Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Off Topic => Sports Arena => Topic started by: Jon Crofts on February 21, 2019, 11:42:20 AM

Title: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Jon Crofts on February 21, 2019, 11:42:20 AM
The time is almost upon us, the 2019 'Monuments'.

Milan-San Remo
Monument   
When: Saturday 23rd March 
Where: Milan to San Remo, Italy

Tour of Flanders
Monument / Cobbled Classic 
When: Sunday 7th April
Where: Antwerp to Oudenaarde, Flanders region, Belgium

Paris-Roubaix
Monument / Cobbled Classic 
When: Sunday 14th April
Where: (North of) Paris to Roubaix, France

Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Monument / Ardennes Classic   
When: Sunday 22nd April
Where: Liege to Bastogne and back again, Belgium

And it all starts in 2 weeks in Belgium with the Omloop..........

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Cobbled Classic 
When: Saturday 2nd March 
Where: Gent, Belgium

Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on March 01, 2019, 11:33:25 PM
Are you doing any of them as Sportives this year Jon?
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on March 02, 2019, 12:24:13 PM
OHN today,  Matthews and GVA probable favourites, good outsiders  Valgren, van Aert, Colbrelli and  Quickstep rider, Gilbert or Lampaert.
That's put the mockers on all of those.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on March 02, 2019, 08:17:36 PM
OHN today,  Matthews and GVA probable favourites, good outsiders  Valgren, van Aert, Colbrelli and  Quickstep rider, Gilbert or Lampaert.
That's put the mockers on all of those.

Well done.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on March 02, 2019, 09:44:57 PM
Well it was a Quickstep rider that won, just not the two I mentioned, although they both finished in the top ten.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Jon Crofts on March 03, 2019, 09:13:02 AM
Are you doing any of them as Sportives this year Jon?

Tour of Flanders the Saturday before the pro race. We want to do Strade Bianchi but the logistics and costs look fairly prohibitive. The cobbles are a cheap couple of days away and the post race beers are amazing.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on March 09, 2019, 02:31:13 PM
Quickstep make it 4 from 4 in the classics.

And well done on Van Vleuten on her return from her knee injury.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Jon Crofts on March 09, 2019, 08:57:50 PM
Are you doing any of them as Sportives this year Jon?

Tour of Flanders the Saturday before the pro race. We want to do Strade Bianchi but the logistics and costs look fairly prohibitive. The cobbles are a cheap couple of days away and the post race beers are amazing.

I’m out. Been told not to ride it by my coach. A combination of a niggly knee injury and not hitting the numbers I should be by this stage of the season because of a niggly knee.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on March 20, 2019, 01:06:52 PM
Milan -  San Remo this Saturday.  Quickstep will be bringing a very strong team, hard to see the winner coming from elsewhere.  If it's a breakaway then the N shilling will be on Alaphilippe, bunch sprint Viviani.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on March 24, 2019, 09:00:47 PM
Yep, Alan Phillip does it again. Up against the Euro, World, and several national champs in the final km and he won easily.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on April 05, 2019, 09:04:33 PM
Tour of Flanders this Sunday, fancy the cyclo cross converts to do well, Van der Poel  and Van Aert
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 05, 2019, 10:30:42 PM
Tour of Flanders this Sunday, fancy the cyclo cross converts to do well, Van der Poel  and Van Aert

Good win the other day for VdP. Did you see the clip of him flicking the stone out of the road with his front tire whilst in the Peloton?
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Jon Crofts on April 07, 2019, 07:47:37 PM
See, that’s what happens when the chasing group won’t make a decision or ride for one another, great win for Bettiol.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 07, 2019, 08:27:58 PM
See, that’s what happens when the chasing group won’t make a decision or ride for one another, great win for Bettiol.
Same thing happened last year when Terpstra won. No one would help Sagan chase.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Jon Crofts on April 10, 2019, 01:29:23 PM
Paris Roubaix Sunday, got to fancy Sagan again.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on April 10, 2019, 07:28:27 PM
Paris Roubaix Sunday, got to fancy Sagan again.

If he's 100% fit, otherwise Van Aert, Lampaert or Benoot.

Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 13, 2019, 06:37:49 PM
Lots of fancy suspension bikes on show tomorrow. All of QuickStep and Boring Handgrowers will have FutureShock 2 bikes and Sky will have Dogma FS.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 14, 2019, 09:24:06 PM
Quickstep again. Some nasty spills including someone hitting the back of a team car.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: lovejoy on April 21, 2019, 07:21:22 AM
I think Liege is next weekend, Flanders week starts with Amstel Gold, Flèche midweek then LBL.

The time is almost upon us, the 2019 'Monuments'.

Milan-San Remo
Monument   
When: Saturday 23rd March 
Where: Milan to San Remo, Italy

Tour of Flanders
Monument / Cobbled Classic 
When: Sunday 7th April
Where: Antwerp to Oudenaarde, Flanders region, Belgium

Paris-Roubaix
Monument / Cobbled Classic 
When: Sunday 14th April
Where: (North of) Paris to Roubaix, France

Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Monument / Ardennes Classic   
When: Sunday 22nd April
Where: Liege to Bastogne and back again, Belgium

And it all starts in 2 weeks in Belgium with the Omloop..........

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Cobbled Classic 
When: Saturday 2nd March 
Where: Gent, Belgium


Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on April 21, 2019, 08:17:19 AM
Amstel Gold today, Quickstep no doubt will have a very strong hand but  my money is on van der Poel or GVA.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 21, 2019, 04:16:55 PM
Amstel Gold today, Quickstep no doubt will have a very strong hand but  my money is on van der Poel or GVA.

What a win by MvdP! Alphillipe and Fuglsang played cat and mouse too long in the end. What are the odds he will be a World Road Champion in the next few years?
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on April 21, 2019, 08:29:14 PM
Amstel Gold today, Quickstep no doubt will have a very strong hand but  my money is on van der Poel or GVA.

What a win by MvdP! Alphillipe and Fuglsang played cat and mouse too long in the end. What are the odds he will be a World Road Champion in the next few years?

Depends on the course, not sure if he is a genuine climber.  But he is a beast and should feature strongly in future Spring classics.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 22, 2019, 12:03:41 AM
Amstel Gold today, Quickstep no doubt will have a very strong hand but  my money is on van der Poel or GVA.

What a win by MvdP! Alphillipe and Fuglsang played cat and mouse too long in the end. What are the odds he will be a World Road Champion in the next few years?

Depends on the course, not sure if he is a genuine climber.  But he is a beast and should feature strongly in future Spring classics.

Yep, but I can see him being the next Sagan at the moment and if the course suits him....
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on April 23, 2019, 08:52:58 PM
Fleche Wallonne tomorrow  my shirt is on either Valverde or Birmingham's very own Dan Martin.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 23, 2019, 09:54:55 PM
Fleche Wallonne tomorrow  my shirt is on either Valverde or Birmingham's very own Dan Martin.

Alan Philip if Quickstep team work well with him or even Adam Yates maybe as an outside bet.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 24, 2019, 11:01:22 PM
Called it.... just.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on April 25, 2019, 09:16:40 AM
Called it.... just.

Good call, he is some rider, very versatile with a strong team to support him.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 25, 2019, 07:40:08 PM
Called it.... just.

Good call, he is some rider, very versatile with a strong team to support him.

The odds were in my favour. He has won every single day race he has entered so far this season unless MdvP has also entered in which case he has won. So as long as Van Der Poel is not around then Alan is your man.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 27, 2019, 01:57:29 PM
Alan Philip if Quickstep team work well with him or even Adam Yates maybe as an outside bet.

I'll repeat these predictions for LBL being as Van Der Poel isn't racing.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: SteveN on April 27, 2019, 06:45:54 PM
I'm going for Gilbert or Kwiatkowski.
Title: Re: Spring Classics 2019
Post by: Somniloquism on April 28, 2019, 10:36:30 PM
One too many for Alan, although I'm glad Fuglsang got as he has been so close recently.
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