A game of dodge’ems? Two interesting couples fighting each other? A Tour champion on the roadside handing out wheels? Fans taking selfies with Stybar’s teeth? This and so much more in the Ronde edition of Tweets of the Week! Beware! There is strong language (seriously, a lot) in this edition of tweets. Don’t blame me. Blame Ant Beal and Marc Madiot.

Da do Ronde Ronde Ronde

Alexander Kristoff has been focused all week – all season even! – just look at that predator gaze as he warms up for the DePanne TT earlier in the week. A Pinarello might have beat him in the TT but it wasn’t going to on Sunday.

One of the many glorious traditions of the Ronde is that the first rider through Sint Eloois Winkel wins his weight in beer. Looks like Matt Brammeier did write that on his stem.

I love that Cadel Evans was by the roadside, holding wheels for the team. He looks happy and relaxed, doesn’t he?

The race is on

The race only really lit up after about 150km but we all still had stuff to say.

In a stroke of genius, Trek got Fabs to tweet the final 60km of the race. Whether he was wearing this strange woodland creature’s mask or not during the tweeting is anyone’s guess.

Fabs is bewildered by riders who don’t make a statement with their attacks.

As soon as Kristoff and Terpstra went away and got a gap, it was game over for the single leaders in the back.  Or as Ant puts it:

One has to wonder what ‘tactical fuckwittery’ is in Fabianese – we may never know. But as they near the line, Fabs reminisces about his own moments of victory.

And Ant (who was on fire on Sunday!) imagined what Niki might be saying to Alexander as they rode alone.

The finish. Apparently Terpstra shrank and is now only about three feet tall.

This bike is suspended!

For those who appreciate the workings of a bike (I am not one of those people), the news of the week was the special Pinarellos with rear suspension for Team Sky. Some called it a game changer. Most didn’t. But the rear suspension couldn’t save it from a Wiggins throw.

Our Midge, however, was waaaaaaaay ahead of Sky!

The verdict about the bikes? After the race

The agony of defeat for a good fair few.

This tweet by Andrew Hood had everyone sitting up and going ‘huh?’

Personally, I’m not much of a Terpstra fan but I was impressed with this. He must have been unbelievably disappointed at losing the race but he still had a smile and time for fans afterwards. Chapeau, Niki.

Poor Zdenek. He spent the day before Strade Bianche getting new teeth and he loses them in Flanders.

It’s a shame that Geraint couldn’t make the podium – but I’m sure there will be many more opportunities in his Classics future. Luke Rowe, on the other hand, certainly didn’t dress up his thoughts on the day.

Great to see Wei Yuet was there. I love this shot of Lars Boom.

Did we just see the beginnings of a great Classics career for Tiesj Benoot from Lotto?

The worthy winner

Who also has the cutest son to ever grace a podium.

The least neutral service cars ever

It’s almost a surprise that this doesn’t happen more often, but on Sunday, two neutral service cars were involved in crashes involving riders. One sideswiped Trek’s Jesse Sergent off his bike (and broke his collarbone to boot), the other backended FDJ’s team car, which sent one of the riders who was alongside onto the pavement hard. Just some of the reactions from Twitter.

The gruppetto

Dan Wuori, saint that he is, periodically tries to mediate between the blocked and the blockers on Twitter. He spent Easter weekend tirelessly trying to broker peace – forsaking all chocolate Easter eggs until his task was complete! I love the ‘this makes him sad’.

Ant wanted to be unblocked by Lance and Oleg (I have no idea why). Last I knew, Lance came through, Oleg is still thinking about it.

Some people are maybe not understanding what would drive someone to block them. Dan, ever patient, explains how it works.

I think Dan beseeches PhilGil every year on Panache’s behalf. The laser eyes on the offending tweet two years ago still stings, it seems. No word of an unblockage by the Belgian champ.

Another Lotto box. Love these. LOVE these.

Trek’s April Fool’s prank. Best one by miles. (Cobbled miles, of course)

Pippo – always good value on Instagram.

Of course, now we know why Pippo didn’t do so well in Flanders. He actually had to quit early to go win an Ironman.

Svein Tuft – guaranteed to burn all day long.

Blessings upon Matt Rendell, the voice of reason when talking about Oleg’s radical plans for “transforming” cycling. (Well, he sure seems to have transformed a happy team into one with a whole lotta angst.) The oligarch’s plans for cycling? A race before Formula One because there are already bleachers set up and you could charge. Circuits around a city – forget this ‘riding through landscapes’ malarkey’ What could be more snoozeville?

The last word