2014 Paris-Roubaix, 257 Km's, Sunday April 13th (1.UWT)

[Matdum94]

EBH has been on a decline, he is not as fast as before and he can't climb

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

EBH is still a big name, but Sky now has about 4 or 5 classics riders who are stronger than him. Even someone who isn't a classics rider but a GT contender is now stronger


While I agree with you that he probably wasn't the strongest man in the race, don't forget that he brought back Boonen, waited a few moments and then attacked to ride 7 k solo to the finish. He must have been at least one of the strongest to pull that off.

Thomas was surely the strongest today. It's irrelevant anyway, however Sky had ridden, he has no way of finishing a race off.

 

[Netserk]

Highest placed of all dudes from the break, and that includes Boonen.

That had more to do with Boonen not caring one bit about 2nd place in Roubaix.

 

[alspacka]

Terpstra and OPQS is in great form, they are poised to win the Amstel GOld race.

Terpstra? Not even remotely.

 

[Roderick]

Is there absolutely no one at Team Sky that sees that EBH doesn't have the slightest clue how to race on cobbles and Flemish Classics in general. He was 17-23-22-21st in E3-GW-RvV and P-R. Basically he's the Francis De Greef of Flemish classics

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Congratulations to Boonen for making the race happen and to De Backer who did an incredible ride by his standards. OPQS played their numbers well in the end and deserved the victory.

Out of the last 10 PR, Boonen, Cancellara and their respective teammates have won 9. That's dominance

 

[whittashau]

oh really, I thought the screen said 45 km/h today.
The low pace explains the lack of selection in the race. Perhaps too much headwind.

I'm sure it did say 45km/h

 

[luckyboy]

Boasson Hagen is always way overhyped in De Ronde and Roubaix. Nobody can seriously believe he is a leader anymore.

 

[Matdum94]

Boasson Hagen is always way overhyped in De Ronde and Roubaix. Nobody can seriously believe he is a leader anymore.

Sky probably won't extend his contract

 

[roundabout]

I'm sure it did say 45km/h

That's because they had 5:40 as the winning time at first

 

[Afrank]

Sky probably won't extend his contract

That'd be a good thing for him I'd say. He needs to move to a new team and have a fresh start.

 

[roundabout]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pozzato-feels-he-can-beat-cancellara-and-boonen

50 111 Filippo POZZATO LAMPRE - MERIDA 00:06:44

ookay

 

[Richeypen]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pozzato-feels-he-can-beat-cancellara-and-boonen

50 111 Filippo POZZATO LAMPRE - MERIDA 00:06:44

ookay

Crashed pretty hard.

 

[maltiv]

Is there absolutely no one at Team Sky that sees that EBH doesn't have the slightest clue how to race on cobbles and Flemish Classics in general. He was 17-23-22-21st in E3-GW-RvV and P-R. Basically he's the Francis De Greef of Flemish classics

So true.

Did you notice today how he was gapped by 10-15 meters in ONE corner on the cobbles?

The guy is basically useless at riding on cobblestones, it's painful to watch. He even gained muscle weight specifically to improve in P-R. Can't believe he's wasting his entire career like this.

 

[roundabout]

Crashed pretty hard.

And was beaten by people who crashed as well

 

[theyoungest]

Terpstra? Not even remotely.

Terpstra has a chance in Amstel Gold, don't forget he got close 2 years ago and the course is easier now. It just depends on how he recovers, and on Kwiatkowski.

So true.

Did you notice today how he was gapped by 10-15 meters in ONE corner on the cobbles?

The guy is basically useless at riding on cobblestones, it's painful to watch. He even gained muscle weight specifically to improve in P-R. Can't believe he's wasting his entire career like this.

That's not all of it. Boom couldn't corner properly because of his elbow, basically he had the same problem of getting gapped constantly. But if it weren't for his crash, I'm sure he'd have been in front. EBH just doesn't seem to handle hard races very well.

 

[Matdum94]

Team Sky is really running out of Sprinting and Classics talent imo

 

[BYOP88]

Team Sky is really running out of Sprinting and Classics talent imo

The're all GT talents if you read the British press.

 

[William H]

Boasson Hagen is always way overhyped in De Ronde and Roubaix. Nobody can seriously believe he is a leader anymore.

He should give up on Roubaix I think.

But to my mind his performances in De Ronde have been considerably better than at Roubaix. He's usually thereabouts on the climbs, which I think is a better guide than where you are at the finish lines for minor places.

 

[jaylew]

That had more to do with Boonen not caring one bit about 2nd place in Roubaix.

I think it has more to do with the fact that he had probably done more work than anyone else in the front group over the course of the race.

 

[theyoungest]

Team Sky is really running out of Sprinting and Classics talent imo

Ben Swift? I can certainly envision him winning Amstel next week.

And then there's Geraint Thomas, Ian Stannard (!), Eisel, EBH.

 

[The Hitch]

Some good racing along the way.
Boonen, Sagan, Thomas, Sep and Hushovd tried hard, but there are too many passengers with zero ambitions.
Glad Terpstra managed to get away in the final few kms, otherwise it would have been a real downer.

And it wasn't because of lack of pace, this was the fastest PR ever.

Pace has a lot to do with how fast they go over the first 150k. It really doesn't tire people that much out if they do that distance say 20 minutes faster because they are concentrating rather than relaxing a bit.

Also the fact that there were big groups for all the time helped keep the pace high on the flat. The ones where everyone gets dropped by the favourites 50k out, those guys then take it easier, then there's small groups chasing eachother rather than the big ones we had today.

Still amazing that they did fastest out of the 108 editions, today, but total speed never tells that much.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Team Sky is really running out of Sprinting and Classics talent imo

I dunno. I like Thomas for a win, or at least a few podiums. His ride today impressed me.

I think it has more to do with the fact that he had probably done more work than anyone else in the front group over the course of the race.

Yeah, Boonen was cooked, but I don't think he even left the saddle in the velodrome. Had that been the first group, it might have been different, but who knows. I suspect he was too juiced to bother about second. Combination of both.

 

[The Sheep]

I think it has more to do with the fact that he had probably done more work than anyone else in the front group over the course of the race.

He also had problems with his derailleur.

 

[Netserk]

I think it has more to do with the fact that he had probably done more work than anyone else in the front group over the course of the race.

I'm sure he would at least have podiumed if the sprint was for the win, with a chance of the top step.

He has just never bothered with minor placings here. It's not like he gave it his all for the 2nd place in 2006 (In my mind he got 5th there), 2007 and 2010.