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Posted

Yeah. .I recall that last year you had issues lol

 

I can still miss a TDF stage or any other stage in a tour .. but never Flanders or Roubaix again.. no full focus

 

Ja, very frustrating trying to keep up with the race with text updates on the Hub & Cycling News all the way down to the coast. I'm sure I stopped at every garage there is on the N3 :). Never again.

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Posted

Ja, very frustrating trying to keep up with the race with text updates on the Hub & Cycling News all the way down to the coast. I'm sure I stopped at every garage there is on the N3 :). Never again.

Ha ha ha ha.. ja I remember your regular stops ha ha ha

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Posted

Made that mistake last year. As soon as I finished the Emperors race I had to get on the road back to DBN. No luxury of watching TV all Sunday unfortunately.

 

Anyway, like Gen says, P-R is the biggest day of the year. I need to prepare and be ready :D.

 

For Flanders and P-R I'm on my IDT in front of the big screen, the missus has been sent away so that I have the whole lounge to myself for 4 hours. Surround sound turned up. Towels under the bike and across the handlebars to save the wood floors.

 

And I'm racing those two days in front of the telly, over those hellingen and across the cobbles.

 

Best seat in the house :).

I can just picture that...

Posted

Love Strade and again there is a good field entered so should be interesting. 

From 2014 when that years world champ gave the now world champ an bit of a beating. 

 

Posted

'Going full gas'... a phrase often used, but probably only truely felt by a few.

 

Stybar feeling it in spades....

 

click on image to enlarge

post-22004-0-12241200-1456924480_thumb.jpg

Posted

It's difficult to comprehend the insane steepness of that final ramp to the line in the Strade Bianche. Photos never do these things justice.

 

This photo gets close, though....

 

post-22004-0-78897200-1456924581_thumb.jpg

Posted

It's difficult to comprehend the insane steepness of that final ramp to the line in the Strade Bianche. Photos never do these things justice.

 

This photo gets close, though....

What is the gradient on that climb?
Posted

I found the Strava segment of the final climb:

https://www.strava.com/segments/8234484

 

Averaging 11% with max around 20%.

 

There's certainly no dip halfway up the climb - it's a straight ramp. But Strava sometimes has these anomalies.

 

But Dan Lloyd as KOM!? have no pro's actually uploaded their results on the last few years? 

Posted

'Going full gas'... a phrase often used, but probably only truely felt by a few.

 

Stybar feeling it in spades....

 

click on image to enlarge

 

 

Sty' also focusing on the Monuments

Haven't seen him yet or am I missing something?

Posted

It's difficult to comprehend the insane steepness of that final ramp to the line in the Strade Bianche. Photos never do these things justice.

 

This photo gets close, though....

Yoh

 

TV definitely doesn't do it justice

Posted

Sty' also focusing on the Monuments

Haven't seen him yet or am I missing something?

I've been reading that current thinking is that Omloop and KBK is 1 month too early to come into form for Flanders & P-R. It's why Stannard and others skipped it this year.

 

Looking at the Quickstep start list for Strade Bianche it's clear the whole team has been selected around Stybar, so this is his official season opener.

 

I have a feeling that Lefevre has annointed Stybar as his new big hope for the Northen Classics squad, and considers Boonen a little over the hill (seems to be a little bit of niggle between Tommeke & manager if you read between the lines of what Boonen has said recently). I'm expecting to see Stybar get the Quickstep VIP treatment this Classics season.

 

So big expectations for him to take a big one this year (P-R being the no.1 goal). Let's see how he handles the weight of pressure and expectations.

 

If Boonen has any plans to take Flanders or P-R (and of course he does) then he'll probably have to do it himself.

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