Alexander Kristoff of Team Katusha took victory in the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, after following an attack from Niki Terpstra (Etixx – Quickstep).
So what conclusions can we draw from the cobbled classic?
1. Cars should not be crashing into riders
During the race we saw two absolutely ridiculous incidents in which cars crashed into riders.
This should not be happening on the professional circuit, or anywhere in fact, so to have two on the same day is a total joke.
The first of these crashes was in the breakaway, when a car was coming through and knocked Jesse Sergent (Trek) over. He suffered a broken collarbone and was put out of the race.
The second was in the convoy of cars, when the neutral service Shimano car ran into the back of the FDJ car, pushing it into a rider.
Hopefully the drivers who caused these incidents are banned from driving in future bike races, as this is totally unacceptable.
2. The Tour of Flanders is close to the hardest race on the cycling calendar
Viewers were greeted to the incredible scenes of riders walking up a 22 per cent gradient on the cobbled climb of the Koppenberg early Monday morning. On many of the races climbs there was only one way to go: flat out.
It didn’t matter if that meant just 5 kilometres an hour, if you weren’t going flat out you were going to either stop or fall off and end up walking.
3. Greg Van Avermaet is one of the best fighters in the peloton
Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) said in an interview after the race that he was disappointed he didn’t win because he thought he had the legs to.
He attacked multiple times and ended up riding away from the main chase group with Peter Sagan, to chase of the two leaders in Terpstra and Kristoff. He just kept fighting all the way to the line, even when all hope was lost, which ended up getting him a podium place.
Full credit to the man.
4. Andre Greipel is the ultimate team man
Andre Greipel probably has a lot of objectives for this season, and this was a race he really had no chance of winning. But one of the strongest riders in the peloton decided he didn’t care and became one of the race’s true animators.
‘The Gorilla’ made attack after attack on terrain that didn’t really suit him just for the benefit of team tactics, which was to put as many riders up the road as possible. It was a real shame he wasn’t around at the end of the race.
5. Team Sky can’t use their Tour de France tactics on the cobbles
Team Sky decided they were going to take the race by the scruff of the neck from about 120 kilometres and just ride on the front. In the end they did way to much work far too soon and Geraint Thomas, their leader, had no teammates left at the end.
Team Sky need to adapt different tactics to win on the cobbles, that’s for sure.
6. Peter Sagan seriously needs to start winning
Peter Sagan was a revelation just a few short years ago, with Mark Cavendish saying “He makes us all look like amateurs.” However, come 2015, now aged 25 and five years after riding in his first monument, the Slovak still hasn’t won one.
His tactics seem a little off and he needs to repay the faith that Tinkoff–Saxo have put in him, particularly if he has plans on riding in the Grand Tours later in the year, with Saxo being a predominantly climbing-based team.
Pressure is rapidly building on Sagan to start winning. A good start would be taking out Paris–Roubaix this weekend.
7. Paris–Roubaix is going to be awesome
Paris–Roubaix next Sunday promises to be an awesome race, with 27 sections of cobbles. Plenty of the main riders in the peloton are in form. It’s going to come down to who attacks well and has the best tactics on the day.
Remember I’ll be blogging Paris–Roubaix right here on The Roar on Sunday night, so be sure to join us for all the action.
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