Watching the peloton - Professional Road Racing thread 2026

[stompandgo]

Over here Flanders is the big Monument, the toughest of all, Milan San Remo the first each year, Roubaix the wildest and most popular among general public (so many crashes I guess, equivalent to the Grand National Horse Race I think for similar reasons.) Leige, for me, gets forgotten a bit, I think races like Strade Bianchi are stealing its thunder and finally Il Lombardia in the autumn the last big hurrah of the year.

Flanders traditionally is so hard to win, or used to be, Sean Kelly never won, despite winning all the other monuments multiple times. Came 2nd twice top 5 a few more times but never got there. Recently MVDP winning 3 in a row was remarkable, then Pog so this year is interesting as another head to head and after San Remo MVDP will be rearing to go. Been caught by the peloton last week almost on the line will grate with him, even with Philippson taking the sprint - and is Van Aert finally back looking good? Hope so, love his riding style.

Stomp if you have a vpn try SBS. Great coverage.

That's why I liken it more to the Daytona 500 than the Super Bowl. Dale Earnhardt won over 100 races and 7 championships, but it took 19 tries to win his only Daytona 500.

No VPN. I'm looking for post race videos.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

That's why I liken it more to the Daytona 500 than the Super Bowl. Dale Earnhardt won over 100 races and 7 championships, but it took 19 tries to win his only Daytona 500.

No VPN. I'm looking for post race videos.

Unfortunately we have zero clue about Nascar over here- probably as much knowledge as you have about the Grand National!

I always loved that old story of two touring cyclists meeting on a Himalayan pass, one Chinese the other English, neither speaking each others language then the Chinese cyclist grinned and scrawled 531 in the snow and both got on famously after that!

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Dwars door Vlaanderen finale! Heartbreak again for Van Aert. Only consolation as I said above, is he is clearly on form. But this will hurt. Twice in a week caught just before the line.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Dwars door Vlaanderen finale! Heartbreak again for Van Aert. Only consolation as I said above, is he is clearly on form. But this will hurt. Twice in a week caught just before the line.

Just watched the last 10 km or so. Was really hoping he'd pull it off.

I know these guys have a feel for how much energy they'll lose to the wind going solo vs. how much they'll need to win, but there are so many unknownables — including how good a guy like Ganna's feeling that day. Van Aert's miscalculated twice now this season, but not by much.

The interviewers at today's finish kept pestering him about how disappointed be must be — and he had to have been deep down, at least a little. But he kept insisting that he's happy with his riding so far this season, and I think he has every right to be given his last injury.

Can't wait to see how he does on the Tour of Flanders this Sunday!