2023 Classics

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I mean. The guy is unbelievable. I didn't think he could do Flanders. Look at the quality behind.

Hope he decides to chase La Vuelta as well.
 
Just have to enjoy Pog while we have him. His quality is all-time, but his willingness to risk it all and light up just about every race he enters is something else.

He can definitely win Roubaix, but avoiding bad luck plays such a big part there. I know he said he won’t ride next week, but think he should really consider it. It’s clearly a race he wants to win and the nature of it means you really need to be on the start list as often as possible.
 
Can he win Roubaix?
Flanders has the climbs, which he can use to launch his attacks. Roubaix is flat as a pancake.

To win Roubaix he'd need to be able to power away from the likes of MVDP & WVA on completely flat cobblestone sectors. He's strong on the flat (massive engine for ITTs), but is he powerful enough to do that?

Roubaix is a lottery at the best of times, given the number of crashes & punctures it creates. Maybe he could, but I probably wouldn't be betting on it.
 

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Flanders has the climbs, which he can use to launch his attacks. Roubaix is flat as a pancake.

To win Roubaix he'd need to be able to power away from the likes of MVDP & WVA on completely flat cobblestone sectors. He's strong on the flat (massive engine for ITTs), but is he powerful enough to do that?

Roubaix is a lottery at the best of times, given the number of crashes & punctures it creates. Maybe he could, but I probably wouldn't be betting on it.
He's not racing it this year. I agree with your assessment but I also didn't think he'd be able to win Flanders so I'm not sure I'll be right there too.

So, 2x TDF, 4 monuments (2x Il Lombardia, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and now Ronde Van Vlaanderen) and Strade Bianche (which for me is probably the best outside the Monuments). Hoping he rides the Dauphine this year so he can win that too. At what point will he be #2 behind Eddie?
 
He's not racing it this year. I agree with your assessment but I also didn't think he'd be able to win Flanders so I'm not sure I'll be right there too.

So, 2x TDF, 4 monuments (2x Il Lombardia, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and now Ronde Van Vlaanderen) and Strade Bianche (which for me is probably the best outside the Monuments). Hoping he rides the Dauphine this year so he can win that too. At what point will he be #2 behind Eddie?
In terms of the TDF, he still has to catch the riders who won 5x tours (Anquetil, Hinault, Merckx, Indurain). Given his age, it's highly likely he achieves that - but right now he only has 2 wins to his name.

Looking beyond Merckx, whose record is unparalleled:
  • Bobet won 3x TDF, plus Flanders, Roubaix, Milan-San Remo, and Lombardia. As an all-round rider, he's still well ahead of the Pog.
  • Hinault won 5x TDF, plus Lombardia, Roubaix, and Liege. I put him ahead, on the basis of his 5x TDF wins.
I have the Pog currently #4 on the all-time list of great all-rounders - riders who won both the Tour, and multiple monuments.

... and he's only 24 years of age, with the bulk of his career still ahead of him. Plenty of time for him to move up that list.
 
Ardennes triple starts tonight. Pog supposedly starting all 3. Field tonight looks a bit weak so he is a good chance to get Amstel which maybe suits him the least out of the 3.
Interesting that Gaudu is riding this. Wouldn't have thought it suits him
 
Hindley is in really good form it looks.

This is impressive from Healy. Didn't think he was this good.
 
Healy was eating into his lead for a minute but spent all his petrol tickets.
Pog's just on another level, so if course he gets motor paced by the directors car
 

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2023 Classics

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