2013 Speculation (and confirmation) thread - rider schedules and parcours

[Flamin]

Amstel is harder than the Worlds, if he was in trouble at the Worlds surely he won't contend in Amstel.

Boonen April >>> Boonen September

But yeah, it won't happen anyway.

 

[theyoungest]

That makes my prediction that EBH will win AGR this year at least somewhat realistic

I think it might be a good change, makes the race less predictable and increases the number of possible winners. And Gilbert won't get a free victory even if he's on form.

He'll still get dropped before the Cauberg. Amstel Gold is not the Worlds, hello, even Lars Boom got 5th at the Worlds.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

boonen as a hilly rider is a joke. he already has problems following guys like cancellara and pozzato on hills in flanders, let alone gilbert, sagan and others at amstel

 

[El Pistolero]

boonen as a hilly rider is a joke. he already has problems following guys like cancellara and pozzato on hills in flanders, let alone gilbert, sagan and others at amstel

The hilly guys also seemed to be struggling following Cancellara on the hills at the WC in 2009.

Granted, Phil's much better now and Boonen won't even peak for the Amstel Gold Race because his races take place earlier.

But I could see Cancellara or even Pozzato win the AGR if they ever made it a goal.

Ps: Gilbert and Sagan also ride the Ronde van Vlaanderen you know. What a silly argument.

 

[theyoungest]

It wouldn't matter if Boonen peaked for Amstel. He wouldn't be able to follow Gilbert up the Cauberg. Like Ryo says, suffering on the wheel of Pozzato and Ballan doesn't bode well for your chances on the real (non-cobbled) hills.

As for Cancellara... I don't know, he's a bit more versatile.

 

[El Pistolero]

It wouldn't matter if Boonen peaked for Amstel. He wouldn't be able to follow Gilbert up the Cauberg. Like Ryo says, suffering on the wheel of Pozzato and Ballan doesn't bode well for your chances on the real (non-cobbled) hills.

As for Cancellara... I don't know, he's a bit more versatile.

I'm not claiming Boonen could win it though - the Cauberg is too close to the finish.

But does anyone really have a realistic shot at winning against Phil of 2010-2012(the one from the WC)? If he's not in form or crashes beforehand yeah, but other then that?

If the race was the same as in the days of Zabel or Museeuw then yeah, Boonen could definitely win it.

There are also many examples of Cancellara, Pozzato and Ballan struggling to follow Boonen on the hills of course. So Ryo is suffering from what we call a selective memory.

Anyway, I think this is a good route change. I'm a bit worried this will lead to conservative racing before the Cauberg though... AGR just took a step closer in the direction of the 6th Monument. Now the name change.

 

[theyoungest]

Cancellara struggling to follow Boonen on a hill? It must be my selective memory...

 

[El Pistolero]

Cancellara struggling to follow Boonen on a hill? It must be my selective memory...

Basically any Ronde van Vlaanderen/E3 Harelbeke edition before 2010.

 

[GP Blanco]

Anyway, I think this is a good route change. I'm a bit worried this will lead to conservative racing before the Cauberg though... AGR just took a step closer in the direction of the 6th Monument. Now the name change.

Racing can't be more conservative than in the last years, when only the last 10 kilometres saw some action.

 

[El Pistolero]

Racing can't be more conservative than in the last years, when only the last 10 kilometres saw some action.

Yeah, I'm worried no one will try before the Cauberg now.

And there were lot's of attacks in 2010 by the way.

 

[the asian]

There were news reports soon after the Worlds' that AGR finish line would be moved to Valkenburg .
It makes the race less predictable but winning the Ardennes triple will be a bit harder.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Basically any Ronde van Vlaanderen/E3 Harelbeke edition before 2010.

that's like saying froome can't follow tiralongo in the mountains, because he couldn't before 2011. lol

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

There were news reports soon after the Worlds' that AGR finish line would be moved to Valkenburg .
It makes the race less predictable but winning the Ardennes triple will be a bit harder.

it doesn't make the race less predictable at all. whoever is strongest on the cauberg wins. only reason they changed the finish is because more space and vip boxes and more money thus

 

[theyoungest]

it doesn't make the race less predictable at all. whoever is strongest on the cauberg wins. only reason they changed the finish is because more space and vip boxes and more money thus

Who will they fill the VIP boxes with? Rabobank managers?

 

[ILovecycling]

it doesn't make the race less predictable at all. whoever is strongest on the cauberg wins. only reason they changed the finish is because more space and vip boxes and more money thus

yea,and for Sagan to has better chance for victory

 

[maltiv]

He'll still get dropped before the Cauberg. Amstel Gold is not the Worlds, hello, even Lars Boom got 5th at the Worlds.

Yes, by sprinting well after being 25th or so over Cauberg. Not comparable. Anyway, EBH would probably been there for the Cauberg this year if he didn't launch a pointless attack beforehand, which caused him to get dropped on the penultimate hill. So I don't see why you think it's so certain he'd be dropped before Cauberg. After all, he's not that much worse a climber than Freire...

Also, I already said it's an unrealistic prediction, in reality I can't really see how anyone can beat Slagter on this course

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, by sprinting well after being 25th or so over Cauberg. Not comparable. Anyway, EBH would probably been there for the Cauberg this year if he didn't launch a pointless attack beforehand, which caused him to get dropped on the penultimate hill. So I don't see why you think it's so certain he'd be dropped before Cauberg. After all, he's not that much worse a climber than Freire...

Also, I already said it's an unrealistic prediction, in reality I can't really see how anyone can beat Slagter on this course

I've heard that before, comparing him to Freire. But Freire is the king of endurance, of competing over that distance in a hard race. It's not so much about the climbing as about the engine.

Slagter will have to work for Nordhaug

 

[GP Blanco]

Who will they fill the VIP boxes with? Rabobank managers?

Argos Russians.

 

[El Pistolero]

that's like saying froome can't follow tiralongo in the mountains, because he couldn't before 2011. lol

Unlike Froome and Tiralongo, Cancellara and Boonen are about the same age, competing in the same races and both have already been capable of winning major cobbled classics since the dawn of their career.

 

[Thibaut Pinot]

Hofland: Tour Méditerranéen, Tour du Haut Var + Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne

Goos: Challenge Mallorca, Tour of Langkawi, Volta a Catalunya + Volta Limburg Classic

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Who will they fill the VIP boxes with? Rabobank managers?

that's what they thought before october 19th

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Unlike Froome and Tiralongo, Cancellara and Boonen are about the same age, competing in the same races and both have already been capable of winning major cobbled classics since the dawn of their career.

cancellara in the days boonen was stonger than him was never close to winning flanders yet. moslty due to bad luck btw. and I'll give another example then. brajkovic and froome

 

[staubsauger]

cancellara in the days boonen was stonger than him was never close to winning flanders yet. moslty due to bad luck btw. and I'll give another example then. brajkovic and froome

Joaquim Rodriguez and Andrej Kasjetsjkin !

 

[El Pistolero]

cancellara in the days boonen was stonger than him was never close to winning flanders yet. moslty due to bad luck btw. and I'll give another example then. brajkovic and froome

Being crappy is not bad luck.

 

[theyoungest]

Hofland: Tour Méditerranéen, Tour du Haut Var + Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne

Goos: Challenge Mallorca, Tour of Langkawi, Volta a Catalunya + Volta Limburg Classic

Also going for Blanco: Bos, Brown, Leezer, Bol, Van Emden.

So 5 guys for the sprint train, and a climber