2026 Spring Classics Thread

[mididoctors]

Serious selection in the women's fleche penultimate climb

 

[wakemalcolm]

No that was hirschi

Baby² Spartacus?

 

[mididoctors]

Here we go

 

[mididoctors]

Vollering trying to muscle it from the front early

 

[mididoctors]

Impressive even for her ...puck nearly caught her

 

[wakemalcolm]

Caught up with the men's highlights (last 4km).

Although it was emphatic, I'm not sure I'm reaching for my suitcase of clichés that I left somewhere in my cave of hyperbole to describe his efforts. He wasn't riding like a man possessed, he just did what needed to be done.

I get the hype, I'm just not sure that that performance against that field warranted ratcheting it up further.

 

[mididoctors]

Caught up with the men's highlights (last 4km).

Although it was emphatic, I'm not sure I'm reaching for my suitcase of clichés that I left somewhere in my cave of hyperbole to describe his efforts. He wasn't riding like a man possessed, he just did what needed to be done.

I get the hype, I'm just not sure that that performance against that field warranted ratcheting it up further.

Should he e goto the tour ?

 

[wakemalcolm]

Should he e goto the tour ?

Yes, I think so, but they should reserve the right to withdraw him after a few stages (unless he's got a convincing lead). I think that allows the French public a sight of what might be soon without ladling the expectation of victoire on him.

 

[TomDW]

Formality for Seixas. "Le grand espoir français." Great if he could ride the Dauphine with no pressure. He's certainly fairly consistent. I wonder how he will improve in 2yrs or is this as good as he gets?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Formality for Seixas. "Le grand espoir français." Great if he could ride the Dauphine with no pressure. He's certainly fairly consistent. I wonder how he will improve in 2yrs or is this as good as he gets?

He's 19 and extremely skinny. I wonder if he will naturally get a bit chunkier with age and that might take the edge off his W/kg. Or maybe he'll get stronger. Who knows?

He seemed to do what was necessary today.

 

[rich p]

I get the hype, I'm just not sure that that performance against that field warranted ratcheting it up further

Me too, but I've just read that he's the youngest ever winner and 3rd fastest time ever up the Mur de Huy.
Let's wait and see, as that master of prevarication, Carlton Kirby would say!

 

[phreak]

It seems a bit premature until he's raced against Pogacar or Vingegaard (or even Remco). At the moment, he hasn't managed to beat any of those three in any kind of meaningful way in a race. Obviously, he's still incredibly early in his career, but those are the people he'll need to beat to get the big results.

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

Yes, I think so, but they should reserve the right to withdraw him after a few stages (unless he's got a convincing lead). I think that allows the French public a sight of what might be soon without ladling the expectation of victoire on him.

This is absolutely my thinking about it. If It worked for the Yates all those years ago, although it would need clear media management to say he's just going to see what he can do, to try and minimise the pressure on his young shoulders

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

The other point is that he's not really been tested in the BIG mountains. He did OK at the Dauphine last year, although he was impacted by an uphill crash on the final day

 

[matticus]

Yes, I think so, but they should reserve the right to withdraw him after a few stages (unless he's got a convincing lead).

I would laugh my socks off if they withdrew him with a small but unconvincing lead. Just as a tease to raise even more hype.