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Spring Classics
I noticed that these races are now included in the 'Coming Up' list.
Last year all the races included in the competition were World Tour events, and Kurne-Bruxelles-Kurne was not included.
KBK is currently on this years list despite not being a WT event. Is this correct ?
Will Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne be included? This is WT in 2019
Thanks
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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177 comments
With such an unpredictable race there may well be a case for just playing the game. Some riders will be left over picks from the previous race, such as Alaphilippe and GVA, and may well be kept by the game at large to save a transfer or two. Keeping them and picking a safety in numbers team may well be a prudent way to go this time...
With the look of the teams this year I think it is almost certain a group of 'climbers' get away.
It will then depend whether they can work together to stay away and whether the chasing group can work together to catch them.
QSP say they're joint leaders but might use Stybar as a foil and gilbert might go long. That probably means Lampaert!
I'd usually go with the home rider but I've got alaphillpe and stybar Ieft in from Strade Bianchi so they'll have to do.
A lot of teams coming in double headed to this one though. Sagan or Bennett, Groenewegen or Poppel (or van aert) Kristoff or Gaviria. etc. I think I'll resort to eeny meeny miny mo?
Milan-Sanremo start list update incoming!
Edit: But be aware some rosters may still change in the run up to Saturday.
Who do we think will be the main sprinter for QST this time....will it be Viviani or will it be Alaphillipe again...sheesh...
I used to live in Barton and go to school in Lancaster. My dad's still in Preston, lives in Fulwood. I've been round the Guild Wheel route a few times.
Didn't have Ala for today, or Fuglsang. Had a load of the rest of the top 10 though.
Don't get me wrong Minardi...i'm from Blackburn but now live close to Preston. My sons are Preston lads as are most the folk i know now. I want then to do well...and i want Blackburn to do well. I can only say what i see and today they were poor.
Mid table mediocrity in the championship is a funny thing...you can be just below the plays offs one month and just above relegation the next and done nothing different whatsoever...all much of a muchness and all in need of the 30 million quid. Danny Graham is Blackburn's problem...well past his sell by date, that'd cost 20-30 mill on it's own to put right.
As you may have guessed I'm from Preston originally but now living on the wrong side of the Pennines.
What amazes me with Preston is no-one knows anything about Hugh Carthy.
Which part of Preston?
Born in Broughton, moved to Barton and then moved to Fulwood.
Only bike shop I remember in Preston was Mears in the 1970s. I think I got my purple Raleigh Chopper there.
I'm at the other end....Penwortham. I'm good friends with Pete Hodgkinson from Barton village who built the Tom Finney statue. Maybe you know the family...well known around there.
I don't remember any Hodkinson from Barton but we moved to Fulwood in the early 1970s.
I used to hang about near the Plough Inn in Penwortham during my teens, and my grandparents lived on Hill Road.
Plough is my local...and I live pretty much next to Hill road. I do all my cycling on Farrington moss. Ask me any question you like about wind.
...also...i went for a tour around Ribble cycles last week on Walton Summit...dear god...fantastic...come a long way since Fylde road...
got 5 of the top 10 but TBH feel its a lottery.
Bought in Moscon and Podagar waste of transfers, hedged my bets by calling up Moschetti for the next two, may also be a complete waste of time because I don't even know if he'll be riding. Lol!
Been to the footy and missed the Strade completely....was it a good race? It’d be nice if Fuglsang was bit more dependable as a pick...great rider but sometimes just goes missing...in fact quite often.
You weren't watching Plastic Rovers lose at home by any chance ?
To be honest I found the race a bit boring.
Not a lot of action at all.
About 50km from the finish, the favourites attacked and got away.
Then about 20km from the finish Fuglsand attacked, Van Aert followed him and Alaphilippe managed to catch them.
The other favourites then let them get away too easily, imo, Wellens, Benoot, Stujins, Clarke & GVA didn't work together and mainly attacked each other, while Stybar, Lampaert & Lutsenko watched them in amusement.
Van Aert got dropped on a climb but fought his way back to catch them at the base of the final climb. Alaphilippe waited for Fuglsang to attack and then rode straight past him.
Yes I was. Strange game. Blackburn by far the better side apart from finishing whilst PNE played a “rolling on the floor” game and looked just rubbish...
#teamslikepreston
Aye. Blackburn have a nice base of some good football to build on. PNE not so much...well not on that showing.
I know which side is challenging for the playoffs, despite being bottom of the table in late September.
Very young side too.
The problem is finding the extra £30million a year needed to escape this league.
Not as tough a race as I expected.
Fortunately I went with Alaphilippe despite my misgivings.
I expect my team was similar to the majoirty.
My doubts about wasting transfers proved correct, I brought in Oss, Durbridge & Power with very little return.
I'll need to be more careful for Milan-San Remo.
I don't think the race suits Alaphilippe, he can't sustain the high power output of other classics riders.
But the weather looks good which should suit him and other 'lighter' riders.
This race is also more difficult to control which makes it easier to beat Quickstep.
Personally I would use my team to deliberately block any QS rider, refuse to work when any QS rider is in my group, refuse to chase any group without a QS rider. Basically treat all QS riders as they treat other teams.
Despite that I will probaby have 2 QS riders in my team.
Biggest problem with this race is that you need to use a lot of transfers and the next 'classic' is Milan-SanRemo where lots more transfers will be needed.
Is it worth wasting a transfer to bring in a rider who could finish top 3 but just as likely do nothing?
You’ve summed up my thoughts Minardi. Alaphilippe seems a bit light but who knows...same thoughts with a Pogacar and a few other form riders...it’s a strength race.
Stybar looks physically very strong...so he’s a must.
Start list almost ready for Strade Bianche. Only 4 teams are confirmed so far, but every team has a provisional roster up. Lots of names missing compared to last year, no Valverde or Bardet for instance, but Benoot, Stybar, Van Avermaet are all going. Alaphilippe is also going for QuickStep, what's the bet on another classics win for the team?
Same problems as most, Colbreli, Trentin etc.
Gambled Griepel and went Senechal to partner Stybar - classics you must have two DQS riders.
Both of those punts came off to some extent.
Amazing. Down 21 places with a miserly 55 pts in the Spring classics game, but up four places to sixth in the overall game. Sheesh.
Lol, as it turns out, ONE person got more than 120. A team of Jungels, Groenewegen, Lampaert, and Terpstra bagged 130, 2nd place had 119.
Wow, what a ride by Jungels! If anyone has more than about 120 points in this race I'll be astounded.
So hard to call Andy. Looked for all the world like a sprinters stage but I just knew it would be a mix up somehow. A breakaway, a sprint and a win by a time trialist in the end....all rolled into one.
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