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

[Butterhead]

Nope you ain't missin' nothin' Personally I think either the media is stupid or they're just real anxious to spit out news stories. I don't think any serious person on this forum really thinks that Wiggins will make an impression on Sunday.

The only impression he will make is if he crashes.
Of course not, he can´t win PR, people who honestly think that must be loco.
As Jelantik says, I don´t get the hype either, it must come from fan boys and people who have no idea what PR really is. But at least it´s entertaining.

 

[deValtos]

I'm a little baffled by the amount of news about Wiggins and PR. And the fact that some people thinks he can win PR based on his track background and his ability to sustain long effort. I saw many great rider who have tried PR many times and has not yet win it. If it's that easy (with just wiggins credentials) maybe many people should make a news (yeah, yeah, he won tdf). I'm just saying that it's a little disrespect (maybe not the right word) for other riders who actually specialist in cobble, are way has chances to make a podium and no one is even bother to write a lot about them. Wiggins with 0 accomplishment on top 10, got more air wave than those guys.

And the fact that wiggins hasn't done more pre race classic like most classic specialist (except Flanders + Scheldeprijs), while Cancellara, Boonen, Sagan and most of top specialist spent their time getting the necessary sharpness through racing on some classics race for this monument classic, how on earth people are seeing him as the dark horse with only few weeks of altitude training + 2 classic races and one ruta de sol on his leg? Am I missing something?

I think 2010 showed that GC contenders aren't as useless on the cobbles as one might expect.

Cast your mind back to stage 3 of the TDF in 2010: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2010/stage-3/results

Ok if Canc hadn't been chaperoning baby schleck he could've stormed off but you've got the more robust GC guys right up there Evans/Hesjedal/Wiggins/Vino/Menchov and even Schleck/Contador/VDB.

I don't see any big reason why someone with the physique of Vino/Menchov/Evans and importantly Wiggins couldn't be competitive in PR. It's just we never see it because none of them want to get injured.

 

[hydrogen2]

Wiggins might get a good result here, if he doesn't attack, I expect EBH to podium

 

[El Loto]

I think 2010 showed that GC contenders aren't as useless on the cobbles as one might expect.

Cast your mind back to stage 3 of the TDF in 2010: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2010/stage-3/results

Ok if Canc hadn't been chaperoning baby schleck he could've stormed off but you've got the more robust GC guys right up there Evans/Hesjedal/Wiggins/Vino/Menchov and even Schleck/Contador/VDB.

I don't see any big reason why someone with the physique of Vino/Menchov/Evans and importantly Wiggins couldn't be competitive in PR. It's just we never see it because none of them want to get injured.

Evans, although he'd never have won P-R, could have placed highly. Always very good at positioning plus his technical ability could have allowed him to be a useful domestique at P-R.

 

[mr. tibbs]

I think 2010 showed that GC contenders aren't as useless on the cobbles as one might expect.

Cast your mind back to stage 3 of the TDF in 2010: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2010/stage-3/results

Ok if Canc hadn't been chaperoning baby schleck he could've stormed off but you've got the more robust GC guys right up there Evans/Hesjedal/Wiggins/Vino/Menchov and even Schleck/Contador/VDB.

I don't see any big reason why someone with the physique of Vino/Menchov/Evans and importantly Wiggins couldn't be competitive in PR. It's just we never see it because none of them want to get injured.

Remember how Hincapie beating Perrerio in that one mountain stage in 2005 meant that he was one of the top contenders at Le Tour in 2006? Cyclesport even had him front and center on their race preview.

This Wiggins stuff is a joke. It plays to the same crowd as NBC Sports' proclamation: "Paris-Roubaix a Tour de France preview." They go on, "This year's Paris-Roubaix is going to be an early preview of what we'll see during this year's Tour de France." Lol. And they're still not even broadcasting it on TV.

 

[qwerty16]

Remember how Hincapie beating Perrerio in that one mountain stage in 2005 meant that he was one of the top contenders at Le Tour in 2006? Cyclesport even had him front and center on their race preview.

This Wiggins stuff is a joke. It plays to the same crowd as NBC Sports' proclamation: "Paris-Roubaix a Tour de France preview." They go on, "This year's Paris-Roubaix is going to be an early preview of what we'll see during this year's Tour de France." Lol. And they're still not even broadcasting it on TV.

Didn't Pereiro admit he got paid off by Hincapie for that victory?

Anyway, it's a valid point that most guys with a big engine could probably do well in Paris-Roubaix. He's not saying these guys would drop Cancellara or something, just that some of them could be competitive.

Problem is most of these guys you expect could go well never ride Roubaix in their entire career, let alone are prepared to fight for position the whole day, let alone plan a big peak around it.

It's not like stating a 80 kg guy like Phinney will win the Tour one day or something

 

[mr. tibbs]

Didn't Pereiro admit he got paid off by Hincapie for that victory?

Anyway, it's a valid point that most guys with a big engine could probably do well in Paris-Roubaix. He's not saying these guys would drop Cancellara or something, just that some of them could be competitive.

Problem is most of these guys you expect could go well never ride Roubaix in their entire career, let alone are prepared to fight for position the whole day, let alone plan a big peak around it.

It's not like stating a 80 kg guy like Phinney will win the Tour one day or something

Right, I was just comparing the Wiggins hype to the irrational Hincapie hype. I believe the connection between these two being pushed so heavily for events that they are highly unlikely to dominate in a manner commensurate with the amount of press they're getting is that they're both Anglophones, so they receive unwarranted attention in the appropriate press.

Having said that, I also remember a fair bit of "can Boonen win a GT?" in 2005, "can Gilbert win a GT?" in 2011, and "can Cancellara win a GT?" in 2010--but this was more from the fan commentary/forum side, not the news publications like CN.

 

[Jelantik]

Right, I was just comparing the Wiggins hype to the irrational Hincapie hype. I believe the connection between these two being pushed so heavily for events that they are highly unlikely to dominate in a manner commensurate with the amount of press they're getting is that they're both Anglophones, so they receive unwarranted attention in the appropriate press.

Having said that, I also remember a fair bit of "can Boonen win a GT?" in 2005, "can Gilbert win a GT?" in 2011, and "can Cancellara win a GT?" in 2010--but this was more from the fan commentary/forum side, not the news publications like CN.

exactly. That's what I'm trying to say. The hype of wiggins. I would rather read about someone else who has been there so many times with a great chance of winning but haven't crack the code yet, than this nonsense hype. I have to say it seems that it probably feeds to wiggin's crave on the attention because since the beginning of this year and all last year, nothing to write about him.

 

[DirtyWorks]

I don't see any big reason why someone with the physique of Vino/Menchov/Evans and importantly Wiggins couldn't be competitive in PR. It's just we never see it because none of them want to get injured.

Wiggins couldn't stay in the front group at Flanders last week. Unless Grand Tour Wiggins makes an appearance it is very unlikely he's going to fight for position, keep it over primitive cobblestone roads, and repeat until things shake out.

 

[analogue17]

I'd like Tom Boonen to show himself in full force. Is it possible what you think?

 

[rghysens]

I'd like Tom Boonen to show himself in full force. Is it possible what you think?

Doubt it. When he feels he can compete for victory he usually says something along that line. Now he just says that he'll be better than in the tour of Flanders. He doesn't look overly confident, if you ask me.

 

[analogue17]

Doubt it. When he feels he can compete for victory he usually says something along that line. Now he just says that he'll be better than in the tour of Flanders. He doesn't look overly confident, if you ask me.

Career of Boonen goes slowly downhill but PR is maybe the only race that still inspires him. I expect him to be close to Spartacus

 

[cycladianpirate]

exactly. That's what I'm trying to say. The hype of wiggins. I would rather read about someone else who has been there so many times with a great chance of winning but haven't crack the code yet, than this nonsense hype. I have to say it seems that it probably feeds to wiggin's crave on the attention because since the beginning of this year and all last year, nothing to write about him.

Oh the irony!

 

[manafana]

wiggins has finished this before hes got body weight and power to finish this, probably will do just that.

 

[Anderis]

Nothing would make me more happy than good performance from Van Summeren.

 

[Nuash65]

Lovin' how you guys spend pages discussing how there shouldn't be this much attention on Wiggo

I'm one of the idiot fanboys who thinks he can do well. I accept there's probably a 50% chance he'll crash and DNF but I also think he could be in the mix.

He's done some crass things but I like his rogue interviews - adds a little spice to following cycling!

 

[manafana]

on side note when was last time a grand tour winner raced this, was it sean kelly?

 

[Cimber]

Career of Boonen goes slowly downhill but PR is maybe the only race that still inspires him. I expect him to be close to Spartacus

Last time that was stated he won the double the year after. All the stuff with his wife losing their baby naturally plays a factor this year. He will be back with a vengance next year.

 

[Orbit501]

on side note when was last time a grand tour winner raced this, was it sean kelly?

No, Greg LeMond.

 

[Guybrush]

wait a sec!!!!

166 QUINTANA ROJAS Dayer Uberney COL

Poor little boy

 

[MADRAZO]

wait a sec!!!!

166 QUINTANA ROJAS Dayer Uberney COL

Poor little boy

Its a shame indeed they only seem to use him as a filler for the classics so far

He has done fairly well though so far, considering the races, hopefully he will not get injured now and will soon get a chance to race in some stageraces instead.

 

[Afrank]

The only impression he will make is if he crashes.
Of course not, he can´t win PR, people who honestly think that must be loco.
As Jelantik says, I don´t get the hype either, it must come from fan boys and people who have no idea what PR really is. But at least it´s entertaining.

Nah, their not loco. They just started watching cycling in 2012 (and most probably are either confusing Paris-Roubaix with the Tour or don't know what it is).

To tell the truth I haven't really seen a ton of hype. Anybody speaking seriously about his chances probably will say they are minimal. And a lot of the stuff on him starting Roubaix and possibly winning that has been posted here has been said in jest.

 

[Afrank]

Lovin' how you guys spend pages discussing how there shouldn't be this much attention on Wiggo

I'm one of the idiot fanboys who thinks he can do well. I accept there's probably a 95% chance he'll crash and DNF but I also think he could be in the mix.

He's done some crass things but I like his rogue interviews - adds a little spice to following cycling!

Fixed that for ya.

 

[DirtyWorks]

wait a sec!!!!

166 QUINTANA ROJAS Dayer Uberney COL

Poor little boy

?? He's got the power. Maybe not the best guy to win a fight for wheels though.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Fixed that for ya.

Bike toss before Arenburg sector.