General Race Thread 2023 **spoilers**

I really want them to change the young rider classification. The way the sport is going more sub 25 year olds are now team leaders competing for the win at big stage raceas/GTs.

I think it should be lowered to 22/23 or even only riders in their first 2 years in pro peleton are eligible. There is no need for Remco or Pog to be wearing a young riders jersey.

Lot of controversy picking up again about Pog’s Amstel win, apparently his bike change when he had the puncture 39km out was against the rules, his team car shouldn’t have been allowed through by the commissaires

https://sporza.be/nl/2023/04/20/wielerclub-wattage-tilt-zwaarder-aan-fietswissel-dan-aan-auto-van-van-vliet-heeft-de-uitslag-hard-beinvloed~1681979741493/

Do you think if those things were done the proper way that the result would have been different? I certainly don't.

It's a case here of a guy being so good that people want to find any way to have a go.

I think if he had to wait for his team car behind the peloton, instead of being able to instantly hop off form the break that had 40 seconds over the peloton, swap and get back into it, then yes it absolutely could have changed the outcome. He wouldn’t have been able to attack from 30km out, he’d have had about a minute if not more gap to the break to close.

I don’t disagree that he blew the entire field out of the water but it’s not exactly a minor thing like drafting a car for a couple of seconds

I’m not sure “he would have won anyway” is the point though. Either they have rules or they don’t.

I wouldn’t like to see him lose the race, but there should be some official acknowledgement of the stuff they got wrong. It doesn’t have to be the most drastic of sanctions, but just shrugging and saying “it doesn’t matter” doesn’t feel right

If he was a minute back, it clearly could've meant he didn't win. Healy wasn't that far behind/ that much weaker at the end. I've no doubt he could've got back up, but at what energy cost? I think, even with Pog, that it's a leap that it didn't affect the outcome.

Do I have to go and reference the Tour of Flanders where he passed everybody in front of him like they were standing still. The only danger to him was VDP but he dropped him as well and rode on to a comfortable enough victory. There was nobody close to the standard of VDP in the Amstel Gold. Wout and Peterson finished over a minute back. There was nobody in the Amstel Gold of their standard.

Ben did very well to finish 38 seconds back but Pog was taking it easy for at least the last 5k. Everybody else was over two minutes back.

Don't forget we are not talking about a human, he's a marvel comic character.

I am in agreement with the laws being used properly.

I'm just saying that in this instance it would not have changed the result. Anybody thinking that it might have changed it is deluding themselves.

Pog has beaten the best of the best classic riders in the last few weeks. None of them were in this race so he was winning without any extra help.

Remco broke the strava kom for la redoute yesterday, although it was immediately flagged for moto pacing. Expect him to put the hammer down there tomorrow and try redo what he did last year

Remco has gone full white! 🫣

Just back in from my own spin and i see pogi has abandoned!

Healy Is a serious contender now I think.

He's there so he doesn't miss a break. Reminds me of Pog sitting behind Jumbo before he had a decent team. It's a smart thing to do.

Just to clarify I'm not suggesting that he is of the same class as Pog. I'm simply saying it's smart to stay near the front.