>Starting and finishing in the city of Ghent the race occupies a triangular sector to the south of the city, criss-crossing roads to use as much of the terrain as possible. As the profile suggests, the first 100km are without too many obstacles. They tackle the infamous Muur van Geraardsbergen early, it helps to sap the legs before more and more climbs appear.
>Things get serious with 80km to go and the Kaperij climb, anyone badly positioned from now on is going to waste energy and pay for it sooner or later. A succession of short climbs, cobbles and cobbled climbs ensures the process of attrition. Watch for Tom Boonen on the Taaienberg and then a series of attacks, moves, splits and crashes will hone down the field. The Haaghoek cobbles are apparently a mess thanks to works. The final climb is the Molenberg, back after last year’s absence. The final cobbled sector is the Lange Munte, a long straight section that’s tiring but with a regular surface but very exposed to the wind.
Cameron Edwards
1aganwinslol
Kevin Hill
but can he do it on a wet and windy day on the cobbles?
>Tiesj Benoot I rate the lad but I dont think hes good enough to actually win yet.
Also im hype as fuck, cant wait for it to start. I still need to find a belgian proxy though so I can watch the Sporza stream.
Race just started, broadcast will start in 2 bongs yes.
Adam Diaz
oh I just saw your post is 2 bongs old.
Noah Jackson
tfw waited 2 hours in the cold at the finish line last year just to watch them swift by at 60km/h, barely could even see what happened
never again lads, staying in my comfy sofa with cookies and coffee this year
Chase Barnes
>going to the finish
You done goofed lad. The course is perfect for spectators but you need to the climbs where they loop around
Here is the 2015 race on Strava if anyone is interested. I think it's pretty much the same course this year. Molenberg is back strava.com/activities/265622540
Connor Wright
if you go there you need to plan it very well, go from cobbled section to cobbled section and watch them ride by multiple times. Thats how most of your countrymen do it.
Christopher Stewart
Boonen's bike today
Lucas Flores
hes going to murder someone with those discs
Joshua Adams
Moscon and Rowe are going to podia several times this year.
But Benoot, GVA, Sagan, Demare, Degenkolb and Stuyven will be the winners of the classic season.
>Erviti for two top 5 in Flanders and Roubaix.
Chase Garcia
GET IN BOYS
Based Pe1er 2agan
who /Bora/ here?
i missed you /cyc/ :3
Nolan Gutierrez
>tfw no proper dutch classics specialists
I hope Lars Boom can win but I just dont see it happening.
Lincoln Evans
Feels good to be back
Blake Roberts
...
Evan Taylor
Based 2agan. He looks so ridiculous on the bike too, with his strange upright position and his saddle height seems way too low so his knees are pointing outside. But somehow he makes it work.
Michael Lee
occasional reminder at the start of the spring campaign that cobbles aren'r for sky
Jackson Cooper
Who /stuyven/ here?
Christopher Parker
Does Cav have a chance?
Jason Gray
...
Mason Barnes
cav is in abu dhabi, and today is a uphill finish. So no, cav does not have a chance.
>Tfw want to watch omloop >Tfw want to watch the uphill finish of the Abu Dhabi tour to see the Giro favourites in action
Abu Dhabi tour should finish quite early so I hope Omloop isnt interesting yet at that point.
Leo Barnes
Its /vanmarcke/ his Year lads screenshot this
Logan Perez
>tfw playing football and missing everything
Ethan Perry
dont play football then
That would be nice, he seems like a nice guy.
Josiah Hill
Based Stannard. He will get Roubaix or E3 this year.
Thomas Miller
Too bad he has an iq of 80 or else he could become the next goat
Joshua Sanchez
46.3kph average for the first hour, they are not letting any breakaway escape.
Cooper Gonzalez
Sky is the limit for Jaan Stannaert when he has his loyal Quick Step squad working for him.
Caleb Anderson
kek, I really really really hope quickstep fucks it all up again. Its always nice to see the best team fuck it up for themselves.
Robert Lopez
44km to go in Abu Dhabi. Final climb starts at 10ish km to go.
15% of russians are muslim. And Zakarin is tatar, the biggest muslim ethnic group in Russia
Chase Price
i was expecting him to be Rippi desu
that stage was so sad >crash weak
Charles Lee
Lance Armstrong
Anthony Bennett
Sagans hairgrowth is getting out of control
Caleb Jackson
Hair can be braided or put into helmets
Jace Young
female cyclists are such qts
Angel Phillips
based
Lincoln Sanchez
C'mon Sporza start showing the race already
Robert Moore
they are
Ryder Thompson
15km to go in Abu Dhabi lads, climb to the finish starts at 10 to go. The person who wins this stage is going to win the overall because all other stages are flat. Gonna be fireworks.
>tfw 4.9 W/Kg FTP peak last month >have had debilatating knee and joint pain fot 10+ days >can no longer ride bike and everyday not training is making me weaker
Michael Watson
...
Brandon Price
who /dumoulin/ here? hes looking strong.
Christian Edwards
>tfw real nigga cycling is back
Eli Martin
>thinking hè can win today
Ga weg tokkie
Logan Martin
>so close yet so far
CATCH THEM GODDAMNIT
Joseph Foster
COSTA
nice win desu, peloton got absolutely btfo, those dumb cunts.
Logan Stewart
kek
dumoulin BTFO yet again >the dutch genuinely thought he was going to win a GT this year
Kevin Fisher
He did better than quintana and co, the only GT contender that beat him today is Zakarin.
Nolan Thompson
>judging GC riders by february form
Cooper Johnson
>dumemelin >GC >ever
Colton Fisher
remember the vulelta
Elijah Hall
>tfw 5 months of winter
Jayden Johnson
>almost won the Vuelta in full sprinters-team >vs full alliance of climbing teams
Isaac Reyes
>Vuelta thanks lads I needed a good laugh
Carson Kelly
>not riding through the winter
Noah Kelly
almost as painful as Crashwijk in the Giro
Landon Garcia
I don't think you would get a lot of potential return if you bet on him podiuming a GT in his career tbqh
Justin Evans
I did that because I like riding so much, and no im overtrained and fucked just when the nice weather starts.
Xavier Campbell
RIPIP.
Actually felt bad for Crashwijk then
Jacob Bennett
...
Landon Hall
>""""almost"""" won the vuelta >in 6th place nearly 4 min behind
really makes you think
Cameron Ross
Lance Armstrong
Nicholas Lopez
who?
Xavier Jackson
>Strong winds today >Finish with a full-on tailwind
This gon b gud
Brody Nelson
>NL >winter
Lets not get carried away..
Ryder Barnes
Greg Lemon D
Nolan Jones
Lance Armstrong
Joseph Smith
I SEE COBBLES!!!!!!
Liam Rodriguez
Lance Armstrong
Elijah Martin
oh come on now, you know damn well he nearly won it.