2023 Classics

[eth-dog]

Pog has crashed and has abandoned. No more Ardennes treble.
Let's hope he didn't break anything.

If it's a collarbone then he'll struggle to be fully fit for Le Tour

 

[largebus]

If it's a collarbone then he'll struggle to be fully fit for Le Tour

Team said he's getting scans on his wrist, he should be OK for tdf

 

[99 Problems]

As amazing as Remco, Pog, MVDP and Wout are, these races can be a bit anticlimactic when there aren’t at least two of them going at it. As soon as Pog abandoned today it almost felt like the race was over. They’re just too good at the moment.

 

[eth-dog]

As amazing as Remco, Pog, MVDP and Wout are, these races can be a bit anticlimactic when there aren’t at least two of them going at it. As soon as Pog abandoned today it almost felt like the race was over. They’re just too good at the moment.

Felt that way too.

 

[eth-dog]

So it's Spanish classics time now before the start of the WC. The Prueba Villafranca tomorrow night (Healy, Bling, Hirschi the favourites), San Sebastian a few days later (Remco there) and Circuito de Getxo on Sunday but only 4 WT teams are riding that one.

Of course you have Il Lombardia at the end of the year too

 

[eth-dog]

Mads wins again. Gun.

 

[eth-dog]

So, who does everyone have for Il Lombardia? Not that we get it on FTA. I think Pogacar will beat Remco, he'll be better rested due to not riding La Vuelta.

 

[eth-dog]

So, tonight we have Il Lombardia. Only available on GCN. The favourites:

Pogacar going for B2B2B and his sixth monument. Will be the warm favourite
Evenepoel looking for his first Lombardia and third monument (2x LBL)
Roglic looking for his second monument (LBL) and first ever podium in Lombardia.

Apart from those three you have:

Carapaz making his Lombardia debut
Adam Yates as the back up for Pogi for UAE
Enric Mas who finished second last year
Jai Hindley cos I have to get an Aussie in there as well

Honestly can't see anyone beating the top 3. Really the top 2, Rogla isn't really a classics rider and he's had the biggest program of the three (63 race days compared to 60 for Remco and 49 for Pogi).

 

[eth-dog]

Ben Healy looks really good

 

[eth-dog]

Honestly terrible racing from the chasing group, especially Roglic.

Letting him go on the descent then not working together at all on the flat.

 

[99 Problems]

Don’t think it would’ve made much difference if they did work together. None of them had the legs after trying to stay with him on the climb except maybe Adam Yates. Think they were pretty content to ride for a podium.

He’s such a force and personally think he’s comfortably the best cyclist in the world. The variety of the races he wins and how we wins them is insane.

 

[eth-dog]

Don’t think it would’ve made much difference if they did work together. None of them had the legs after trying to stay with him on the climb except maybe Adam Yates. Think they were pretty content to ride for a podium.

He’s such a force and personally think he’s comfortably the best cyclist in the world. The variety of the races he wins and how we wins them is insane.

But letting him go off the front in the first place was crazy.

He's brilliant but he won off the back of of tactical ineptitude from the rest more than individual brilliance tonight. They simply gave him an opening and he said "Thank you!"

 

[Orange Agent]

Liked the race, teams ramped it up pretty early. Pogi attacking a descent would of surprised quite a few and he chose the moment with Roglic on his wheel, who is a truck when it comes to hairpins. But he still put time into them after that and with the composition of the G2 bunch there was a few that dislike working and some bad legs. Roglic looked off, well before the finish. After Remco's crash I really think SQS starting hard pacing so early was a big mistake, one of the few races where UAE were not required to do much at all.

 

[yaco55]

The ineptitude was no rider was smart enough to get on Pog's wheel and have a chance for victory.