Pro-cycling thread

I don’t think he was motivated to at that point - terpy stole his move and he was pissed about it

You're comparing apples with oranges. Nibali is one of the best at 20-60 minute efforts in the high mountains, not 2 or 3 minute efforts on steep, cobbled surfaces rising no more than 150 metres above sea level.

This was his first Ronde, it was Terpstra's tenth. Knowing where to be on the approach to each climb takes years of experience so Nibali will almost certainly have wasted effort earlier in making up for poor positioning. I think it's astonishing that he was still at the sharp end in the final 30 kms, it shows what a talented racer he is.

Added: And you are right on QS' tactics, if they had pulled Terpstra back, one of the others would've gone.

Can we just admire Wout again. First ever ronde and following Sagan . He’s going to win a lot. I hope. Incredible.

I was completely wrong on him, I knew he had immense talent but I couldn't see how he could finish a full CX season, recover and build up his endurance enough to be at the sharp end of monuments. Amazing rider, definitely one of the stars of the future.

We should also talk about Mads Pedersen, that was his debut Ronde too. The way he held off that chase behind, which contained most of the best cobbled classics riders of this era, was astounding. It looked like he was going to get caught for ages, but somehow he had enough left to keep that big gear turning and hold on too second. Astounding. If memory serves, he was the rider who beat @taogeogheganhart at the junior Paris-Roubaix in 2013? Tao was third.

If memory serves, he was the rider who beat @taogeogheganhart at the junior Paris-Roubaix in 2013? Tao was third.

Yes - Van Hooydonck sat on Pedersen and Tao and let them do all the work but ended up second behind Pedersen.

Makes that third all the more impressive really.

Also good hair.

Yeah mads clearly has an incredible engine and the grit needed. 22 isn’t he. One hell of a performance.

Some big talent coming though, going to shake things up.

I wonder if Van Aert will still race cx next winter? He’s under contract for another year, and is the reigning world champion, but he’s won pretty much everything there is to win and has nothing left to prove.

He also needs to win stuff on the road before Matthieu Van Der Poel joins him and starts cleaning up. 😉

Better to quit while ahead no?

Definitely. Was probably more concerned about Mads kept his second than Terps winning. Great ride.

Pedersen demonstrated amazing willpower. Superb ride.

When will Tao start to be put into a race like this? Next year or still later?

Excellent internetting; both race winning solo attacks launched on same bit of road

Which is also the same place Terpstra attacked in 2015

When the Pot Belge kicks in...

Could be wrong, but I don’t think Tao will ever ride cobbled classics. He’s a domestique for week long stage races and hillier classics, with aspirations to develop into a leader for those events.

Surely Wout Van Aert will go to Quickstep next year? Replacing Stybar wouldn’t be a bad thing.

great ride from nibbles. can't believe he was still at the pointy end in the final 30k

Why would you replace Stybar?

Because he’s on a higher salary than his results merit?

Not a fan of Rowe’s DQ. He gained no advantage from it and ended up there to avoid a crash. If you DQ riders for avoiding crashing by going onto the pavement you may increase the frequency crashing, with riders choosing more dangerous lines to avoid the DQ.

Tao has podiumed Junior Paris-Roubaix no?

Sagan bunny-hopped on and off the pavement near the same spot, and gained a few places.

Yes - but I think that reflected the type of racing he grew up with rather than what he is most naturally suited to. He went over and did kermesse racing from a young age (14 or so), so I think he was used to fighting for position on bad surfaces. I guess he is tactically very aware and is a badass racer, but physically more suited to stage racing.

Edit - last year he rode the Ardennes classics, and i guess he may this year as he is at País Vasco probably to tune up.

Kirby called Terpstra ‘Nikki Pederson’ just before the finish.

I think if you sign for Sky you are probably targeting stage racing not one day racing.

He did. Cringe a minute with Kirby. Why Eurosport will hire him....