Spring Classics 2016 discussion & commentary ***SPOILERS***

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Superb ride by Sagan, he made the Paterberg look easy and then just kept going. Outstanding.

 

[YahudaMoon]

Luke Rowe came in 5th, not bad

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Benoot out! Noooo!

Grim news about the mechanic. Hope he's ok.

You can see the mechanic being hit at around 4:18 on this "highlights" video
http://cyclinghub.tv/post.php?id=1469


...and his victory wheelie right at the end

And a bizarre advert for cycling posters at one point!

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Demare must be smarting a bit from this

 

[Crackle]

You can see the mechanic being hit at around 4:18 on this "highlights" video

I can't quite tell but he seems to be trapped under the front spoiler which is presumably better than being run over, so hopefully OK bar bruises and scrapes.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Sagan tries to get a pic worthy of the Beer thread by holding a big gottle of Kwaremont geer

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Broken collarbone for GVA, so he's out of Roubaix and Amstel Gold

 

[roadrash]

wheres the "unlike" button

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Benoot's injuries extend to numerous abrasions on his arms, hands and legs, bruising to his shoulder and a deep cut on his left elbow which required stitches - the team will decide during the week the extent of the injuries and whether his Spring racing is over or not.

 

[mjr]

Sagan post race interview

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6WplLk7iKs

 

[mjr]

Today's quiz - Andrei Tchmil (L), Johan Museeuw (R) but who is the ex-rider in the middle*?

He's the subject of this week's One To One on Bike channel.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

That was a Spartacus-like performance from Sagan. Really strong and confident. For Armitstead, she clearly is the strongest female rider right now, but it was as much about timing.

 

[oldroadman]

The Sagan ride was simply a master class in how to win a classic. Sit with the race, minimise chasing, read the situation and save as much energy as possible until the last 30km, using up team mates to do it, confident that the delivery will be there. Perfect move, and to actually gain time on a tired Cancellara who had done a lot of chasing, showed he was paying attention to how the race evolved. To win a monument in the rainbow bands (please, commentators et al, not bl....y stripes, they are vertical not horizontal!), what every pro thinks of, but few achieve.
Armistead I agree is clearly very strong and reads a race well, but you still need loads of confidence in your ability to play poker in the last 5km, lead out a sprint, and when it turns into a 300 metres rag race, to hit the line first. One of the most talented riders, along with Sagan, of the modern era, male or female.

 

[mjr]

Perfect move, and to actually gain time on a tired Cancellara who had done a lot of chasing, showed he was paying attention to how the race evolved.

Cancellara may have been discouraged that he hadn't enough road left to catch and drop Sagan, while the last time he found himself in a small group with Sagan, Sagan still won.

Sagan made a good rider (Vanmarcke) look very ordinary when he left him on the cobbled climb. You could tell it wasn't just Vanmarcke parking up because Cancellara still took a while to catch him.

rainbow bands (please, commentators et al, not bl....y stripes, they are vertical not horizontal!)

They're hoops not bands: they're around the body, not the arms.