2013 97th Ronde van Vlaanderen, 257km, Sunday 31th March

[serfla]

Oh noes. Gutted about Boonen. Doesnt look good. I reckon he will miss Paris-Roubaix too.

Now its Chavanel time

Sad scene. Belgian champion and the best Classics' rider in history laid on his back on a day like this.
I wonder in which shape Belgian hope will resurrect.

 

[iZnoGouD]

Boonen abandon after a crash.

he was a non factor anyways

 

[Descender]

Sad scene. Belgian champion and the best Classics' rider in history laid on his back on a day like this.
I wonder in which shape Belgian hope will resurrect.

Best cobbled classics rider you mean.

 

[pastronef]

Dammit. Now Roubaix will become the most predictable race of the season, but anything can still happen today. The classics have been very exciting so far without Boonen as a major presence.

uh? you kidding?

 

[iZnoGouD]

Boonen out means less chance for Chavanel.
Ask Devolder.

Why is that?

 

[jens_attacks]

Dammit. Now Roubaix will become the most predictable race of the season, but anything can still happen today. The classics have been very exciting so far without Boonen as a major presence.

cancellara still can take down gaudin

 

[serfla]

Best cobbled classics rider you mean.

I mean.....

 

[manafana]

Roubaix is fabs to win now, it suits him much better than flanders in my view, as bonnen and himself have both won solo.

 

[Peccio89]

Dammit. Now Roubaix will become the most predictable race of the season, but anything can still happen today. The classics have been very exciting so far without Boonen as a major presence.

emh, do you remember 2011 race?

 

[will10]

cancellara still can take down gaudin

lol I knew this was coming. Nice one

 

[Rolling Rouleur]

Sad for Boonen, has had no luck for months.
Chavanel is the OPQS man now.

 

[iZnoGouD]

Dammit. Now Roubaix will become the most predictable race of the season, but anything can still happen today. The classics have been very exciting so far without Boonen as a major presence.

Don't you realize that Boonen at the level he was last year would still be annihilated by Cancellara?
This year he is not that level so...

 

[serfla]

My sources are telling me that Tommeke 's mother-in-law was resolute in a demand to see him at Easter lunch. He had to find the way to attend.

 

[will10]

A classic is never predictable.

 

[Ferminal]

Meanwhile, is there still no BotD?

 

[spalco]

********. I'm not a Boonen fan, but I do like seeing him take a race by the balls. Sucks for Roubaix too...

 

[iZnoGouD]

snooker on eurosport wtf

 

[Sasquatch]

I thought it was strange that Boonen would take the start. Yes, he's the defending champion, but let's be serious - he was not going to win today and he knew it, so he should have just abandoned after taking the start and focused on Paris-Roubaix, a race he had a better chance of winning.

 

[brilleaben]

emh, do you remember 2011 race?

I'll eat my purple fedora if a break wins two times in three years.

 

[infeXio]

Eurosport only rarely hold up their TV-schedule

 

[screaming fist]

French Eurosport sending some pre-race stuff, no live footage yet.

 

[spalco]

http://88.80.5.80/w00t/20130331/vv5157fbcb53d4c493355775-552526.html

French Eurosport has has some piece about Flanders, but no live pictures yet.

eta: live now I think.
eta2: no, still archive.

 

[will10]

I thought it was strange that Boonen would take the start. Yes, he's the defending champion, but let's be serious - he was not going to win today and he knew it, so he should have just abandoned after taking the start and focused on Paris-Roubaix, a race he had a better chance of winning.

You really don't have a clue do you.

Defending champion.
Belgian champion.
Adored by tens of thousands of Belgian fans along the roadside.
Highlight of his season.

You know what, I'll save myself Roubaix.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

snooker on eurosport wtf

I know, we're missing a slow rolling peloton on flat tarmac.


More bizzare is the attempt to show the boat race on the same channel at 4pm. Anyone who cares will watch the bbc.

 

[Red Rick]

I thought it was strange that Boonen would take the start. Yes, he's the defending champion, but let's be serious - he was not going to win today and he knew it, so he should have just abandoned after taking the start and focused on Paris-Roubaix, a race he had a better chance of winning.

Wtf? That makes no sense at all