2012 Grand Prix de Wallonie (1.1) 12th September

[goggalor]

Simon wins. GVA second again. Tommeke nowhere, Freire turns out to be Paolini.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Bouhanni 9th. Nice.

 

[Sylvester]

Goodness me!
Saur Sojasun have timed this to perfection! A huge surprise!
Absolutely!
Tom Boonen Tom Boonen Tom Boonen
Absolutely!
Tom Boonen where is Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen did not time this to perfection
Saur Sojasun are the big boys today!
They got the timing absolutely right
Absolutely!

 

[macnir]

Simon is so so impressive.

 

[roundabout]

Huge surprise.

The guy second behind SuperGilbert last year wins.

 

[brilleaben]

What an embarrasment for Tommeke lol, he looked like a beast up until the finale.

 

[Sylvester]

Absolutely!
Goodness me, did we see some sprinting by Saur Sojasun!

 

[cineteq]

Simon is so so impressive.

He was not selected for the WC French RR team.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

He was not selected for the WC French RR team.

Really? That seems like a mistake..

 

[bangnz]

Good finish.. Unpredictable which is always nice

 

[cineteq]

Really? That seems like a mistake..

Yup. No Julien Simon.

France: Maxime Bouet (Ag2r), Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Jérôme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun), Mickaël Delage (FDJ-BigMat), Jérémie Galland (Saur-Sojasun), Tony Gallopin (Radioschack-Nissan), Vincent Jérôme (Europcar), Arthur Vichot (FDJ-BigMat) & Thomas Voeckler (Europcar)

 

[will10]

What an embarrasment for Tommeke lol, he looked like a beast up until the finale.

Remember which race is the target.

Today they made the race early, he got some good hard kms in. I think he'll be pretty pleased with the outcome today.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Boonen is never going to win on the Valkenburg course.

 

[Pentacycle]

Boonen is never going to win on the Valkenburg course.

Yes, but he's going to decide the outcome. Like in Mendrisio, he can force an early selection of outsiders halfway through the race.
That way he'll put the pressure on the Spaniards. Only issue is that most riders will still see him as a big threat, and it'll depend on whether he's allowed to go.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Yes, but he's going to decide the outcome. Like in Mendrisio, he can force an early selection of outsiders halfway through the race.
That way he'll put the pressure on the Spaniards. Only issue is that most riders will still see him as a big threat, and it'll depend on whether he's allowed to go.

no he's not. if boonen will force an attack 150 riders can follow on asphalt hills

 

[theyoungest]

Boonen is never going to win on the Valkenburg course.

It's one of the easier courses in recent years... but when the real hills riders go full gas up the Cauberg, Boonen can forget it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It's one of the easier courses in recent years... but when the real hills riders go full gas up the Cauberg, Boonen can forget it.

He can hardly follow Julien Simon, Hoogerland etc on Mur de Namur. So on Cauberg he'll get obliterated

 

[El Pistolero]

Boonen is never going to win on the Valkenburg course.

I remember that the same was said when Maertens won in '81. Dropped out in every race before the Worlds, but hey he won.

Boonen has been training hard this week, the goal is Valkenburg. I don't believe he can win per se, but he can do much better than most of you guys think lol. Anyway Phil all the way.

Citadel de Namur is 2km at 6% average. Still harder than the Cauberg.

 

[Netserk]

Boonen is never going to win on the Valkenburg course.

+1

He can only win by luck. If he goes solo after Bemelerberg, he has a little chance. He should basically do the same as Freire did in Amstel, but not look back all the time and have a lot of luck.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I remember that the same was said when Maertens won in '81. Dropped out in every race before the Worlds, but hey he won.

Boonen has been training hard this week, the goal is Valkenburg. I don't believe he can win per se, but he can do much better than most of you guys think lol. Anyway Phil all the way.

Citadel de Namur is 2km at 6% average. Still harder than the Cauberg.

lol @ everything you said

 

[El Pistolero]

no he's not. if boonen will force an attack 150 riders can follow on asphalt hills

Bettini couldn't at the Valkenberg.

 

[Netserk]

I remember that the same was said when Maertens won in '81. Dropped out in every race before the Worlds, but hey he won.

Boonen has been training hard this week, the goal is Valkenburg. I don't believe he can win per se, but he can do much better than most of you guys think lol. Anyway Phil all the way.

Citadel de Namur is 2km at 6% average. Still harder than the Cauberg.

Same finish with a stronger Boonen
He is stupid if he thinks he can win it from a sprint.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Same finish with a stronger Boonen
He is stupid if he thinks he can win it from a sprint.

not the same finish at all. but after a meaningless/easy stage of little more than 200 km, or do you think bennatti and orgers will be contenders here also?

 

[El Pistolero]

Yeah, we all know Boonen struggles after 250km. Didn't you say Boonen peaked too early at the Tour of Qatar?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

El Pistrollero, there is a difference between a TDF stage with only 6 hills and 200km (where most of the hills were easy) and this worlds course

There is no comparison. If you want comparison, compare with AGR of the past few years.