109th Paris-Roubaix. The Hell of the North.

[luckyboy]

I'm going for this top 5.

Boonen
Flecha
Hincapie
Pozzato
Chavanel (if he's riding)

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

When was the last really muddy roubaix?
2002? (with Hincapia hitch-diving)

 

[boomcie]

When was the last really muddy roubaix?
2002? (with Hincapia hitch-diving)

You mean ditch-diving? Or are you messing with the Hitch?

 

[beer_thirty]

I'm going for this top 5.

Boonen
Flecha
Hincapie
Pozzato
Chavanel (if he's riding)

Pozzato in 4th and no Canc?? For Gods sake, someone get this person to a Doctor!!

 

[ansimi]

I hope we get another great Monument this year! Last year was my first time watching this and I was very disappointed.

I'll probably be happy for whomever wins it because I think they'll really have earned it. Cancellara's the best so I'd be happy to see him win just not as obviously as last year. Boonen is probably getting stronger. I'm a Hushovd fan so that would be good too. I'd like to see BMC and/or Sky get somebody on the podium if they ride as well as at Flanders.

 

[will10]

Nuyens is not starting Roubaix, choosing to focus on Amstel & Liege, and riding Klasica Primavera next weekend. So, a bit of trivia for the forum massif. When was the last time the winner in Flanders didn't start in Roubaix?

 

[Cobblestones]

Hincapie will escape but Garmin will chase him down.

On a more serious note, I think Boonen might have the edge on Sunday.

 

[maltiv]

I'll say it here again, watch Thomas if he doesn't have to work for Flecha all the time

Sky shouldn't sacrifice EBH and Thomas for Flecha this time in my opinion, Flecha can't win anyway with his current form (of course, might be wrong) while Thomas and EBH can both win if they're in the lead group on the velodrome.

 

[boomcie]

Sky shouldn't sacrifice EBH and Thomas for Flecha this time in my opinion, Flecha can't win anyway with his current form (of course, might be wrong) while Thomas and EBH can both win if they're in the lead group on the velodrome.

Don't discard Flecha like that. Have you seen his PR record? He will always be up there.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

ebh isn't good enough to follow the way thomas does

 

[Jamsque]

EBH was good at Flanders but I don't think he has the race miles to really contend at Roubaix. I'd rather see EBH sent in an early move, Wiggo riding for Flecha and Thomas given free reign to go nuts.

 

[maltiv]

EBH was good at Flanders but I don't think he has the race miles to really contend at Roubaix. I'd rather see EBH sent in an early move, Wiggo riding for Flecha and Thomas given free reign to go nuts.

Me neither, but I'd prefer to have him ride more defensively since he can win a sprint vs anyone. Flecha has to attack to win and thus should be the offensive one, not Hagen. EBH doesn't have the form at the moment to go Chavanel-mode but he could have the form to wheelsuck his way to a podium with some luck, which would be quite lame but a great result.

 

[hatcher]

Seems to me they all (Flecha, Thomas, EBH, Hayman, Stannard) have the prerogative to ride as aggressively or as passively as they like.

As impressive as G was at the weekend, I'd still expect Flecha to finished ahead of him 8 out of 10 times at Roubaix.

 

[Kwibus]

Besides, unlike Vlaanderen, Roubaix is highly suited to long solos. Nobody has done a long solo in Vlaanderen in recent memory, but guys like Museeuw, Tschmil and The Man Himself have all done it in the last 15 years. You certainly won't have a team with 7 guys on the front of the peloton with 40k to go in Roubaix.

This. I expect Cancellara to win P-R. I must add that I also predicted this about RVV, but P-R is more suited to Cancellara then the RvV is.

No hills, just long horrible flat cobblestone sections. When is Cancellara at his best? On flat roads... , maybe even better on flat cobblestoned roads!

And there won't be an organised bunch behind him to catch him. And we all know what happens if Cancellara takes off and a group of 5-10 favourites are behind him. Most of them will give up and ride for 2nd instead. There won't be any coorperation.

 

[hfer07]

don't care about anybody else competing in P-R......

i just want S-CHAVANEL TO WIN IT

 

[R.0.t.O]

Cancellara vs Hushovd vs Thomas. Probably in that order.

 

[The Sheep]

I'm hoping Leukemans

 

[taiwan]

OK, I have a scenario and a top 5.

Boonen
Cancellara
Chavanel
Pippo
Hink

 

[El Pistolero]

Boonen all the way.

If Hushovd doesn't win this we'll have a bad world champion on our hands again as it's the last big thing for him to win. I'm sorry, but a couple of GT stages won't cut it.

 

[luckyboy]

Pozzato in 4th and no Canc?? For Gods sake, someone get this person to a Doctor!!

Yeah I just don't want Cancellara to win. It's just random order after Boonen.

 

[rghysens]

Nuyens is not starting Roubaix, choosing to focus on Amstel & Liege, and riding Klasica Primavera next weekend. So, a bit of trivia for the forum massif. When was the last time the winner in Flanders didn't start in Roubaix?

probably 1996? Michele Bartoli.

 

[maltiv]

Incredible that Geraint Thomas, who last year was "just another domestique" on the road, is now suddenly mentioned amongst the favorites for P-R. That is some serious progression. I don't think he can hope for better than a top 15, though.

 

[killswitch]

Hopefully Canc wins it, after being made to work hard (not with a 50 km solo).

 

[beer_thirty]

Yeah I just don't want Cancellara to win. It's just random order after Boonen.

I knew there had to be a perfectly logical explanation!

 

[Cobblestoned]

I want Flecha to win and I think he can do it.
He deserves it after all these years and seems to be very fit.

I predict Boonen, Cancellara, Flecha, Hushovd and Ballan fighting it out - more or less