It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. For Visma Lease a Bike and for our little leagues.

In Superclasico, diphthong takes a commanding stage victory (top 2%) and is riding at the front of the General Population (top 3%). Chapeau. Not quite Jorgenson-like, but certainly Abrahamsen-ish. Meanwhile, at the back of the bunch, I elbowed my way back into the brown jersey as GrainBrain chased back on to the rest. Wout and I should have stayed at altitude.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6e6e3cc13f.png


A different story in the OCD game, but is anyone really playing that? We'll see soon enough, if WVA and Stuyven stay on any rosters for Sunday.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...32462f83bb.png

I'm leaving MvdP off my list, instead picking betiol, cramps and all. Dries de bondt did well the other day, this is his home or was that more Gent-Wevelgem.

Great idea. It's only an extra 85km over double the hills at a higher pace. Pithie looks a bargain, too. They've got this.

BTW, I saw Arnaud De Lie was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Glad they caught it fairly quickly. I know some folks who suffered with that or other pestilence for ages before it was identified. And of course we've seen Froome, Cav, Coppi, et al fall to such things.

Twice the hills, twice the time to rehydrate? Yeah that's it, fourth dimensional right here!

Edit - I dropped Betiol and got real spicy with Marjin instead.

I thought I had Basque country locked in (Roglic,Bilbao,Landa,Trek Duo; no Jonas or Remco). Then McNulty goes and wins Indurian gran premio. Hmm

It worked so well for GrainBrain at de Ronde I'm going to pa$$ on the favorites and aim to get an extra pair in the top few.

Also McNulty in for C Rodriguez in a last fateful roster move.

ditto.

Yes I also swapped in McNulty for Bilbao, then put in Ayuso, finally I put in Lecerf after giving up Tao. Hope to see Tao do really well and prove me very wrong.

I almost threw in Archie Ryan, interesting kid.

Like dominoes on the Koppenberg may my fellow league members try and follow these, uh - left field picks!

Ha ha, that's the way Tao!
 

I'm surprised neither of us picked Tom Pidcock. Ugly DNS.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tom...e-trial-recon/

A surprise winner in Itzulia who could have been ripe for a central Io-way deep pick, but I guess the corn needed planting.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...866b01017e.png

Unlike the far more predictable Schelderprjis. Most of everyone fared OK, at least those that picked. We're still in the company of greatness with diphthong floating along just outside the top 2% overall. May L'Infer du Nord treat you well.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3b0d6be3c7.png

Won't make that mistake again, off to the chic cobbles!

missed being able to pull van baarle off the p-r roster for superclasico by 15 mins even tho i'd checked 4 hrs earlier. oh, those "windows." grrr.

could really use a tarling win, place or show here.

Welp, I tuned in just in time to think "Glad I swapped Tarling for Swift ..." not that it mattered much!

Initially I had mvdp-pedersen-phillipsen but thought that wasn't spicy enough. Incredible race though by MvdP. I thought my Degen pick would've been a bit sneaky, having seen a bit of murmur about him in YouTube comments...

oh tarling…

Oh, yeah. There was a race today. D'oh.

Strong work by The Bounty and Pulling Faces narrowing the gap to the leader today in both contests.

Interesting how Benoit Harry Potter Cosnefroy scored less points in his win than Teuns and Wellens did with the breakaway bonuses. canam73 was there to hoover it all up.

bring on the last wave(s) of transfers! the giro can't come quickly enough.

Brutal
 

Flèche Wallone was gnarly. Watching that breakaway rider struggle with his jacket for 10k was rough. Nice job picking Cosnefroy! Dang that was brutal weather. I thought Bob Roll might bring up his day on the Gavia. Great finish on the Huy.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...aa2898257.jpeg

Ha ha ha all of Ineos and Jayco dnf'd - what a beautiful win by Stevie! I always forget to check the weather for these spring classics. Got Whelan in the break :thumb:

Wow. Only 44 finishers. I still haven't finished P-R! Really have no clue what's going on. :thumb:

aite. won't matter but all in for l-b-l. damn the transfers. full speed ahead.

One third done
 

Close battle with 1/3 of the season dusted. Nice pick with Bardet at Liege variegated! The Fleche race might be my favorite so far. Williams face pull is up there with the best.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...de75833a1.jpeg

I glanced at the little league for Superclasico. I hadn't thought about it in a while. PTSD can be like that. Then, the next thing you know, it's like "womp me agin, Ike, and next time put some stang on it."

It's a hard fought battle for the podium between semroc , diphthong , & canam73 with all three steps still up for grabs. And a LONG long way back to the grupetto, looking like GrainBrain and I will be OTL in the final standings.

I'm sure you guys can quit any time you want. But keep up the good work!!!

Brutal
 

This is how diphthong, canam73, and I feel.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a0f866208b.png
OTSS. Only the strong survive!

Mind over matter there, hard men. If you don't mind, it don't matter.

so true…