2013, Paris - Roubaix: 254Km

[The Hitch]

It's really not hating if you call this win lucky:

- Boonen was out
- Ballan was out
- Hushovd and Pozzato lacking the shape they used to have
- Stybar and Vandenbergh taken out by crashes
- Boom taken out by flat tire
- Vanmarcke worked too much on the front. Too inexperienced.
- Vanmarcke didn't know how far the second group was behind.
- Sagan wasn't racing

It's hating to hold to vandenbergs crash as making a difference to cancellara. He was way behind them when he crashed.

 

[BillytheKid]

Not that many strong men actually.

Surprised GVA was able to get fourth. Maybe some more riders of his type should try Roubaix.

43.5 average. No you playing the what-ifs game.

 

[FellOff]

But Boonen won more convincingly than Cancellara this year. Which IMO is proof that Boonen is better

But Cancellara rode it quicker, so your proof is ... unconvincing.

 

[screaming fist]

It's funny how people argue to belittle a race or its winner just because they don't like the outcome or the guy on the podium's top step. There's always luck involved in winning, and especially with this race. If you win this beast, you have deserved it. Cancellara deserved it, and Vanmarcke and Stybar would have been worthy winners as well. Get over it.

 

[Pentacycle]

Good to see that Cancellara finally shows that he can win on tactics, not just by powering away 50k from the line. He saved a lot of energy between his efforts, while he still didn't hesitate to close the necessary gaps. He looked tired in the end, but he was less tired than his opponents. I wonder if Boonen could've been involved in this tactic finale, as he's more a rider who likes duels and hates having to fight to be in the front or the right break.(RvV 2011 for example)

 

[El Pistolero]

43.5 average. No you playing the what-ifs game.

You can't just look at high average. Last year was also a high average. 43.476 km/h.

Of course it's a what if scenario. If someone says he was lucky you look at what happened in the race to see if it's true.

 

[Descender]

Anything you disagree with? Sagan is better this year than last year.

Sure Pozzato crashed, after the race was over.

Unlike Boom, who was miles ahead of Cancellara today.

 

[Lanark]

Chavanel epic fail as a team leader this spring season.

Perhaps now he'll shut his mouth.

His best result in Roubaix is still an 8th place, while he's 33 years old. Maybe we should stop considering him for this race.

 

[DirtyWorks]

It's really not hating if you call this win lucky:

More than most of the Spring events, luck is needed to get within 1 minute of the podium.

It was a shame Stybar wasn't around for the finish. He has the better sprint than the other two. Plus, he would have continued to sit on wheels all the way into the velodrome.

A great race.

 

[Afrank]

It's funny how people argue to belittle a race or its winner just because they don't like the outcome or the guy on the podium's top step. There's always luck involved in winning, and especially with this race. If you win this beast, you have deserved it. Cancellara deserved it, and Vanmarcke and Stybar would have been worthy winners as well. Get over it.

Exactly, fully deserved win and a very strong performance by Cancellara.

 

[SKSemtex]

What a nice post- race interview with Vanmarcke. We have now second monument lost by "self-confidence or underestimation"

 

[El Pistolero]

Unlike Boom, who was miles ahead of Cancellara today.

Wasn't miles behind either.

 

[the asian]

It's usually a strong performane if you win a Monument.

Anyway, I am tired of Cancellara-Boonen hegemony(taking turns as well, almost never in the same year). I hope next year the younger riders finally step up...

Definitely. That''s why i was so much hoping that Cancellara will lose. And when they win they usually win 3 or 4 cobbled races a season. Very Greedy.

 

[wiggos sideburn]

It's funny how people argue to belittle a race or its winner just because they don't like the outcome or the guy on the podium's top step. There's always luck involved in winning, and especially with this race. If you win this beast, you have deserved it. Cancellara deserved it, and Vanmarcke and Stybar would have been worthy winners as well. Get over it.

Very much agreed

 

[El Pistolero]

It's funny how people argue to belittle a race or its winner just because they don't like the outcome or the guy on the podium's top step. There's always luck involved in winning, and especially with this race. If you win this beast, you have deserved it. Cancellara deserved it, and Vanmarcke and Stybar would have been worthy winners as well. Get over it.

It's not belittling someone's victory if you say he got lucky.

It's an observation of the race.

Every great rider has won races with luck. Eddy Merckx was lucky to win the Tour in '71.

 

[jaylew]

It's funny how people argue to belittle a race or its winner just because they don't like the outcome or the guy on the podium's top step. There's always luck involved in winning, and especially with this race. If you win this beast, you have deserved it. Cancellara deserved it, and Vanmarcke and Stybar would have been worthy winners as well. Get over it.

this. I audibly laughed reading that Canc was "lucky" to have won.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Wasn't miles behind either.

Boom looked good and hadn't wasted any energy until suddenly flatted. We'll have no clue how he would have done (probably would have dropped inexplicably like always, but still, this is his best race normally)

 

[Lanark]

Maybe an argument could be made that Cancellara was lucky today, but that argument coming from the two biggest Boonen fans on this forum who take every chance they can get to belittle the achievements of Cancellara, it just looks like sour grapes. It's hard to take such an argument in good faith.

 

[benpounder]

Sure, I'm not taking away anything from Cancellara, I'm just saying "good" is usually not good enough to win in a sprint.

Good? In Grand Tours and lesser races, good means you are good enough to win a sprint in the final thousand meters after your team has protected you for the first two hundred thousand - and a bit of luck as well. Winning a sprint in most classics mean you are strong enough to put yourself in a position to sprint 100k after your team has spent itself - and also requires a bit of luck. Two different skill sets.

Cancellara won because he was the strongest rider (with the best luck) from a strong team. Vanmarcke did not because he was the strongest rider (with the best luck) from a less strong team. None of the Omega nor BMC riders placed because while strong teams, they did not have good luck - they still rode strong.

Unlike MSR, LBL, and GL, RVV and PR require quite a bit more luck. And that is why they are such interesting races year in and year out.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

this. I audibly laughed reading that Canc was "lucky" to have won.

He was lucky not to have spontaneously combusted or been abducted by aliens or been struck by a meteorite

 

[The Hitch]

2 Flanders 3.roubaix an msr 4 world titles, Olympic gold Olympic silver inumerable days in yellow at the tour and vuelta and other stage races + multiple stages and a few stage race wins

I might give this "black album" thing a try

 

[will10]

Gutted for Stybar. Perhaps had a genuine chance to win that. Still, he'll have other chances for sure.

Certainly not sorry to see Fabian win - he had to earn that one for sure. Vanmarcke did everything right but blinked first on the velodrome.

Chavanel's run of bad luck in Roubaix continues.

 

[Descender]

2 Flanders 3.roubaix an msr 4 world titles, Olympic gold Olympic silver inumerable days in yellow at the tour and vuelta and other stage races + multiple stages and a few stage race wins

I might give this "black album" thing a try

He was lucky Boom wasn't there in most of those races.

 

[El Pistolero]

2 Flanders 3.roubaix an msr 4 world titles, Olympic gold Olympic silver inumerable days in yellow at the tour and vuelta and other stage races + multiple stages and a few stage race wins

I might give this "black album" thing a try

Who got second in those 4 World TT titles and Olympics?

I'd rather win one WC RR or Olympic RR.

 

[autologous]

2 Flanders 3.roubaix an msr 4 world titles, Olympic gold Olympic silver inumerable days in yellow at the tour and vuelta and other stage races + multiple stage races.

I might give this "black album" thing a try

the "black album"? not familiar with that one - was Luigi the lead guitarist? I think he played on all of his albums.