2012 bold predictions

[Panda Claws]

Yeah Boonen is a great cyclist.
Seems to be the only one here that everybody likes.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I don't know what I want more:

A Milan-San Remo victory for Tom Boonen. We haven't won that classic in a long time and I don't even count Tchmil's victory.

or

A Paris-Roubaix victory for Boonen. Just to **** of Roger de Vlaeminck

Yes please Also San-Remo is a huge gap in his Palmares

 

[Richeypen]

Yeah Boonen is a great cyclist.
Seems to be the only one here that everybody likes.

Not me. Dont dislike him but there are is a long list of riders who I would rather win.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Yeah Boonen is a great cyclist.
Seems to be the only one here that everybody likes.

hate him, but thats because he is belgian

 

[jens_attacks]

hate him, but thats because he is belgian

 

[Parrulo]

Boonen will do another RvV - PR double

Yes please Also San-Remo is a huge gap in his Palmares

i second both those posts.

i hope boonen has an injury free off-season and early season. so we can have this boonen back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmkC2FynBkU


i think one of the reasons why everybody loves boonen is because of the aggressive way he races the cobbles

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Yeah Boonen is a great cyclist.
Seems to be the only one here that everybody likes.

Nope .

 

[LaFlorecita]

hate him, but thats because he is belgian

Don't like him that much either.

 

[luckyboy]

Not that bold, but Gilbert won't win De Ronde.
Boonen and Devolder share the cobbles.
Rujano wins Giro.
Totally winless year for Schlecks.
Someone from Rabobank wins Vuelta.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yeah Boonen is a great cyclist.
Seems to be the only one here that everybody likes.

You're kidding right? Some people here are acting like self righteous saints and hate him because of the whole cocaine story and still make jokes about it which long ceased to be funny. Then there's the other kind that don't like his interviews after the race and the excuses he makes as to why he lost the race(rarely backed up with proof however).

But based on racing style alone, which is by far the most important factor to root for someone, he's practically impossible to be hated. Always tries to win, rides aggressively, rarely relies on wheel-sucking to win a race and he's also charismatic unlike some other cyclists *cough* Kevin Pauwels *cough*.

How many sprinters would have done what Tom Boonen did at Paris-Tours in 2009? Not many, and that's why I like him.

 

[greenedge]

I think GVA will have good form next year but work for Gilbert. He might claim a few victories here and there. I think this year Offredo was impressive ( for clinging on to the lead group ) at M-SR but GVAs' attack was as well.

I like Boonen for his racing instinct ( this year at G-W ). However i was annoyed that he instigated a chase of his own teammate at RVV.

 

[El Pistolero]

I think GVA will have good form next year but work for Gilbert. He might claim a few victories here and there. I think this year Offredo was impressive ( for clinging on to the lead group ) at M-SR but GVAs' attack was as well.

I like Boonen for his racing instinct ( this year at G-W ). However i was annoyed that he instigated a chase of his own teammate at RVV.

Cancellara closed the gap down on his own, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway, it was a one man chase. If Chavanel would have co-operated with Cancellara, he would have even won the Ronde. Blame the DS of QS, but not Boonen.

 

[Ryaguas]

Boonen will do another RvV - PR double

ohhhhhhhhhhh... YES PLZ!

Yeah Boonen is a great cyclist.
Seems to be the only one here that everybody likes.

Tommeke is great! I think that almost 99% of the ppl here in the forum would choose him over that jerk Cancellara...

 

[greenedge]

Cancellara closed the gap down on his own, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway, it was a one man chase. If Chavanel would have co-operated with Cancellara, he would have even won the Ronde. Blame the DS of QS, but not Boonen.

Yeah but Boonen STARTED the move. When Cancellar let Boonen expend his energy, he burst out. I do not know when he would have attacked along the course if not prompted.

I never said Boonen was at fault for Chavanel not winning.

I predict Alex Rasmussen to win 1 of an ITT at the Giro or Paris Tours.
I also predict Steven Kruijswijk to have a better season than Bauke Mollema.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Yes, it is. Gilbert, Ballan and Hushovd are all better in that classic than he is.

They were, yes. But GVA is still growing, while those others are at there top.

 

[will10]

Devolder to start a key climb in Flanders not sitting at the very back of the peloton.

I know, probably a little too far-fetched even for this thread

 

[AussieGoddess]

my predictions

MSR - Boonen
RVV - Gilbert
PR - Cancellara
LBL - JRod
GDL - Gilbert

Olympic RR - Cancellara
Olympic TT - Martin
WorldRR - Gilbert
World TT - Cancellara

Giro - Scarponi
TdF - Evans from Wiggans (AC not there)
Vuelta - ????????

 

[El Pistolero]

Yeah but Boonen STARTED the move. When Cancellar let Boonen expend his energy, he burst out. I do not know when he would have attacked along the course if not prompted.

I never said Boonen was at fault for Chavanel not winning.

I predict Alex Rasmussen to win 1 of an ITT at the Giro or Paris Tours.
I also predict Steven Kruijswijk to have a better season than Bauke Mollema.

I can't blame him after having lost the Ronde 2 times already to a team-mate.

 

[Parrulo]

I can't blame him after having lost the Ronde 2 times already to a team-mate.

in years where he was clearly the strongest guy, in 2009 his only rival was pozzato . . . boonen could have 4 rondes by now

 

[El Pistolero]

in years where he was clearly the strongest guy, in 2009 his only rival was pozzato . . . boonen could have 4 rondes by now

Stupid Pozzato

Has costed us a Milan-San Remo victory as well

I'll be happy to root for that Italian clown if he rides like in Beghelli however(or like in MSR 2006/2010)

What shall we call him next year?
Pippo the clown? The shadow of Boonen? The shadow of Gilbert? Or something more flattering? Only time will tell.

 

[Parrulo]

Stupid Pozzato

Has costed us a Milan-San Remo victory as well

I'll be happy to root for that Italian clown if he rides like in Beghelli however(or like in MSR 2006/2010)

What shall we call him next year?
Pippo the clown? The shadow of Boonen? The shadow of Gilbert? Or something more flattering? Only time will tell.

lol i kind of like pippo, he needs to start to attack tho otherwise his beautiful riding style won't be enough to keep me as half a fan(its amazing how smooth he looks on the cobbles even smoother then canc)

i just watched the 2009 P-R 2 days ago and its amazing how above every1 else bar pippo boonen is, and even pippo is a level below, what boonen did that year to hushovd should almost be illegal

if only that boonen could return

 

[El Pistolero]

I think Pozzato did well to ride for a smaller team like Farnese Vini and I hope it has a positive influence on his racing style.

He'll probably win a few smaller Italian races and kick *** in the Giro. How he will do at the real classics is still a big question mark though. If he doesn't constantly wheel-suck I won't mind to see him do well.

 

[maltiv]

I think Farnese Vini will be quite good for Pozzato. By doing a few smaller Italian races, which are quite important for their sponsor, he could rediscover the winning mentality he's been lacking the past few years. I think he'll be back on the podium in the big classics.

It's better to have one Pozzato, than to have 30 riders riding as if they were Pozzato, like we had in the classics this year

 

[RedheadDane]

I predict Alex Rasmussen to win 1 of an ITT at the Giro or Paris Tours.

He'll just have to keep from puncturing...
Hey! Maybe one of his new team mates at Garmin can teach him the trick of How to ride a ITT on slighly cobbleish conditions without puncturing in the last K...

 

[El Pistolero]

He'll just have to keep from puncturing...
Hey! Maybe one of his new team mates at Garmin can teach him the trick of How to ride a ITT on slighly cobbleish conditions without puncturing in the last K...

Let them first teach him how to fill out your where-abouts correctly.