Gent-Wevelgem (contains spoilers)

TheBlaaMan

Guess you're all out on your bikes this morning......? not me - studying

Anyways, In the Spring Classics, next up today is Gent-Wevelgem.

2013 Gent-Wevelgem
March 24, Belgium

Race starts at 12:45pm CET
Finish at around 4:57pm CET
Live video from *2:20pm CET
- GMT is one hour earlier than above.

Eurosport are NOT scheduling any coverage of this - even highlights - and are favouring Criterium International instead.

Here's the original parcours: http://www.saint-velo.be/media/files/Gent-Wevelgem_parcoursmap2.pdf but it was modified yesterday to take out the first 45km or so and starts instead in Gistel. There will be only 9 climbs today, instead of ten. The first climb, the Casselberg, will apparently only be tackled once, instead of the two times originally planned. The French section is still in, despite fears of bad weather in the area. Its going to be a cold day. Race director Frank Hoste said that if any rider crashes on a patch of ice, the race will be stopped.....

I cant see a profile of the route, but here's a nice Google Earth fliy-over of the route if you have 9 minutes to spare...

Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) is two-time defending champion. Other riders expected on the start line include: Cavendish, Sagan, Cancellara, Flecha, Westra, Degenkolb, Boasson Hagen, Eisel, Greipel, Hutarovich, Boom, Renshaw, Vanmarcke, Gilbert, Hushovd, Phinney, Van Avermaet, Viviani, Demare, Farrar, Vansummeren, Petacchi, Pozzato, Bennati, Haussler, Cousin, Coquard, Gaudin.

Updates on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/gentwevelgem
Live ticker here http://live.cyclingnews.com/
and for Twitter updates @GentWevelgem

IM0

Eurosport are NOT scheduling any coverage of this - even highlights

I know, tha bastards :mad:

thing is though, will they show it next week maybe cause off the top of my head there is nothing they will be covering until tour of flanders next weekend

Inquitus

Lotto Belisol‏@Lotto_Belisol3m
#gw has just started and the peloton has already fell apart in 5 parts because of the wind.

IM0

Inquitus wrote: »

Lotto Belisol‏@Lotto_Belisol3m
#gw has just started and the peloton has already fell apart in 5 parts because of the wind.

its only on 10 minutes! :eek:

Inquitus

Peloton Watch‏@PelotonWatch43s
#gw #GentWevelgem 26 riders in front group including Cav, Boonen, Hayman, Greipel, Boom and Hushovd. Gap is 18" to group 2

Apparently its fecking freezing and blowing a gale, expect not many to finish! Can't wait to watch the suffering when live tv starts, from under a blankie on my couch cos its far too cold for me to countenance cycling

IM0

We have a lead group with a slight lead and a lot of big names. 26 riders, including Cavendish, Boonen, Hayman, Greipel, Boom and Hushovd now have 18 seconds on their chasers.

.

IM0

Inquitus wrote: »

countenance cycling

that sounds shit

elduggo

IM0 wrote: »

I know, tha bastards :mad:

thing is though, will they show it next week maybe cause off the top of my head there is nothing they will be covering until tour of flanders next weekend

3 days of da Panne?

TheBlaaMan

Some COLD pics from the startline here:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/gallery-on-the-startline-at-gent-wevelgem/258146

IM0

group has 1 55 on the 2nd group already :eek:

IM0

elduggo wrote: »

3 days of da Panne?

oh yeah

Cond0r

Seems Sky Sports are showing it tomorrow. Might explain the lack of coverage on Eurosport?

IM0

its -1 with a windchill of -9 brrrrrrrr

IM0

The first two chase groups have merged and are now only 20 seconds behind that large group in the lead.

IM0

hope tv coverage starts 1hr earlier because of the shortened course too 45k=1-1 1/2hr

TheBlaaMan

Heinrich Haussler ain't too happy about racing today....


“This isn’t sport any more, it’s bull****. It’s not a race in these conditions because with the wind it’s minus 10. It’s pretty ridiculous. It could be every man for himself as soon as we hit the coast with the wind because it’s really strong and with open roads. I think we’ll see two or three groups but then the rest might pull out. I want to race hard but it’s a health risk at the moment because of the weather and I want to be ready for the bigger races that are coming up.”

It sounds as if its already a bit of a train-wreck after only 35km

155km remaining from 190km
Garmin, RadioShack and Orica-GreenEdge are not in the lead group, so they are avidly leading the chase. The latest report has the first chase group at 28 seconds, and the next group at 40 seconds. And apparently some riders are already three minutes down.

IM0

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Heinrich Haussler ain't too happy about racing today....


“This isn’t sport any more, it’s bull****. It’s not a race in these conditions because with the wind it’s minus 10. It’s pretty ridiculous. It could be every man for himself as soon as we hit the coast with the wind because it’s really strong and with open roads. I think we’ll see two or three groups but then the rest might pull out. I want to race hard but it’s a health risk at the moment because of the weather and I want to be ready for the bigger races that are coming up.”
.

although I see his point cant help but feel those who raced around 100 years ago would be laughing their asses off at him and turning in their graves and calling him a pussy

TheBlaaMan

TV pics now available online..... Hope your Dutch is up to the measure.......

TheBlaaMan

Cancellara has pulled out of the race at the feedzone. Not too surprising given his win on Friday and with Flanders coming up next week....

Boonen retired after a spil (bunnyhop fail....)

PainIsTemporary

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

TV pics now available online..... Hope your Dutch is up to the measure.......

Does anyone have an link for live online video streaming of the race? ...if it's okay to ask.

The tax man

^^^ Check your PM's.;)

ednwireland

sagan attack at 4km and final 1km here (in case you feed dropped at 10km)

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/matchcenter/mc_wielrennen/comp_voorjaar/1.1574459

cracking finish from sagan (even if he did wheely across the line - flash git)

TheBlaaMan

My stream broke with c8km to go but Sagan finally got there and bagged a Classic, solo-ing away from the field with about 2km to go and winning comfortably from Boszic and van Avermaet

buffalo

Missed watching this due to racing, Crit Int'l and Volta, but this picture... I think I need to start a Things I love about Sagan thread:



Will be posted elsewhere when I can spoil things.

bcmf

Buffalo- Sagan is my man crush. I declared it during the TdF last year.
Go find someone else.

buffalo

bcmf wrote: »

Buffalo- Sagan is my man crush. I declared it during the TdF last year.
Go find someone else.

Sagan Sandwich, with Brian Bread?

oh god, I have an awful image in my head now. Don't picture it, save yourselves!

bcmf

Ah Jaysus go to bed will ya.Plus you never took a foto of me yest? Why not?

buffalo

bcmf wrote: »

Ah Jaysus go to bed will ya.Plus you never took a foto of me yest? Why not?

Didn't spot you at all tbh, missed doozerie as well! Between the rain on my glasses and the viewfinder on camera misting up it was hard to see anything I was shooting!

Hitting the hay now, just prepping the club report on the weekend's racing. Thank goodness for the A4s!

Rastadoyle

onto 3 days of de panne now starting from tuesday

dastardly00

Highlights are on Sky Sports 4 at 2.30pm and 6pm this evening (Monday).

dastardly00

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Heinrich Haussler ain't too happy about racing today....


“This isn’t sport any more, it’s bull****. It’s not a race in these conditions because with the wind it’s minus 10. It’s pretty ridiculous. It could be every man for himself as soon as we hit the coast with the wind because it’s really strong and with open roads. I think we’ll see two or three groups but then the rest might pull out. I want to race hard but it’s a health risk at the moment because of the weather and I want to be ready for the bigger races that are coming up.”

Just watching the highlights now. For all of Haussler's complaining, he decided not to wear any gloves during the race. None. Zilch. wtf! Everyone else had full-fingered gloves.

Chips Lovell

He never seems to wear them.

IM0

dastardly00 wrote: »

Just watching the highlights now. For all of Haussler's complaining, he decided not to wear any gloves during the race. None. Zilch. wtf! Everyone else had full-fingered gloves.

noticed that at some stage, figured he lost them [] or actually no he was probably taking the piss in the that interview :pac:

niceonetom

Gloves or no gloves, I'm delighted to see Haussler riding well again. If I could look like anyone on a bike it'd probably be him.

My Sagan-love is souring. I'm beginning to think the piss is being taken.

niceonetom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxZpN4KlUSM

ROK ON

Is anyone else noticing a helluva a lot of black jerseys in the peleton this year. I am not referring to the teams that actually have a black team strip, but the winter race jerseys that some teams have taken to wearing.
Garmin and a few others sem to have them.
What gives - surely all of your team kit should be the same colour (or see thru in the case of a rain cape).
How the hell are you supposed to tell who is who if half of them have black jerseys?

Tom - don't know what you see in HH - he's a right moaney bast#Rd.
If I could look like anyone in a bike it would be cross between Bonen in national colours or Gilbert in anything.

niceonetom

ROK ON wrote: »

Is anyone else noticing a helluva a lot of black jerseys in the peleton this year. I am not referring to the teams that actually have a black team strip, but the winter race jerseys that some teams have taken to wearing.
Garmin and a few others sem to have them.
What gives - surely all of your team kit should be the same colour (or see thru in the case of a rain cape).
How the hell are you supposed to tell who is who if half of them have black jerseys?

Tom - don't know what you see in HH - he's a right moaney bast#Rd.
If I could look like anyone in a bike it would be cross between Bonen in national colours or Gilbert in anything.

Most of the black jerseys seem to be Castelli Gabbas - a new waterproof(ish), wind proof, and stretchy affair that works well in baltic conditions without being the parachute most rain capes become. They only come in black or hi-viz. garmin get them for free, everyone else is buying them, identifyability and sponsor commitments be damned.

I know HH is a whinger (and worse) off the bike but I don't care. He looks like he was born to turn a pedal. Elegant.

manafana

niceonetom wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxZpN4KlUSM

while the start is bit annoying, loved some of stuff they spotted like vandenberg always having something in his mouth or hands at most dangerous of times.

niceonetom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bjVi7Tym-M

Just goes to show, Sagan might be a sex-god on the bike but he's a Borat extra once a mic is in his face.

Chips Lovell

Raam

What has the Europcar rider got on his face? Something for wind chill maybe?