Spring Classics 2017

[team fl]

First classics 2017 have alreday been ridding, like Omloop or Strade Bianche. Anyway, on Saturday, the first monument of the year is waiting: MSR. Just enough ime to open this thread for the spring classics 2017. And to start it, Team FL will start most likely at 21h with this line-up, hoping for a lucky punch:

x1 Feliciano Centurion
x2 Iwan Franko
x3 Anselmo Grau
x4 Kenneth Low
x5 Bambang Megaranto
x6 Omar Pene
x7 Pavel Sitko
x8 Fridolin Tschugmell
x9 Tony Woodcock

The team seems not to have a main leader but lots of riders that can make a difference, depending on the race development. Centurion or Woodcock might be there for a late punch while Franko and Sitko hope for a decimatet bunch sprint. On the other hand, riders like Tschugmell, Low, Grau or Megaranto will lookout for early opportunities, if the situation allows it. And Pene will get a joker card. However, the team management thinks that Hugo Marxer will have the best strategy for a decent result. And who knows what may happen after almost 300 km...

[Robyklebt]

Yeah, yeah.

The Donkeys plan is to win Milano Sanremo. And Harelbeke. And Gent-Wevelgem. And Flèche Wallonne. And Liège Bastogne Liège.
Not planning to win the other ones, but probably winning Roubaix will be unavoidable.

Anyway, let's start with Milano-Sanremo.

Babic to Tazlauanu the riders starting, the leaders will be:
Kaniuk. He'll have Balderis and Farkas as closest helpers in the final, but others might join too.
Recordon: Garita, Sax and Quiroga for him in the final. Although Garita or Sax might get the chance to ride for themselves, or Quiroga and one of the 2 others might be forced to wait for Kaniuk.

Kashiwabara and Kehrli are in Milano as well, as replacements.

So at 15h while it seems safe to predict that the Donkey will win, there's still a lot of excitement ahead, will it be Kaniuk or Recordon? A team intern poll of the riders not starting at MSR gave us the following result:
Kaniuk: 0
Recordon: 1
Which is kind of confusing, since we have 9 riders not starting.

[team fl]

Hmm... that was bummer that MSR Edition. Anyway, next race DdV! First time cat. 4 at RSF/C4F. So do we have as many classics this year as never before or what?

[Robyklebt]

Mine was mostly boring. Early attack by 2 guys, gave up. Nothing. Then 2 Donkeys went, had a Liquigas follower who as we know him (and he confirmed it) wasn't going to cooperate, no puller either, so Farkas just went alone. No chance of course. Race started then, Sieb, Classics in front simply don't do enough, 3 guys with 70+ sprint, lots of guys with 60+... one of the 3 with 70+ thought it necessary to save all his riders to block later. Block for what when the next group comes back? Block for the blocks sake it seems, the guy really blocked Despite a 91 sprinter being there. Lucky SM, he was brought back in part by Bugatti with his 78 sprinter, that got 2nd place. Top of Cipressa and the downhill done by Bugatti, then SM finally took over. Not his fault, but what is his fault is that if it happened the other way around he would have thrown another fit, he used to complain about others riding even when it was completely logical AND they ended up winning the stage, so imagine for some tempo like that

Anyway, Donks got 4th with Recordon. And has to say once again: Too bad we have such an idiocy of a sprint system. With a sensible one the Donkey would buy a sprinter again, and with a sprinter MSR usually is just much more interesting. Like this indeed it was kind of boring. Kaniuk... bought him 2 months too late, buy him 2 months earlier and he could be with SM and could end up fighting for 2nd... And depending on training in front of SM, then hard, but worth a try. But ok, normally with Kaniuks no chance, so let's hope for a sprint reform

Anyway, no trying my luck in Catalunya instead of Flanders. Who cares about Flanders anyway, cold, no good roads, kind of like a cyclists third world country.

[Rexona]

Classic Season:
1th# KBK
1th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen
3th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen
1th# RVV

[team fl]

Classic Season:
1th# KBK
1th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen
3th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen

Was an interesting race the 9h DdV edition. First I thought that your early sieb and farmer trick would help Alkworld a lot, but in the end it was your success. Nor sure how much this move influenced the result though, but some classic riders were able to finish in the main group that maybe wouldn't. . Much more influencing was when Mosca decided to race against Alkworld and not with him. Again, interesting race with lots of action in the second half. Now I hope for an action packed 15h edition . And GW.

[Rexona]

Classic Season:
1th# KBK
1th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen
3th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen

Was an interesting race the 9h DdV edition. First I thought that your early sieb and farmer trick would help Alkworld a lot, but in the end it was your success. Nor sure how much this move influenced the result though, but some classic riders were able to finish in the main group that maybe wouldn't. . Much more influencing was when Mosca decided to race against Alkworld and not with him. Again, interesting race with lots of action in the second half. Now I hope for an action packed 15h edition . And GW.

and i lost at the first sieb my captain..if he were in front i guess i would have also ridden this a way harder..lets see the coming days and good luck for you later

[Rasmussen]

Classic Season:
1th# KBK
1th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen
3th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen

Was an interesting race the 9h DdV edition. First I thought that your early sieb and farmer trick would help Alkworld a lot, but in the end it was your success. Nor sure how much this move influenced the result though, but some classic riders were able to finish in the main group that maybe wouldn't. . Much more influencing was when Mosca decided to race against Alkworld and not with him. Again, interesting race with lots of action in the second half. Now I hope for an action packed 15h edition . And GW.

I like it when Alkworld and Mosca riding against each other instead together. Like that I could win Strade Bianche.

Congrats to your win FL. Strong race.

[Alkworld]

Classic Season:
1th# KBK
1th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen
3th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen

Was an interesting race the 9h DdV edition. First I thought that your early sieb and farmer trick would help Alkworld a lot, but in the end it was your success. Nor sure how much this move influenced the result though, but some classic riders were able to finish in the main group that maybe wouldn't. . Much more influencing was when Mosca decided to race against Alkworld and not with him. Again, interesting race with lots of action in the second half. Now I hope for an action packed 15h edition . And GW.

I like it when Alkworld and Mosca riding against each other instead together. Like that I could win Strade Bianche.

Congrats to your win FL. Strong race.

The farmer trick partially helped me, as it kept Tupac stronger than the guys in the first group (group 2 was bigger). Riding against Beyer and Cochrane I also didn't really understand, as Mosca's Cummings was with them anyway. But then in the sprint, it's easy to be fucked when you don't have a train Anyway, congratulations to today's winners!

[Moscow Team Pro]

Classic Season:
1th# KBK
1th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen
3th# Dwars Door Vlaanderen

Was an interesting race the 9h DdV edition. First I thought that your early sieb and farmer trick would help Alkworld a lot, but in the end it was your success. Nor sure how much this move influenced the result though, but some classic riders were able to finish in the main group that maybe wouldn't. . Much more influencing was when Mosca decided to race against Alkworld and not with him. Again, interesting race with lots of action in the second half. Now I hope for an action packed 15h edition . And GW.

I like it when Alkworld and Mosca riding against each other instead together. Like that I could win Strade Bianche.

Congrats to your win FL. Strong race.

The farmer trick partially helped me, as it kept Tupac stronger than the guys in the first group (group 2 was bigger). Riding against Beyer and Cochrane I also didn't really understand, as Mosca's Cummings was with them anyway. But then in the sprint, it's easy to be fucked when you don't have a train Anyway, congratulations to today's winners!

I give all the explanations.

Strade Bianche to two or three teams that I do not provide the names hano decided to elect me as the absolute favorite. The pavé This was not selection, gradients even. 6% to -2 you, and with that 3/4 kilometer team could win. I worked qlc km late, but if I were helped in time we would have stitched up and we would have played the course. (Alk would win )

The DDV I decided in the end to pull against Alk to stay 10/15 kilometers Tupac without aid, given that definitely had more energy than Burke. The sieb half favored Tupac left behind and penalized Burke stayed ahead. At the end is right Alk, without a difficult train always guessing everything.

The races of the Pavé above all, they can often change their course for a sieb, an attack, etc. I think it is wrong to appoint absolute favorites.

[Moscow Team Pro]

SPRING CLASSIC

OMLOOP HET NIEUWSBLAD: 1° BURKE
STRADE BIANCHE: 4° DOCKER
MILANO SANREMO: 2° MATTHEWS
DWAARS DOOR VLAANDEREN: 7° BURKE
E3 HARELBEKE: 1° BURKE
GENT WEVELGEM: 7° BURKE
RONDE VAN VLAANDEREN: 3° BURKE
SCHELDEPRIJS: 1° MATTHEWS

[team fl]

So, March is over regarding classics. Team FL could win two of them, DdV and GW. Next race waiting is RVV. Team FL will start in the evening as usual at the weekend. Line-up is not 100 % sure yet, but it's clear that Iwan Franko will try to defend his victory from 2016. Besides that, Team spots for Centurion, Sellami and Grau seem to be fix and also the two classic riders Woodcock and Sellami will be there most probably.

[Pokemon Club]

The most important Classics are over for me let's make a first point :

Omloop : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
KBK : 2nd / Nakiri Erina
Strade Bianche : 6th / Shidare Hotaru
MSR : 1st / Nakiri Erina
DDV : 1st / Mito Ikumi
GP E3 : 2nd / Ikumi Mito
Gent-Wevelgem : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
RVV : 3rd / Shidare Hotaru

After Lombardia I finally won MSR with Nakiri, sad that fail my sprint with Shidare during RVV, I must wait 2018 to have all Monuments. Anyway, win MSR + Omloop + DDV + Wevelgem + Nokere (Langeleben) + De Panne (Aika), podium on KBK, GPE3 and RVV and a lot of excitations on cobbles till now, let's hope that it will be like that until LBL.

[katiki]

Strade Bianche 2017--->1st with Sebastien Deneyer
Rond om Nokere 2017--->4th with Andrei Zemenu
Handzame Classic 2017--->1st with Nicolae Dananau
MSR 2017--->15th with Sebastien Deneyer
Dwars door Vlaanderen 2017--->13th with sebastien Deneyer
GP Harelbeke 2017-->1st Nelu Tapasei
Gent-Wevelgem 2017--->8th with Sebastien Deneyer
Ronde van Vlaanderen 2017--->1st with Vadim Petru

voila thats what i did and i'm really happy with the results because my team is not specialized on the classics and winning these monuments give me more motivation for the next races

[Pokemon Club]

Omloop : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
KBK : 2nd / Nakiri Erina
Samyn : 10th / Hinazuki Kayo
Strade Bianche : 6th / Shidare Hotaru
Nokere : 1st / Robert Langeleben
Handzame : 6th / Hinazuki Kayo
MSR : 1st / Nakiri Erina
DDV : 1st / Mito Ikumi
GP E3 : 2nd / Ikumi Mito
Gent-Wevelgem : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
De Panne : 1st / Fuwa Aika
RVV : 3rd / Shidare Hotaru
Sheldeprijs : 1st / Robert Langeleben

[team fl]

So you guys are just going to post your own palmares instead of "discussing" the spring classics here?

[katiki]

yeah why not

[Alkworld]

So you guys are just going to post your own palmares instead of "discussing" the spring classics here?

Sure, how long and wide is yours? Or we could stay on topic? OK.

Team Alkworld was in a whole lot of exciting and open races, a lot better than in previous years. Everything cat 4+ in Belgium and Strade Bianche led to podiums for us, some of them very close to the win, some lost clearly. But the good news was that all the podiums used up the bad luck for the monuments, which were also very close, but:
- At MSR, after good collaboration with Mosca and a few others we got a good position in the sprint with MacBride + Connolly on the best train and being to able to wait long. After almost 10 years, we could finally close that gap in the Palmares
- RVV (this April only 2nd in importance to Paris - Roubaix for our pavé riders) was a really fun race with no clear favorite at all. A five rider group was hesitating, but getting far away after all. Some of the favorites starting the action, siebing, but stopping shortly after. Furpach then made the race hard quite early, getting rid of all Wookies, who then chased and after the last Oude Kwaremont finally came back with Nieto in the group. Then an almost successful attack by bernardsport was triggered and Nieto and quite a few others (two Hachens, two Fraeggfichten among them) also attacked shortly after leaving the main favorites (Katari and Torstensson) behind. At the same time, the early group was still not caught and bernardsport in between. When the attacks behind started, Nieto got lucky and ended up in front with weaker sprinters, thus securing our win.

[Moscow Team Pro]

I noticed that there are quite unique races like Milano - Sanremo that requires a strong enough uphill sprinter but also three suitable gregarious: definitely a classic that can block the hill but also at least two guys with great mountain value but also very strong in the plains. Scheldepijs for me is a race for sprinters although I have seen it three times in the victory came after the final attack. I believe that a sprinter at least 64/65 pavé and two great long distance rider can lead the race in the sprint. Roubaix Of course, it takes two or three very strong guys paved and discreet sprint, why get yourself it is very difficult. For me Omloop, Dwaars, harelbeke, GW and Flanders can all be overcome with a classic runner with excellent value in sprint if you have two boys 60-85 able to lead the race end.

these are my assessments, the pavé counts but it is absolutely crucial only in the Paris-Roubaix. That's why I think that in these races there may be much more collaboration to bring in the final race without running into a surprise attack or worse arrival of the flight.

[Pokemon Club]

Omloop : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
KBK : 2nd / Nakiri Erina
Samyn : 10th / Hinazuki Kayo
Strade Bianche : 6th / Shidare Hotaru
Nokere : 1st / Robert Langeleben
Handzame : 6th / Hinazuki Kayo
MSR : 1st / Nakiri Erina
DDV : 1st / Mito Ikumi
GP E3 : 2nd / Ikumi Mito
Gent-Wevelgem : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
De Panne : 1st / Fuwa Aika
RVV : 3rd / Shidare Hotaru
Sheldeprijs : 1st / Robert Langeleben

PR : 3rd / Robert Langeleben

[Moscow Team Pro]

SPRING CLASSIC

OMLOOP HET NIEUWSBLAD: 1° BURKE
GP SAMYN: 1° BURKE
STRADE BIANCHE: 4° DOCKER
MILANO SANREMO: 2° MATTHEWS
DWAARS DOOR VLAANDEREN: 7° BURKE
E3 HARELBEKE: 1° BURKE
GENT WEVELGEM: 7° BURKE
RONDE VAN VLAANDEREN: 3° BURKE
SCHELDEPRIJS: 1° MATTHEWS
PARIS - ROUBAIX: 1° BURKE
BRABANTE: 3° Wholer

[Pokemon Club]

Omloop : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
KBK : 2nd / Nakiri Erina
Samyn : 10th / Hinazuki Kayo
Strade Bianche : 6th / Shidare Hotaru
Nokere : 1st / Robert Langeleben
Handzame : 6th / Hinazuki Kayo
MSR : 1st / Nakiri Erina
DDV : 1st / Mito Ikumi
GP E3 : 2nd / Ikumi Mito
Gent-Wevelgem : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
De Panne : 1st / Fuwa Aika
RVV : 3rd / Shidare Hotaru
Sheldeprijs : 1st / Robert Langeleben
PR : 3rd / Robert Langeleben
Brabant : 1st / Andreas Sander

[Pokemon Club]

Omloop : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
KBK : 2nd / Nakiri Erina
Samyn : 10th / Hinazuki Kayo
Strade Bianche : 6th / Shidare Hotaru
Nokere : 1st / Robert Langeleben
Handzame : 6th / Hinazuki Kayo
MSR : 1st / Nakiri Erina
DDV : 1st / Mito Ikumi
GP E3 : 2nd / Mito Ikumi
Gent-Wevelgem : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
De Panne : 1st / Fuwa Aika
RVV : 3rd / Shidare Hotaru
Sheldeprijs : 1st / Robert Langeleben
PR : 3rd / Robert Langeleben
Brabant : 1st / Andreas Sander

Amstel : 1st / Mito Ikumi

[Liquigas-CND]

Even if the Liquigas-CND team goal was never to win classics, this month was ok and may represent a turning point for priorities of the Greatest team and Greatest manager starting with next year.

Martin Petkov managed to be 3rd in Paris-Roubaix;
Sven Torstensson finished 2nd the Brabantse Pijl; then...
Sven Torstensson finally brought an important win: Amstel 2017 for the Liquigas-CND Team!!!

Will be back next spring with a decent team for classics!

[Pokemon Club]

Omloop : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
KBK : 2nd / Nakiri Erina
Samyn : 10th / Hinazuki Kayo
Strade Bianche : 6th / Shidare Hotaru
Nokere : 1st / Robert Langeleben
Handzame : 6th / Hinazuki Kayo
MSR : 1st / Nakiri Erina
DDV : 1st / Mito Ikumi
GP E3 : 2nd / Mito Ikumi
Gent-Wevelgem : 1st / Shidare Hotaru
De Panne : 1st / Fuwa Aika
RVV : 3rd / Shidare Hotaru
Sheldeprijs : 1st / Robert Langeleben
PR : 3rd / Robert Langeleben
Brabant : 1st / Andreas Sander
Amstel : 1st / Mito Ikumi

Wallonne : 2nd / Andreas Sander