2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, 28th Feb, 200km, 1.HC

[trevim]

No mention of Boonen yet? I think he will pull it off this year.

On the Taaienberg he'll pull it off surely. On the finish line one can dream, I certainly do hope this is the year

 

[King Boonen]

I don't see why there would be any pressure on Etixx in this race. I also don't think anyone who is hoping to win the proper cobbled races will put everything on the line here.

I'll guess at a surprise winner that no-one even names in this thread.

 

[Netserk]

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[RedheadDane]

I'll guess at a surprise winner that no-one even names in this thread.

Txurruka!

JK...

 

[King Boonen]

Txurruka!

JK...

Hahaha! It would be awesome if someone like that went on some crazy lone break and made it stick though!

 

[De Snelle Duif]

Offredo to make an end to all his bad luck at spring classics here.

 

[barmaher]

Quite a number of the contenders have shown good form early this season.

Kristoff, Terpstra, Chavanel are three that come to mind immediately.

 

[Flamin]

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Weird, I was looking for them as well but couldn't find them.

 

[Netserk]

Weird, I was looking for them as well but couldn't find them.

They were in the road book pdf on the site.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

One of the Steppers. Could literally be any of them. I like Luke Rowe's chances, as an outsider. Rode well here last year and has improved since then.

 

[GP Blanco]

Ah, the first real race of the season. How are the stakes that Boonen will perform his annual Taaienberg show to confirm that the season has started ?

 

[postmanhat]

Stannard looked to be back on form at Qatar. Would love to see him do something here, though maybe he'll be more of a marked man. Wonder if Wiggo will just use this a training run and give him a tow round

 

[Vesica]

GVA, Terpstra, Stannard and Vanmarcke are the favorites imo.

 

[Tournesol]

Ah, the first real race of the season. How are the stakes that Boonen will perform his annual Taaienberg show to confirm that the season has started ?

If vanmarcke lets him.

 

[Roude Leiw]

Considering the stranglehold Luxembourgish riders have at the moment on the cycling circus, I would say Jempy Drucker by a landslide....


Now if Jempy would happen to have a bad day, I see a stepper take it, but hope for bad weather and Stannard doing a repeat of last year, now that would be cool.

 

[trevim]

Offredo to make an end to all his bad luck at spring classics here.

It seems like he had a trouble-free build up; I hope he can deliver on the potential he has shown in the past although I don't necessatily expect him to do it on the first of a full cobbled calendar.

 

[Flamin]

They were in the road book pdf on the site.

I even opened that link but somehow managed to look over it

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Even though Lange Munte is really easy since it was redone, I really like this course, with a finale based on cobbles instead of hills.

That being said, there are some cobbled sections closer to Ghent as well. I wish they included one of them in the last 15km...

 

[Jagartrott]

Looks like a fairly strong tailwind the last 20 km.
Would be good for lone attackers. Sep?

 

[elfed68]

Wiggo to lead Team Sky.

 

[Carols]

Wiggo to lead Team Sky.

Prepping for P-R, That will add some spice!

 

[Kwibus]

Wiggo to lead Team Sky.

If I was Wiggins I'd try to win any of the cobbled races and not just focus on P-R, which I'm afraid he will do.

If he wins the Omloop for example it would still be pretty damn nice from a former GT winner.

 

[jaylew]

Wiggo to lead Team Sky.

Stannard should lead. He's defending champ and is proven to be in good form.

 

[Jspear]

Stannard should lead. He's defending champ and is proven to be in good form.

He could easily end up being the leader once things start heating up in the race. Surely they'll support the strongest man.

 

[Carstenbf]

Tactical advantage having two horses in a race.

Kinda like how I'm hoping Breschel could get in a late break while having Sagan follow wheels, and that he could take advantage of the mindgames that ensued.
'Hope is light green' as we say in Denmark.