General race thread 2021 **spoilers**

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928587#Comment_117928587

Mostly the racism and the punching riders mid race. He has also been accused of trying to run another rider off the road.

Racism obviously the big one there

Yeah he got a 6 week suspension and "diversity training" for the comments he made to Kévin Reza that time in Romandie.

Actually I think Reza is set to retire this year, only 33 I think but feels like he's been around forever, still remember him in is Europcar kit.

Nice win for Taco Van der Hoorn in Belgium today. Missed the finish due to pesky kids :D

But he was away in a two man break all day and from the looks of the timings managed to hold on by the skin of his teeth in front of his team mate who was likely forced to contest a sprint from behind.

retalivity

Gotta love Taco Thursday!

Plenty of crashes so far in the U23 road race, and the race hasn't even got under way yet. Director stops the race and a mass wee break ensues on a dual carriageway.

mewso

Good few Irish spectators over there.

odyssey06

Adam Ward of Ireland is in a 3 man break in the U23 race with a 2 minute lead @70kms

Update - now two riders left out in front, Ward and I think Currie of NZL.

odyssey06

Currie starting to distance Ward on a climbing stretch of cobbles :(

Ward doing and looking better than I would up that.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117933748#Comment_117933748

Alas swallowed up by the peloton.

Currie still out in front.

Belgian lad down in a crash, must be gutted to not finish on home soil :(

Ben Healy is still there hiding in the middle of the group nicely.

Oh wait he's not he's down the back, has to be Corkery in the bunch there so.

EDIT: 161 no that was ward again. Healy still up front.

odyssey06

Currie took a wrong turn \ was directed wrong (?) and has now been caught by couple of chasers.

How many crashes have there been in the last half hour?

mewso

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117933803#Comment_117933803

Smith on Eurosport assumed a green flash he saw passing in group 2 was Healy. I knew there was no way he could be sure it was him with 2 other Irish out there.

odyssey06

Cramp for Corkery (#159) - trying to hang on at the back of the peloton?

Rider list here:

https://www.flanders2021.com/storage/races/file_riders/22/men-under-23-road-race.pdf?t=1632473436

Easy to miss feeds in a race like this I'd say.

mewso

That shot of Corkery dropping off the Peleton suggests that unfortunately maybe they were right on Eurosport and Healy was in group 2.

He's off the bike now sitting on the road and grabbing his toes, that looks sore!!!!!!

odyssey06

Italy take gold, coming in just ahead of the reduced bunch by 2 seconds.

Eritrea take silver, winning the sprint from the chasing bunch, and bronze for the Dutch.

Not sure if any of the Irish finished, pretty sure none in the reduced bunch.

Entertaining day of racing. Some tight turns on that course, could see some crashes over the weekend.

Winner has a contract with Trek for next year. Mentioned it during the racing last week how nice that Cinelli bike he was on was.

dahat

Impressed with Corkerry today, excellent rode to make the selection until cramps beat him.

Super days racing across both & really looking forward to the weekend ahead.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117934148#Comment_117934148

Can't tell if the senior pro riders will be safer due to being more skilled and disciplined or the extra pressure in the big race will cause more crashes

You could hear the nerves in Maggi's voice calling the end of that one. He forgot to mute his mic then and you could hear him breathing and he was obviously emotional. Must have been some feeling seeing his daughter take gold.

Megan being looked after by spectators there after a crash. She was up but not sure if she got back on her bike.

breezy1985

All back together now but this is a very interesting course and the race situation keeps changing

ednwireland

BBC2 has live coverage of women's race

ednwireland

Well done Italy. Dutch blew that

breezy1985

Italy's golden summer continues it's indian streak

That's the 3rd gold for Italy I think