The Eagle Of Filottrano

This is a very sad article to write.
You have no words when this kind of tragedies happen.
Nevertheless, I decided to write this article to pay a tribute to one of the most representative riders of the cycling world, Michele Scarponi.
I am very sad also because yesterday, answering to the last Tweet of Michele, I told him to bring to his children two pink jerseys too and He liked my comment.
This made me feel even closer to him, because this was Michele, a rider incredibly close to people and fans.
He has never been arrogant or conceited, he was always ready to joke with someone and this made him the rider of the people.
The career of Michele is out of the question, he has been one of the best riders of the last 20 years, but what makes the difference is that he will be remembered for his fantastic personality and this is the hardest trophy to conquer.
Remembering Michele, I just want to imagine that the Eagle of Filottrano will fly over the Peloton protecting the riders.

Amstel Gold Race 2017 - School Of Cycling, School Of Life

The final kilometre of the Amstel Gold Race 2017 has been something amazing, something more than just cycling.
The two characters of this amazing show have been Kwiatkowski and Gilbert, the riders that showed the best shape in 2017 classics campaign.
They arrived in the Ardennes with prestigious and spectacular victories conquered this year in the previous classics. Today, they found themselves in this emotional final kilometre where just one of them, in the end, would have won.
The final has been absolutely unpredictable: Kwiatkowski, apparently stronger than Gilbert in a sprint, showed Gilbert respect, refusing to take the lead in the final kilometre.
This has been a mistake, the last kilometre became a psychological and tactical battle, but more that a matter of strategy, the final duel turned out to be a mental toughness question.
Kwiatkowski used the same strategy that in March had given him his great Milano - Sanremo victory but, this time, he wasn't fighting with Sagan and Alaphilippe, two young and bumptious riders.
His opponent, today, was a clever "old" champion, Philippe Gilbert, one of the most experienced riders in the Peloton.
Kwiatkowski has been beaten by an opponent better than him at his own game.
The attack of Kwiatkowski was provoked by the patient and the courage of Gilbert, waiting 'til the end, confident that his young antagonist would not have resisted longer without attacking.
The last kilometre of the Amstel Gold Race 2017 should be projected in any kind of school, because it is a life lesson.
Has Kwiatkowski learned the lesson? We will discover it soon.

Le Vélodrome de Roubaix (Paris - Roubaix)

It is always hard to put emotions into words, it is impossible to describe what's the feeling of being in the Vélodrome for the arrival of such a unique race.
"L'enfer du Nord", "la dure des dures", etc. So many nicknames for a race are the symptom of the uniqueness of this crazy race.
Sunday I arrived when the Vélodrome was still empty. It seemed  asleep, collecting energies for the hard day ahead of it.
It is important to consider that in Roubaix a brand new modern velodrome has been built, so that the old Vélodrome is not used anymore and it is abandoned during the rest of the year.
The Vélodrome comes back to life just one day a year and it is one of the most emotional event you can attend in your life.
Hour after hour the old Vélodrome de Roubaix starts to fill up, slowly coming back to life after a year of lethargy.
When the race arrives at the Arenberg forest, the Vélodrome is the beating heart of the city of Roubaix and of the cycling world; when the first rider drops in, the Vélodrome has to face its annual heart attack, the last 600 meters are a breathless epilogue of its day of the year. It is something inexplicable, you find yourself in a sort of cycling-centred parallel universe.
Once crowned the winner of the year, the Vélodrome, after having warmly embraced the last rider of the race, slowly goes back to its annual hibernation, preparing himself for its next resurgence.
The Vélodrome this year decided it was time to give Van Avermaet his first Monument but, while you are reading this fleeting Impression, it is already thinking about the new emperor to crown. Who will be? Continue...

Ronde Van Vlaanderen 2017

I want to start the article on such an epic race with two quotes:

The first is of the World Champion, Peter Sagan, that,  when asked if the trio would have caught Gilbert, replied: "I think so. Given how I was riding and I had strong companions, so yes, I think I could have got back up to him, but destiny didn't want it".


The second is of the Winner of the race, Philippe Gilbert: “It all started on the Muur. I was riding on Tom Boonen’s wheel and it went on from there,” Gilbert said. “We had three riders in the group and we decided to push on.”

These two quotes explain better than 100 words how epic has been the 101° ronde.
The genius of Tom Boonen invented an incredible race and the class of Gilbert drew it.
In the final, when a super strong trio made by Sagan, Van Avermaet and Naesen could have ruined such a wonderful masterpiece, destiny decided that it was time to pay back the Belgian champion for the amazing start of the season and for his bravery.
This has been the 101° Ronde Van Vlaanderen and we will talk about and remember this race for a long long time.

Rider of the Month: March

Congratulations Greg, you made it!!
Vav Avermaet has been the natural winner of this special classification for the month of March.
He has been the author of an incredible winning series, started in February and continued in March, winning: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke and Gent - Wevelgem.
Will he confirm his shape in the upcoming classics?
Is he the new king of the cobbles?
So far he has been the undisputed leading actor of the Flemish classics and the victory of this special classification proves it but the best is yet to come...

Answer The Survey And Find Out Who Will Be The Rider Of The Month

Who is the Rider of the Month?

Valverde

Sagan

Kwiatkowski

Gilbert

Quintana

Henao

Van Avermaet

Lampaert

Contador

Soler

 

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Impressions After a Week On the Cobbles

A week on the cobbles has just finished and Van Avermaet comes out confirming his class in one day races.
Nevertheless, I think he wasn't the strongest rider in the peloton, he was just the smartest.
Gilbert lost two races in which he was clearly the strongest, trying to ride in the Sagan's way, a spectacular way to ride but that is not paying back in 2017.
We have also to consider that in order to ride like Sagan you have to be extremely stronger than the other riders and not just in a very good shape.
Allow me now to focus on what happened today in Gent-Wevelgem: while Sagan and Terpstra were arguing, Van Avermaet and Keukeleire, remaining focused on the race, silently rode away.
Van Avermaet took an incredible win that embellishes his palmarés proving that you have to be smart to win without caring too much about pulling as the others or showing that you are the best in the peloton.
I think that Sagan learned a lot from Gent-Wevelgem 2017 and we will enjoy an incredible Ronde Van Vlaanderen.
In conclusion, I want to celebrate the only rider that this week (at Volta Ciclista a Catalunya) won conjugating show, class and cleverness: El Imbatido, Alejandro Valverde.