2020 "Spring" Classics thread

Thought maybe a single thread for these races instead of one for each race since some raceslikely won’t get a lot of comments (like today’s Fleche Wallone :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:)

Great win by Hirschi atop the Mur de Huy today…did not think that finish would have suited him vs. some of the other guys in the front pack. Nice to see Porte take a dig, but he is just not explosive enough to win on a climb like the Mur.

And in bad news, Amstel Gold is cancelled due to COVID restrictions…fook.

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He’s been keeping up with Alaphillipe, and also the Worlds showed he can get over sharp hills with the best. Similar height, similar weight as well. Similar also to Remco…

I thought Pogacar might have been in for a chance given that he is good at hill sprints, but maybe its end of mountain sprints he is best at!

Not how a post tour criterium is supposed to go… :stuck_out_tongue:

Yeah, I was shocked when he started going backwards in the last 200m…I thought for sure he was gonna take the win.

Going by how he beat Hirschi in a sprint at the tour as well…
Having said that, Hirschi was in a monster solo breakaway, so was probably less than fresh in comparison.

i was (pleasantly) surprised bu Hirschis win. I was not surprised By v.d. Breggens win (still pleasantly). Was a seriously impressive effort. Grinding up the finish hill from the front and still has a kick to the line.

Not technically a Classic, but the Muur does feature in Flanders…and this could well be a preview of what the peloton will have to deal with. MVP demolishes it with ease.

The weather at LBL today looks abhorrent :cloud_with_rain:

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How good was he? Looks superb on the bike even when suffering.

Yup…rain is ok…but a lot of wind…

I’m surprised to see neither AvdB nor AvV in the front :thinking:

After watching the final stage of the Binck Bank yesterday where a mini Ronde was won by a superb MVDP I cannot wait to watch LBL later today. Women’s is already underway!

I would love to see Hirschi take it today for his first proper big win. I know a win at the Tour is massive and can set a rider up for life, but this is La Doyenne.

well he did win la fleche last wednesday :smiley:
No small feat either.

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GvA looks like he is out of Liege…hard crash with a traffic pole that was not well marked. Jay McCarthy also went down.

MvdP put in a MASSIVE dig yesterday, going solo from 50km out and making it stick by only ~6 seconds. I’m honestly wondering how legit a contender he can be today, given his ride yesterday. It would be like winning the Ronde on Saturday and LBL on Sunday – am I wrong for thinking that’s improbable?

Of course, he’s not human. So there’s that.

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Another big crash, this one taking down the new Word Champ along with a Lauren and Caruso.

JA is back uo and going, looks OK. Valhren and Caruso are out with shoulder and wrist injuries, respectively.

Yeh I’m not sure he can be a contender today. Although first part hasn’t been raced too hard.

Pretty sedate ascent of La Redoute. Was hoping for some fireworks, but the favorites seemed content to just mark each other for now.

Hoping it will all go down on the Cote de Forges…

Surly it will?

Nope!

A short flurry of activity near the top but that was it…going down to the final climb.

C’mon boys…RACE!

FINALLY!!

Man, Woos came so close to making the group but just couldn’t close that last little gap.

All the guys who you would expect are up there…JA, Hirschi, Rog, Pog and Kiwiatkowsli (who bridged you)