2015 Paris - Roubaix, 12th April 1.UWT, 253.5 Km

[nepetalactone]

Degenkolb has hopefully easily convinced management this year that he's giant-alpecin's big star. I predict his career will put Kittel's to shame (after this Spring, it already has...).

 

[Escarabajo]

So Wiggo decided to attack 5 kms from the finish?

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Re: Re:

Lost all my respect for GVA today. What an idiot

Why exactly

He's gotten second, third or fourth 99 times already in the big classics, and he still rides for 2nd place.

What?
He went off the front and tried his best to stay away with Lampaert, Degenkolb was just strong. There was nothing van Avermaet could have done to have won that, Degenkolb simply the better rider.
There is no shame in doing everything you can to win and ending up being beaten by the better rider.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Lost all my respect for GVA today. What an idiot

Why exactly

He's gotten second, third or fourth 99 times already in the big classics, and he still rides for 2nd place.

What?
He went off the front and tried his best to stay away with Lampaert, Degenkolb was just strong. There was nothing van Avermaet could have done to have won that, Degenkolb simply the better rider.
There is no shame in doing everything you can to win and ending up being beaten by the better rider.

He didn't do everything he could.

 

[luckyboy]

Meh. Who would have guessed that E3 and Gent-Wevelgem would be better races than Ronde and Roubaix this year?

 

[Akuryo]

So Stybar in front of GVA at the end.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Ugh Degenkolb. Not a fan.

Terrible tactics by some teams. Just leading in for Degenkolb, lol.

Not really. Degenkolb would have won if there was a group of 30 or a group of 4 at the end - the race was already up by then. He won the sprint by about 4 bike lengths.

Why didn't Van Avermaet attack just before Stybar joined for example? Noone tried to beat Degenkolb in the last 5 or 6 km, except Lampaert for a few seconds.

I think GVA went slightly too early - he had already burnt his matches by then.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Re: Re:

Degenkolb to Quickstep next year. Nice leadout.

Quick step played their cards right.

What were they supposed to do?

Let their guy ride it all the way into the velodrome and leave Stybar to find a wheel into the lead group. Nope Styby had to do the bridge by himself.

 

[Lexman]

Re:

Meh. Who would have guessed that E3 and Gent-Wevelgem would be better races than Ronde and Roubaix this year?

two races I missed ;-)

the ones i watched borefest...

 

[DBotero]

Not a fan of Degenkolb,but he deserved his win,he worked hard.Sir Bradley brave but not good enough today,i'm sure he gave his all.Rowe was really impressive,surprised that Kristoff failed today.

 

[Tigerion]

ooohhhhh train incident, who knows who is is going to be disqualified

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Re:

Almost wish I skipped the monuments this year. Degenkolb, Kristoff, Degenkolb...my absolute worst nightmare.

Degenkolb is a sprinter, but he has always been a talented cobbles rider, got good results right from the start of his career.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Why didn't GVA just ride faster? BMC dumb tactics! They should have just ridden faster? How could they not see that?! Dumb decision not to just pedal faster...

 

[arvc40]

Best man won. Degenkolb did good there. Wiggins did a nice attack for the TV cameras.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Missed Fabio and Tom this year,

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Degenkolb to Quickstep next year. Nice leadout.

Quick step played their cards right.

What were they supposed to do?

Let their guy ride it all the way into the velodrome and leave Stybar to find a wheel into the main group. Nope Styby had to do the bridge by himself.

This. Lampaert had a free ride until Stybar bridged. He could have saved energy for 5km, then tried to attack Degenkolb with 1km or so to go.

Probably wouldn't have worked, but better than Stybar trying to go head to head with Degenkolb in a sprint.

 

[l.Harm]

After all a quite boring race for a race which usually brings excitement for a longer period.

Bad PR

 

[infeXio]

Has anyone found Pozzato yet?

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

Almost wish I skipped the monuments this year. Degenkolb, Kristoff, Degenkolb...my absolute worst nightmare.

Degenkolb was strong than anyonelse. if other team don't want to sprint with him, they should have put the hammer and left the Degenkolb. But the fact is no one is stronger than Degenkolb. No one can get clear. I think it's a well deserved win by Degenkolb.

 

[greenedge]

Was GVA the last rider to cross the train tracks?

 

[ILovecycling]

Congrats to Degenkolb,deserved win!

The leadout of eqs was really scary,missed chance by Styby.
Great results by Rowe and Keukelaire

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Almost wish I skipped the monuments this year. Degenkolb, Kristoff, Degenkolb...my absolute worst nightmare.

Degenkolb was strong than anyonelse. if other team don't want to sprint with him, they should have put the hammer and left the Degenkolb. But the fact is no one is stronger than Degenkolb. No one can get clear. I think it's a well deserved win by Degenkolb.

100% agree. Even stronger than Kristoff last week really, because Degenkolb made the key bridge by himself. If he hadn't done that then GVA and Lamapaert may have stayed away to the finish.

 

[Red Rick]

Degenkolb winning is obviously well deserved, best man won today, doesn't change the fact that the riders he beat had terrible tactics

 

[arvc40]

Re:

Rowe beat Wiggo

Golden...................

 

[OlavEH]

This race certainly missed a Cancellara in top form. Really disappointed that Etixx didn't do more to reduce the peloton with 40-50 km left.