Pro-cycling thread

some good motorpacing from the bikes here

JuJu would be a worthy World Champ

#ruleofsix for the finish

No way!

Surely that's Valverde or or Moscon or someone who actually deserves that title?

I'm a big fan of Alaphilippe.

Ditto, he is an entertainer

The chase group are about to gift it to Alan Phillips.

track limits

big hat to alan phillips

Well deserved, particuarly given his palamares over the last few years

Such panache

Most satisfactory.

Think Hirschi has just won me £3.40.

Morocco and Rwanda kits are nice

Relief to see sensible sunglasses win

he uses compact drops?!

does this race really need to be 260k? glad Alan Philips won. i for one am not sick of him. fucking love a bit of petulance and aggression on show.

Forza Alan Phillips, tasty win there.

Last person to podium both men’s races seems to have been Miguel Indurain.

Perfect punch at the perfect time

Got to think that win was for his dad.

I think it does need to be super long distance .... the best riders do always end up in mix - thought the course was good , and actually quite pleased Alaphilipe won ... had his team attack from sixty odd kilometres out ... then attacked again himself at just the right time .... sometimes it works - sometimes it doesn't , so well done .... and I think he will show the world champions shirt off well for the rest of this season and next ....

Great course, makes me want to go to the region. 260k is bloody long though.

Particuarly impressive it was put together in a couple of weeks.

All of Belgium pissed off at Roglic now

He’ll be a worthy wearer of the jersey for sure. The French could barely love him any more as it is.

On course length - I think it needs to be a long race. That’s what makes Flanders stand out over all the other races in that region. I think the circuit format is dull and it makes the viewing experience predictable but I understand why it exists for the worlds.

Where is it next year?

Kwiatkowski, not far off, capable of doing the same kind of attacks as Alan Philips, just not quite got the killer decisive instinct/top end from being super domestique?

Alaphillipe is unquestionably the punchy climb king though.