Gent-Wevelgem 2015 *spoilers*

[The Couch]

Some quotes from the post-race interviews:
Paolini - "A nord ci sono le gare vero" (In the north, you get real races)
Debusschere - "I was hoping that they wouldn't catch Roelandts, since I felt that I wouldn't be able to finish it off"
(explains his somewhat disappointed ending, since he didn't work in the escape for over 45K)
Vanmarcke - "In the teambus, I even started to hyperventilate"
De Vreese - "At one moment, we could only do 16 kph max in the headwind"

Eddy Planckaert (ex-rider, now commetator) - "One of the most beautiful races I have ever seen"

 

[smutchin]

Too many chiefs in that team I reckon.

Too many chiefs and not enough leaders.

 

[Hont]

Apart from the misfortune to Boonen and Cancellara this has been an excellent Classics season so far.

+1. And the best Ghent Wevelgem I can remember (but then you don't get wind like that every year).

 

[Apollonius]

The forecast for tomorrow is for strong (possibly insanely so) NW winds and the De Panne course goes mostly SE. Should be rapid. There again, if that continues on Wednesday, then they have to ride more or less into the wind.
There have been a lot of high-profile casualties in the spring races so far. Boasen Hagen also out with a broken clavicle. The weather has been pretty dramatic. As for who will be Sky's protected rider in Paris Roubaix, I think the nature of the race allows anyone in form to give it a go. I can see them putting Stannard and Thomas in there with the usual support from Knees and Eisel and let the strongest go for it. Not far off what they did last year.

 

[oldroadman]

Vandenbergh and Vanmarcke both did too much work in the early phase...
When the live images started (ca. 120K to go), both of them were dragging the peloton too much in the "(wind)fans", while Terpstra, GT and Roelandts stayed (as much as possible) a bit further down in that first fan.

Vdb - like a good helper - gave his wheel to Cav... then apparently raced back to the second chasing group (catching and apparently dropping Cav... - which isn't very helper-like - since Cav didn't make the merge of the 3 groups at about 90K to go) and then jumped multiple times away to try and set-up an escape... my guess would be because at that moment in the race, it's still ok for him to go into an attack, while later on he would need to pull the group along for Stybar/Terpstra
(He was actually the one to start the Vanmarcke/GT group... only he did this while Stybar was getting back to the back of the peloton after a flat.. again not the smoothest of things)
I've got the feeling he wants to show his form (and would like to win something with his form) but he is struggling a lot between his ambitions and having to follow team orders:

• giving aid/his wheel to team leaders
• needing to pull the peloton already way before the final (i.e. spending unnecessary energy if you want to ride a good final)
• being in an attack, but not being allowed to help/ride in it (as again happened until Terpstra had jumped across)... which isn't great to start a fan-base either

He either needs to accept the fact he is riding for a team where he is 4th fiddle at best (Boonen, Stybar, Terpstra) and put his ambitions/struggles aside (and cash his probable nice fee at EQS)...
or (what I secretly would recommend him) go to a team that needs a (co-)leader for this Flanders work, like e.g. Garmin, Orica, IAM or even Astana or Team Lotto.nl

Windfans? Echelon perhaps? You don't stay at the back of an echelon or it's spitting out time. What is on TV does not show the half of it. First, push your way in, next don't miss a turn, third, holding on to a tail in the gutter is eventually fatal, you'll never get back in and when there are 5 or more echelons, being outside the top 3 can be very hard, and unproductive work. You have to keep riding but the chances are 5 minutes lost by the finish (aankomst on the banner). I don't blame VdB at all for just riding on, it's easy to miss a leader in the cars, and if he's not looking good may even tell you to get back in and look after the No 2 protected rider. It's all much more complicated (and harder) than it appears. Interesting thoughts on changing teams, what has to be considered is that it's early season still, and there's a lot of kilometres to go yet. People who rise and show out tend to get their chance eventually in smaller races. But when you spend the level of money that big stars cost, a Sport Director wants them delivered to a winning position. Which is what the doms are paid for, often reasonably well!

 

[User169]

Windfans? Echelon perhaps?

I think Couch was using the term used in Dutch which is "fans" (waaiers).

 

[The Couch]

Windfans? Echelon perhaps?

I think Couch was using the term used in Dutch which is "fans" (waaiers).

Yup, just forgot the English term

You don't stay at the back of an echelon or it's spitting out time. What is on TV does not show the half of it. First, push your way in, next don't miss a turn, third, holding on to a tail in the gutter is eventually fatal, you'll never get back in

I am aware that in "normal echelon" conditions riding along with everyone (and taking your turn at the head of it) is the best way not to lose position. However, I was implying that with these extreme windy conditions, sitting - constantly - at the front at that moment in the race (120K out) was too draining. Not saying that being a bit further in the line wasn't more dangerous to get blown out of the echelon - or wasn't hard or a big energy drain either - just (I would assume) a bit less, since the wind is being somewhat softened by the riders ahead of you... especially when there is a 2m long guy at the front of the line acting as wind-breaker.

FYI, the "normal echelon" refers to the riders commenting afterwards, you couldn't even really make echelons, because the wind was too hard for it

People who rise and show out tend to get their chance eventually in smaller races. But when you spend the level of money that big stars cost, a Sport Director wants them delivered to a winning position. Which is what the doms are paid for, often reasonably well!

Totally agree, and he might even get paid more riding for EQS than he would if he would go to another team where he would get a more protected role.
It's just the races that suit Vdb - and where he peaks to - (i.e. the Flanders races) are the same races that the team leaders ride and that EQS is expected to win (by both media and management), meaning they'll put more faith in having a go with Stybar, Terpstra, Boonen or even Kwiatkowski in these races.
He does get chances, but he either didn't take the win because of his lack of sprinting power, having a team leader with him and/or the fact that he had to work earlier in the race. With his palmares the last 3 years in the Flanders, he could have a think about giving it a try in a team where he would be protected (although he'll always struggle with his sprint-speed)

 

[oldroadman]

Yes, agree with all of that. It's good to see riders get a chance, sometimes I wonder about Sport Directors decisions when conditions are so difficult. Horses for courses and all that. Wind dropping now, so Ronde might just simply be wet and horrible, much as usual! It's looking very open and trying to find an outstanding favourite is hard, although Stybar and Thomas seem like a good bets for a podium at least. The battle between EQS and Lotto might play out to an outsider's benefit. After E£ and G-W there's plenty of firepower waiting to be seen. All to be revealed - Kemmelberg for me, I think, or Oude Kwaremont, then TV over moules/frites and Leffe.

 

[User169]

All to be revealed - Kemmelberg for me, I think, or Oude Kwaremont, then TV over moules/frites and Leffe.

Might be a bit lonely on the Kemmelberg - RVV doesn't go over it!

 

[The Couch]

...All to be revealed - Kemmelberg for me, I think, ...

Koppenberg?

 

[oldroadman]

Good point, not checked the route yet.

 

[Crackle]

Good point, not checked the route yet.

Did you retire because you kept losing the peloton?

 

[oldroadman]

Did you retire because you kept losing the peloton?

No, because I was old and knackered!

 

[HF2300]

As for who will be Sky's protected rider in Paris Roubaix, I think the nature of the race allows anyone in form to give it a go. I can see them putting Stannard and Thomas in there with the usual support from Knees and Eisel and let the strongest go for it. Not far off what they did last year.

Wiggins quoted as saying "With Luke Rowe, there are potentially four British riders in Sky who could be at the front. If we get our tactics right, one of us can win – Ian, Gee [Geraint Thomas] or me, it’s about one of us winning, not about all of us trying to beat each other."

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/30/bradley-wiggins-history-paris-roubaix-classic

 

[MisterStan]

"it’s about one of us winning, not about all of us trying to beat each other."

Perhaps someone should explain this idea to EQS?