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Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne Discussion
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 02-12-2017 17:05
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Directeur Sportif
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 Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne
This iconic cobblec classic has quite a history in the ManGame and now in it's 8th edition since 2008, it's back to CT status. Last year's ProTour classified edition was won by Mark Cavendish, who obviously won't be at the start this year.
The profile offers a mix of rather less challenging hills, a few cobbled sectors and flat roads. With less than 200km of length, the K-B-K surely ain't amongst the toughest cobbled classics, but of course the specialists will try to take this opportunity. It's a profile, that may allow a bigger group to contest for line honours though.
The Startlist
The Favorites | Cobblers | FL | CO | SP | | Sprinters | FL | CO | SP |  Bush | 74 | 78 | 71 | |  Rowe | 72 | 67 | 80 |  Van Keirsbulck | 72 | 78 | 70 | |  Haussler | 72 | 69 | 79 |  Drucker | 74 | 77 | 74 | | Harrison | 72 | 73 | 78 |  Grand | 72 | 77 | 65 | |  Gatto | 71 | 72 | 78 |  Vandenbergh | 75 | 77 | 61 | | Farrar | 71 | 70 | 78 | | Thwaites | 73 | 76 | 78 | | Horton | 76 | 71 | 76 |  Lindeman | 73 | 76 | 74 | | Ariesen | 74 | 70 | 76 | | Verbist | 76 | 76 | 57 | | Van Poppel | 75 | 69 | 76 |  Havik | 73 | 75 | 79 | | Matzka | 69 | 72 | 74 | | Lebris | 73 | 75 | 71 | | Colon | 70 | 71 | 74 | | Fouquet | 74 | 75 | 68 | | | | | | | J�r�me | 73 | 75 | 63 | | | | | | | Wyss | 73 | 74 | 72 | | | | | | | De Vreese | 74 | 74 | 70 | | | | | | | Takenouchi | 73 | 74 | 65 | | | | | |  Dahl-Olsen | 73 | 74 | 59 | | | | | | | Kasperkiewicz | 70 | 74 | 57 | | | | | |
As Cavendish took last year's edition ahead of Kristoff, we may begin with those sprinters, who manage to survive cobbles and may stand a fair chance to contest for the victory. And obviously, Rowe is a good bet then. Harrison, Gatto, Farrar and Haussler should be real threats as well. They handle cobbles even better than Rowe and come with a decent speed, too. If it comes down to a group of 20-30 to battle for line honours, those guys will surely hope to be there.
Amongst the strongest cobblers, we do have two further sprinters, who are probably the top-favorites for the race: Thwaites and Havik combine the two most important skills in a fine way and we shouldn't be surprised, if both make the podium eventually.
The best cobblers will surely try to avoid a sprinters scenario: Bush, Van Keirsbulck, Drucker (amongst the top-favorites thanks to his decent sprint skills), Grand or Vandenbergh. If those guys make it a tough race with attacks and splits, at least the Rowe/Harrison guys won't have a chance to follow the quality cobblers here.
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 02-12-2017 17:19
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Team Leader
Posts: 7366
Joined: 11-07-2014
PCM$: 700.00
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Operation Experience! 
We don't have terrible riders here and maybe if Pedersen survives the cobbles he can put in a nice sprint, while we also have some options at the bottom of the favourites list.
Will be an interesting battle between the sprinters and the cobblists, surely the perfect race for Havik and Thwaites, but will be cool to see if someone like Vandenbergh or Drucker can get away. 
Thanks for the awesome preview tsmoha! You're really taking up all the reports now.
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 02-12-2017 17:32
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 9099
Joined: 13-03-2013
PCM$: 2100.00
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Go Lufthansa, go Vandenbergh, go Faroer!
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 20:27
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| Aquarius97 |
Posted on 02-12-2017 18:40
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4191
Joined: 13-09-2015
PCM$: 300.00
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One of the very few C2 we are not attending (basically all non-compulsory cobbles and flat races  ). Despite that, i'll follow this closely as most of the teams fighting for promotion against us are here. So hopefully Netia and Lierse can steal lot of points
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 02-12-2017 19:06
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World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
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Dear Santa,
We at Xero want this race to be:
- Selective
- Not too selective
- Not to end in a group sprint
- Not to end with a GVK solo
- Easy for Vandenbergh to stay at the front
- Not easy for sprinters to stay at the front
Too much to ask?
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 02-12-2017 20:23
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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I really should've sent Joseph here, top 10 was in reach. Me and my damn pride.
Any points would be good here I guess, I think this is the weakest team I could mathematicaly put together.
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| ryant |
Posted on 02-12-2017 22:07
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2322
Joined: 15-08-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Just wondering what new and ingenious way the PCM AI can screw my team, I'm looking forward to it 
 John St Ledger in Team Bunzl-Centrica and Team U25Red Bull Driver in RFactor
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 02-12-2017 22:29
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Team Leader
Posts: 7406
Joined: 14-07-2015
PCM$: 599.00
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This is a race to hard to predict, could be very good but could also be a disasters for us, all up to how it will play out.
Thanks for the great preview.
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 03-12-2017 02:35
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
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Wrong story game Thanks for the sentiment though
I'd have thought the field would be cobbles riders only. Getting to know that the sprinters do well here isn't very reassuring. We need the points, and judging by past results (only read them now), we might not be in for a grand haul.
Also, Matzka getting mentioned in a preview 
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| Booker |
Posted on 03-12-2017 03:09
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 875
Joined: 03-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Slightly concerned that PCM has decided Jérôme will lead us in Belgium...
However, excited to see our compatriots Netia - Vonin at the race as well! Should be a good one, hopefully one that Havik decides to show up at.
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| Vien |
Posted on 03-12-2017 09:40
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2322
Joined: 16-06-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Decided not to go here as I deemed the race too unpredictable. Let's see if that predcition is right or not. |
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 03-12-2017 17:17
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Team Leader
Posts: 7406
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Congratulations to Scorchio, win and another two in top 10 (ouch  )
Did expect something like a top 10, but from Gatto or Verbist, so nice to see Eduardo Colon steep up to deliver, when the bigger guns could not.
Thanks for another great report tsmoha, unstoppable
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 03-12-2017 17:19
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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Nice try by Van Aert, guess we'll get a few minor points here. My gamble didn't pay off, but congrats to WCC!
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 03-12-2017 17:21
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Team Leader
Posts: 7366
Joined: 11-07-2014
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Massive result for WCC Congrats Scorchio!
Shame PCM AI had to make that a rather passive race, would've been nice to see the favourites going at it, although a sprint was not unexpected.
Nice to see Pedersen trying to join the break, although he really hasn't had luck with his attempts so far. Our main goal was XP and we got it, so Gunnar's single point was a bonus.
Thanks for (yet another) great report tsmoha! 
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 03-12-2017 17:28
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 16429
Joined: 27-07-2011
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The cobbles AI this season has been atrocious. Not sure why it's worse than last year with the same game.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 03-12-2017 18:33
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World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1020.00
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Yeah well that sucked hard. Kennett with a nice performance to join the break and get twelfth, Jams doing OK as well so at least it's a head-mildly-above-the-water even-if-it's-just-the-mouth kind of race for us, but still not good enough. I know KBK sometimes does this but you'd hope it goes the other way. Congrats to WCC though, I think will quietly start their way into the top 5 race as teams like us and Repsol even out a bit
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| Yellow Jersey |
Posted on 03-12-2017 19:00
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 2809
Joined: 16-04-2013
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Glad I didn't participate here, Flaksis wouldn't have any chance in a sprint. Anyway congrats Scorchio and nice report tsmoha (you're really busy )
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| Booker |
Posted on 03-12-2017 22:02
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 875
Joined: 03-07-2013
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Hell yeah, we'll take a podium from Havik. He's loving these C2 classics. Just a bit unfortunate that the race was so easy Brus could stick around and sneak that 2nd place.
Congrats to Scorchio/WCC. And tsmoha, please make sure you've still got a life outside running these races and putting out these fantastic reports
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 04-12-2017 04:06
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
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Can't really complain with 4th and 6th even though Drucker missed the podium against the sprinters. Matzka . Probably made a mistake not bringing Kreder here instead of Krieger... Also, my riders' love affair with positions 26-30 in C2(HC) races continues!
Congrats Scorchio. Immense result! The climb towards promotion has well and truly started for you I believe. The top of the CT is gonna be really close after March!
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| whitejersey |
Posted on 04-12-2017 08:38
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 2905
Joined: 07-08-2011
PCM$: 300.00
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Well that was a fucking shitshow. Farrar gets dropped. Golas is the only one who tries anything and GVK should be ashamed of being all the way down in 16th. Grats to Scorchio though.
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