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

[hrotha]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O0wrfccGfw

Does anybody get what he tells Steegmans when he stops by?

 

[Hawkwood]

He didn't win that one because he was lucky. He won it because he was the best and because the others could not stay on the bike.

Fed up with these folks who would swear that Paris-Roubaix is a lottery. If you can't ride a bike, you fall. As simple as that.

+1

Exactly, watching the race it appeared obvious that Boonen was charging into the corners forcing errors behind.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Does anybody get what he tells Steegmans when he stops by?

I think 'den band is goed, mijn fiets is kapot' meaning "the tire is good, my bike is broken" -> so no need to give his wheel.

 

[Echoes]

And if a rider falls right in front of you what are you supposed to do?

With regards to the crashes on Carrefour de l'Arbre in 2009, it's very clear to me:

Flecha fell on his own, like a man

Hushovd crashed because he missed a turn, probably because Boonen put the pressure on him, forcing the error (as someone put it on this thread).

The likes of Hoste, Pozzato and Summie crashed after Flecha. You may have a point on this. But I still believe that on such a key section as the Carrefour de l'Arbre, there's only one place to be if you've got the legs for it and that's the leading position. It was no coincidence if Boonen entered all sections first that year. He wanted to avoid crashes.

Luck plays a part in Paris-Roubaix but certainly NOT more than in any other races. Less actually. Saying otherwise is crazy.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Like a rider (don't know which one) said before the race this year: "in Paris-Roubaix it is not the cobbles that are the hardest, but the road in between and before, the fight for a good place to enter the cobble sections..."

 

[Archibald]

can't believe the Arvesen story that's in the CN newsfeed at the moment.

It states that after a crash, the bolt on the seat came loose and the seat fell off forcing him to abandon.
Was there no mechanic to tighten or replace said bolt?? Spare bike on the team car??

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

can't believe the Arvesen story that's in the CN newsfeed at the moment.

It states that after a crash, the bolt on the seat came loose and the seat fell off forcing him to abandon.
Was there no mechanic to tighten or replace said bolt?? Spare bike on the team car??

footage of that:
http://www.sporza.be/permalink/1.1000639

 

[hrotha]

I think 'den band is goed, mijn fiets is kapot' meaning "the tire is good, my bike is broken" -> so no need to give his wheel.

Dank je wel.

 

[theyoungest]

Dank je wel.

And before you store this sentence into your "Dutch lessons" file: "den band" is Flemish vernacular, correct Dutch would be "de band"

 

[El Pistolero]

And before you store this sentence into your "Dutch lessons" file: "den band" is Flemish vernacular, correct Dutch would be "de band"

Doesn't sound as good

 

[avanti]

Women and Under-23 results?

I thought there was a womens race and an Under-23 race that preceded the maim Paris-Roubaix race -if so where can I find the results?
Thanks

 

[hrotha]

And before you store this sentence into your "Dutch lessons" file: "den band" is Flemish vernacular, correct Dutch would be "de band"

I'm not sure yet but I think I actually prefer the debased, incorrect Flemish dialect.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I'm not sure yet but I think I actually prefer the debased, incorrect Flemish dialect.

It's not incorrect, it's a 'different' language, just like American and British English are different in both dialect and vocabulary

 

[hrotha]

It's not incorrect, it's a 'different' language, just like American and British English are different in both dialect and vocabulary

Haha, I know, I was just going along with theyoungest's joke. I'm actually pro-dialects and anti-prescriptivism.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Before this whole discussion starts all over again, I refer you to this thread: http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=12788

 

[mr. tibbs]

I thought there was a womens race and an Under-23 race that preceded the maim Paris-Roubaix race -if so where can I find the results?
Thanks

I don't know about a women's Paris-Roubaix, but the espoirs edition was scheduled for May 29, 2011. (I think.) But it's not taking place this year b/c of $$$, apparently: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/paris-roubaix-espoirs-will-not-be-held-in-2011

Paris-Roubaix Espoirs will not be held in 2011 due to the prohibitive cost of policing the event.

EDIT: Oops, then this: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/aso-saves-u23-paris-roubaix

The Paris-Roubaix event for riders under 23 years of age has been rescued from cancellation by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the Velo Club Roubaix announced today.

 

[Echoes]

And before you store this sentence into your "Dutch lessons" file: "den band" is Flemish vernacular, correct Dutch would be "de band"

Sure Buffalo won't like this but you should learn it's not Flemish vernacular but Belgian vernacular. Boonen has no Flemish root, he's a Campiner from Mol (province of Antwerp).


In order to be less OT, I might just say George Hincapie finished his 15th Paris-Roubaix (16th started), though one was outside time limits. As much as Duclos-Lassalle. One less than record holders Servais Knaven and the late Raymond Impanis.

1994 - 31th
1995 - 21th
1996 - 29th
1997 - 59th
1998 - 66th (outside time limits)
1999 - 4th
2000 - 6th
2001 - 4th
2002 - 6th
2004 - 8th
2005 - 2nd
2008 - 9th
2009 - 44th
2010 - 29th
2011 - 42th

I would like to pay tribute to all those courageous riders who finished outside time limits this year, and would never appear in any rankings:

Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Leopard Trek
Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Procycling
Matt Brammeier (Irl) HTC-Highroad
Gatis Smukulis (Lat) HTC-Highroad
Marcel Kittel (Ger) Skil - Shimano
Martin Reimer (Ger) Skil - Shimano
Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
Vitaliy Kondrut (Ukr) Lampre - ISD
Luke Roberts (Aus) Saxo Bank Sungard
Miguel Minguez Ayala (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi

 

[Benotti69]

20km without a saddle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pudyCkMaQcg&feature=player_embedded

 

[visegripmikey]

Paris-Roubaix in slow-mo

Have you seen this yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1QXKjc1nLY&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

This thread already exists

 

[Benotti69]

geraint thomas talks to road.cc

http://road.cc/content/news/34592-team-skys-geraint-thomas-talks-roadcc-about-his-sunday-hell

 

[Kwibus]

Have you seen this yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1QXKjc1nLY&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

Just epic. Masterpiece.