huge on a climb like the Mur de Huy. But there aren't many riders like Bettini, Di Luca, Rebellin, Boogerd, Joaquin Rodriguez, ... around these days. Maybe it's just nostalgic feelings but those riders were a few notches above the likes of Bardet, Woods, and so on who are competitive in the hill classics at the moment.

Alaphilippe, yeah... Sad story to see this season, and can't imagine Lefevre is too happy with his huge contract for what he's shown. Huge contract from one of the French teams incoming for a last big payday I suppose. Seems like a perfect Sagan replacement at TotalEnergies.
They were also doping users :lol: Well, at least 3 of them proven.

Yeah, would make sense for both Alaphilippe and Lefevre to move him on if he doesn't improve. Lefevre needs to invest in his Belgian classics team either way.
 

Donut

Full Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Messages
4,865
Pogacar broke his wrist and will be out for around 2 months. He’ll still be ready for Tour but the momentum he was building will be gone, which would have been very useful against Vingegaard.
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool
Where did you get the 2 months thing from? Didn't see that anywhere on the reports - it's apparently fractures in bones in his wrist/hands and not a broken wrist, he'll also be able to train inside and do other exercises to kinda keep in shape. Think it's just a 4-6 weeks thing before he's riding outside again. Not ideal for the Tour but after today was a rest period anyway, if anyone can pull this off it's Pogacar.

Such a shame not to get the duel with Evenepoel today. Of course still happy with his win though, what a fecking beast he is and what a beautiful moment to see him raise his hands in Liège in his all-white rainbow jersey.
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool

There's no way he misses the Tour unless there are complications to the healing of the bone.

It looks less than ideal though in his preparation, especially if you factor in that Vingegaard has only had the Tour on his mind all season. Making it to the Dauphine or the Tour de Suisse might become important now as well to get some much-needed speed on the legs (rather than the Tour of Slovenia that he does every year).

Best-case scenario it's a blessing in disguise for him to get some much-needed rest after a heavy Spring classics period... But it's likely that this hampers his schedule for 3-4 weeks (probably scheduled "rest" period for 2 weeks now anyways).
 

Suedesi

Full Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2001
Messages
23,884
Location
New York City

6-weeks of recovery, his altitude training plans are off. Let's put it this way, this is far from optimal for TdF
 

Mike Smalling

Full Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2018
Messages
11,153
If not Pogi, let's hope Roglic finally gets his TdF win!
If Roglic does go to the TDF, he is gonna crash on the 3rd stage after hitting a motorcycle and hurt his hip. He will then soldier on for a few more stages but eventually retire before the 7th stage. It's guaranteed.
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool

Honestly, I'd be fecking suing the dog owner for a symbolic €1 if I were Soudal-Quick Step.

You couldn't be acting more irresponsible next to a peloton even if you tried. How dumb can you be?!
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool

Feck this fecking feck shit. FECK.

Please just go to the Tour now.
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool
What is even the point of routine tests anymore?
Pro endurance sport can be very bad for your heart health long-term apparently (and increased risk of myocarditis short-term I think), even if you're (almost) asymptomatic. Nothing is worth taking that risk for.
 

Kasper

Full Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2013
Messages
3,586
Supports
Hansa Rostock / Bradford City
Pretty sure they only tested him because he was getting ill already. He looked visibly sick today and was way worse than expected these last two days.
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool
Pretty sure they only tested him because he was getting ill already. He looked visibly sick today and was way worse than expected these last two days.
His statement reads "after taking a routine test", but indeed it's entirely possible that they felt his "decline" the last two days wasn't normal and that's why they tested (and it feels pretty crazy to write decline given his win today :lol:).

He needs to go to the Tour now though. No one cares if you're out of competition for 4 months and win another Vuelta. Heal up, go back to Spain and make sure you're ready on July 1st.
 

Ainu

Full Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2008
Messages
10,147
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
Well this is just garbage, not just for him but for the Giro as well. I wouldn't say it's completely ruined, but it's suddenly a lot less interesting to watch.
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool
Well this is just garbage, not just for him but for the Giro as well. I wouldn't say it's completely ruined, but it's suddenly a lot less interesting to watch.
It's Roglic vs the Ineos squad now (and I'm still betting on Roglic tbh) But yeah, this sucks for Remco and the Giro. Hoping he can flip the switch soon enough, but being on Tenerife and mainland Spain all those weeks on weeks on weeks and then this after one week of racing must be quite something to process.
 

Ainu

Full Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2008
Messages
10,147
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
It's Roglic vs the Ineos squad now (and I'm still betting on Roglic tbh) But yeah, this sucks for Remco and the Giro. Hoping he can flip the switch soon enough, but being on Tenerife and mainland Spain all those weeks on weeks on weeks and then this after one week of racing must be quite something to process.
It may not be quite what he wanted, but he does have something to show for all that work: a second LBL win, two stage wins in the Giro and a couple of days in the pink jersey.
 

RobinLFC

Cries when Liverpool doesn't get praised
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
20,940
Location
Belgium
Supports
Liverpool
Four more Quick-Step riders Covid-positive and out of the Giro, yet the moronic Italian press still thinks it's a disgrace for the Maglia Rosa and that Evenepoel wasn't being honest. Deluded bunch.

If anything this gets him some more domestiques if he wants to go to the Tour :D But if you listen to what Lefevre is already saying, they're gonna hold him back and give him the most lame schedule out there: Worlds, San Sebastian, Vuelta... Basically teaching him nothing new and playing it ultra safe. Then he'll be 24 next season, have 5(!) years of experience in the pro peloton and not a single Tour to show for it. Meanwhile Pogacar already had two Tours in the bag aged 24.
 

Ainu

Full Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2008
Messages
10,147
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
Four more Quick-Step riders Covid-positive and out of the Giro, yet the moronic Italian press still thinks it's a disgrace for the Maglia Rosa and that Evenepoel wasn't being honest. Deluded bunch.
There's this bizarre sentiment that somehow Evenepoel was scared. I mean, what? The reigning world champion and winner of the last Vuelta and last two LBLs is scared of the competition in a Giro he was leading after 9 stages, having won 2 of them.

There's a lot of opinions out there on Evenepoel and I'm not always the biggest fan of the things he says, but the idea that he would be scared is just so far out there that I can't even imagine what these people are smoking. If anything he always has complete confidence in himself, for better or worse.
 

Zen

Full Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2008
Messages
14,532
Mighty outta the loop here, but when did they start using disc brakes for Mountain Time Trials?
 

Donut

Full Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Messages
4,865
Incredible, even with the mechanical. He deserves it. Although he probably wouldn’t have won it if Evenepoel was still in, but it’s about time Roglic had some good fortune.