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

[luckyboy]

Race director says no DQs for any riders who broke the race rules and French law by riding across the level crossing

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

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

I guess w/o fabian and tom, the dynamic is different. Everyone seems to save energy and no one can go clear by themselves. Overall, I agree with you, it's not as exciting and thrilling as E3 and GW.

 

[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 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.

It would have put Degenkolb and GvA to drive the trio into the peloton. And Quickstep will have a free ride into the velodrome. But, nope.

Boom fourth? Good!! He made it to the velodrome and rode a solid race.

 

[happytramp]

Better than last year. We knew winner 7k out then.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Headwind on some of the deciding cobble strokes, instead of the predicted tailwind.

 

[Sasquatch]

Re:

Race director says no DQs for any riders who broke the race rules and French law by riding across the level crossing

There were 3 Giant riders that went through there. Was Degenkolb one of them? If he was, he got very lucky.

 

[jaylew]

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.

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.

Didn't say it wasn't deserved, but he's probably my least favorite top rider.

 

[PremierAndrew]

They better change the route for next year so the train doesn't interrupt for a 3rd year in a row

 

[Sasquatch]

Degenkolb was way too strong today. Deserved the win and it's good to see. It won't be the last PR he wins.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Rowe beat Wiggo

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

I really thought he got a chance (not wiggin's fan), but he was at the back most of time. For someone who meticulously prepared and targetted this race, he wasn't convincing during the race. Only one big dig, just to be followed by Stybar. And that's about it.

 

[red_flanders]

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.

Maybe he was tired. Or not strong enough.

There's a reason he doesn't win, and it's not that he's dumb. He's not strong enough to go off on his own and not fast enough to win in a group.

 

[greenedge]

Really hope GVA can get a big Monument next year, or even a TDF stage this year. The poor dude.

 

[Vino's Mum]

A smart ride from Degenkolb, and a well-deserved win. Seemed to be tracking Terpstra from way out, then went on his own when he thought he had to. In his own words:

"I was not afraid to fail."

 

[thequestionmark]

Re:

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

Actually not. It was a good idea to send Lampaert up the road. Degenkolb was just the strongest.

 

[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.

Maybe he was tired. Or not strong enough.

There's a reason he doesn't win, and it's not that he's dumb. He's not strong enough to go off on his own and not fast enough to win in a group.

This is very true. I think that Sagan possibly also falls into this category now.

 

[red_flanders]

Re:

A smart ride from Degenkolb, and a well-deserved win. Seemed to be tracking Terpstra from way out, then went on his own when he thought he had to. In his own words:

"I was not afraid to fail."

This. Exactly what he was doing. Great tactical ride. Very patient and went when he had to.

 

[willbick]

Paris Roubaix in the dry is so over-rated. Just a load of guys bumping along footpaths at 25mph, wooopy doo

 

[rainman]

Re:

They better change the route for next year so the train doesn't interrupt for a 3rd year in a row

Yes that was really freakily dangerous. PR wd be on the front pages in a horrible way.

 

[SkyTears]

the only good thing about this race is Katusha not winning it

2/10, awful

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Obvsiously Germans need a moustache to win Roubaix...

 

[hrotha]

This was the worst Paris-Roubaix I've ever seen. Everybody waited for the Carrefour de l'Arbre, and then they waited some more. Even after that, many people were glad to just chill and maybe get a decent placing. I'm glad Degenkolb won in a sprint, because that was obviously what pretty much every other contender except for Kristoff should have been trying to avoid but didn't.

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

The train incident would be almost impossible to judge. While you are not supposed to go through the momentum of the peloton made it impossible for most of those who did go through to stop. Some of the last riders definitely could have stopped, but trying decide where to start to DQ riders?

The other side of it is if the riders had tried to stop too quickly it could have caused a crashed which could have led to riders ending up lying across the tracks with the train approaching.

 

[Tigerion]

Re:

Race director says no DQs for any riders who broke the race rules and French law by riding across the level crossing

Really bad decision. Can't expect riders to obey rules that could cost them the race if they are not enforced

 

[DFA123]

Re:

This was the worst Paris-Roubaix I've ever seen. Everybody waited for the Carrefour de l'Arbre, and then they waited some more. Even after that, many people were glad to just chill and maybe get a decent placing. I'm glad Degenkolb won in a sprint, because that was obviously what pretty much every other contender except for Kristoff should have been trying to avoid but didn't.

I think Degenkolb and Kristoff have sussed it in the last two races. Without Boonen and Cancellara there is no-one that will consistently blow the race apart.

Etixx will put men to the front and will threaten to open up gaps, but the only one that usually makes decisive moves for them is Terpstra. Follow his wheel most of the time and you should make it to a sprint finish.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

This was the worst Paris-Roubaix I've ever seen. Everybody waited for the Carrefour de l'Arbre, and then they waited some more. Even after that, many people were glad to just chill and maybe get a decent placing. I'm glad Degenkolb won in a sprint, because that was obviously what pretty much every other contender except for Kristoff should have been trying to avoid but didn't.

This was better than the "Boonen attacks with Terpstra and the race is over" 2012 edition.

Great tactical race, with strenght and brains.