Our race columnist on the latest events
Jens looks at the cobbled Classics and asks: why are Quick- Step so good?
The Classics season is in full swing and just the other day, Quick-Step Floors scored their 25th win of the season, including a bunch of great results in the cobbled races.
The one that really topped it all off was the impressive win of Niki Terpstra in the Tour of Flanders. We can’t really be surprised that a rider from that team won, because ever since I’ve been in cycling, which is a long time now, Patrick Lefevere’s team has always been dominant on the cobbles. Riders like Andrea Tafi, Johan Museeuw and Tom Boonen always performed really well in these historic races.
What’s their secret? What are they doing that is different from anybody else and has ensured such dominance for 20 years? It’s not that they have any more money than the others – there’s more to it than that.
Well first of all, they buy riders who fit in the team for the Classics. It’s not just the leaders – when you look at their domestiques, they are strong guys who know how to ride at the front. Quick-Step’s ‘type’ is strong, hard riders, able to work and able to function in the harsh conditions of the peloton at the Classics. It’s also true that this team really focuses on the Classics more than any other team. You could almost say that Quick-Step is the Team Sky of one-day races. They are always there, and always ready to take responsibility for the race. And they have enormous strength in depth, so even if one rider has a bad day or crashes, they have other riders ready to take over. Sometimes I think that some QuickStep domestiques could be a team leader elsewhere.
Really, there’s no secret. Quick-Step have strong Classics riders and they make sure they are ready and in top form for those races.
That leads us to the next logical question. Why don’t other teams copy their system? Lack of interest? Hardly – the Classics season is such an important part of the season and everybody wants to do well there. Lack of determination? Hardly – every bike team wants to win and justify their sponsorship with results. Lack of intelligence? Hardly – in modern cycling there is simply no space for dumb people. You’ve got to be smart to run a team or to be a coach. So it’s a little mystery to me why no other team has really challenged Quick-Step the last few years. Other teams have great individual riders they can rely on but no other outfit brings such a strong and well-balanced team to the Classics. My final verdict on the cobbled Classics is this: well done Quick-Step and not so well done to the other teams. Except Peter Sagan, of course, who won Paris-Roubaix and really took it to Quick-Step in that race. Honestly, is there anything he can’t do?
The sad news is that we lost Michael Goolaerts in Paris-Roubaix. It reminds us that our beloved sport is also a dangerous one and always will be. So let’s send out some good luck for the riders to have a season free of accidents.
Jens Voigt retired in 2014 following an 18-year career as one of the sport's most loved and attacking riders. He held the Hour Record for 42 days. Commentators never did agree how to pronounce his name.