Pro-cycling thread

Looked like the camera bikes were far too close in the last few km giving a huge advantage to Stannard when EQS made him do all the work with 2.8km to go. The camera bike was practically towing him along.

Surely it's not wheelsuck if a) It's 3 vs 1 (and up to the 3 to drop the 1) and b) He's English (and honourable/full of integrity etc)?

Wheel sucking to some, great tactical riding to others. I said earlier in the thread that at least he didn't have to do any work. The threat of Vanmarcke charging hard behind meant EQS had to ride hard, Stannard just ride their train.

But he still had to win. So coolly he responded to Boonen's attack at 4.6k, he didn't even get out the saddle. Weird that Vandenburgh covered Terpstra's attack, made it easy for Stannard to follow.

I think we're in agreement.

Failures on QS's part shouldn't detract from how absolutely mental a ride that was from Stannard.

@fussballclub ... Valverde comparisons are also mental. Although he is balding.

wheel sucking is allowed by the guy that offers his back wheel. not an issue ever.

Etixx made many mistakes and paid for it dearly. Lefevere made a fool of himself in the interview just now, not even admitting they played it all wrong

What did he say? I saw the interview on the stream but couldn't understand because it was in forrin, but I got the impression he was being critical of Stannard.

ah yes you're a forrin Jimmy so of course you don't understand the language of the spring classics ;-)

but no, not at all critical of Stannard, he was saying that he should never be underestimated, a very strong rider. of course.

he just made a fool of himself not admitting they should have finished this off, blaming the wind, the proximity of the chasers and whatever else he could think of except their own decisions in the final. Vandenbergh chasing Terpstra. Terpstra taking the front in the last few hundred meters.

then again, this was a no radio race. then again, three to one, with Boonen who is a stronger sprinter than Stannard. I don't think the ds will enjoy a good night's sleep

That move from Vandenbergh was madness. He had Stannard boxed in, so there was no way he could react immediately, but then for reasons that are beyond me, Vandenbergh chased his own teammate down, with Stannard on his wheel. WTF? He might be as strong as an ox, but he's got the tactical savvy of a 5 year old.

Boonen attack 20 seconds before having to scrub all his speed for a massive corner?

Stannard attack was barely an attack just rolled through and put Vandenbergh and Boonen in a box

I wish did understand the language of the spring classics, no better races in the world methinks, especially on today's evidence. Thanks for clearing that up.

I didn't think Stannard had a chance today, I thought the conditions were too good for him, not freezing cold and pissing with rain. But if he wasn't considered a proper classics rider before, he must be now. When he won last year I think we were talking about him as someone with a very strong engine but perhaps without the weapons needed to force selections and win a race, but the way he put the hurt on EQS, and 3 of the best classics riders in the world, wow just wow.

He may not be as dreamy as Petey K, but I love him nonetheless.

he's only 27

considering Van Moorsel did it on a non-aero bike, apparently that's a very tough record to beat

Er? Surely that makes it easier to beat than if she had done it on an aero bike and, presumably, gone faster?

A point made either on PdC or Inrng was that riders who are in top form for Omloop are not necessarily the riders who are the top boys in the Ronde and Roubaix who are still that much further from peaking. That said I agree that if he wasn't after last year (and after that long range attack in MSR) he's surely considered a big danger in all the spring races.

In pr he'll be tasked with working for wiggins, no?

I'd have thought Sky's best approach would be to have 2 or 3 protected riders (probably Wiggins, Thomas and Stannard) then ride an aggressive race and get those three in the moves. They certainly rode an aggressive race today and that, ultimately, worked for them.

Vandenbergh chasing Terpstra.

That was double crazy. Not only did it give a wheel to Stannard but it left a recovering Boonan useless.

Ian – "Quick-Step took me to the end and I only had to race the last 4km (laughs)!”

http://www.teamsky.com/teamsky/home%20carousel/article/26899#RySruLTz4OP8wBul.97

Top, top derping

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lefevere-laments-stannards-tactics-in-omloop-het-nieuwsblad
@peter_v were you being generous in your translation? watching it in forrin I got the feeling he was moaning about Stannard wheel sucking, now it seems he thought that. I said at the time, he didn't have to do any work, Vanmarcke and GVA would hurt Etixx's chances more than his, given the 3 on 1 advantage they had. That was why they raced so hard despite G2 having Stybar there. They were a lot more scared of Vanmarcke than Stannard, and clearly Boonen/VDB were marking Terpstra too. They won't underestimate Stannard again. Lefevre needs to look within, here's hoping Cav delivers the win tomorrow

It's ridiculous to even think of Stannard being a wheelsucker when he was in a 3 on 1 situation, to do a turn would be sheer stupidity. Bike races are won by the first rider over the line, not by the nicest guy.

Stannard has great hair!

I didn't see Leferve complaining after K-B-K last year where Boonen sat on for 50 kms before winning the sprint.

Look at short arse 6'1"Niki T

If Stannard were an EQS-rider and the others were Sky, Lefevere would say that Stannard was a tactical genius. He would probably even say that when there are 3 teammates in an escape of 4, the loner shouldn't do any work. Lefevere is just a child that can't admit he or his team failed. Here in Belgium his face is on tv practically every day from march 1st till the closing-race mid october and for the last 15+ years, I haven't seen him admitting even one error.

Tactically brilliant. Strong like Ox Etrixx (team). Nice dude.

Stannard has great hair!

I wouldn't go that far.

There's a reason I call myself The Bald.....