VeloHuman

Author: VeloHuman

  • Amstel Gold Race 2016 Preview

    Amstel Gold Race 2016 Preview

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    “Ardennes Week” gets underway this Sunday in the Netherlands (not actually in the Belgian Ardennes) at the Amstel Gold Race. The peloton’s punchier stars will have a shot at classics glory on a profile chock-full of short but steep climbs.

    The Route

    258 kilometers in total, the Amstel Gold Race parcours involves 34 small climbs, but more often than not everything comes down to the final uphill challenge of the day: the Cauberg. The riders will actually climb it four times, but the last one comes just 1.8 kilometers from the finish line, and it’s likely to be the key moment in the race.

    A little over a kilometer at a little under 6%, the Cauberg isn’t actually all that hard compared to other famous cycling climbs, but at the end of a long day it does take its toll. Attacks are guaranteed—the question is whether an aggressor can hang on all the way to the line. If not, we’ll likely see a reduced sprint.

    The Contenders

    Michal Kwiatkowski is the defending champion, and having shown terrific form in winning E3 Harelbeke, he looks like a strong contender again in 2016. It’s hard to say whether the Amstel Gold Race will go to a lone attacker or to a speedster in a small group, but Kwiatkowski is a threat in either scenario. Sergio Henao, Wout Poels, and Ben Swift are other strong options for Sky.

    Orica-GreenEdge has a powerful one-two punch in Michael Matthews and Simon Gerrans. Gerrans might be the one trying to mix it up on the climb, leaving Matthews to battle it out in a sprint if the Cauberg is not as selective.

    BMC’s Philippe Gilbert is a three-time Amstel Gold Race winner, and an obvious potential protagonist. His form is a question mark, especially given his recent finger injury, but Gilbert can never be counted out in this event. Samuel Sánchez and Ben Hermans are other strong options for the team.

    Rui Costa nabbed fourth here last year and he could contend again this year. He’s deceptively speedy and has a great eye for opportunities to get away, so watch out for him late in the race. Diego Ulissi gives Lampre another card to play—he’s great in a reduced sprint after a tough day.

    Julian Alaphilippe and Brabantse Pijl winner Petr Vakoc make for a strong Etixx duo. Daniel Moreno could get involved for Movistar, with Alejandro Valverde sitting this race out. Lotto-Soudal looks strong with Tony Gallopin, Jelle Vanendert, and Tim Wellens. Europcar’s Bryan Coquard could struggle to hold on over the climbs but he’s a threat in a sprint.

    Fabio Felline, Bauke Mollema, Wilco Kelderman, Enrico Gasparotto, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Alexis Vuillermoz, Joaquím Rodríguez, and Tom Dumoulin are others with a shot.

    VeloHuman Top 10 Race Favorites

    Winner: Michal Kwiatkowski
    Podium: Michael Matthews, Philippe Gilbert
    Other Top Contenders: Simon Gerrans, Rui Costa, Julian Alaphilippe, Tony Gallopin, Tim Wellens, Petr Vakoc, Fabio Felline

    Photo: Jakub Cerveny (CC).

  • The Recon Ride Podcast: Amstel Gold Race + La Flèche Wallonne 2016

    The Recon Ride Podcast: Amstel Gold Race + La Flèche Wallonne 2016

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    Episode 39: Amstel Gold Race + La Flèche Wallonne 2016 Pre-race Show

    “Ardennes Week” kicks off Sunday at the Amstel Gold Race, and continues with La Flèche Wallonne Wednesday. The podcast covers both races with a double-header pre-race show.

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    The Recon Ride dives into two races this week: Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano take a closer look at the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne, and the punchy riders who are likely to feature as protagonists on the short steep climbs of Dutch Limburg and the Belgian Ardennes.

    Photo by Ed Webster (CC).

  • Paris-Roubaix 2016 Preview

    Paris-Roubaix 2016 Preview

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    Paris-Roubaix kicks off Sunday in Compiègne (which is actually about an hour from Paris by car), and this year’s edition of the race should be as interesting as ever.

    The Route

    257.5 kilometers from start to finish, the Paris-Roubaix parcours is pancake-flat, with 27 officially rated cobbled sectors. Even the less difficult sections are perilous, but things really heat up after 160km at the Arenberg Trench, the first “five-star” sector in terms of difficulty, the tenth official section on the day. It’s a narrow, 2.4km stretch of “road” that runs through a dense forest. The surface is brutal, and even a specialist can have it all go wrong bouncing around on the cobbles. Unfortunately, things don’t get a whole lot easier after that.

    After eight more difficult stretches of cobbles comes Mons-en-Pévele, 3km long, another particularly nastry stretch. The riders will have less than 50km to go when they arrive, so you can expect attacks to fly from the more aggressive types.

    If the race isn’t broken up by then, it almost certainly will be by the time the riders are through with the Carrefour de l’Arbre, the last major obstacle on the profile before an easier final three cobbled sectors. The Carrefour is a make or break 2.1km section that is tough enough to blow any group to pieces.

    15 kilometers later those who have survived the trek over some of the most uncomfortable roads in cycling will arrive at the Roubaix velodrome to finish the race. It’s often the sight of a small sprint, though solo wins and larger sprint are possibilities as well.

    The Contenders

    2015 champ John Degenkolb won’t be defending his title due to injuries suffered in a training crash, but the startlist is still full of classics firepower.

    Fabian Cancellara is in the hunt for his fourth career Paris-Roubaix victory Sunday in his last ever appearance at the race. The form he showed last weekend at the Tour of Flanders makes that seem like a real possibility. Roubaix suits his huge engine perfectly. With a solid team around him, Cancellara can mark early attacks right up to the point where he launches his own. His biggest challenge will be shedding the many contenders who might be potentially speedier in a sprint finish.

    Peter Sagan fits the bill. He’s got the “when will you win a Monument?” monkey off his back now, and he’s on blazing form. However, Paris-Roubaix doesn’t suit him nearly as well as De Ronde. One of the things that sets him apart as a rider is his ability to leave other one-day specialists behind on short climbs and then seal the deal with his masterful descending abilities. He won’t be able to put those skills on display here. It won’t be as easy for the punchy world champ to leave his rivals behind on this profile.

    Sep Vanmarcke, on the other hand, will appreciate the flatter parcours, at least when it comes to facing off against Sagan. He has looked very strong the past few races and has improved dramatically as a sprinter since he took runner-up honors in Roubaix in 2013. That makes him dangerous.

    Alexander Kristoff can go toe to toe against anyone on this startlist in a sprint. He looked sharp in Flanders, and although he’s never had as much success in Paris-Roubaix, he can’t be counted out. He’ll need everything to go his way in a race notorious for doling out punctures, mechanicals, and even fan collisions at the worst possible moments, but if he can hang with the lead group he’s a big threat in the velodrome.

    Etixx-QuickStep’s Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra, and Tom Boonen form a powerful lead trio that can boast several Roubaix wins and podium performances. Four-time winner Boonen has looked decent so far this year but Stybar and Terpstra are probably better bets. I particularly like Terpstra’s chances — I wouldn’t be surprised to see a small group enter the last 10km together and he has already shown that he has the power to make his rivals pay if they hesitate even for a moment when he launches a late solo move.

    Lars Boom, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Jurgen Roelandts, Tiesj Benoot, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Jens Keukeleire, and Daniel Oss are others to watch.

    VeloHuman Top 10 Race Favorites

    Winner: Fabian Cancellara
    Podium: Sep Vanmarcke, Peter Sagan
    Other Top Contenders: Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra, Alexander Kristoff, Tom Boonen, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Lars Boom, Luke Rowe

    Photo by Dane Cash.

  • The Recon Ride Podcast: Paris-Roubaix 2016

    The Recon Ride Podcast: Paris-Roubaix 2016

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    Episode 38: Paris-Roubaix 2016 Pre-race Show

    The podcast covers the route, the favorites, and the storylines ahead of the “Queen of the Classics,” Paris-Roubaix.

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    Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano talk Paris-Roubaix, with some pro insight from Taylor Phinney, twice a winner of the espoirs race.

    Photo by Dane Cash.

  • Ronde van Vlaanderen 2016 Preview

    Ronde van Vlaanderen 2016 Preview

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    The tuneup races are in the bag. Belgium’s biggest day of cycling is here. Sunday’s Tour of Flanders is the 100th edition of the monumental classic, and with several big names gunning for an elusive first monument win against two riders hoping to pick up a fourth career Ronde victory, it should be an entertaining show.

    The Route

    255 kilometers from start to finish, the Ronde van Vlaanderen is defined by its many climbs, most of which are cobbled. Officially, there are 18 climbs on the route. Many of them are crested more than once. The peloton will take on the challenging Oude Kwaremont/Paterberg double twice on the day, with the second visit to the difficult pairing marking the final two climbs on the profile. After the riders summit the Paterberg for the second time, it’s less than 20 kilometers of flat to the finish.

    The Contenders

    Hunting for a record-breaking fourth Flanders win in his final year as a pro, Fabian Cancellara is certainly among the favorites. There are several fast finishers among the top contenders, so Cancellara’s chances probably come down to his ability to power away on the late climbs using his incredible engine. Don’t be surprised if he pulls it off, even at age 35.

    Defending champion Alexander Kristoff has his work cut out for him this year. He may have won some races in the desert at the start of his 2016 campaign, but he just hasn’t quite looked as strong yet this year as he did in 2015. He won the race last year from a surprising two-man move, but he has not shown much of that escape ability since. It’s hard to say whether he can pull off that brilliant feat again, and given the tough profile, a big sprint (which would indeed favor him) seems unlikely.

    Peter Sagan, fresh off a second career Gent-Wevelgem win, looks ready to finally nab a monument win. He’ll be looking to force a selection on the climbs, but he can rely on his kick from a small group after that, as he combines soloing ability and sprinting chops like few others in the peloton, and appears to be in shape at the moment.

    Greg Van Avermaet also brings a terrific combination of top-end speed and solo prowess. He didn’t race at E3, where he would have been among the top favorites, but his overall victory at Tirreno-Adriatico proved his strong form. With Daniel Oss as a great second, BMC should expect big things Sunday.

    Sep Vanmarcke was having a quiet season until Gent-Wevelgem last week. Vanmarcke missed an early split but was able to work his way back into the mix, and then put in an attack that was reeled in only to make the final selection on the Kemmelberg not long after. The form looks to be there. And don’t underestimate him in a fast finish either—he’s steadily improved as a sprinter over the past few years.

    Tom Boonen may be in the running for a record-breaking fourth career Flanders win of his own, but Etixx-QuickStep will likely look to Zdenek Stybar and Niki Terpstra as the featured riders this weekend. They’ve both shown ability on this terrain and the form looks good at the moment.

    Sky has options too, with Michal Kwiatkowski, Geraint Thomas, Luke Rowe, and Ian Stannard all potential protagonists. Don’t overlook the Lotto-Soudal stable either. Youngster Tiesj Benoot and veteran Jurgen Roelandts are both riders to watch. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Lars Boom, Filippo Pozzato, Heinrich Haussler, and Matti Breschel are others worth watching in Flanders.

    VeloHuman Top 10 Race Favorites

    Winner: Greg Van Avermaet
    Podium: Peter Sagan, Sep Vanmarcke
    Other Top Contenders: Fabian Cancellara, Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra, Tiesj Benoot, Michal Kwiatkowski, Alexander Kristoff, Edvald Boasson Hagen

    Photo by Dane Cash.

  • The Recon Ride Podcast: Ronde van Vlaanderen 2016

    The Recon Ride Podcast: Ronde van Vlaanderen 2016

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    Episode 37: Ronde van Vlaanderen 2016 Pre-race Show

    The Recon Ride previews the Tour of Flanders, quite possibly the best race on the cycling calendar.

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    Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano dive into De Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Tour of Flanders, with a little help from CyclingTips U.S. Editor Neal Rogers.

    Photo by Dane Cash.