Tommy loves the Taaienberg foto:Sporza.be
The real Velominati VSP will not begin until La Primavera. Het Volk will be a one-off warm up for the big show, no points, just some bragging rights and a V-musette. All that time wasted watching “racing” in Qatar and Oman (sorry @ChrisO) will not be in vain. Every contender for Het Volk can still find some middle eastern wind driven sand in his shoes and all the riders who want to win the Ronde will be in Gent. Those who get shelled off the hellingen too soon will know they have their work cut out for them to make the Ronde start.
This race starts and ends in Ghent; 198 km of cold, wind, rain, climbs and cobbles. The weather may not suck for this Saturday but that’s OK, the wind and rain is being banked for Paris-Roubaix. A start list is here.
With equal doses of cobbles and climbs, Het Volk is the opening of the season for us who love the Spring Classics. Up until ten years ago, Belgians won this race, almost exclusively. Ten years ago no one was racing in Dubai as preparation. The Belgians were out there, in Belgium, armed with embrocation and the big ring, killing themselves all winter to come out strong when the bell was rung. The bell will be rung on Saturday, round one.
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Are people still doing Downfall pastiches? Ettix team debrief seems like a worthy topic.
@@blackpooltower
Hitler would get very angry if he knew you were even asking.
Good idea though, I'd watch it. Patrick LeFuhrer in the Quickstep bunker.
Wow... someone earlier posted, >>> don't underestimate Stannard <<< You all see Tommeke riding Stannard's wheel, having a snack, a drink and scratching his beard in a cool cat kinda way right before he hit it? When he attacked he had to be thinking, I'm gone, see ya... So he's reeled in and Terpstra goes and when Vandenbergh followed he had to be thinking that no way Stannard was gonna latch on and the two of 'em would be riding off. Then Terpstra riding Stannard's wheel at the end jumps way to early probably thinking he was simply gonna ride around and by him... Wow! Stannard was underestimated big time. And with the Quickstep director whining about Stannard not taking pulls? Well wtf ??? Three on one ??? Much respect for Mr. Stannard. Strong.
Sure seems like Lefevre does a whole lot of whining whenever one of his boys doesn't win when they're supposed to. I understand he's got to back his riders, but it's always someone else's fault.
Stannard had absolutely no reason to do any work at the end. Name me one guy who would have in that situation. The EQS boys simply got beat by a guy who rode a smarter race. End of.
I watched the end of this last night, I nearly spit soda all over my computer when I saw what happened.
I am still shaking my head, wtf was that!
Also, diggin the 4th place finish, but why can't I score a result like that when it counts?!
@Roger
+1 on this response
So Cav saves the weekend for Quickstep.
And a British double to open the season. Good omen for Wiggo I hope.
Cav praising his team after the race (though in the chaos, that sprint was all him- his instinct to latch on Kristoff at the right moment was superb) except for the DS, who he says didn't think he could win it. Strife in the EQS camp?