115th Paris-Roubaix 2017 - April 9, 257k

[greenedge]

Although Stuyven disappointed today immensely, I get the feeling that PR suits him better than RVV so he should be considered an underdog. Etixx should be the favourites, they need to continue isolating the others and then play with their numbers. Terpstra is canny, Trentin rode superbly and Boonen looks to be in great form. Added to that, they have Lampaert, Gilbert and Stybar as other options (I know this point is obvious but it's essential to note).

 

[Saint Unix]

I'm not in the business of predicting winners, but I sincerely hope we get a race that's even just half as exciting as last year's edition. I've been looking forward to this for 12 months now.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Re:

I still don't understand how people see Gilbert/GVA as favourites. If this is raced like last year they don't stand a chance. Super engines like Degenkolb, Vanmarcke(if he recovers), Stannard/Rowe, Durbridge, Terpstra and even Sagan are bigger favourites than them.

I'm going to pick the young Dylan van Baarle. Fan favorites: Chavanel or Boom. Chavanel rode great today. Like Hayman last year, it would be *amazing* to see a win.

Gilbert is absolutely on fire and Boonen is going so well it will be a field stacked with podium potentials.

Start list:
http://www.letour.fr/paris-roubaix/2017/us/riders.html

2017's course has added a "hill" early in the race and some more actual cobbled KMs. Hopefully the hill sector has the effect of making a little selection.

 

[dlwssonic]

Re:

I still don't understand how people see Gilbert/GVA as favourites. If this is raced like last year they don't stand a chance. Super engines like Degenkolb, Vanmarcke(if he recovers), Stannard/Rowe, Durbridge, Terpstra and even Sagan are bigger favourites than them.

GVA has podiumed in this race before?? And made an attacking move.

He definitely has a Super Engine now.

 

[Velolover2]

GVA has a great engine on the flats. Don't know about Gilbert, but he gained time on the GC group in the flat sections.. so he has to be up there. He is a different rider now.

Hopefully Boonen can win it, but I would be happy to see GVA, Gilbert or Sagan take the victory.

 

[movingtarget]

Boonen has extra motivation now, not that he needed it !

 

[Hugo Koblet]

What happened to Stybar yesterday? I watched the last 100 km's and I didn't see him once.

 

[Netserk]

I think he was caught behind a (some) crash(es), but I can't remember when.

 

[Jagartrott]

Re:

Naesen believes he will be one of the four strongest.

Let's see if his legs are at the level of his words.

He was very good yesterday, and he should be better on cobbles than on climbs, so I'm curious if he can deliver. Certainly would/should be among the contenders for a top-5.

 

[Flamin]

Re:

What happened to Stybar yesterday? I watched the last 100 km's and I didn't see him once.

Caught behind a crash before Kanarieberg and I think he never made it back.

 

[SafeBet]

Heart says Tommeke, head says Dege.

Van Baarle is my joker.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Vanmarcke may have fractured his finger.

Starting is unlikely.

 

[Ricco']

Re:

Vanmarcke may have fractured his finger.

Starting is unlikely.

"You can take a rider from Lotto-Jumbo, but you can't take Lotto-Jumbo from a rider."

-Confucius, 502 A.C.

 

[Felice Gimondi]

In RVV Boonen knew he had to get ahead the favourites to have a chance at performing. He will likely think the same in Paris Roubaix and QST will have even more riders to control the race or challenge the others depending on how the race turns out.

 

[Jagartrott]

Weather should be warm and dry (again).

 

[Red Rick]

I'm starting to wonder what will come sooner. A wet Roubaix, or an Elfstedentocht.

 

[yaco]

Last year's PR and this years RVV show that you don't need bad weather to make a memorable race.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Last year's PR and this years RVV show that you don't need bad weather to make a memorable race.

No, but it would no doubt be more memorable on average

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

I'm starting to wonder what will come sooner. A wet Roubaix, or an Elfstedentocht.

Which means? Dust edition?

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Last year's PR and this years RVV show that you don't need bad weather to make a memorable race.

No, but it would no doubt be more memorable on average

If the average is memorable, wouldn't it just become non-memorable?

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

I'm starting to wonder what will come sooner. A wet Roubaix, or an Elfstedentocht.

The Alternatieve Elfstedentocht Weissensee is actually the only speed skating competition that I've ever watched live (ok, only the final 60min of it a few years ago, I think it was 2012).

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

I'm starting to wonder what will come sooner. A wet Roubaix, or an Elfstedentocht.

Which means? Dust edition?

No, it's an ice skating marathon race across the Northern Province of Frysland in the Netherlands. Imagine an ice skating Ronde van Vlaanderen in the Netherlands, only held in harsh winters. It's like the holy grail of ice skating, and it hasn't been held in 20 years. And yet every year, when the temperature gets close to 0 degrees Celcius, a fair amount of people go crazy cause 'this might be the year'. It's slowly become more myth than reality, hence the comparison to a wet Roubaix.

 

[Valv.Piti]

If not a wet Roubaux, 20 degrees, dry (no rain in the last week or so) and sunny can also make for a very epic race. Some of my best memories of the race have been in that condition, I specifically remember Boonen winning in 2009 for some reason with The Shadow and Hushovd chasing, that was a monster race

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

Last year's PR and this years RVV show that you don't need bad weather to make a memorable race.

You just need a traffic jam that blocks the favorites at 100km from the finish

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

I'm starting to wonder what will come sooner. A wet Roubaix, or an Elfstedentocht.

Last mud edition was 2002. Boonen beeing on the podium as a neo pro.