Is Flanders too hard for its own good?

[DeVlaeminck]

Is the modern route just too hard at the expense of the racing ? Ok cycling has never really been chess on wheels but tactics have always been a big part of it - some modern races - Strade Bianche and Flanders for two -have become significantly harder and I'm not sure it's good. Ok maybe it's just the Pogacar affect but when a race is that hard it cuts down the number of potential winners who can make up for physical shortcomings by riding smart.

 

[rich p]

Is the modern route just too hard at the expense of the racing ? Ok cycling has never really been chess on wheels but tactics have always been a big part of it - some modern races - Strade Bianche and Flanders for two -have become significantly harder and I'm not sure it's good. Ok maybe it's just the Pogacar affect but when a race is that hard it cuts down the number of potential winners who can make up for physical shortcomings by riding smart.

I think you nailed it with Pog and (MVDP) being very very good.
To make it easier to allow lots of others a chance would just turn into a race like the Volta NXT classic, for example.
In my humble etceteras...

 

[The Crofted Crest]

Two riders in the amateur race on Saturday died.

 

[mididoctors]

Two riders in the amateur race on Saturday died.

Good grief. Accidents or health conditions?

 

[Pross]

I thought yesterday was a decent race, Pog definitely had a tactic to make each climb harder and burn out the legs of the others, aided by VDP having to chase back after his tumble. Alpecin tried to control the race, Wout made an effort to get a lead last time up the Kwaremont and the result was in doubt until probably 10km to go. Pog really should have been caught by the 4 behind if they'd been prepared to work better together but Wout and VDP are unlikely to create a lasting alliance. It was better than many recent Classics as a spectacle as the result wasn't beyond doubt with 35k plus to go.

 

[mididoctors]

Is the modern route just too hard at the expense of the racing ? Ok cycling has never really been chess on wheels but tactics have always been a big part of it - some modern races - Strade Bianche and Flanders for two -have become significantly harder and I'm not sure it's good. Ok maybe it's just the Pogacar affect but when a race is that hard it cuts down the number of potential winners who can make up for physical shortcomings by riding smart.

I thought the parcours separated out the bunch on meritocracy extraordinarily well the top 5 were all as should be except MvdP 2nd mads 3rd .

The inability to disrupt UAE was team size ... UAE kept everything close enough to not upset the applecart . Reduce team size would be my
suggestion...safer too

 

[No Ta Doctor]

I thought yesterday was a decent race, Pog definitely had a tactic to make each climb harder and burn out the legs of the others, aided by VDP having to chase back after his tumble. Alpecin tried to control the race, Wout made an effort to get a lead last time up the Kwaremont and the result was in doubt until probably 10km to go. Pog really should have been caught by the 4 behind if they'd been prepared to work better together but Wout and VDP are unlikely to create a lasting alliance. It was better than many recent Classics as a spectacle as the result wasn't beyond doubt with 35k plus to go.

According to Mads they all worked pretty much flat out together, they just didn't have it.

 

[Jameshow]

https://road.cc/content/news/two-cyclists-dead-tour-flanders-sportive-313401

15k riders it's not unusual.

Happens at marathons all the time...

Two riders in the amateur race on Saturday died.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

I assume this is a plea for a return to something like the old Merebeke finish, when riders like Alessandro Ballan and Nick Nuyens broke the Boonen/Cancellara monopoly?

We got an entertaining race yesterday, both in terms of action and the tactical nuance you desire.
We ended up with the 4 best riders in the world filling the first 4 spots. We also got 3 riders from the breakaway finishing in the top 8.
TBH I cannot envisage any parcour that could produce a “clever” winner over the quality of opposition they face in this generational era.

 

[Dogtrousers]

https://road.cc/content/news/two-cyclists-dead-tour-flanders-sportive-313401

15k riders it's not unusual.

Happens at marathons all the time...

Indeed it's not unusual. And you can't necessarily blame the toughness of the bergs. Ride London, much easier route (but bigger with ~25k I think) it was not uncommon for deaths to occur, and I think there were 2 in one edition on at least one occasion, mid 20-teens.

Terribly sad all the same.

 

[PurplePenguin]

I think the last 10km is consistently pointless, so would happy for that to be removed, but I suspect the finish is there for commercial reasons.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think the last 10km is consistently pointless, so would happy for that to be removed, but I suspect the finish is therefore for commercial reasons.

But if the chasing group had been able to (or maybe wanted to?) work together effectively and chase Pog down it could have been pretty thrilling yesterday. Big if I know.

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

When has someone been chased down in that last 10k after going clear over the Kwaremont or Paterberg?

MVDP and Pog were chased down one year (2022 IIRC) but other than that I'm struggling to remember. Usually the strongest rider has proven their strength over the last 2 climbs and they don't get caught.

2019 was an anomaly in this as the chase group was too big to organise a proper chase of Bettiol

 

[cyberknight]

The Pog effect overshadows many races.
I dont think the race is too hard , if you took pog out and had the second group fighting for the win then the peleton would have been closer and they would have stalled as no one would want to burn all their matches and give someone else a lead out .

 

[The Crofted Crest]

Good grief. Accidents or health conditions?

A Dutchman died of a heart attack on the Taaienberg and a Frenchman became "unwell" (no further details) on the Oude Kwaremont and didn't survive. A third cyclist was rushed to hospital but recovered.