The weather forecast says there’s a chance of rain for this Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix. It hasn’t rained during the race since 2002, a bizarre dry run given we associate the spring classics with grim weather. In these safety-concious times is it ok to dream of a wet edition?
Michał Kwiatkowski has attacked after the top of the Taaienberg with 33km to go, Peter Sagan followed immediately and Sep Vanmarcke bridged across moments later. A long range move with both Sagan and Vanmarcke taking a big risk given they had no team mates behind but they were going to stay away. This was the moment the race was won.
The greatest race? Sunday’s edition could be a dud, an ode to the siesta but no matter what happens no other race is embraced by the locals as much as the Tour of Flanders. This is a sporting event like no other, a socio-cultural phenomenon that no other one day race can touch.
The 100th edition of the greatest one day classic takes place this Sunday. Huge crowds, narrow lanes, rough cobbles, steep hills and more await along the 255km obstacle course. Here’s a preview of the race with the route, riders, TV and more.
The route for the 2016 Critérium du Dauphiné has been presented today, a ray of summer sunshine amid the clouds, mud and crosswinds that dominate the sport right now. The Dauphiné is a race that’s often seen in the shadow of the Tour de France because it borrow some of the same roads and also because it’s a dress rehearsal for July but this is always a good race in its own right, think Chris Froome’s final stage overhaul of Tejay van Garderen in last year or Andrew Talansky’s tactical masterpiece the year before. Here’s a closer look at this year’s route and more.
Phrases like “start of the spring classics” might resonate now but we’re already one quarter of the way through the season now with 145 days of racing done so far. Here’s a look at the stats and some of the stories behind them like whether FDJ’s surprise success this season is going to cost them financially or some musings on whether the Pro Conti ranks have any must-have teams to award a wildcard.
Peter Sagan attacks up the Kemmelberg. He went on to win the sprint but his attack was the definitive moment as only a two other riders could follow him up, over and down the landmark climb. This was the moment the race was won.
This Sunday’s race can’t be as good as last year’s wild wind edition. Normally this race is the most sprinter-friendly of the cobbled classics and it’s World Tour race too, so we get action and a deep field. Cobbles and climbs feature but so does a long, obstacle free run to the finish line to suit the sprinters. This time the wind will blow but more moderately, it’s there to be exploited by those teams who fear a sprint finish.
Michał Kwiatkowski jumps with 250m to go. Peter Sagan tries to sprint but is quickly distanced by the Pole, his long term rival, who condemns him to yet another second place. This was the moment the race was won.
It may not be the Ronde van Vlaanderen or Paris-Roubaix but in recent years this race has made up for its lack of history and dull name with some exciting racing and it’s become one of the finest cobbled classics of the year, it’s 50km less than next week’s Ronde which allows more riders to be in the mix.