2024 Pro thread

[eins4eins]

Zabel mentioned in his latest podcast episode that Israel premiertech will ride the ostro gravel at paris roubaix. No mentioning of reasons. I wonder if they're planning to use really wide tires. Or ist the normal ostro just too stiff?

[TobinHatesYou]

Zabel mentioned in his latest podcast episode that Israel premiertech will ride the ostro gravel at paris roubaix. No mentioning of reasons. I wonder if they're planning to use really wide tires. Or ist the normal ostro just too stiff?

The old Ostro barely fit 30mm WAM tires and the new one only officially clears 32mm WAM tires. This year's P-R is most likely going to be muddy.

Even though the Cervelo S5 "clears" 34mm tires, VLaB runs the Soloist at P-R because of real-world tyre clearance concerns.

[jever98]

Just saw the crash at Dwaars door Vlaanderen: I have a hard time understanding that this stretch is considered so dangerous. Where the crash happened the road was wide, surface good, no narrowing in sight. It didn't even look that the peloton was compressing or there was a lot of shoving. It looks more to me like a touch of wheels because of a lack of attention.

What am I missing?

[spokenwords]

There seemed to be a lot of movement on both sides because of some uneven pavement but it was a touch of wheels that caused it.

[maquisard]

The crash was apparently caused by Benoot when he got out of the saddle and momentarily decelerated and caused those behind him to touch his rear wheel. An amateur mistake. I once did the same to a bunch of guys in my club...

[eins4eins]

Just saw the crash at Dwaars door Vlaanderen: I have a hard time understanding that this stretch is considered so dangerous. Where the crash happened the road was wide, surface good, no narrowing in sight. It didn't even look that the peloton was compressing or there was a lot of shoving. It looks more to me like a touch of wheels because of a lack of attention.

What am I missing?

there was a narrowing coming up. They were fighting for position into the Kanarieberg, which is single lane climb immediately after a right hand corner.

its a very dangerous section as they're coming down this wide road with high speed. Thats why it was removed this year from the route for sunday. In hindsight, they should have made the same decision for DDV

[jever98]

@eins4eins: I get the *theoretical* argument, but look at the video: https://youtu.be/x4QE1G_VXxw?feature=shared&t=65

The group is quite wide. There isn't much moving up. The narrowing isn't anywhere in sight yet. It looks to me like an "average" crash where someone didn't pay attention.

[Karvalo]

@eins4eins: I get the *theoretical* argument, but look at the video: https://youtu.be/x4QE1G_VXxw?feature=shared&t=65

The group is quite wide. There isn't much moving up. The narrowing isn't anywhere in sight yet. It looks to me like an "average" crash where someone didn't pay attention.

Look how hard they're going though. There isn't much moving up because they're all absolutely on the rivet, and the group is quite wide because they're all trying to get just far enough ahead of the person next to them that they can squeeze over onto the point of the arrowhead.

[BdaGhisallo]

Just saw the crash at Dwaars door Vlaanderen: I have a hard time understanding that this stretch is considered so dangerous. Where the crash happened the road was wide, surface good, no narrowing in sight. It didn't even look that the peloton was compressing or there was a lot of shoving. It looks more to me like a touch of wheels because of a lack of attention.

What am I missing?

there was a narrowing coming up. They were fighting for position into the Kanarieberg, which is single lane climb immediately after a right hand corner.

its a very dangerous section as they're coming down this wide road with high speed. Thats why it was removed this year from the route for sunday. In hindsight, they should have made the same decision for DDV

If it's so dangerous, why didn't they slow down?

[Miller]

If it's so dangerous, why didn't they slow down?

I'm not going to slow down. You slow down.

[liam7020]

Does anybody else feel like Mads Pedersen doesn't get the respect and rating he deserves? He rarely gets mentioned as a top contender, but delivers a lot and at a super high level. I feel he should be mentioned more often in the same breath as Wout and Mathieu.

Great bike rider....pity he comes across as an arrogant tosser.

[zirxo]

Just saw the crash at Dwaars door Vlaanderen: I have a hard time understanding that this stretch is considered so dangerous. Where the crash happened the road was wide, surface good, no narrowing in sight. It didn't even look that the peloton was compressing or there was a lot of shoving. It looks more to me like a touch of wheels because of a lack of attention.

What am I missing?

there was a narrowing coming up. They were fighting for position into the Kanarieberg, which is single lane climb immediately after a right hand corner.

its a very dangerous section as they're coming down this wide road with high speed. Thats why it was removed this year from the route for sunday. In hindsight, they should have made the same decision for DDV

If it's so dangerous, why didn't they slow down?

I've seen amateurs sprint towards oncoming traffic to gain positions in the bunch, why would pros slow down before a narrowing of the road when going faster means getting into the narrowing in a better position?

[LouisN]

There was a bad section right in the middle of the road (1/3 right) where one part of the road went upwards and the tarmac was uneven, up to 10-15 cm I would say. At full speed the peloton passed through that section, guys who went on that portion probably slid, or if they were at the bottom (left side) had their wheels caught there, just like if they were clipped.
Stupid by the organizers to not have that section taken care of !!!
On the women side: will we see a transfer soon at SDWorks ?...
Louis

[tymon_tm]

Does anybody else feel like Mads Pedersen doesn't get the respect and rating he deserves? He rarely gets mentioned as a top contender, but delivers a lot and at a super high level. I feel he should be mentioned more often in the same breath as Wout and Mathieu.

Great bike rider....pity he comes across as an arrogant tosser.

if youre refering to his pre race interviews comprised of half-assed questions delivered in something resembling english language, then i gotta say if I were asked the same, over and over again, i'd get a.lot meaner.

i find it really appaling Eurosport cant send someone fluent in the language they intend to interview riders in. this dude in question is apparently French, and while my knowledge of this language is very basic at.best, it seemed to me Alaphilippe was asked more inteligent questions than "so what you gonna do today", "how do you like this race" etc.

[TobinHatesYou]

At first I thought maybe the abrupt transition to the bike path/lane might have had something to do with the crash, but it looks like everyone used it as an escape route rather than it being the cause.