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

[Cobblestones]

Vaughters twitter:

He who laughs last, laughs hardest. Congrats, huge congrats, to everyone on this TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
less than 20 seconds ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

Once a ******, always a ******.

 

[Havetts]

Saw that too - did it really stop him, though? Looked more like Thor got somewhat tangled up there, not Fabian.

It stopped that group alot, they were going full speed and had to break fully. So they were stopped and had to regain speed, who knows if that would've meant 19 seconds.

The team cars, motor driving and camera work were a disgrace to be fair..

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Nah, take it easy on him. It's obviously a very important win for the team so he's rightfully slightly gloating. Not really tool material.

the twitter was filled with spite. He didn't even mention JvS lol.

He should care less what people think and twit positive. aka JvS you superstar! The team can be very very proud etc..

 

[Cobblestones]

Did that proposal really happen?
I had the Flemish feed, and my fluency is, well...

And did she say yes?

 

[Sørensen]

Great PR! Happy to see Spartacnut not winning

Lars Bak was awesome today, deserved podium for his effort at least.

 

[Mellow Velo]

This season's classics are craPping all over the stage races. Totally unpredictable and very, very animated.

Yes, I'm sure that worked out exactly as JV planned it.

 

[Havetts]

I actually hoped Cancellara would win, he was the only one willing to ride. Can imagine him being quite ****ed, if Hushovd did only one turn when they were with the two of them they would've got to that group..

 

[boomcie]

Some girls expect totally different rocks when they get asked though.

*Imagining that ring*

...
I feel Canc threw the race away. He would have ridden everyone of his wheel if kept going hard over the cobbles and gave it everything on the last section. At the end Thor couldn't go with him to fight for 2nd.

Hard to say.

 

[Chef_Vodnik]

It stopped that group alot, they were going full speed and had to break fully. So they were stopped and had to regain speed, who knows if that would've meant 19 seconds.

The team cars, motor driving and camera work were a disgrace to be fair..

hmm, you might be right - I did not see it fully, looked away for a blink of an eye.

Happened before as well, at least once. Can't pinpoint the situation/location, though.

 

[sublimit]

the twitter was filled with spite. He didn't even mention JvS lol.

He should care less what people think and twit positive. aka JvS you superstar! The team can be very very proud etc..

He's probably read some of mine and TFF's comments.. I'm not surprised he's so bitter.
I'm happy for Vansummeren, i have qc points!

 

[auscyclefan94]

couldn't of happened to a nicer guy...well done johan. he always puts others before himself!

 

[roundabout]

the twitter was filled with spite. He didn't even mention JvS lol.

He should care less what people think and twit positive. aka JvS you superstar! The team can be very very proud etc..

Any rider on the Garmin superteam should be able to beat the rest of the big escape so it's a victory for Vaughters' business acumen and rider selection skills.

But seriously, he could have mentioned van Summeren but it's hardly the end of the world that he didn't.

 

[jaylew]

yeah I was mainly in ref; to one day races.

But to be fair I only found PN disappointing. Basque was entertaining for the most part. TA was great.

Basque was ok, but I thought last year was better, Catalunya was certainly bad as well.

BMC has to be disappointed. Really nothing to show for the classics season so far.

 

[Havetts]

But seriously, he could have mentioned van Summeren but it's hardly the end of the world that he didn't.

Yes it kinda is, atleast thats how I see it. JvS rode his *** off, was hardly selected and then he wins the Garmin team the 'most important/prestigious' classic of the year and then he doesnt get mentioned, wut?

 

[Granville57]

Thor was super strong and totally at ease on the cobbles.
His strength allowed him to track Spartacus which, in turn, made Spartacus sit up. On his own (or if he had just ignored Ballan and Hushovd) Fabian very well may have caught the leaders which would've given us a different race.

Hushovd's strength was played perfectly by Garmin.

Gotta give it up for the team.

 

[beer_thirty]

It stopped that group alot, they were going full speed and had to break fully. So they were stopped and had to regain speed, who knows if that would've meant 19 seconds.

The team cars, motor driving and camera work were a disgrace to be fair..

Seriously, this is nuts. Watching 'A Sunday in Hell', toward the finale there is a crash w/the Merckx group about a minute behind. You see all these motorcycles going past, not remotely sure what their role is other to than just be in line. You can see the spectators in a panic, wanting the bikes to get out of the way before Eddys' group gets there. And thinking, 'This is SO 70's//" The ineffectual French coppers replete in their 'Kepi'. So yesteryear.

And to see it happen time after time, even in 2011. Come on. Just stupid; just a leftover legacy from so long ago.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Seriosuly, how much bad luck did quickstep have? I don't think I've ever seen anything like it!

 

[Mellow Velo]

Boom, out sprinted by old man Guesdon. Quite sad.............especially as he's top of my CQ shambles.

 

[beer_thirty]

Thor was super strong and totally at ease on the cobbles.
His strength allowed him to track Spartacus which, in turn, made Spartacus sit up. On his own (or if he had just ignored Ballan and Hushovd) Fabian very well may have caught the leaders which would've given us a different race.

Hushovd's strength was played perfectly by Garmin.

Gotta give it up for the team.

Yeah, he played a nice role. But if he was that strong, he would have been 2nd on the podium, not an also ran. Thor was good today, just not world-champ good.

 

[Anonymous]

He still lost the sprint to Eisel.

Which only proves that he shouldn't have pulled any. If he had helped Canc get to the front group, Canc wins, and Garmin probably get nothing.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Which only proves that he shouldn't have pulled any. If he had helped Canc get to the front group, Canc wins, and Garmin probably get nothing.

eisel is quite quick, Hushovd would of beaten cancellara.

 

[boomcie]

Which only proves that he shouldn't have pulled any. If he had helped Canc get to the front group, Canc wins, and Garmin probably get nothing.

Yeah, but still Vanmarcke had to keep pulling. It was a very abstract display of team tactics.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

What was Garmin's tactics? They had 2 riders work their behinds off for Thor in the chase for the lead group, but he wasn't willing to take a few shifts to bridge a gap of a measly 25 seconds. If his reluctance to do any work was about JvS being in the front group, then why have two team mates drop down to chase for him?

 

[sublimit]

eisel is quite quick, Hushovd would of beaten cancellara.

I'm not sure.. Fabian sprinted well against Goss at M-S-R and looked quick in that one and lost narrowly to an expert.

 

[boomcie]

I'm not sure.. Fabian sprinted well against Goss at M-S-R and looked quick in that one and lost narrowly to an expert.

Nah, on the velodrome, Hushovd would have iced him. Eisel is fast.