WCroadie

The best of the 1 days races IMO, who's excited for this race besides me? A bunch of guys on good form right now, who you think will take the Victory?

Hard to argue against GVA but I don't think he will win. Sagan, Kwiato, Kristoff, Dege it's gonna be some good racing. I hope Sagan takes the W but I think he will be marked and people will wheel suck, just like they did Fabian when he was dominating.

Cptimagine

If Quick Step doesn't win this one . I predict the end of their era . They've left arrows in the quiver all year so far . That said, Sagan is my favorite for this one . I'd love to see GVA, Kwiat, and Sagan drop the entire group, then that 3 fight it out .

WCroadie

I agree about QS, and in another post someone mentioned there sponsorship runs out this year. Yeah that would be a great finale. Unlike Roubaix where ****ty tactics can determine winner, Flanders usually is a true hardman/power rider who wins.

Cptimagine

Lefe've're has known since last year, QuickSteps money was out after this year . QS is winning stages elsewhere this year . They've always done stage races, but they've been known as a "classics" team since MG-GB, Mapei, through the current team name, under his direction . Maybe he's looking for a stage race team sponsor ? It doesn't make any sense to not hunt for podium spots in the one day races .


Roubaix is my favorite race and last years outcome should be all Lefe've're needs to put men in the break .

PepeM

Kwiatkowski won't be there.

cthenn

I assume no US TV coverage?

WCroadie

Ah too bad

Nope, just youtube it later in the day but be careful you can spoil it for yourself. There are several youtube channels that show highlights of the full race, again just be careful of spoiling it.

cthenn

^^^I know...half the Youtube videos are 'WATCH AS SAGAN ESCAPES TO WIN!". Gee thanks.

WCroadie

Lol yeah. I won't be able to watch the race live as I will be out most of the day sunday, I use cyclingtorrents.nl but I don't think they are taking new members. I'll have to warn my friends no txts about the race as well as I really don't want to know who wins before i watch.

cthenn

EDIT for SPOLIERS BELOW:
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Wow Gilbert. This is one of those performances you just bury your head in the sand and just watch the spectacle. Guy's been trash for the past few years, then in 2017 he's destroying Flanders solo for 50km. He was a top pro for several years, what...all of a sudden he forgot how to train, then this year he re-remembers? Cycling is LOL! Congrats to him though, he was an Ardennes guy, now he has a "real" monument.

Too bad about Sagan, but it was his own fault. Don't ride in the gutter and you won't hook a barrier...wouldn't have mattered though.

Marcus_Ti

Whew. Now that was a race.

Zef

What an exciting and beautiful day on the Kwaremont. I had a great spot along the barriers just past the summit. Can't believe Gilbert was able to stay away for so long and win, absolutely incredible. Too bad Sagan went down on the pavé, hope he will be in form to ride Paris-Roubaix next week....Boonen is my favorite for Roubaix...hopefully the weather here will hold out...need to figure out where I will watch the race from.

-j

seedsbelize 

I watched the last 72 km on youtube, early this afternoon. Can I expect this kind of coverage from the Giro as well?

WCroadie

Man I am so jealous. Enjoy next week! Post some pics.
Yes, most races are available on youtube shortly after.

I was out all day yesterday and got home about 5:30pm, downloaded the Eurosport coverage(sporza) from cyclingtorrents as soon as it became available. What a performance by Gilbert, unreal. And yeah too bad for Sagan and GVA but that stuff happens when you are that close to the barriers.

Gyro

Where did you find it? Didn't come up with it searching on youtube?

dstrong 

Fan's jacket caused Sagan's crash

That's a shame...the video shows it clearly.

Marcus_Ti

The slow mo to me says he hit the barrier. Jacket only moved because of the wind draft but doesn't look like it grabbed Sagan or his bike.

Slomo spectator footage of the Peter Sagan crash reveals spectator interference (2017/tour-of-flanders)


Of course, Sagan also chose to ride the gutter not the road....and he himself admitted fault IIRC.

dstrong 

I see it differently...his handlebar turns as it's dragging the jacket and then the jacket comes off but the damage was already done. Not as obvious as the Armstrong musette incident...and definitely an innocent enough accident...it's not like the fan was waving the jacket...I would never have thought it would be a danger to hang my jacket there.

bikecrate

That's what I saw too. The jacket got him. However, he was really far over near the barriers. I wonder if he's gotten a little overconfident in his bike handling abilities and now he's taking bigger risk.

Marcus_Ti

All day on that race whenever there was a cobbled section, everyone was riding the gutters and barriers. It isn't just Sagan being cocky in this instance. It just bit all 3 of those guys.


Which is funny in light of all the attempts in recent times to add some suspension to roadbikes (rear shock a la Sky a few years ago, or this year's front shock on Specialized's Quickstep bikes)....because those new suspension bits never catch on-and the riders are always trying to not ride the cobbles first, rather than demonstrate the effectiveness of the ginchy new tech.

WCroadie

Yup, it's what they do, they ride the gutter to avoid the cobbles, been doing it for years, sometimes it goes wrong, too bad but it happens. It's not the fan's fault.

work4bike

I didn't notice this post and posted this in another thread, so I'll re-post here:

BTW, if the jacket actually caught Sagan, then I do think the fan has some culpability here, but emphasis on some...I know if it was my jacket, I'd be feeling super guilty and all around like total sh*t.

https://www.bikeforums.net/19490475-post2.html

Copied Post:

He may have dodged a dog and its walker, but he wasn't able to dodge this jacket

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqwU...g#t=112.123487

Video: Was Sagan's Tour of Flanders Crash Caused by a Loose Jacket? | Bicycling


Some were initially speculating that Sagan hit the barrier and that the jacket was just incidental in the accident, but now some are saying maybe not...

Regardless, you know human nature and many will blame the owner of the jacket just because it was there...So the question is: Do you go reclaim your jacket?

I think the obvious question is a resounding, NO. But what if you just came from the bank and had $10,000 in the vest pocket...