2011 cobbled season

[Kwibus]

No one tipping Pipo.

Why would anyone tip Pipo? He will suck Boonens wheel the entire race and lose the sprint. Or a 'random toprider' will attack and Boonen doesn't feel like closing the gap because he has Pipo in his wheel and the 'random toprider' will win

 

[maltiv]

No one tipping Pipo.

Pipo doesn't win, not his style. He simply prevents the favourite from winning

 

[ingsve]

I think EBH will have to show something this time.

Would like to see EBH do a top 5 or so in a monument or win one of the other ones.

MSR might be possible but he won't get top 5 in RVV or Roubaix just yet. If you look through the results in RVV and Roubaix in the last ten years you can clearly see that they are not races for the young guns. Of the 60 people that have finished top 10 in either race you can count on one hand the people that have been younger than 25 years old at the time. Almost all riders are in the prime 28-32 year bracket or even older.

I think it's the shorter races where we have a chance of seeing EBH next season and I hope we'll be seeing lots of him there but winning is still very hard given the competition. I would also wait a year or three before expecting EBH to be anywhere near top 5 of RVV or Roubaix.

 

[Greenflame]

Ok, predictions.. Here is goes.

Boonen will win Flanders, Cancellara will peak for Roubaix (and win it) and try to win AGR after that. Being top all the way up to LBL is probably too much to ask, but at least he'll ride that to get some experience in the race. Garmin-Cervelo will be very active, but will lose out on both Flanders and Roubaix. Hushovd might win Wevelgem if he hangs on for dear life, but in the two monuments he will get dropped by Boonen and Cancellara (and in Flanders probably by Gilbert, Leukemans, Breschel and others). Breschel will ride good, but not win anything. EBH doesn't stand a chance against the big guns.

Anything else?

 

[Rocksteady]

Really depends how well Garmin use there great cobbles team. If Haussler attacks early, Hushovd can suck wheels all he wants.

Honestly how horrible would it be if Big George somehow made the final selection, surrounded by 4 Garmin team members...


I would like to see GH win SOMETHING before he retires. GW, KBK, or something

 

[Kvinto]

Cancellara will peak for Roubaix (and win it) and try to win AGR after that.

Is this a joke? It's simply impossible to be a contender for AGR after just riding Roubaix.

 

[maltiv]

I would like to see GH win SOMETHING before he retires. GW, KBK, or something

He has already won those.

 

[maratsafin]

it's looking great already, gibert, fabian, ebh, tom b, lars b, peter sagan and my own favourite suicide breakaway merchant kolobnev........... will probably go and ride/watch fleche and lbl this season.

 

[stefrees]

I'm gonna shout out geraint Thomas as a top ten in Flanders now, I think he shows as much promise in the cobbled races to get a decent result. Dontbthink he'll podium but think he could be a decent wildcard for sky.

Also with garmin having a so called super team, I hope they don't ignore maaskant as I'd like to see him do well

 

[ultimobici]

Is this a joke? It's simply impossible to be a contender for AGR after just riding Roubaix.

No it's not. Jan Raas did it in 82, having won Amstel following the Ronde in 79.

 

[hatcher]

I'm gonna shout out geraint Thomas as a top ten in Flanders now, I think he shows as much promise in the cobbled races to get a decent result. Dontbthink he'll podium but think he could be a decent wildcard for sky.

Also with garmin having a so called super team, I hope they don't ignore maaskant as I'd like to see him do well

It's probably too early to expect Thomas to challenge in Flanders etc, but it seems to me his future lies that way rather than in stage races.

Put me down as expecting Breschel to be one of the stars of the cobbles.

 

[Kvinto]

No it's not. Jan Raas did it in 82, having won Amstel following the Ronde in 79.

Ohhh, there was a time. Yes, Jan Raas really won PR and AGR in thr same year, but it’s hard to compare the 1980s and nowadays. In our time riders prefer riding Ronde – AGR (Klasika Primavera – AGR), skipping PR, or Ronde – PR, skipping AGR, because it’s hard to be fully recovered 7 days after Roubaix (It's not the only reason but in case of Cancellara it's it).

 

[auscyclefan94]

Is it too early to discuss the 2011 cobbled races? They'll be the next major races really. Should be good with some strong teams (garvelo, quickstep, rabo, sky, vaconsoleil) and depending on whether the canc rides them.

BMC not a strong squad? (Hincapie, Ballan, Phinney, van avermaet, quinziato, Burghardt) better team than sky and vacansoleil.

No one lols the Dutch maffia.

Beware. You are not safe, we know were you live.

ACF94 may decide to fly the ACFC (Aus cycling fan club) and hunt you down!!!!!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

As if the DM is scared of some midget Aussie

 

[auscyclefan94]

As if the DM is scared of some midget Aussie

 

[The Hitch]

ACF94 may decide to fly the ACFC (Aus cycling fan club) and hunt you down!!!!!

ACF. Beware of what your up against. I have it on good authority that half the UCI, ASO and WADA are in DTs pocket.

Just think about how much you like flying the "Cadel is clean flag" before you say something you might regret.

 

[theyoungest]

BMC not a strong squad? (Hincapie, Ballan, Phinney, van avermaet, quinziato, Burghardt) better team than sky and vacansoleil.

Sky have Flecha, Vacans have Leukemans. BMC have no one of that level. Ok, on paper they do, but for now none of the riders live up to that.

 

[David Suro]

If Farrar can be in the final selection of any race with Thor leading him out they will be formidable. Both Garmin and Cervelo had good showings in 2009. Combining most of the best riders from each squad should prove to make the team a major factor in any and every race they enter with serious intentions.

 

[Kwibus]

Also with garmin having a so called super team, I hope they don't ignore maaskant as I'd like to see him do well

He had a poor season so I hope they remember his 4th spot in RVV in 2009 and his 4th spot in Paris - Roubaix in 2008. I think those results show he's business on cobbles.

 

[stefrees]

BMC not a strong squad? (Hincapie, Ballan, Phinney, van avermaet, quinziato, Burghardt) better team than sky and vacansoleil.

Flecha > hincapie
Thomas > phinney
Ebh > van avermaet
Arvesen > quinziato
Hayman > burghardt
Add in hunt, stannard and wiggins, maybe sky > bmc?

 

[theyoungest]

Flecha > hincapie
Thomas > phinney
Ebh > van avermaet
Arvesen > quinziato
Hayman > burghardt
Add in hunt, stannard and wiggins, maybe sky > bmc?

Don't overdo it... Burghardt is much stronger than Hayman, Quinziato is stronger than Arvesen, and up until now Van Avermaet has been stronger than EBH in the actual classics.

 

[The Hitch]

BMC not a strong squad? (Hincapie, Ballan, Phinney, van avermaet, quinziato, Burghardt) better team than sky and vacansoleil.

Flecha > hincapie
Thomas > phinney
Ebh > van avermaet
Arvesen > quinziato
Hayman > burghardt
Add in hunt, stannard and wiggins, maybe sky > bmc?

But you ignore Ballan, who has what no one else on that list does. A cobbled monument victory.

 

[scribe]

I am still waiting for someone to tip George Hincapie for Roubaix.

He might be a little too old this year.

How about Phinney!!!!?

 

[stefrees]

Don't overdo it... Burghardt is much stronger than Hayman, Quinziato is stronger than Arvesen, and up until now Van Avermaet has been stronger than EBH in the actual classics.

Van avermaet hasn't really ever done much apart from appear to be better than he really is. Maybe burghardt is better than hayman, but my point stands re: sky v bmc

 

[stefrees]

But you ignore Ballan, who has what no one else on that list does. A cobbled monument victory.

Ok fair enough, did forget about him but still in last two years??