Sagan Strategy Succeeds!

   As the exciting conclusion to Sunday's 75th edition of Ghent-Wevelgem unfolded, I was reminded why I enjoy professional cycling so much - team strategy and how one athlete's individual effort can completely mess it up! Granted Peter Sagan was a big favorite going into the race, but as a small group (pictured below), including the talented Cannondale rider, broke away with over 50 kilometers remaining, one had to wonder if there was just too much distance remaining for him to be able to pull off the win.

   Ghent-Wevelgem is probably considered the least prestigious of the spring classics, and a cyclists' will-to-win was tested by weather that was anything but spring-like, with snow still on the sides of the roads and temperatures near freezing. Teams wore their full winter training kits to combat the elements, which created the unusual sight of pro cyclists racing in long sleeve jackets and full-length tights over the roads of Belgium.
   The route through the Flanders region contains two climbs of the famous Kemmelberg (check out the cool '80s photo below of Sean Kelly climbing it). Its steep, cobbled road becomes treacherous in rainy weather, often requiring riders to dismount and walk their bikes. However, the race often features a sprint finish because the climbing ends a good distance from the line. For this reason it wasn't too surprising to find men like Heinrich Haussler and Bernard Eisel, who are known more for their finishing kick, among the group of a dozen who tried their luck to get away.

   Quality riders like Juan Antonio Flecha, Greg Van Avermaet and Borut Bozic, were also there to push the break along at a high pace. Sagan, however, is an amazing blend of punchy climbing ability and raw speed, leaving no doubt who the "marked man" was in this selective group. Surely teams weren't going to let such a strong threat slip away easily, and with many of the pure sprinters left in the main bunch, it seemed this break was doomed to fail.
   The interesting dynamic was that with just enough riders from different teams involved in the break, not everyone in the peloton was eager to make the catch, wanting to see if maybe their rider could get clear. For a while the gap hovered at around a minute, what was thought a controllable distance, and urgency never really set in.
   Sagan was fortunate to have Maciej Bodnar available to help out, but as it became clear the Cannondale teammates were determined to make this break stick, one had to wonder if Sagan was doing too much work. Would he have enough left to beat Eisel or Haussler, who were both noticeably conserving energy by taking fewer pulls at the front, if this group stayed away?
   With about 10 kilometers left, the time gap began to tumble quickly, and those in the break who lacked sprint speed took turns trying to jump away. While no one was successful, the constant attacks kept the speed high at the front and the peloton was never able to close within 30 seconds.
   Usually in these situations, the speedmen up front simply cover all of the moves and then relax, keeping out of the wind as much as possible to set themselves up for the final dash, but Sagan surprised everyone. The move began with less than four kilometers remaining with Stijn Vandebergh, another of the lesser sprinters, trying one last desperate escape. Flecha quickly moved onto his wheel to shut the move down and Sagan followed, but as the rest of their breakaway mates predictably relaxed after the failed attempt, Sagan jumped hard and was gone!
   With no one wanting to do the work to catch Sagan and give someone else the opportunity for a free ride to victory, a pursuit never materialized. "Peter the Great" had plenty of time to salute the crowd along the last few hundred meters to victory, and even popped a wheelie over the line.