Wez-O Posted April 1, 2014 Share Rain is forecasted for Tour of Flanders. :-OAttacks over through the mud and over the cobblestones... Looking forward to it! BTW. I assume Supersport are once again not showing this great race? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Dale Posted April 1, 2014 Share Just the way it should be ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez-O Posted April 2, 2014 Share "The Hell Of The North" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakkals. Posted April 2, 2014 Share Sagan is in top form currently. after watching the highlights of yesterdays stage, he pulled away from everyone on a small 700m climb with a gradient not great than 5%. only a team mate on his wheel managed to hang on. Terpstra had to close the gap after loosing the wheel and man did he battle. We are in for some awesome racing in this years classics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Dale Posted April 2, 2014 Share Sagan is in top form currently. after watching the highlights of yesterdays stage, he pulled away from everyone on a small 700m climb with a gradient not great than 5%. only a team mate on his wheel managed to hang on. Terpstra had to close the gap after loosing the wheel and man did he battle. We are in for some awesome racing in this years classics. Sagan was masterful with GattoImperiously, breaking away on that climb and chasing down the break to set up a Cannondale victory With such ease though as if he's barely breathing GO SAGAAAAAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcza Posted April 2, 2014 Share Announcement of Vuelta wildcards today. Hope MTN-Qhubeka gets in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Dale Posted April 2, 2014 Share Announcement of Vuelta wildcards today. Hope MTN-Qhubeka gets in Big PLEEEZE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mon-goose Posted April 2, 2014 Share they're in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bob Posted April 2, 2014 Share Twiggo to ride Flanders and Roubaix. Twiggy hasn't done Ronde since 2005... Cobbles and wet, lets see how that goes for him. Sky: RondeBoasson HagenThomasEiselKneesRaschPuccioSir WigginsRowe Sky: Roubaix & ScheldeprijsBoasson HagenEiselKneesRaschPuccioSir WigginsRoweSutton Edited April 2, 2014 by hellocolour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Dale Posted April 2, 2014 Share Wiggo rolling on Sunday Who's Sky's number 1 for this big race? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombeej Posted April 2, 2014 Share Tour of Flanders is up next, so I thought I'd write a little ode to one of the all-time legendary bergs of the northern classics, the Koppenberg. “Love or loathe the Koppenberg – and it has its share of detractors – this 600m upturned mogul run in the west of Belgium occupies a unique place in professional cycling: whatever the year or the weather, and however much training methods and technology evolve, this is the only climb on earth where you’re as likely to see the worlds best cyclists get off and walk as grind to the top”.Mountain High: Europe’s greatest cycle climbs, By Daniel Friebe and Pete Goding jcza 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bob Posted April 2, 2014 Share Who's Sky's number 1 for this big race? EBH and Gee-T. Sir Twiggy is being drafted in after Stannards crash and has been off training on his own somewhere for Roubaix. Gee is in good form with a 3rd @ E3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Dale Posted April 2, 2014 Share EBH and Gee-T. Sir Twiggy is being drafted in after Stannards crash and has been off training on his own somewhere for Roubaix. Gee is in good form with a 3rd @ E3. Oraait.Makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombeej Posted April 2, 2014 Share In 1976 the Koppenberg premiered on the Tour of Flanders, and brought with it the undignified spectacle of the great Eddy Merckx staggering to the top, bike over his shoulder. And after years of complaints and near misses, in 1987 it all came to a head when the Dane Jesper Skibby, who was leading the race by 10 seconds at the time, lost momentum halfway up the climb and veered from the right hand gully into the centre of the road. The race directors car hit him as he drifted left, then drove over his bike and up the road. That was the last straw for this truly infamous berg and it was cut from the race. Some folks still call the Koppenberg the 'Skibbenberg' after that notorious day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombeej Posted April 2, 2014 Share But a fanatical core of supporters for this climb couldn’t let it go. So through the 1990’s they repaired those devilish cobbles, one by one, and the road was widened and many of the worst ruts filled in. “And so, finally, in 2002, the Koppenberg made its return, not without a little trepidation on the part of the riders and the organisers.” But by 2006 the cobbles had deteriorated again, to the point that local star Phillipe Gilbert failed to get to the top in a pre-race recce, and on race day that year on 2 riders in the breakaway and 7 from the main peloton made it to the top on their bikes. So it was cut once again for 2007. The reason why it's so difficult is that the cobbles are all over the place with often wide muddy gaps in between and the middle section of the climb reaches 22% gradient. It's difficult to get up on a mountain bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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