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

[c&cfan]

I hope he skips the ITT for the RR. Would be epic to see a battle between him and Breschel

after what we saw in MSR RVV and PR, why should he skip the ITT?

 

[roundabout]

he won it 4 times already

 

[Jamsque]

He skipped the ITT a couple of years back and it made no difference. I don't think the course in Copenhagen will be selective enough for Canc to have a chance.

 

[peloton]

Probably true. Never a good idea to be the one and only favorite, particularly when you don't have a strong team.

You don't have to change much for Cancellera to have won all 3 monuments...In M-SR he was stopped by Goss who never has been that good before, in RVV he was stopped by Nuyens who never has been that good before and in P-R he was stopped by Van Summeren who has never been that good before. Surprisingly he is not riding the ardennes classics for a possible revenge. He is so good at the moment that I actually think he could've won one of them by attacking on the flat where no one who will be there in the ardennes can follow him.

cobbled classics and ardennes, completely different races.

 

[roundabout]

cancellara didn't ride both races in 2008

 

[Chuffy]

Just out of interest -what does HD stand for against a rider in the final standings? Thomas was HD, rather than DNF.

 

[roundabout]

exceeded the time limit

 

[c&cfan]

He skipped the ITT a couple of years back and it made no difference. I don't think the course in Copenhagen will be selective enough for Canc to have a chance.

does he need that? where were you in the monuments and E3? in top form, he doesnt even need to atack. he can just go TT mode in the last few KM. he isnt the main favourite after all. he does not need to work before that so he will be fresher. he can win this. (more evidence: 2007 tour.)


not only that, but why not do lombardia this year?

 

[zigzag wanderer]

Just out of interest -what does HD stand for against a rider in the final standings? Thomas was HD, rather than DNF.

Hors delais - outside the time limit at the finish.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

It's impossible to embarass ourselves here! It's the internet, where we are all completely anonymous!

I'm not

 

[mulletCobra]

does he need that? where were you in the monuments and E3? in top form, he doesnt even need to atack. he can just go TT mode in the last few KM. he isnt the main favourite after all. he does not need to work before that so he will be fresher. he can win this. (more evidence: 2007 tour.)


not only that, but why not do lombardia this year?

I'd be racing them even for nothing more than experience. If you want to win all 5 of the classics you have to at the very least give them a shot.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I hope he skips the ITT for the RR. Would be epic to see a battle between him and Breschel

Naah, he should finally take the double. I really don't want to see Martin in the rainbow jersey...

 

[hektoren]

[quote/]

As it is, though, I was glad to see Van Summeren win. He worked like a madman, and rode well. I have to say, when he was sharing the victory with his girlfriend/wife it broke me up a little.

Great display of tactics by Garmin, too: the world champion marking Cancellara, while his teammate in the lead group is given orders to gun it and go. Garmin used a team to beat a machine. The machine, meanwhile, fought bravely, got a well deserved second, and was gracious in defeat.

Even though my guy didn't win, I thought it was an exceptional race.[/QUOTE]

+1
Thor said to journo's afterward that his only regret is that he probably should have been more alert when Canc launched his last attack, but also that he felt strong enough to win, all day long, marking Cancellara's every move with ease. Bagging the win for the team was, of course, first priority.

Come to think of it, Van Summerens bride to be doesn't exactly play hard to get now, does she? If winning a race with 256,5 km's and 27 sections of cobble is what it takes to woo her, she's just too hard-earned.

 

[c&cfan]

sorry marked every of canc's atacks?

canc killed ALL of them!!! no one could do nothing when he putted the real hammer down.

and thor says that?

this just shows how pozzato has an unfair life.
thor lost all my respect for him.
2nd-tier sprinter.
2nd-tier classics rider.
2nd-tier as world champion.
2nd-tier as a man.

 

[Christian]

He skipped the ITT a couple of years back and it made no difference. I don't think the course in Copenhagen will be selective enough for Canc to have a chance.

I haven't looked at the course yet but last year in Geelong he didn't have it in the RR anymore

 

[c&cfan]

Naah, he should finally take the double. I really don't want to see Martin in the rainbow jersey...

he has more chances than everyone ever had since the real cycling (with pros) started.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I haven't looked at the course yet but last year in Geelong he didn't have it in the RR anymore

Mendrisio was waaaaay more difficult but he did have it in the RR there

 

[Christian]

Oh come on, artist on bikes? if they were, then they should know to KEEP THEIR DISTANCE

it's not that hard, it goes right in most races, why can't they never do it right in Roubaix... for crying out loud.

TV motors should not at any rate impact the direct result of the race. In my opinion, they did influence the result.

Would you like to be hanging from a bike carrying a camera? Not me that's for sure.

I don't know if "they never do it right" in Roubaix (you could be right, I just don't remember any incidents from the top of my head) but it certainly isn't just any other race. At least in other races you usually have good visibility (no dust), good tarmac (no cobbles), broad streets ... I assume that would be a lot easier.

 

[Christian]

Mendrisio was waaaaay more difficult but he did have it in the RR there

Where did he finish? (I forgot)

 

[hektoren]

+1



That's how I read it, too. I wanted Cancellera to win, but could see he was too well marked. He had to wait until that lengthy rise came up, where he knew he could give it the gas and drop them, and did. By then it was too late, but just barely. Another k, maybe less, he'd have gotten back on.

As it is, though, I was glad to see Van Summeren win. He worked like a madman, and rode well. I have to say, when he was sharing the victory with his girlfriend/wife it broke me up a little.

Great display of tactics by Garmin, too: the world champion marking Cancellara, while his teammate in the lead group is given orders to gun it and go. Garmin used a team to beat a machine. The machine, meanwhile, fought bravely, got a well deserved second, and was gracious in defeat.

Even though my guy didn't win, I thought it was an exceptional race.

+1
Thor said to journo's afterward that his only regret is that he probably should have been more alert when Canc launched his last attack, but also that he felt strong enough to win, all day long, marking Cancellara's every move with ease. Bagging the win for the team was, of course, first priority.

As for Van Summeren's bride to be, now that's a gal that doesn't play at being hard to get now, is it. If winning a race with 256,5 km and 27 sections of cobbles is what it takes to woo her, she'd better have some good tricks up her sleeve.....

 

[kukiniloa]

With Hincapie puncturing right before the Arenberg, this really reaffirms him as the Eddy Merckx of mechanical failures.

(mechanicals...punctures...whatever)

 

[Wergeland]

+1000000000

If Thor would have had the legs, does anyone really think he would not have loved to have been 2nd, complete the Garmin 1-2 finish, and 'show' everyone he could have won today?? Riding for Van Summeren, BS. He never would have won today no matter what the situation. He just hasn't had it all spring and did as much as he could have done today, and no more.

I think Thor did have the legs today. He was the only rider who could follow Cancellaras attacks. Except the last one where he (f***** up and) wasn't really paying attention and Cancellara got a few meters. If he had countered then it would mean bringing Ballan, Flecha and the rest closer to Van Summeren, which he couldn't do. And I think that if he was riding for victory he might have had Cancs wheel there.

 

[Christian]

Boonen's comment on the race:

"I fell once in Paris-Roubaix, that was in 2003. Today, I had only bad luck. I felt good at the start, and I was able to preserve my energy. If I hadn't abandoned, the race would have gone differently. I think Cancellara missed me. On the other hand, other rouleurs have really managed the race badly, I'm thinking of Hushovd and Ballan who stayed passive. You have to try something in order to win Paris-Roubaix."

http://www.cyclismactu.net/news-paris_roubaix_boonen_j_ai_manque_a_cancellara-14318.html

I think he has a point - the two of them could have teamed up to get the group back earlier, and afterwards they would have had plenty of time to try and drop one another. Really too bad he wasn't there! I feel like it was a duel Cancellara vs. Garmin but with Boonen there would have been a whole other dimension

 

[maltiv]

Cancellara would possibly have won had Boonen been there, because he would have been able to do some work to bridge up to the front group. Same with Hushovd, who also could've won with someone like Boonen there. His absence changed the whole race and it's impossible to know what would've happened with him there, I just know that the top 10 would've been completely different.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Cancellara would possibly have won had Boonen been there, because he would have been able to do some work to bridge up to the front group. Same with Hushovd, who also could've won with someone like Boonen there. His absence changed the whole race and it's impossible to know what would've happened with him there, I just know that the top 10 would've been completely different.

Exactly. I give no credit to Garmin. They were lucky because QS crashed out.