Spring Classics

....Should have gone for Bardet...

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.

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.

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.

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...

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!

The budget will be easier if Pogacar withdraws, though it would be a shame for sporting reasons and on compassionate grounds.

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?

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.

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.

Fairly evenly matched for recent results at Liege. They both like this race. 

Makes the budget easier to manage though! 

Changed my mind a dozen times on WVA.

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

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. 

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.

And it was the right call! Pity I went the other way - sums my season up so far! 

This is my best spring classics campaign.

Podium today, plus a couple of other scorers.

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

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. 

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.

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.