It was Ardennes Week, which usually doesn’t do much for me but the QuickStep wins in both Fleche and LBL made up for that! Of course, no matter what the race, we can always count on the Twitterstream to either distract or rev up the mood.
The Musketeer
VeloVoices Towers went berserk with Julian Alaphilippe‘s fantastic win on Wednesday. It was a fine day.
Alaphilippe didn’t even realise that he won …
And now a rather bizarre slo-mo, weird-sounding video of his win
Annnnnd from the back
Alaphilippe will not be mocked …
This is much better. Love the helmet at a jaunty angle and the little ‘tache …
Jungels! BOB JUNGELS!
And it was …
There was nothing but love between these two – Alaphilippe looked almost overcome with joy that his teammate won such a magnificent Monument
I had no idea this was QuickStep’s first LBL victory ever!
And a more reflective photo – a great one by Karen Edwards. Is it just me or does he have a bit of a Matt Damon look about him?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhyShBsH2Hg/
The morning after
Tom who?
Meanwhile Michal Kwiatkowski seemed to have had a disappointingly lacklustre spring. Which is a shame, because when he’s on song, he’s a real joy to watch.
Lotto Soudal haven’t had a lot of luck this spring either.
He wanted to. But he didn’t.
Who would have thought we’d have a LBL podium as we did? We are *loving* Bedhead Bardet‘s devotion to racing hard this spring.
And His Nibs‘s roughing up the races. He only made his attacks stick once, but he certainly made his presence known in every one of the races
Liege is a race that is dreamed of
However, not for its scenery as Liege really isn’t that attractive. I’ve been there …
Everyone has their limits
And *this* is what Dan Wuori looks forward to every year – the Pimp of Liege. Don’t think he saw him on Sunday though. Maybe the guy was just on the barricades, dressed in jeans and a polo-neck this year.
Alpine fun with Woodsmoke
There was some real disgruntlement with the comms in this race. Nobody puts Thibault in a corner!
While this is just plain unnatural
When your teammate is doing well …
I’m terrified we’re going to have to say these names on the podcast one day. As I’m sure are all our listeners #Mangle
The saddest of anniversaries
It was also a week of saying goodbye to BMC owner Andy Rihs, who died on Wednesday. It’s a sad loss.
The Gruppetto
I love this
The stuff of nightmares
And you know that anything that is compared favourably to tractors by nyvelocity has to be amazing.
A crazy trick of the lens
I really love how riders just go with it in pictures for sponsors. From QuickStep pillow fights to Oss‘s air guitar on restressed concrete.
G speaks
As, apparently, did Froome
Quite honestly, the mind boggles
Ah, summer … it’s just around the corner, Marshall!