Hi, I recently bought my first road bike. It's 50cm size perfect for me. I got good guidance from https://buyer.bike. That blog has a collection some bike models to comparisons and review. It's helpful.
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Statistics
We looked inside some of the posts by walkerwander-blog and here's what we found interesting.
Average Info
Notes Per Post
0
Likes Per Post
0
Reblog Per Post
0
Reply Per Post
0
Time Between Posts
1 hour ago
Number of Posts By Type
Text
17
Last Seen Tumblr Blogs
Fun Fact
25% of US internet users with an annual income of $80-100K use Tumblr.
Text
50cm:Mohoric: I got too excited at Tour of Flanders
It was testament to Matej Mohoric’s ability that, on the front cover of the sport pull-out for the weekend edition of Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, there was space for his face as part of one of the longest roll of favourites for the Tour of Flanders in recent years. Inside, however, they noted that the Bahrain-Merida rider often kills his own chances by racing like “a headless chicken”. By Sunday evening, they had been proved not far wide of the mark.
Mohoric, a rider who doesn’t seem to possess a back foot, repeated his aggressive Gent-Wevelgem display with another scatter of speculative attacks at De Ronde on Sunday.
He was up front when the peloton split on the Muur van Geraardsbergen with 100 kilometres to go and put in frequent accelerations as the race situation hung in the air. If that wasn’t necessarily so surprising, what he did next was. He left the group behind with 75 kilometres to go, embarking on a solo mission that would last 10 kilometres.
ADVERTISEMENT
Having been caught, Mohoric was later dropped from the main group of contenders when the race ignited in the build-up to the final climbs of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg. He crossed the line in 41st place.
“I think today I was too excited and I spent too much energy with those attacks,” Mohoric told Cyclingnews, summarising his day.
There were, however, mitigating circumstances. When he went solo, he initially thought the four-man breakaway was still up the road, whereas they had in fact been caught by his own group after the Muur.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Remembering Michael Goolaerts one year on
Between all of the hubbub and talk of contenders in the build-up of Paris-Roubaix, time must be taken to think of one rider who will not be lining up this weekend in Compiegne, Michael Goolaerts.
Goolaerts was just 23 and in his second year as a professional when he died on this day last year after suffering a cardiac arrest on the second cobbled sector of Paris-Roubaix. Just seven days before, he had been in the breakaway at the Tour of Flanders, and this was his first appearance at Paris-Roubaix, something that had been a dream for the Belgian.
In cycling, it can be easy to get wrapped up in rivalries, whether it be between teams, organisers or media, but in reality, the cycling community is bonded by a passion for the sport and all were equally as shaken to see a rider go out to race and not come home. Of course, the toughest blow was to Goolaerts’ family, friends and teammates, who knew him well.
ADVERTISEMENT
“You keep saying: that is not possible. Because Michael was even in a screening program, right from Lotto's promise team, he had been followed very closely,” Goolaerts’ agent Jef Van den Bosch, who was there on the day, wrote in the Belgian magazine Sport. “He was screened in November and nothing had ever been established. So, you think: it is impossible that something goes wrong with his heart, that is simply not possible.
“Of course, you ask yourself a thousand and one questions. Why exactly Michael? Why a cardiac arrest? Why didn't it happen while he was at the start or standing still somewhere? Would it have ended differently? But getting an answer to all the questions ... that is impossible. And finally, at the end of the ride: Michael is not coming back. So, you must try to give it a place. As far as you can give it a place because it continues to control your life. You sit at home with an empty chair.”
Efforts have been made to ensure that Goolaerts’ memory is not forgotten with Paris-Roubaix renaming the stretch of cobbles between Briastre and Viesly (known as Chemin de Saint-Quentin) the Secteur Michael Goolaerts, while the Heistse Pijl race has been renamed in his memory. Dutch commentator Jose Been has also set up a website, with permission from his family, where people can post their memories and thoughts of Michael, for his family to read.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Disbelief at last-minute cancellation of GP de Dottignies
The GP de Dottignies, a 1.2 UCI women’s race in Belgium, was cancelled at the last minute with riders already lined up at the start, due to a lack of sufficient motorcycle officials on Monday.
Held the day after the Tour of Flanders, the event takes place in and around Dottignies, a Walloon village about 30km from Oudenaarde, the finishing town of the Tour of Flanders, and is part of the Belgian race series Lotto Cycling Cup. Riders were set to tackle the 122km race consisting of six laps on a circuit straddling the border between Flanders and Wallonie.
Twelve WorldTour teams standing on the start line to begin the race, including the Tour of Flanders winner Marta Bastianelli, the defending champion in Dottignies, along with another thirteen teams. This reporter was at the race and watched the teams prepare for the race, sign in on the stage next to the start and finish line, and line up for the race only for it to be abruptly cancelled.
ADVERTISEMENT
The first riders positioned themselves on the start line a full twenty minutes before the planned start time, wanting to start the race at the very front. The rest of the peloton lined up behind them, and all 157 riders were in place ten minutes before the planned start. Bars were eaten, jackets taken off, and the whole peloton was ready to race.
Two minutes before the start, an announcement was made over the loudspeakers that the start would be delayed by a few minutes as the race marshals were not in place yet. Riders put on their jackets again, some of them borrowing coats from spectators to stay warm. But at the planned start time of 2 p.m., it was instead announced that the race was cancelled altogether due to a lack of moto marshals.
After a moment of confusion, riders, staff, journalists, and spectators alike were in a state of disbelief at the sudden cancellation. Eventually, riders went back to their team vehicles to re-group. Many opted for a training ride instead of the race they had come for – some even arriving from abroad on the evening of the race.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Tour of Flanders: Naesen pushes through sickness to take seventh place
AG2R La Mondiale's Oliver Naesen defied illness to take seventh place at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, saying that he was happy enough with his performance given the circumstances.
"I wasn't at my best. I really felt the effects of the antibiotics, and I still felt it in the lungs, for sure. I really raced on mental strength," Naesen told reporters at the finish in Oudenaarde, Belgium.
"On paper, it was my best result at Flanders, but I would already have been on the podium if I hadn't have crashed on the Kwaremont in 2017. On paper it's my best result, but it wasn't my best race," he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
A healthy Naesen may well have been in better contention for the Ronde title, but he was nevertheless among the favourites in the group that was led home by 2015 winner Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), with none of Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), Mathieu van der Poel (Correndon-Circus), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) or Naesen's training partner Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) able to catch race winner Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First), who slipped away on the final climb of the Kwaremont.
"He was very strong," Naesen said of Bettiol's ride. "He was really very, very strong. We didn't collaborate much on the run-in [to the finish], but on the Kwaremont and Paterberg, I felt as though we were going very, very fast.
"They're climbs that suit me very well, and I know them by heart, as I often do them in training. They were good for me, but, if I'm at my best, I do them quicker than that," he said.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Live coverage of Iztulia Basque Country, Scheldeprijs, and Paris-Roubaix this week on Cyclingnews
After the Tour of Flanders, the cobbles classics action continues this week with Scheldeprijs on Wednesday and Cyclingnews will also have stage-by-stage live coverage from the Iztulia Basque Country and then Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.
Iztulia Basque Country kicks off Monday with an individual time trial and the race sees a number of Grand Tour contenders continue to hone their form before the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France.
Geraint Thomas returns from a weather-hit block of training to lead the line for Team Sky. Mikel Landa (Movistar), Rohan Dennis (Bahrain-Merida), Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates), and Adan Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) also feature, while Milan-San Remo winner Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) returns to racing as he builds up for the Ardennes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Cyclingnews will have live coverage throughout the race, along with news and reports from the Basque Country.
Scheldeprijs on Wednesday provides the sprinters with a chance to shine on the cobbles of Belgium. Fabio Jakobsen, Pascal Ackermann, Marcel Kittel, Andrei Greipel and Nacer Bouhanni are all set to start. Cyclingnews will have complete live coverage from the race, along with news, reports and tech coverage.
We close out the cobbles Classics with possibly the biggest and most important one-day race of all: Paris-Roubaix.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Rivera avoids broken bones in Tour of Flanders crash
Coryn Rivera’s Tour of Flanders came to an abrupt end after she crashed on an early cobbled sector. The 2017 winner avoided any broken bones but was left with a painful elbow that eventually forced her to step off the bike.
Walking through the centre of Oudenaarde, watching the women’s race on her phone as it reached its crescendo, Rivera had her right arm in a sling. She told Cyclingnews that it was just a precaution and that she hoped they would be able to get to the source of the pain soon so that she would be ready for the Ardennes Classics in two weeks’ time.
“I went to the hospital here [In Oudenaarde -ed] and nothing is broken, but something is definitely not right. We’ll just keep looking into it and try to get it back to 100 per cent,” she told Cyclingnews.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Hopefully it’s not [too serious] and we can give it some time. I have a couple of weeks before the Ardennes. It’s a good period to recover.”
The incident happened on the opening stretch of cobbles, Lange Munte, less than 10 kilometres into the race. A slowing in the bunch ended in Rivera going down before an unwelcome pile-on ensued. Though she initially felt fine and continued the race, a sharp pain in her elbow told her that something wasn’t right and she stepped off.
“It was a stupid crash, but I guess you’ve never seen a smart crash. They’re all kinda dumb,” she said.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Wout van Aert: After the Paterberg, Flanders was over for me
The writing had been on the wall from the Oude Kwaremont just a few kilometres earlier, but Wout van Aert's hopes of Tour of Flanders victory were definitively wiped out on the Paterberg.
The Belgian Jumbo-Visma rider, who was third at Strade Bianche, sixth at Milan-San Remo and third at the E3 BinckBank Classic last Friday, was one of a number of favourites for an open edition of De Ronde, and perhaps the home nation's leading hope.
However, despite early signs of aggression after the Muur van Geraardsbergen with just under 100km to go, the 24-year-old faded in the finale and had to settle for 14th place.
ADVERTISEMENT
He finished the race in a group of 16 riders, behind solo winner Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First), who had escaped on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont and held his lead over the Paterberg and the 13-kilometre run-in to Oudenaarde.
"I wasn't strong enough. I suffered a lot and wasn't able to be any better today. On the final time up the Kwaremont, I was on my limit, and then I struggled on the Paterberg. After that, it was over for me," Van Aert said beyond the finish line in Oudenaarde.
"It was a tough race from the Muur, so I thought it would explode, but we still went into the finale with a large group. It was said beforehand that many good riders were closely matched. On the climbs you could see that we were all worth something. But it was hard. You don't want to explain that feeling in your legs on the Paterberg."
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Tour of Flanders a race too far for Jungels
In the end, it was a race too far, and Bob Jungels' sunken eyes told their own story when he emerged from the Deceuninck-QuickStep team bus an hour or so after placing 16th at the Tour of Flanders. "I'm dead," he smiled wanly.
Although a Ronde debutant, the Luxembourg champion had set out from Antwerp among the favourites for victory after an assured maiden cobbled Classics campaign that yielded victory at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. All-action displays at the E3 BinckBank Classic and Dwars door Vlaanderen this past week were enough to convince men like Tom Boonen and Johan Museeuw of his credentials as a possible winner, but Jungels' efforts to this point told in the final hour of racing.
"I'm really very, very happy that it's over," Jungels admitted. "It was a very hard and very long period. I started in Colombia and I've ridden almost every race for victory, each stage for a result. Voilà – today I was on the limit. I felt in the final 50 kilometres that I no longer had the legs I had at E3 or Kuurne. I'm still happy with my spring until now, and now it's time for some rest."
ADVERTISEMENT
Jungels lined out as part of Deceuninck's quadrumvirate of leaders, but none of the quartet made the expected impact on the finale. Philippe Gilbert was laid low by illness, Zdenek Stybar was jettisoned unceremoniously from the group of favourites on the Hotond, while Belgian champion Yves Lampaert rode a subdued race.
Present and correct for the first major selection on the Muur, Jungels later forced the pace on the Hotond but could not forge clear. He would pay for that effort when Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First) launched his winning attack on the Oude Kwaremont.
"We knew it was going to be a very tactical race but, in the end, it was bizarre. The race really started on the Muur, then it kicked off, but then the peloton came back," Jungels said. "It was a bit chaotic and, in the end, I think everyone neutralised one another a little. For me, it was easier to go clear at Kuurne or E3. I tried once or twice, and on the final time up the Paterberg, I completely exploded."
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Puncture ends Tour of Flanders hopes for Marianne Vos
Luck, or the lack of it, often plays as much a part in sport as form and Marianne Vos (CCC-Liv) found herself on the receiving end of some bad luck when she suffered a puncture at a crucial moment at the Tour of Flanders.
It has been six years since Vos claimed her Tour of Flanders title, but she was with the main group of contenders as they climbed the Oude Kwaremont. The puncture came with 16 kilometres remaining, just as the race was splitting up with Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Bigla) going up the road, soon to be followed by Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) and eventual winner Marta Bastianelli (Virtu).
In the end, Vos could only watch them go up the road as she waited for a wheel change. Meanwhile, the group that had gone clear would stay away to contest all three podium spots, with the chasers finishing some seven seconds back.
ADVERTISEMENT
"When I had the flat, I was with the girls that were on the podium, only Uttrup Ludwig was in the lead so she was strong. You never know, but it's a shame. That's bike racing, it happens," Vos told Cyclingnews.
"Until then, I was feeling good. We had some bad luck with the crash of Ashleigh and then I knew I had to be in front. The girls kept me in front and I felt good and quite confident but once you have a puncture in that part of the race then it's over."
Vos would continue and eventually finished 22nd, almost two minutes down on Bastianelli and co. It was a frustrating moment for Vos, who has been on strong form this spring with a victory at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda last month. She had also taken 10th at De Panne before 13th at last weekend’s Gent-Wevelgem.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Van Avermaet: Bettiol is the biggest surprise of the day
In his 13th Tour of Flanders participation, Greg Van Avermaet (CCC) was unable to convert his experience into a first Ronde victory. This time around, he wasn't as much of a top favourite as in other years but still, the 33-year-old was racing for the win.
"It'll have to happened the 14th time. That's a nice number, too,” Van Avermaet said, laughingly. The olympic champion's former teammate Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First) won the Ronde, with a powerful attack on the Oude Kwaremont where Van Avermaet had to bow his head and accept defeat.
"I think the best rider won today. That makes it somewhat easier to deal with the disappointment," Van Avermaet said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Last year, Van Avermaet and Bettiol were teammates at the now folded BMC team. Van Avermaet explained that the team hoped that Bettiol would join them when a new sponsor appeared. But that wasn't the case. "He signed very early. I think he signed already in June for EF. That was a blow for us. We took him in the team because we knew he was a big talent. He never rode at his level in the Flemish races. He had bad luck too because of a few crashes, but he never got back to his level, certainly not the level that he's at right now," Van Avermaet said.
"Bettiol is the biggest surprise of the day. Nobody expected him to win. Last year, I saw he had some potential but he was never at a super level in BMC. He rode all these races with me. His results weren't fantastic. I think he looks more sharp now and he probably trained better than last year. It's a talent and quite young. To me, it’s a surprise but I knew he had the capabilities, maybe not to win the Ronde but certainly to ride top-10. I think he’s a talent who realized that he’s got to do a bit more for it than just train for a few hours."
Bettiol improved a lot since last year and on the Oude Kwaremont he displayed that talent. On the second part of the 2,200 metres long cobbled climb, he blasted away from what remained of the peloton. Van Avermaet was leading the group but he didn't have an answer ready to Bettiol's acceleration.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Van Vleuten: I had the legs to win the women's Tour of Flanders
Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) was one of the riders to shape the final of the women’s Tour of Flanders on Sunday. The strong Dutchwoman followed the attack of eventual race winner Marta Bastianelli (Team Virtu Cycling) on the Oude Kwaremont and then made a move herself on the Paterberg. But when she could not shake off the Italian sprinter uphill, Van Vleuten knew it would be hard to win.
"If I go to the finish line with Bastianelli, she will beat me 99 out of 100 times. It was good that we were three after the Paterberg as the cooperation was better, but I also knew that there would be no more chances to attack."
It is hard to get away from a group on the flat run-in to the finish in Oudenaarde. In the knowledge that Bastianelli is a far better sprinter, Van Vleuten nevertheless gave it a go with about 3km to go but came up short as the European champion was attentive. "I had to try something. Maybe it looked a bit silly to go that early, but I thought it might surprise her. And I saw the chase group coming up from behind."
ADVERTISEMENT
Van Vleuten expressed disappointment at the race result, but also at the lack of hard racing on the earlier climbs. "Last year I was very happy with third place. Now, I am disappointed to be second because I know I am slightly better than I was last year. I am a bit disappointed in how the race developed, it was not a hard race. To give you an idea, last year I finished with a 200 W average power output, this year with 160.
"I did everything I could, I went all out on the Paterberg. I know that I can drop Bastianelli on the Paterberg after a hard race where we went fast on every climb. She could follow me because it was not a hard race. I needed a race of attrition, but there were too many teams that had a sprinter and wanted a conservative race."
Instead of dwelling on the opportunities she could not capitalise on in Flanders, Van Vleuten decided to look forward to the next races, feeling that her form is where it should be and that she can be even stronger in the hilly classics.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Asgreen: I did not expect this
Kasper Asgreen was the least feted of the Deceuninck-QuickStep squad that rode on stage for the signing-on ceremony in Antwerp's Grote Markt ahead of the Tour of Flanders, and the Danish youngster admitted afterwards that he still finds himself a little starstruck on such occasions.
"When we’re on the podium at the start of a race, I still look over and think, ‘Fucking hell, I’m on the same team as Philippe Gilbert,'" Asgreen laughed as he stood outside his team bus afterwards.
It a curious edition of the Ronde, one that saw Asgreen supersede his illustrious leaders by finishing as the team’s best rider, taking second place behind surprise winner Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First). The Dane was on the offensive early and often at this Tour of Flanders. Already an aggressor on the Muur, he bridged up to earlier attackers Stijn Vandenbergh and Sep Vanmarcke on the first ascent of the Paterberg with 57km to go.
ADVERTISEMENT
Asgreen, now in the company of Dylan van Baarle (Team Sky), was still out in front come the final lap over the Kwaremont. Though he was caught and passed by Bettiol on that menacing sea of cobbles, he later conjured up the strength to clip away from the chasing group on the run-in and claim a wholly unforeseen second place.
Deceuninck-QuickStep entered the Ronde with four designated leaders – Gilbert, Lampaert, Jungels and Zdenek Stybar – but their strongest performer proved to be a hitherto unheralded 24-year-old making his Tour of Flanders debut.
"I did not expect this. We had four big leaders who what really proven they could win this race, so for me to be up there in the final was really unexpected for me," Asgreen said.
New role
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Bettiol: I never won a race, why should I win the Tour of Flanders?
When Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First) swung left at the top of the Paterberg clutching a lead of 20 seconds, a creeping hush seemed to descend upon the crowds who were following the closing stages of the Tour of Flanders on screens in Oudenaarde's main square.
An acceleration from Greg Van Avermaet (CCC) over the other side briefly caused home spirits to rally, but as Bettiol maintained his advantage on that interminable run-in, the party atmosphere, from a Flemish standpoint at least, deflated into something more anxious.
All week long, the scene had been set for a clash between names familiar to Flemish fans. Two distinct schools were supposed to battle on the final lap over the Kwaremont and Paterberg: cyclo-cross stars Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel versus the collective might of Deceuninck-QuickStep. Instead, it was Bettiol who triumphed, soloing clear forcefully on the Kwaremont with almost 19 kilometres to go.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The last 14 kilometres after the Paterburg were the longest of my life," Bettiol said afterwards. "I just heard from the radio my sport director telling me to push as hard as I could. I never turned back, and I found some wind. Also [Sebastian] Langeveld said on the radio, 'Everybody here is tired, just keep on pushing,' but this finish line did'’t want to arrive."
Bettiol removed his sunglasses on crossing the line, as if unable to believe his own eyes at what he had achieved. His unexpected victory – the first of his professional career – comes 25 years after his fellow Italian Gianni Bugno pulled off another kind of a surprise to win the Ronde, upsetting pre-race favourite Johan Museeuw in a sprint in Meerbeke, stunning the home fans in the process.
Just like a quarter of a century ago, it wasn't supposed to end like this. Rather embarrassingly for the race organisation, Flanders Classics chief Wouter Vandenhaute had said as much in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws earlier in the week. Asked if he was concerned that a rider such as Bettiol or his EF teammate Sebastian Langeveld might win rather than one of the established - and marketable - Belgian stars, Vandenhaute was dismissive: "They are not going to win."
Disbelief
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Valverde: I'm not sure I can win Flanders but I'll be back
Ahead of his debut ride at the Tour of Flanders, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) reserved judgement on whether or not it was a mistake not to have ridden De Ronde sooner. "On Sunday I'll either tell you I came here too late, or that it's not a race for me," the world champion said on Friday. In the end, as he crossed the finish line in Oudenaarde in eighth place, it was it was not quite one or the other, but something in between.
While Valverde's performance convincingly swept away doubts about whether the cobbles, bergs and style of racing in Flanders suited him, he didn't evince much regret over his past absences, either.
"For sure I'll be thinking about coming back here. I was in the first group, the select group, and that gives me confidence," Valverde said in Oudenaarde.
ADVERTISEMENT
"To win it, I don't know. It's true that it went very well, but it's a race you have to know well."
That inexperience, however, hardly showed, as the 38-year-old maintained a good position throughout an open, fluctuating affair, where the only decisive move from the group of favourites came from the winner Alberto Bettiol on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont.
Valverde arrived in a group of 16 behind the Italian, but could only manage eighth in the sprint for the minor placings.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Van der Poel in the fight for victory at Tour of Flanders
Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) was one of the riders in the spotlight at the Tour of Flanders. The 24-year-old was ever-present in the final 100km, even after a crash at 60km from the finish seemed to rule him out of the race. But Van der Poel bounced back and battled for the victory in his first Monument, where he finished fourth.
The move from eventual winner Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First) on the Oude Kwaremont slipped away from his attention and by the time the cyclo-cross world champion found out, it was no longer possible to bring him back. Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) jumped away towards second place in the final kilometres, and in the group sprint for third place, Van der Poel was beaten by Norwegian strongman Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates).
"Today I surprised myself," Van der Poel said to the press at the team bus. "I'm proud, rather than disappointed after today. In a way, it's a missed chance, but I'm very satisfied about today. Right now, I'm disappointed not to be on the podium. In hindsight, victory might've been possible too. In hindsight... that's always easy of course. I hoped I would finish on the podium but once again I miss out on that. Hopefully I can come back here to throw my hands up in the air."
ADVERTISEMENT
Van der Poel said that Gent-Wevelgem felt like a harder race than the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Last week's fight against the wind and the race-long work in the long breakaway move clearly left a lasting impression on Van der Poel.
"In Gent-Wevelgem, we were racing all day long. That was my first long race. I felt I was improving every day. I showed that in Dwars door Vlaanderen. That's not the Ronde van Vlaanderen. I need the racing kilometres and the toughness of these races. I came through this race much better than the way I came through Gent-Wevelgem," Van der Poel said, while adding that it wasn't as if he wasn't feeling the pain on the bike.
"I was suffering as well but I was riding with morale. When you see there's 20km to go after such a pursuit, then you gain morale."
— Ronde Van Vlaanderen (@RondeVlaanderen) April 7, 2019
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Peter Sagan: I'm not like I was three years ago
After finishing outside the top 10 at the Tour of Flanders, Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) conceded he was some way below the level he was three years ago, when he won De Ronde in the rainbow jersey.
The three-time world champion has faced doubts about his condition throughout the spring Classics, having fallen ill while training in the Sierra Nevada ahead of Tirreno-Adriatico last month. With his performances over the past couple of weeks not lending clear-cut answers, Sagan insisted that condition wasn't so important going into Flanders.
Yet, after finishing 11th, in the select group of 16 behind solo winner Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First), he conceded his illness had held him back physically.
ADVERTISEMENT
"It's strange that all the television cameras are here, and not with the winner," Sagan joked after stepping off the team bus to a crowd of media and fans.
"I don't think so," he replied when asked if he was the same Peter Sagan as in recent years.
"Yesterday I said in the press conference that you never know how the race is going. Today was just an example of that. It was very hard, and for sure I am not like I was three years ago.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes
Text
50cm:Debut Tour of Flanders a day to remember for Matthews
The Tour of Flanders has been a long time coming for Michael Matthews (Sunweb), but eight years after turning professional he finally made his De Ronde debut. Having finished second at the 2010 under-23 Tour of Flanders, racing the real deal was everything that he had expected.
Cycling is a religion in the Flanders region and De Ronde is a pilgrimage for the fans. From the crowds packing the Grote Markt in Antwerp to those lining the sides of the climbs along the route, it is hard not to be awed by it, even for someone who has ridden many Tours de France, Milan-San Remo and World Championships.
"It was definitely as fun as I'd have hoped," Matthews told Cyclingnews as he rode back to his team bus in Oudenaarde. "It was a beautiful race, the fans were amazing, especially on the Kwaremont and the Koppenberg. I couldn't even hear myself thinking at some points. It was a beautiful thing to be a part of. I think that I'll remember this day for the rest of my life, for sure."
ADVERTISEMENT
The Australian had been preparing to ride the race for the past two years after adding a few cobbled races to his programme in 2017. He had hoped to contest Flanders last season, but a shoulder injury prevented him from doing so.
Matthews had told Cyclingnews at the start in Antwerp that he was equal parts nervous and excited for his first Tour of Flanders, but he got stuck in with the more experienced Classics contenders. As the group whittled down, he managed to hold onto the coattails of those contenders.
The final climb of the Paterberg saw him distanced and he had to chase hard to make it into the group that would contest the minor podium places. Matthews had a go in the sprint but was at the end of his reserves. Nevertheless, he couldn't be anything other than happy with how things went for him.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
0 notes