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

[Kwibus]

I just checked weather forecast and it looks like it will be nice and sunny weather....


Can you please move the profile and map into the OP?
Edit: maybe overcast,but still no rain.

It will be quite windy though. Sunday they expect rain, which is a must for K-B-K to become interesting. Or a lot of wind ofcourse.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

He missed a lot of cobble races last year.I think he will miss it in his performace this time.

I'm not sure I follow. He will be worse this year because he missed some races a year ago?

 

[Flamin]

Roelandts out with flu. He's like the Belgian Gesink

Can you please move the profile and map into the OP?

Done. (thanks for posting, Netserk)

 

[Aguirre]

Any chance for EBH?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Any chance for EBH?

No

10 chars

 

[Tournesol]

Too bad Roelandts is out,hope he's okay for the Ronde.

Would like to see GVA or Chavanel win.

 

[scholar]

Any chance for EBH?

For EBH to disappoint? Only if people actually expect anything from him. So I doubt it.

 

[peloton]

Any chance for EBH?

He was dropped in the winds earlier this year in some of the east races, mixed them all up now, but if windy, not likely.

Boonen ftw

 

[trevim]

Boonen is my personal favourite alhough I would also like to see Keirsbulck, Trentin, Gilbert, Offredo, Vanmarcke or Hagen taking it.

 

[Sasquatch]

Demare to make his mark as a cobbled rider. Considering he's not doing KBK, I think he's in with a good shot tomorrow

 

[shalgo]

The top 5 is going to be:

1. Offredo
2. Benoot
3. Gaudin
4. Stannard
5. EBH

So says my CQ Ranking team.

 

[RedheadDane]

So... just ran a FB post by Androni through the translate because I don't actually speak Italian. Here are their starters:

Oscar cat, marco flag, francesco beans, titian from antonia and marco frapporti

 

[bala v]

Demare to make his mark as a cobbled rider. Considering he's not doing KBK, I think he's in with a good shot tomorrow

Demare has no chance at all tomorrow. He should consider himself lucky if he manage to finish top 10

 

[JaffaGT]

FTW


***
Alexander Kristoff
Sep Vanmarcke
Greg Van Avermaet


**
Jelle Wallays
Niki Terpstra
Ian Stannard


*
Zico Wayetens
Zdenek Stybar
Arnaud Demare



top-10

Tom Boonen
Sir Bradley Wiggins
Johan Le Bon
Russell Downing
Rick Zabel

 

[Netserk]

Flecha to come out of retirement and win

Kristoff in an attacking fashion would be great as well.

 

[Beacon Hill]

Its a shame Eurosport don't want to or can't show this. Always prefer it to K-B-K. Then again i'm sure the Nordic Skiing World Championships and Snooker are far more popular .

As far as some kind of prediction ... Hope its someone a little different from the usual names mentioned. Loved the Stannard win last year ... think he might be more of a marked man this time around though. Apocolyptic and biblical bad weather is likely his only real chance.

Someone like Rowe, Drucker, Senechal, Wallays or Leukemans.

Or completely unlikely like Dan McLay

 

[ILovecycling]

I doubt Kristoff will ride too offensive,but I would like it ofc


@JaffaGT
Why is Wallays included in 2 star favourites,any reasons? (I know he was good last fall and spring,but I dont think he was That good)

 

[JaffaGT]

"Why is Wallays included in 2 star favourites,any reasons? (I know he was good last fall and spring,but I dont think he was That good)"

The general characteristics of professional cycling races makes it harder for big guns to win races than lesser known names (ceteris paribus). That's why its quite likely (..60-70%) that the winner of even this race will be some-one else than one of the favourites.

Walllays has potential, motivated team and solid performance in omar/qatar.

 

[argyllflyer]

For anyone that subscribes, cycling.tv have this.

Their UK schedule of live races seems to be:

Omloop
Catalunya (which is also on Eurosport)
Dwars Door Vlaanderen
Scheldeprijs
Tour de Pologne (which is also on Eurosport)
USA Pro Challenge which is also on Eurosport)
Tour of Alberta (which is also on Eurosport)

Almost all of the other events they carry live but not shown in UK are also to be on Eurosport.

However, they will also have delayed (by 30 days) highlights of a few other non-Eurosport (I assume) races: Gent-Wevelgem, Brabantse Pijl, Romandie, Brussels Cycling Classic, Milan-Torino and Abu Dhabi Tour.

A bit of a rip off at 40 notes for the full year but better than crappy streams.

 

[manafana]

The one day seasons begins here, Belgium is the home of cycling, even races we don't look are profitable cycling rules here.

Jp Drucker is the man on my lips. Van Marcke and Kristoff are going be interesting with the different ways they can win.

 

[TMP401]

Or completely unlikely like Dan McLay

I had this thought myself. Probably asking too much of what must be about his 3rd ever(?) pro race.

 

[jaylew]

I don't think Kristoff will be a factor at all. No surprise winners this yesr. I'm going Stybar, GvA, or Boonen

 

[coimbrawu]

Not sure if GVA has the mood to win

wrong post, I edit...

 

[ILovecycling]

Lol Sporza is not going to broadcast until 13.30, thats bad

 

[wirral]

What will MTN Qhubeka's tactics be? Have they named a leader? They seem a bit sprinter heavy.