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Ronde van Vlaanderen

Sunday, April 7th

According to Cycling in Flanders a Flandrien, more than merely someone from Flanders, “is a cyclist with an unprecedented attack instinct; a cyclist who rides through all weather types, never hangs his head”.

And that is exactly what it needs on Sunday. To win the big one. The second monument of the season. The Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara were the most recent archetypes of those riders, fulfilling all needs it took to dominate the race over a decade. But with their retirement, the Ronde has developed into a very open race over the past years. And so will it be this time.

With Nico Terpstra, Philippe Gilbert, Peter Sagan, Alexander Kristoff and Stijn Devolder five former winners will be at the start on Sunday, but this doesn't mean that anyone of them could be named as a clear favorite. Also because a new generation of classics specialists has emerged over the year.

Aged 33, Zdeněk Štybar can harly be called a newcomer anymore of course, but - believe it or not - it took him until the 2019 opening weekend, before he won the first cobbled classic of his career: The Omloop het Nieuwsblad.

One day after, it was his Deceuninck - Quick Step teammate Bob Jungels who took over, strong as bull, with a long solo attack - seven years after his last victory on the cobbles, which was the 2012 Paris - Roubaix Espoir race, where he destroyed the competition and won by almost three minutes. The biggest margin in recent history.

Over the years, the Luxembourgian had developed into more of a stage racer, but quickly was able to fill the gap left by Niki Terpstra heading to France, as not only his results over the season indicate, but especially the way they were achieved.

After another win for Stybar in E3 Harelbeke and a reminder of Alexander Kristoff please not to be forgotten in Gent Wevelgem, it was then time for Mathieu van der Poel to shine in Dwars door Vlaanderen.

Statistically the reigning cyclo-cross World Champion wins a race every five days, Het Nieuwsblad calculated:

So his opponents will be happy to see, that there are only four days time between Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Ronde this Sunday...

There are riders in the race who surely won't rely on statistics to try to win the Ronde though, like the Belgians Greg van Avermaet, Would van Aert, Thies Benoot and Oliver Naesen, who have all indicated magificent shape over the season (although the latter was just recently struck by illness). And as Mads Pedersen last year has showed, also outsiders definitely stand a chance to fight for the win when the race heads into Oudenaarde...

[Mellow Velo]

Tour of Flanders 2019 odds (Winner – Oddschecker)

Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 13/2
Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 8/1
Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo Visma 8/1
Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team 15/2
Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus 11/1
Bob Jungels (Lux) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 12/1
Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale 16/1
Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 20/1
Niki Terpstra (Ned) Direct Energie 25/1
Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick-Step 25/1

[clemlefebvre]

Hi!!

Do you know what are the teams hotels for the Ronde please?

[t-72]

Tour of Flanders 2019 odds (Winner – Oddschecker)
(List of riders not being Kristoff)

Does this mean Aleksander Kristoff is an outsider? What´s the odds? I might turn a gambler for this 

[Mellow Velo]

Does this mean Aleksander Kristoff is an outsider? What´s the odds? I might turn a gambler for this 

.............errr.....................28/1.....I think. If you do turn gambler, a lot have him at 33/1.

https://www.oddschecker.com/cycling/tour-of-flanders/winner

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I like Aert van Wout

[Mellow Velo]

I like Aert van Wout

Short odds to make the podium.

https://www.oddschecker.com/cycling/tour-of-flanders/top-3-finish

Unfortunately for him, I have him in my CQ Spring classics squad, so I'm afraid he's doomed to failure.

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oh, I mainly liked the way it was spelled, not sure if there's much value

[Drummer Boy]

Looks like a bit of rain in the forecast for Sunday! 

   

[AG]

Looks like a bit of rain in the forecast for Sunday! 

   

wish I could like that more than once !!!!!

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a little Twitter story about Naesen's bronchitis, and the claim (or was it a joke anway?) that it was caused by the champagne-shower on the podium. (Jarrad Van Zuydam is team doctor at UAE Emirates by the way)

https://twitter.com/JarradVZ/status/1114209511416446976
https://twitter.com/JarradVZ/status/1114211391844569088
https://twitter.com/JarradVZ/status/1114212957423009793

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Vanmarcke will be around

https://twitter.com/EFprocycling/status/1114215032961884160

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more favorites than ever before, Het Nieuwsblad says...



and here are their star ratings:

Stybar
van Aert, Jungels
van Avermaet, Sagan, van der Poel
Benoot, Naesen, Terpstra, Gilbert
Mohoric, Lampaert, Valverde, Pedersen, Trentin

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Dina Zandegu was the last debutant to win the Ronde by the way. 52 years ago. Not exactly a good omen for guys like van der Poel, Wellens or Jungels.

But Jungels is still the favorite to win though, Wellens says. As does Tom Boonen.

And talking about road knowledge:

“Positioning is everything at Flanders,” Haussler said. “I’m not saying if you’re in bad form you can win the race, but by knowing the course, positioning yourself perfectly, and knowing where to ride hard, you can go really deep in Flanders without spending massive energy. Knowing the course is a massive, massive advantage.”

[...]

“It’s like with [Mohoric] — Harelbeke was his first race, and he knows nothing,” Haussler said. “When the guys were attacking, he was asking, do I need to go now? Yeah, man, if you can go, f—king go!

“You have such a massive advantage when you know the course,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of recon, and we even did the last 100km in the car, just so he knows what will be coming up on Sunday. That knowledge is super important, and it will make his life so much easier.”

https://www.velonews.com/2019/04/news/haussler-flanders-is-an-elimination-race_492083

flipping go!

[Drummer Boy]

and here are their star ratings:

Stybar
van Aert, Jungels
van Avermaet, Sagan, van der Poel
Benoot, Naesen, Terpstra, Gilbert
Mohoric, Lampaert, Valverde, Pedersen, Trentin

So, of those, there were three past winners: Terpstra, Gilbert and Sagan.

Stybar has placed Top 10 three times, with 8th, 9th and 10th place finishes.
Van Aert one Top 10 (last year). Jungels none.
Van Avermaet has seven Top 10 finishes, three of which were podium positions.
Van der Poel none.
Benoot has two Top 10 finishes. Naesen none.
  Mohoric, Lampaert, Valverde, Trentin - none. Pedersen 2nd place last year.

[t-72]

Historical performance highlights a few riders that aren´t discussed very much, Terpstra and Kristoff with van Avermaet on top of the list. 

https://twitter.com/velofacts/status/1114593691786711047

[Leadbelly]

I'm looking forward to see how Wellens gets on - as the King of Eneco he should do pretty well. It's a shame he's decided to focus on the Ardennes and only take part in Omloop and RVV. If I was him I'd be tempted to straddle both worlds (not PR obviously and I'd leave FW to Jelle).

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Does this mean Aleksander Kristoff is an outsider? What´s the odds? I might turn a gambler for this 

from today's l'Équipe: "The weather is announced to be dry and windy, which according to Gilbert could result in a race more «groupé». A windfall for the sprinters like Matteo Trentin, John Degenkolb or Alexander Kristoff. Although we can't see how the Norwegian, winner of Gent Wevelgem from last Sunday, now resembling a build similar to Donkey Kong's is supposed to survive the last passage of the Paternberg."



Here are their stars:

/
Stybar, Sagan
van Avermaet, Terpstra
Gilbert, van Aert, van der Poel, Trentin, Jungels
Stuyven, Naesen, Lampaert, Kristoff, Rowe

[t-72]

from today's l'Équipe: "The weather is announced to be dry and windy, which according to Gilbert could result in a race more «groupé». A windfall for the sprinters like Matteo Trentin, John Degenkolb or Alexander Kristoff. Although we can't see how the Norwegian, winner of Gent Wevelgem from last Sunday, now resembling a build similar to Donkey Kong's is supposed to survive the last passage of the Paternberg."[/i

They blasted Kristoff for looking like Donkeyboy Kong, and then proceeded to give him one star more than most other sources that you have posted? Looks like they don´t put their money where their mouth is.

Second note, «since it is a sunny day, it will be nice for the sprinters?» (and grouping Kristoff among those): I think most that have followed cycling for some time would agree that 1) Kristoff is at an advantage in ugly weather conditions 2) if you have won the Ronde from a 2-man group you are more than a sprinter.

Personally I think there are so many that can win this year, it will be a very tactical race and the one who gets away from a very controlling main contenders group could be a less well known rider like Stijn Devolder, but maybe not him

[Flo]

Amazing Bettiol

I got so excited that I posted this in the wrong thread at first

[Servais Knavendish]

Watched a lot of the race today and enjoyed it up to the last 10k... so frustrating, Bettiol did OK - but the group just left him to it... can't understand why yet again the cat and mouse game was played out allowing a rider that should have been swallowed up to claim the prize.   

MVDP heroic...

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I think Bettiol was just the strongest today. He attacked at the hardest point of the race, and no one could follow. Sure there would have been a chance to bring him back with a better cooperation in the group, but he definitely is a worthy winner - can't see much frustrating about it, in contrary

[Flo]

I think Bettiol was just the strongest today. He attacked at the hardest point of the race, and no one could follow. Sure there would have been a chance to bring him back with a better cooperation in the group, but he definitely is a worthy winner - can't see much frustrating about it, in contrary

I agree. Even before he attacked, on the Kruisberg (I think) he looked super strong closing gaps. Then his attack on Kwaremont came, and he just sprinted away from everyone. Sure, he would have been caught had the cooperation in the chasing group been better, but the same could be said about Terpstra last year or actually many of the solo winners in the spring classics and no one complains about their wins. I don't think anyone can deny Bettiol was one of, if not the strongest today. I'd say he was the strongest together with Van der Poel.

[just some guy]

He was the strongest attacked at the right time etc but now we have to deal with JV

[Leadbelly]

In just over a year Kasper Asgreen has gone from 18th in the Tour de Normandie to 2nd in RVV.

The rest of Deceuninck just ran out of gas. Even they are human and can't keep a peak going week after week. Can they recover for PR?

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no idea, but let's hope they'll try to light up the Scheldeprijs to begin with

[rote_laterne]

I couldn't give the race my full attention but I did enjoy it. I agree Bettiol was strong and a deserved winner. But as he was no Deceuninck boy you could expect a better cooperation from the favorites behind.
MvdP was impressive as was second place Asgreen. Nice to see Vanmarcke attack too.

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absolutely, great to see Vanmarcke improving that quickly again, maybe right in time for Roubaix even. Also Naesen's bronchitis didn't seem to be too much of an issue in the end.

How the whole crew of three commentators on German Eurosport (well, two + "expert" Jens Voigt) managed to miss Vanmarcke's injury is beyond me though. I mean, there can't have been much else in (Belgian) press over the past week, and those idiots ended up speculating about a potential age decline as the reason for getting dropped by van Baarle instead

[t-72]

..... the last 10k... so frustrating, Bettiol did OK - but the group just left him to it... can't understand why yet again the cat and mouse game was played out allowing a rider that should have been swallowed up to claim the prize.   

Personally I think there are so many that can win this year, it will be a very tactical race and the one who gets away from a very controlling main contenders group could be a less well known rider like Stijn Devolder, but maybe not him

Alberto Bettiol and #quikcstep Kasper Asgreen both fit my "less well known rider" description, in fact it is quite remarkable that a rider without a pro victory wins a monument. It hasn't happened...since Oliver Zaugg did it? As for the Danish dude in 2nd they had a new actor for the same role and it was a little variation on the theme there.


Kristoff like Bettiol and Asgreen didn't feature on many lists before the race, but with his Gent-Wevelgem victory there were a few that suddenly remembered he is almost always in the favories group in long races, and often the rider in the group with the best sprint after >250 km. There were more strong riders with a good sprint (although Sagan looked a bit out of shape today) but I think the main reason for poor cooperation in the chase group was that no-one wanted to bring Kristoff with them to the sprint, and Kristoff was strong enough to follow many attacks in person while he let others in the group fix other attacks. It was a predicted stalemate and it was predicted that one rider would get away....and everyone predicted that Kristoff would win a group sprint in the end.

A few tactical twists in the final was how Jungels let Asgreen just sliide away in front when he was in 2nd position. Without Jungels, Asgreen wouldn't have been able to get away. It had almost the same effet as Gaviria going into sprinter position behind Kristoff in Gent-Wevelgem only to let go after making sure Viviani couldn't follow. This time, #quickestep played that card roght back at Kristoff, except before the sprint.

Second thing I noticed was Sebastian Langeveld leading out the sprint with no care for nothing (he sure could see Bettiol winning from there) and only other team's riders on his tail. Is it possible he did it just to make the group put on a show before the audience? (Is Langeveld a local lad?)

Anyway, great race as usual and there was no doubt Bettiol was a worthy winner. The only person I heard that got that right was Thor Hushovd, who picked Bettiol as his favorite to win today, because he had noticed that Bettiol had always been the fastest up the hills in Vlaanderen so far this winter/spring.

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Anyway, great race as usual and there was no doubt Bettiol was a worthy winner. The only person I heard that got that right was Thor Hushovd, who picked Bettiol as his favorite to win today, because he had noticed that Bettiol had always been the fastest up the hills in Vlaanderen so far this winter/spring.

I think everyone who saw E3 - where he arrived unprepared the afternoon before, without any (racing) kilometers on the cobbles for a year - was aware of his strength. Personally I just didn't expect him to be clever and/or experienced enough to really win the Ronde yet.

As I mentioned in the racechat, if you have an eye on him during the race, it always looks like he is doing a thousand sprints over the day. Always closing holes, sprinting back to the front. But by the look of it, today he was strong enough to afford wasting a bit of energy for that.