The Spring Classics - 2016

['Dale]

At 17.2km (kwaremont) Fabs was within touching distance.. but at that moment Sags turned round and saw and put the hammer down

 

 

He was actually as close as 6 secs at one point, ol' Spartacus

[Frosty]

Many riders have won the rainbow jersey, and struggled to perform during their term A's WC.

 

Sagan might not be a legend (yet) but he certainly is creating his own unique legendary status, proving his world champs win was no flash in the pan.

[Gen]

Many riders have won the rainbow jersey, and struggled to perform during their term A's WC.

 

Sagan might not be a legend (yet) but he certainly is creating his own unique legendary status, proving his world champs win was no flash in the pan.

I think it is fair to say.. that we all saw.. the Sagan era coming.. was just a matter of time before he started winning the big one day races..

 

But

 

As for PR.. it would he a lot to ask to win the double hey.. he has had a couple of really tough races in the legs the last few weeks.. been in long breaks and has had to work really hard.

 

BUT

 

So has the other favourites hey.

 

We know when Sagan is in a race he makes things very entertaining. He sure will have a big mark on his back..come Sunday.

[Gen]

[Bonus]

That's a lot of cobbles . . .

[Gen]

That's a lot of cobbles . . .

Yeah and a lot of shaken limbs

[tombeej]

I think it is fair to say.. that we all saw.. the Sagan era coming.. was just a matter of time before he started winning the big one day races..

 

But

 

As for PR.. it would he a lot to ask to win the double hey.. he has had a couple of really tough races in the legs the last few weeks.. been in long breaks and has had to work really hard.

 

BUT

 

So has the other favourites hey.

 

We know when Sagan is in a race he makes things very entertaining. He sure will have a big mark on his back..come Sunday.

 

He's still young and still not fully formed yet in terms of physical potential (he's only going to get better from here). Maybe the Flanders & P-R double is too much of an expectation for him this year. But then again, maybe not....

 

Personally, I think there are 3 reasons he wouldn't win:

 

(1) Mentally not being 100% after the release and relief of celebrating is first big monument win only a few days before after all the pressure and expectation these last few years.

 

(2) Bad luck (mechanicals / crashes at critical moments in the race, which of course happens a lot in P-R).

 

(3) Not having a strong enough team. Much more than the other monuments, P-R success is so dependent on having a powerful team able to control the race, and with multiple options for the win. It's very difficult for a lone rider to win without team protection. This race is just too hard. Sky and Quick Step have much more firepower and each have a few riders who could win this race. Tinkoff & Trek are also strong, just not quite as much, and also relying on 1 person to win. They don't have a plan B (OK, Trek have Jasper Stuyven as an outside bet).

 

Physically, there's no reason why Sagan can't win the double. He has all the qualities, and it's not like it hasn't been done before recently (Boonen and Cancellara). If his team has a stormer, if he's 100% mentally there to go back to that very dark place, and if he has no bad luck, then why not?

[tombeej]

More thoughts on the ‘Sagan Double’.

 

It’s still a relevant discussion to compare Sagan to Boonen/Cancellara, because just as comparisons were being made between Museeuw and Boonen when young Tommeke was making his mark in Museeuw’s final years, so the same comparison is being made during this new changing of the guard.

 

Let’s see what’s really possible by a Classics legend by having a look at Boonen’s 2012 year.

 

Boonen began the 2012 season aged 29 (Sagan is currently 26, and why I say he’s still got a few years to fully develop).

 

Take a look at this from Boonen:

 

January:

Wins stage 7 in his first race, the Tour de San Luis.

 

February:

Wins the Tour of Qatar overall, the points classification, plus 2 of the 6 stages.

Comes 2nd to Sep Vanmarcke in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (the only ‘failure’ of the season).

 

March:

Wins stage 2 of Paris–Nice.

Wins E3 Harelbeke.

And then wins Gent-Wevelgem 2 days later.

 

April:

With all the pressures of being the favourite for the Tour of Flanders, he wins that too.

The very next weekend he goes on to dominate Paris-Roubaix, riding into the velodrome on his own to take the win.

 

Boonen’s 2012 Classics season was only time anyone has won E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the same year.

 

That’s what you call dominance, and that’s how a legend is made.

 

So yes, it is certainly possible for Sagan to do the double. The only question is whether this year is just a little too soon. We’ll be finding out soon enough!

[fanievb]

[Gen]

You make some very valid points.

 

Also Sagan aim this year was Flanders. . He has now won that now.. and I also think that body is tired the mind must I am sure also be tired.

 

Would like nothing more to see him do the double, but one has to be realistic about it.

 

Etixx have a big point to prove this weekend.. and I still think that Martin is going to be their man to do it... why... well because he did a reckon of the course on his own a week ago.. and he worked very hard during the first (flatter) half of Flanders on Sunday. . To me that looked like a man doing final prep for Roubaix.. a few times he increased his tempo on cobbled sections so much that he just powered away from the pack for a bit before slowing down again.

 

Plus while everyone is looking at Terpstra/ Stybar he is going to go.. going going gone.

[tombeej]

You make some very valid points.

 

Also Sagan aim this year was Flanders. . He has now won that now.. and I also think that body is tired the mind must I am sure also be tired.

 

Would like nothing more to see him do the double, but one has to be realistic about it.

 

Etixx have a big point to prove this weekend.. and I still think that Martin is going to be their man to do it... why... well because he did a reckon of the course on his own a week ago.. and he worked very hard during the first (flatter) half of Flanders on Sunday. . To me that looked like a man doing final prep for Roubaix.. a few times he increased his tempo on cobbled sections so much that he just powered away from the pack for a bit before slowing down again.

 

Plus while everyone is looking at Terpstra/ Stybar he is going to go.. going going gone.

 

Do you have any idea what happened to Martin at Flanders (I couldn't find anything online). He went from riding on the front to finishing 100 places down, 12 minutes behind Sagan. 

 

Don't know if he blew spectacularly, or if it was a mechanical?

[Gen]

Do you have any idea what happened to Martin at Flanders (I couldn't find anything online). He went from riding on the front to finishing 100 places down, 12 minutes behind Sagan.

 

Don't know if he blew spectacularly, or if it was a mechanical?

No.. from what I have read.. his job was to work hard the first half of the race and then sit up. . Also adds to my thinking that it was his last prep for PR.

[tombeej]

No.. from what I have read.. his job was to work hard the first half of the race and then sit up. . Also adds to my thinking that it was his last prep for PR.

 

You know what would make sense to me, is if Lefevere has a plan to send Tony Martin on a lone break from about 50 km out. With his TT abilities, and the fact that the other teams will probably not want to burn matches to follow from so far out, he'll have a chance of staying away.

 

[And it wouldn't be the first time someone has won from an attack 50 km out. Cancellara (2010) and Boonen (2012) have both won this way.]

 

It will then take all the pressure of the rest of Quick Step and force the other teams to do all the chasing.

 

You can then have Vandenberge attack about 20 - 30 km out.

 

And then Stybar.

 

And then Terpstra.

 

And Boonen is waiting in case it comes together for a sprint finish.

 

This much firepower makes it very difficult (impossible) for the other teams to mark all the moves of these guys, who each have the ability to convert an attack into a win.

 

But it makes sense for Tony to have a go first, and 'go long' from far out. Plays to his strengths.

[Gen]

You know what would make sense to me, is if Lefevere has a plan to send Tony Martin on a lone break from about 50 km out. With his TT abilities, and the fact that the other teams will probably not want to burn matches to follow from so far out, he'll have a chance of staying away.

 

[And it wouldn't be the first time someone has won from an attack 50 km out. Cancellara (2010) and Boonen (2012) have both won this way.]

 

It will then take all the pressure of the rest of Quick Step and force the other teams to do all the chasing.

 

You can then have Vandenberge attack about 20 - 30 km out.

 

And then Stybar.

 

And then Terpstra.

 

And Boonen is waiting in case it comes together for a sprint finish.

 

This much firepower makes it very difficult (impossible) for the other teams to mark all the moves of these guys, who each have the ability to convert an attack into a win.

 

But it makes sense for Tony to have a go first, and 'go long' from far out. Plays to his strengths.

Indeed.

 

 

If you also think back to how he has raced other races recently you'll see what I mean.. long pulls on the front..

 

Well if that isn't their plan they really are beyond help.[emoji6]

 

 

Edit.. except for Panne which of course was a total mess from etixx

[Pure Savage]

For those that love Cosmo Catalano's work, first time he has done a HTRWW in a while.

 

http://youtu.be/9Rem9MV69cU

 

Really wish he would commentate, such insight. Compared to the drivel we normally get about the scenery.

[Gen]

I really do like these live events. .from the Tinkoff PR guys..

 

They are on their Roubaixs.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=802670413168266&id=121540094614638