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Spring Classics

About to go live with this one. First up is a double header with Omloop and Kuurne at the weekend. The latter is one of 2 Pro races included in a 15 race competition.

Start lists will be pretty dynamic. I'll often hold of on wholesale changes until start lists are finalised. Otherwise players will receive emails that their riders are not racing and maybe make premature changes and use up valuable transfers. If you do want to change early then select the 'Show all riders' option.

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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75 comments

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Dr Winston | 2 years ago
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Panic transfer this morning. Logged on with two minutes to go to see Benoot as a DNS. Literally threw McNulty in.... mmm... surely only along for the ride with an eye on next week. 

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Dr Winston replied to Dr Winston | 2 years ago
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....Should have gone for Bardet...

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Sniffer replied to Dr Winston | 2 years ago
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Do you get points for compassion?

Not many in the thick of the race have are perceptive enough to do the 'right thing' for a competitor. Always thought Bardet was a honorable guy... today he added to that for me.

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Dr Winston replied to Sniffer | 2 years ago
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Yeah... he was really good. I have to add I posted that before the incident. I think he might have done quite well given his form... as it is he'll have to settle for sportsman of the year award. Good stuff.

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Daniel Norton | 2 years ago
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Woods or Benoot for Liege?  Or ruin my transfer strategy and include both?  Aaargh...  I was so clear before.

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Sniffer replied to Daniel Norton | 2 years ago
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I think it might be another WVA or not question.  This time the budget matters.

Transfers not a problem for me.  Whatever I do I will have 8 or more left for the last race.

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Daniel Norton replied to Sniffer | 2 years ago
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I'm down to 9 transfers, but have a decent team already for Liege.

Would it be worth dropping Alaphillippe or Pog for WVA?  Prob worth a few points if you're lucky. (Alaphillippe's form?)  Woods or Valverde for WVA?  Harder to do with few transfers, but MIGHT gain more from it.

But I got the last WVA or not call wrong so...

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11waterloo replied to Daniel Norton | 2 years ago
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I agree with Sniffer, it's not the number of transfers that is the issue, as most people will have a serviceable team left over from F-W. It's all about the budget & trying stay within it. From that perspective, thank goodness Roglic isn't riding!

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Sniffer replied to 11waterloo | 2 years ago
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The budget will be easier if Pogacar withdraws, though it would be a shame for sporting reasons and on compassionate grounds.

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Dr Winston replied to Sniffer | 2 years ago
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Yeah.... I've been caught out over and over again trying to second guess those sorts of situations... as well as those returning from Covid and injuries. What's the full story with him, does anybody know?

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11waterloo replied to Dr Winston | 2 years ago
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He flew back to Slovenia to support his fiancé after her mother died I believe. He missed the course recon and a press conference due to this. The plan was for him to fly back today in order to race tomorrow and I have heard nothing to contradict that. He has no further races planned until his home tour in mid-June so racing tomorrow seems, on paper, likely. However, as human beings, we deal with situations like this in different ways, so I would imagine there are still question marks over his readiness to participate or be competitive.

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Daniel Norton replied to 11waterloo | 2 years ago
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Pogacer out!  Takes away almost all the fun and strategy of this stage, as everyone will have pretty much the same team.  So tempting to still go without WVA and have an uber "all other favourites" team.  Irritating.

"Unfortunately, I will not be at the start at Liege-Bastogne-Liege tomorrow to defend my title. It has been a few tough days, but I would like to thank everyone for their understanding," Pogacar wrote on his Instagram profile.

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Dr Winston replied to Daniel Norton | 2 years ago
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Fairly evenly matched for recent results at Liege. They both like this race. 

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Dr Winston | 2 years ago
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Damn. Roglic removed from the start list for Flèche Wallone ... I was looking forward to a Pog-Rog battle. 

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11waterloo replied to Dr Winston | 2 years ago
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Makes the budget easier to manage though! 

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11waterloo | 2 years ago
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There is a real dilemma with Paris-Roubaix - to have Van Aert or not? £37 mill is expensive for a domestique if he isn't fit, but is it all a smokescreen to help him get a bit more freedom in the race? I honestly don't know which way to go with him.

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Sniffer replied to 11waterloo | 2 years ago
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Changed my mind a dozen times on WVA.

It was a lot simpler when we thought he wasn't going to ride.

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Dr Winston replied to Sniffer | 2 years ago
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I've gone without him. Nobody knows for certain if he has recovered enough for such a tough race... including WVA himself (I suspect)... Picking him, or not, is just a shot in the dark. 

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Sniffer replied to Dr Winston | 2 years ago
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I agree.  Nobody knows, but I don’t see him riding unless he has ambitions.

Put him in, he is the type of rider that does amazing things.

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11waterloo replied to Sniffer | 2 years ago
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And it was the right call! Pity I went the other way - sums my season up so far! 

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Sniffer replied to 11waterloo | 2 years ago
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This is my best spring classics campaign.

Podium today, plus a couple of other scorers.

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11waterloo replied to Sniffer | 2 years ago
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Yes, you have resembled Ganna after a flat tyre! In all honesty I was never having Van Aert in but went Laporte/Senechal rather than Stuyven/Lampaert as my final decision which was a mistake..... At least the races come thick & fast now so it's quickly forgotten

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Dr Winston replied to 11waterloo | 2 years ago
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Not sure what to make of that. If I'd picked WVA I'd decided it would be the two 3.0 IGD as make weights to afford him and go without Van Baarle. Mmmm. I suppose I'm more or less break even on my own decision. 

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Condor Andy | 2 years ago
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Brabantse Pijl rosters still not finalised but most of the important ones are. I'll start making the changes, but bare in mind, more riders will be added.

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runaroundsioux | 2 years ago
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 OMG!!! Missed the cut off....fingers crossed it is a race of upsets 😤😤

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Daniel Norton replied to runaroundsioux | 2 years ago
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You'll probably do as well as me then.  I only picked 2 riders specifically for this stage anyway.  Hoping plenty of this team can stay for the next race (Tour of Flanders) to save transfers.

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Daniel Norton | 2 years ago
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So Axelgaard predicts a bunch sprint at Dwars door Vlaanderen.  With a fresh Pogacer and Van der Poel riding?

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Dr Winston | 2 years ago
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Not sure how I've done today with the Gent-Wevelgem race. Chose to claw a few transfers back with just Senechal > Demare. Hopefully just treading water....no Merlier might hurt though. 

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Daniel Norton | 2 years ago
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The resistance to Jumbo was depressingly non-existent today.  Really surprised.  Apart from Kung, nobody in that field looks likely to challenge Van Aert at de Ronde - my favourite race.  Over to Van der Poel...

In particular, I expected Pederson to perform.  But Avermaet, Naeson, Vermeersch, Stybar, Senechal were all 6m down on a shorter run.

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Dr Winston replied to Daniel Norton | 2 years ago
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Alaphilippe is being missed badly... by everybody. He may not be at the very top with WVA and MVDP but he's only a tad off them. What's being missed is that he's unpredictable and somewhat maverick... which is hard to plan against. QST did a fantastic job of mob handedly taking the race to either/or both of MVDP and WVA last season but it needs both of Asgreen and Alaphilippe going long with Senechal and co going short... but Ala is the key to it.... the rest of the peleton just kinda sat in amongst all that. Today was all too easy for TJV. Just my thoughts.

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