Tour of Flanders 2017

joujoujou

Darkglasses wrote: »

What a shame, looked like he was just winding up for a big chase

Way too close to spectators.

==============

Looks like it'd be Gilbert's day.

Darkglasses

The jacket looked to just land on the third rider back, to me.

ednwireland

Jeez what a race full of incident

Gilbert looking the class of the feild today.

Subpopulus

The sight of Ollie Naessens and Peter Sagan inadvertently spooning in the middle of the cobbles will live long in the memory.

Sorry to see Sagan's race end in a crash like that. And Naessens - really like that young rider.

Rock Lesnar

Gilbert lucky there, nearly went

longshanks

I put a fiver on Gilbert with about 55km to go. Big spender I know.
Any advice on how to spend my possible €16.50 winnings?

Subpopulus

Kirby screaming like it's the last 100m.

Love that man.

Beasty

longshanks wrote: »

I put a fiver on Gilbert with about 55km to go. Big spender I know.
Any advice on how to spend my possible €16.50 winnings?

Don't tempt providence by thinking about that now. Come back later when you have any winnings in hand....

Darkglasses

Questions have to be asked about Dylan van Baarle's sock height.

Rock Lesnar

I taught my 75km cycle earlier was tough, im more banjaxed just watching this, ha

ednwireland

Aaaand the laptop crashes

Beasty

Darkglasses wrote: »

Questions have to be asked about Dylan van Baarle's sock height.

Dylan? Got more issues with his voice personally....

Beasty

ednwireland wrote: »

Aaaand the laptop crashes

If you throw it into the path of Sagan what do you expect?

JK.BMC

Beasty wrote: »

Don't tempt providence by thinking about that now. Come back later when you have any winnings in hand....

Absolutely

It ain't over yet!

At this rate, Jillip Filbert is gonna win for Sean Kelly

longshanks

Beasty wrote: »

Don't tempt providence by thinking about that now. Come back later when you have any winnings in hand....

Pfft, it'll be champagne, hookers and helicopters by then.

griffin100

Don't write off Tepstre yet.

Beasty

griffin100 wrote: »

Don't write off Tepstre yet.

Just did....

Darkglasses

Extra points for that snazzy finish.

griffin100

Class performance. Chapeau that man.

dastardly00

Chapeau Gilbert what a ride

Subpopulus

That was beautiful.

Beasty

Think it would have been very close but for that crash involving Sagan, but you certainly cannot take anything away from Gilbert after that

Inquitus

Beasty wrote: »

Think it would have been very close but for that crash involving Sagan, but you certainly cannot take anything away from Gilbert after that

I agree, but for the crash I think he would have been caught.

pelevin

Could have been diabolically tense there all right but for Sagan's crash. Much before that though for him & GVA to be caught out by QSF attacking earlier has to be poor racing.

Anyway fabulous win - oh & to mention another monster effort by Greipel in these kind of races. For one of the 'pure' big sprinters to do these kind of rides is amazing to see.

Beasty

Inquitus wrote: »

I agree, but for the crash I think he would have been caught.

None of us could know how much he might have had in reserve if required though. The way the other 3 closed him down suggests extra riders of such quality would have made a difference but Gilbert will have known they had crashed out and how much he had over the others

velo.2010

Vanmarcke, Sagan and Boonen all affected by technical and crashes which ultimately helped Gilbert. GVA, Sagan, Degankolb and many others missed the split when they went up the Muur. So much for many thinking that climb would have little or no effect!

<snip>

pelevin

Yeah I saw GVA saying beforehand the Muur would be pretty much irrelevant as it was too far out.

"I think it's nice to have the Muur back in the parcours, but I don't think that it will really have a decisive factor," Van Avermaet said during his pre-Tour of Flanders press conference. "It takes us a little bit out of the way. The parcours from the Muur to Oudenaarde is not really attractive. It's too early to go for sure, where are you going to go.

"For me, it is a bit hard. I liked the final how it was but, to put the Muur in this kind of parcours, it is hard to make it fit, and I think that the guy who made the parcours would say this because it's a little bit out of the action. I think that the parcours last year was really nice. Now, with adding the Muur again, I think that it is a zone where nothing is going to happen.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/van-avermaet-the-muur-doesnt-fit-in-the-new-tour-of-flanders-parcours/

pelevin

velo.2010 wrote: »

Vanmarcke, Sagan and Boonen all affected by technical and crashes which ultimately helped Gilbert.

Boonen would have been a help to Gilbert though or a hindrance to the others cohesively chasing. The other incidents of course helped but that's part of the dynamic of chasing hard on cobbles. Gilbert by attacking in large part made his own luck. Good to see in a really big race the aggression of Quick-Step pay off where so often like last year's Paris Roubaix it doesn't get the win.

Brian?

Finally got to watch the last 30km there. What a ride by Gilbert. I'm over the moon for him. Had a fiver EW on him as well, which helps.

The Tour of Flanders is turning into a nightmare for GvA. Felt so sorry for him after the crash.

I love the cobbles, can't wait for next week. I'll be backing Boonen for old times sake.

Quigs Snr

Some folks saying that the result might have been different if Sagan, GVA etc.. hadn't crashed... but you make your luck. Gilbert didn't get taken down by Sagan because he was up the road, leading the race and with his choice of racing lines. Cannot believe he made it, but there you go. He who dares (occasionally) wins. Fantastic racing.