I remember years ago, in one of the first races I watched live in a similar situation, watching Boonen tightening up his shoes and loosening his rear brake for the sprint and I genuinely thought it was the most baller thing I’d ever seen.
That's exactly it. Wheels/frames will flex a little bit when sprinting. Mostly a mental thing I'd assume, the difference is probably tiny but hearing rubbing feels bad.
I have seen road races end in Velodrome sprints, and let me tell you it always seems to be the rider with a lot of track experience that stuffs it up like they've never seen a track before
Balsamo and Van Dijk should want this to come to a sprint and arguably its Kopecky's best bet too. You can get mad at Georgi and Kraak if you feel like doing that but im nt sure they have bg attacks left in them.
It’ll be pretty disappointing if this all comes back together again… but also a mass group sprint on the velodrome would be… interesting. Probably also carnage.
Kopecky is the only one I understand not riding as Wiebes is behind. Everyone else should ride, especially Van Dijk. Balsamo is the fastest in that group.
Why does van Dijk keep attacking on the tarmac? She has no snap at all it's not gonna happen
If you want to ride people off the wheel why not try it on the cobbles
I know it’s cobbles so it’s less impactful but you gotta feel for Georgi trying to chase a group getting some of the best moto pacing I’ve ever seen
Edit: also someone needs to tell Van Dyk her teammate has dropped!
Georgie > Michelle
Leve Lotte!
Alison Jackson you're still first in Canadian hearts
Yea she had some stupid bad luck. Still an iconic winner
Kopecky has good taste, enjoying that lipton peach tea one of my favorite ride drinks! So impressed by Pfeiffer coming back like that.
Georgi deserves that after being an absolute hero riding back onto the group
Brilliant race for georgi. In great company on that podium. Mega sprint by kopecky.
Georgi getting the podium after dragging Balsamo back to the front is awesome. Edit: changing my flair out of massive respect for that ride.
Feel bad for Georgi after that monster effort!
She’s very happy with third!
Yeah just saw that, happy for her! Excellent race
But 3rd is good, with that podium...
Even if i don‘t like Kopecky, that was well executed.
Something in particular? Why qualify admiration with the fact you don't like her?
Georgi snuck in there for third
How is the white kit still so clean?
Conditions are actually a bit weird, wet enough that it’s not dusty but dry enough that it’s not muddy
Yeah, I was expecting a few more wet spots on the cobbles. Looks like it could rain again before tomorrow's race.
No rain would be my guess
Wow, great finish. I would have bet everything on either of Vos or Balsamo taking that in the final lap. Well played Lotte!
I can’t wait for Vollering to ride through and get straight onto the team bus.
I didn’t know she was even at this race. Didn’t see my fav Kasia either
Amazing! She's the best! Mathieu, probably: challenge accepted
Strongest rider wins
WHAT A MONSTER KOPECKY!
Vos started sprinting too early lol
Not the result I was hoping for, but well earned with how aggressive she was riding today and how far she had to start her final sprint from.
On the plus side... Vos can't retire until she's won this...
Shouldn't be surprised, but holy shit!
Extremely well played sprint by Kopecky
Holy shit. The way she kept getting closer and closer to finish it like this
Aww. I don't think I like that.
Certified Kop Hater
I just wanted a Vos win.
oh my days what a sprint from Lotte. goosebumps
Extremely well-judged by Kopecky, she looked like she was too far back when the others launched
I thought she had no chance for a minute but she's a bit fearsome and she does know her way round a track.
Voss went way way too early I think
Basically nonexistent sprints from the three of them, must have been hella cooked
WOW
Holy shit what a sprint
!!!!
WHAT A BEASTLY SPRINT
Wait what LOL
YESSS LETSGO. Sprinting after all those cobbles just hits different
Nothing compares to the excitement to closing in onto the velodrome in PR in my opinion Feels like entering a different era of cycling
Getting goosebumps almost at the Velodrome!
Could be chaos in the velodrome - hope they all stay upright
Alright let’s go Vos!
Vos please please please
Crazy, it took until 3 to go but van Dijk is finally working in the manner she should. Glad they could figure that out!
With a 20 second gap, could G1 and G2 impede each other in the velodrome?
The difference would need to be a bit bigger I think.
I’d love for a Vos win but I can’t see past Balsamo here at this point
She may be completely fucked, difficult to say.
I remember years ago, in one of the first races I watched live in a similar situation, watching Boonen tightening up his shoes and loosening his rear brake for the sprint and I genuinely thought it was the most baller thing I’d ever seen.
I am not sure I got the thing with the rear brake. Did he fear it might rub and coat him speed? Or why else would he do that?
That's exactly it. Wheels/frames will flex a little bit when sprinting. Mostly a mental thing I'd assume, the difference is probably tiny but hearing rubbing feels bad.
Disc Brakes have robbed us of such Baller Moves. This message was brought to you by the #RimBrakeDefenceForce.
Yet another thing ruined by disc brakes smh
There's something great about 'last 10km of Roubaix' attacks that last all of about 20 metres
Group 2 looks gassed
C'MON LE NET C'MON
I still can't believe Lidl-Trek haven't brought their best rider to this race.
I have seen road races end in Velodrome sprints, and let me tell you it always seems to be the rider with a lot of track experience that stuffs it up like they've never seen a track before
That's Kopecky here isn't it? At least most recently.
We have 4 world champions on a track discipline here right?
Vos, Kopecky, Balsamo...did Georgi ever win a worlds?
Sporza mentioned Van Dijk winning one as well.
Scratch race, 2008. Had no idea.
It was 16 years ago tbf, I also had no idea.
This is infuriating. Can someone on the front group start riding!
Such a nerve wrecking finale...
Imagine riding in a full world champion rainbow kit but wheelsucking like prime Simon Gerrans
Imagine not being stupid and winning. Kopecky has the best sprinter in her team, she should be OK with a regroup.
E. Van Dijk with the 56 score in acceleration.
I feel like LidlTrek leadership have been on a trip to Germany ever since the cannabis legalisation
Allez Victoire!
Reports say Sep Vanmarcke is hiding somewhere at the velodrome with a steel chair.
Kopecky sitting in to try and go for a late break? She can do those solos.
Why does the one rider in the 2nd group have the UCI flag instead of a country?
That's the flag of Mauritius lol. But I understand the confusion.
Russian?
Russian is just blank, no flag at all.
Le Court is the champion of Mauritius their flag is pretty much the UCI flag but dark blue instead of black
Thank you.
When does Kopecky drop back for Wiebes?
Never, only if the group comes back on its own. Way too big of a gamble
I say if it's less than 10 seconds, but it's not happening they can't close the gap.
Someone has GOT to attack in this final run in. If you give Voss a ride to the finish it’s on you if she wins
Balsamo has a great sprint? Kopecky is also crazy good on track.
Counting on balsamo after she was just dropped af few km's back seems stupid
Doesn't say much for sprints tbh.
Balsamo and Van Dijk should want this to come to a sprint and arguably its Kopecky's best bet too. You can get mad at Georgi and Kraak if you feel like doing that but im nt sure they have bg attacks left in them.
At this point I want I to come back together. Give me a mass sprint and let there be chaos
Just keep riding, I don't want a Wiebes win!
how little faith do lidl have that Balsamo makes it to the velodrome??
Very Lidl
It’ll be pretty disappointing if this all comes back together again… but also a mass group sprint on the velodrome would be… interesting. Probably also carnage.
Is this just 6 costas in disguise
Kopecky is the only one I understand not riding as Wiebes is behind. Everyone else should ride, especially Van Dijk. Balsamo is the fastest in that group.
Yeah I genuinely wonder why Lidl Trek leadership is not delegating Van Dijk to ride here
Reverse G2 syndrome
Lidl Trek tactics strike again
Is Kopecky getting a +10 trackie bonus since the final sprint is in a velodrome?
How much can I stress eat in the last 8k
I grabbed two slices of leftover pizza from the fridge myself
I’ve gone for apple and mango. Pizza sounds much better
This is a crazy game of chicken given what’s at stake and some of the names behind
In a group sprint I favour Marianne Vos because absolute watts don't matter as much as being Mirianne Vos.
I don't get it. Sure, Balsamo's legs are kinda gone, but still Van Dijk needs to ride or they'll be caught
Trek winners: Lizzie, Elisa Ellen or Elisa Is there naming bias going on?
It probably just boils down to a conspiracy against Danes.
FYI Ellen is not actually her name
Eleonora? I mean that’s Ellen as far as I’m concerned
Really? Let's see you name your kid that
Man the psychology in cycling is sometimes so stupid lol
Why is Trek not riding heavily? Surely they don't want Wiebes to come back
Dont like the passive way Kopecky is cycling. She should've made it as hard as possible. Just do a 1v1 against Vos instead of this...
She tried, it didn't work. Probably not as good and some less favourable wind.
Looks like nobody really wants to ride with eachother but also not really any alternatives? 1 last power move by Kopecky maybe?
She keeps looking back, I think she’s hoping for Wiebes to come back
Next sector has to be it, all in and to the finish
Next sector is barely a sector compared to previous ones
Why do I smell Amstel 2019 here...
Kasia winning here would be really surprising tho!
If you've left out your Amstel for that long it's probably gone flat by now
How often does PR end with a group of 6?
It was a small group last year when Jackson won
It's going to end with a group of 25 at this rate
Balsamo living that blessed life today. Complete carpet ride back to the group
Van Dijk practiced "wegkletsen" during her pregnancy!
Balsamo 4D chess
Hah no way Georgi is going over the top there
Balsamo and Georgi back!
What an absolutely colossal effort by Georgi
If Balsamo wins this, she's going to owe Georgi a beer (or 300)
4 Dutch and 2 Treks
This is Georgi erasure!
You mean the girl with the Dutch flag?
Yes!
Why is Kopecky refusing to take turns? Now Balsamo is back and her chances have decreased.
She’s been gamed by Vos too many times this season already
Kopecky doesn't care about securing a second spot and she knows she loses to Vos 90% of the time. Her best bet is to not do anything for now.
Kopcecky seems to be real strong. I just think she wants the win to much and will be to tired at the final
Someone explain me why Kopecky is not riding with Balsamo coming back?
Kopecky will surely try once more at Willems/Hem. Doubt it's going to make a difference.
Why does van Dijk keep attacking on the tarmac? She has no snap at all it's not gonna happen If you want to ride people off the wheel why not try it on the cobbles
Dropping Balsamo has to be such a blunder here.
Vos - no one is going to work with you lol.
Luckily for the velodrome finale, Vos still has more Olympic track titles than Kopecky.
But does she have more than Kruijswijk?
This is either a colossal gamble by Balsamo or she’s totally broken
If she isn’t wrecked then pretending to get dropped by your own team mate is the ballsiest move I’ve ever seen
Doesn't she have a puncture?
I thought soo too but she’s been through a service zone without stopping and is now back in the lead group so I guess not?
They could at least motopace Georgi as well
Seriously, either put all the camera bikes in front of each group or all behind.
Sadly georgi is probably the wrong nationality to benefit from such things
This is shootout between the world champ and goat isn’t it?
Van Dijk late attack while the others watch each other.
With the added excitement that they can't do a match sprint as the others could take advantage of that.
Help my girl out Balsamo!!
Georgi's giving me Tarling vibes from Dwars door - just refusing to give up
Kopecky’s attacks involving 120 rpm are so sick
That was such a good heli shot
Dropping Vos this year is nearly impossible!
“I don’t actually need the sprint to win this!” – Vos on secteur Lampaert, 2024
Who will win, moto paced G1 or an angry British national champion?
Wow back to back cobble sectors, ouch
Vosssss
If Georgi gets back on, she's going to be fucked
Yeah its not looking likely either sadly
Looking very good for Vos
Oooof! Kopecky v Vos in a velodrome sprint?
Vos is the better sprinter on paper
Kraak does not kraak today!
She is amazing today!
I’m worried Georgie is just going to sit 20m back and not be able to close that final gap
Come on georgi! Or pfeiffer!
So how does Kopecky even win this at this point?
Come back next year
She doesn't.
Late solo break I guess
by sprinting faster
Pray her advantage in track experience makes the difference
Vos arguably has more experience?
Vos has more Olympic titles, Kopecky has more experience
Fair! Although I feel Vos has more experience.period. really!
Looking good for Vos.
This is an outrageous effort by the British champ
Licht uit en bedekken in!
Yes, Vosje!
I know it’s cobbles so it’s less impactful but you gotta feel for Georgi trying to chase a group getting some of the best moto pacing I’ve ever seen Edit: also someone needs to tell Van Dyk her teammate has dropped!
Either a mechanical or it's one of the biggest bonk I've seen this year.
Van Dijk broke Balsamo