Pro-cycling thread

For such an unpredictable race the top 10 was surprisingly predictable! Most of the favourites there.

Glad he did that. Glad Eurosport showed it on reply. Gutted for Dillier, but that is way better that running out of gas and being caught by a peloton sprinting in the last.

Phinney 8th. There’s hope for him again.

Such a great finish, from dirt tracks to the velodrome and that ironic last lap bell

That was great

Good to see him in a top ten, keen to hear an interview and hear him stoned out of his face saying it was fun or something.

Bolts are done up at the factory...

Pretty sure the fact their bike won means they're getting proper fucked up now.

Oh well if it's Zipp stuff then it's probably due a factory recall soon...

I thought the opposite given Dilly's arms poking out..

Was impressed how close it was though.

https://twitter.com/firsthippy/status/982938110018441217

Dilly seemed to play right to Sagan’s advantage there by going in front in the velodrome.. I know he was probably fucked after 200km off the front, but if he played it better tactically is there any way he could’ve won that? Was rooting for him to pull a Hayman.

I know what you mean, and it was not unlike when Sep led Canc into the velodrome in 2013, head scrambled, and already resigned to losing the sprint.

Today, from quite a long way out, I think they maybe both thought Sagan would win, no matter what. If Dillier stopped taking turns inside the last 10km, Sagan would've dropped him, no problem, and Silvan would possibly have been caught by the others. A great ride, but he isn't ever winning a sprint against the world champ.

Tom who?

Amazing. : )

I can’t help but think if he stopped fucking about he could win PR

You are aware he had an injury that probably would have ended most riders careers? To come back to the level he has is amazing.

Even before. Always get the feeling it’s never top priority.

He's in Tenerife at the moment.

#rep

What a day. He maybe won't win it 4 times, but answered Boonen with his legs.

He seemed to enjoy the high speed bumping around and cutting corners in the last real cobble sector, and Dillier was amazingly able to remain glued to his wheel. Would like to see that bit again!

Would like to see that bit again!

Lots of clips posted in here

Fucking hell, just saw the Goolaerts stuff. Sounds horrific...

This remains the most extraordinary race of the year, I admit to napping between 66k and about 58k but my god what race it became just then. The Arenburg Trench remains the most spine-tingling approach in pro-cycling, and every signalled the start of the race proper.

Luck. So much of this race is sheer fortune. Sagan sayin post race this is the first P-R he didn’t crash in or flat. And that he felt less tired winning it than he had losing it. Bora ride extremely well, amazed BMC let Oss go. Wonder where Rowe might have finished if it wasn’t for the crash.

Fingers crossed for Goolaerts. Hope and love to him.

Tanguy Turgis 19 yo = youngest finisher for 50 years

I just saw an interview with the Bora manager that said Sagan’s move was totally premeditated and planned during the week. Amazing to pull it off.

It's a good distance to go, as both Boonen and Cancellara have proven previously, as no-one thinks you're going to win by going it alone that far out.

Still, it's easy to plan it, quite another thing to execute it.

Yep. I think he tried the same last year, but punctures meant it didn’t work out.

Also, Stannard was DNF. What is going on there?