2016 Omloop het Nieuwsblad, Feb 27th, 200.8km, 1.HC

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

I'm hoping the race will be beginning of the final showdown between two greatest Classics' riders of the generation.

I don't think Cance will be there, he's not on the startlist

I see it now.
Thought I've read somewhere he'll ride. It was when Trek announced it's participation, I think.
Or it could've been just a wishful thinking.
Without Cancellara, Vanmarcke and Degenkolb the race certainly loses on quality, but being the first makes it ever exciting.

 

[Cannibal72]

Why is everyone assuming that the two greatest classics riders are Boonen and Cancellara, when it's self-evidently Boonen and Stijn Devolder?

 

[sir fly]

Re:

Why is everyone assuming that the two greatest classics riders are Boonen and Cancellara, when it's self-evidently Boonen and Stijn Devolder?

The 2008 edition of De Ronde is my absolute favourite, so I could agree with you.

 

[Rovinin]

Re:

I have absolutely no comprehension of why Stannard is skipping this to ride KBK the next day (unless CN got that wrong).

I thought he wants to be in better form than last year in the Tour of Flanders and Roubaix.
That's why he skips the opening race.

 

[GP Blanco]

Ah, the first real race of the season. It would be fun to see Sagan shine in his jersey but it wil be more likely if one of the 'smaller' riders will take this race, hopefully Van Asbroeck or Vandenbergh.

 

[staubsauger]

Any chance Gilbert might show something here!?

 

[Carstenbf]

Nah, this is where Sagan shall start his Gilbert-esque season, dominating in the rainbow jersey!

to quote his twitter: "Im building the fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match. Mia Hamm."

 

[Arredondo]

I'm looking forward to Karl, José and Renaat.

Bring it on! Pippo for the win!

 

[rghysens]

Re:

Any chance Gilbert might show something here!?

Yes, just to pi$$ of GVA who wants (and was promissed by the team management) sole leadership in the tour of Flanders.

 

[robin440]

Re: Re:

Any chance Gilbert might show something here!?

Yes, just to pi$$ of GVA who wants (and was promissed by the team management) sole leadership in the tour of Flanders.

Still don't get it why gilbert doesnt lay his focus on the cobbled classics, he always says it in the offseason that he might do it this year because he wants to win all 5 Monuments but then he still goes for the ardennes

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

I'm looking forward to Karl, José and Renaat.

Bring it on! Pippo for the win!

Not somuch to Karl, but soooo much toward Jose. The king of the commentators. I'm going to try to hear him say anything ridiculous this year. I doubt I will find anything.
Renaat on the motor is great as well.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Any chance Gilbert might show something here!?

Yes, just to pi$$ of GVA who wants (and was promissed by the team management) sole leadership in the tour of Flanders.

Still don't get it why gilbert doesnt lay his focus on the cobbled classics, he always says it in the offseason that he might do it this year because he wants to win all 5 Monuments but then he still goes for the ardennes

Actually he isn't allowed by BMC. GVA is the cobbled leader and GVA doesn't want Gilbert riding the cobbles. So BMC tells Gilbert to focus on the Ardennes.
Fat chance Gilbert won't be racing with BMC next year as well.

 

[trevim]

It's like BMC doesn't understand how the classics work. Quickstep has shown time and time again that the probability of winning is higher if you have 3/4 riders in the final like Stybar, Boonen, Terpstra and even guys like Chavanel or Vandenbergh in other years. Terpstra has won Roubaix and he doesn't demand leadership, he knows that his chance of winning is bigger with Boonen and Stybar at his side. It's ridiculous that BMC goes with this crap and pulls Gilbert out of the races, specially Flanders that he should be able to win in the new, harder course which he hasn't even experienced yet!
Besides it's not like GvA has the status to call the shots on who makes the team, he has never won anything big. Obviously he's a great rider but I don't get the need to be sole team leader.

 

[pastronef]

Re:

OMG just one week to the start of the season Hurray!

ah ok, so all the races I saw until now are still part of the 2015 season?

 

[Eshnar]

Re: Re:

OMG just one week to the start of the season Hurray!

ah ok, so all the races I saw until now are still part of the 2015 season?

They're pre-season.

 

[Echoes]

Re: Re:

OMG just one week to the start of the season Hurray!

ah ok, so all the races I saw until now are still part of the 2015 season?

As long as the cyclocross season is not over, the road one has not started in my humble opinion. So the start is Ghent-Ghent. (Renaat has already been very active this year, if you are watching cyclocross...)

Though if I were a bit provocative, I'd say that the road season starts the morning of Paris-Roubaix and ends the evening of it.

 

[pastronef]

Re: Re:

OMG just one week to the start of the season Hurray!

ah ok, so all the races I saw until now are still part of the 2015 season?

As long as the cyclocross season is not over, the road one has not started in my humble opinion. So the start is Ghent-Ghent. (Renaat has already been very active this year, if you are watching cyclocross...)

Though if I were a bit provocative, I'd say that the road season starts the morning of Paris-Roubaix and ends the evening of it.

short season

for me it "ends" the evening of the Champs Elysees stage in July.
and it begins with the Bay Crits on Jan 1st

 

[Stingray34]

Why no Stannard for a three-peat? It's great to wear dossard No.1. I've worn it in extremely minor, no-big-deal-interclubs-and-regional races - everyone wants your wheel and makes you ride out of your skin.

If he wants to try something different, well OK, but it is strange being double defending champ and all.

 

[ice&fire]

Re: Re:

OMG just one week to the start of the season Hurray!

ah ok, so all the races I saw until now are still part of the 2015 season?

As long as the cyclocross season is not over, the road one has not started in my humble opinion. So the start is Ghent-Ghent. (Renaat has already been very active this year, if you are watching cyclocross...)

Though if I were a bit provocative, I'd say that the road season starts the morning of Paris-Roubaix and ends the evening of it.

So the road season does not happen on the road but on cr6ppy farm paths.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

It's like BMC doesn't understand how the classics work. Quickstep has shown time and time again that the probability of winning is higher if you have 3/4 riders in the final like Stybar, Boonen, Terpstra and even guys like Chavanel or Vandenbergh in other years. Terpstra has won Roubaix and he doesn't demand leadership, he knows that his chance of winning is bigger with Boonen and Stybar at his side. It's ridiculous that BMC goes with this crap and pulls Gilbert out of the races, specially Flanders that he should be able to win in the new, harder course which he hasn't even experienced yet!
Besides it's not like GvA has the status to call the shots on who makes the team, he has never won anything big. Obviously he's a great rider but I don't get the need to be sole team leader.

I agree with all of this. That said, GVA and Phil don't seem to work as well with each other as the QS boys do.

 

[Miburo]

Eddy riding it? If not, then i'm going with GVA.

He told in the belgian papers he's never been this good this early

 

[barmaher]

Re: Re:

OMG just one week to the start of the season Hurray!

ah ok, so all the races I saw until now are still part of the 2015 season?

As long as the cyclocross season is not over, the road one has not started in my humble opinion. So the start is Ghent-Ghent. (Renaat has already been very active this year, if you are watching cyclocross...)

Though if I were a bit provocative, I'd say that the road season starts the morning of Paris-Roubaix and ends the evening of it.

short season

for me it "ends" the evening of the Champs Elysees stage in July.
and it begins with the Bay Crits on Jan 1st

You could even say it is shorter than that. Season only really starts as they enter Trouée d'Arenberg. So it really only lasts 100km.

 

[GP Blanco]

Why no Stannard for a three-peat? It's great to wear dossard No.1. I've worn it in extremely minor, no-big-deal-interclubs-and-regional races - everyone wants your wheel and makes you ride out of your skin.


If he wants to try something different, well OK, but it is strange being double defending champ and all.

He wants to save himself for Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. A pity because he won't win those races realistically. His biggest hope will be to pull a Van Summeren.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

Re:

Eddy riding it? If not, then i'm going with GVA.

He told in the belgian papers he's never been this good this early

My thoughts exactly. Someone who has shown good form in the prep races will win or it would be the best of the Belgians but if GVA has found room for improvement thats just scary.

That said, Dim Data is not going to Omloop/KBK weekend so no EBH to win it and no Cav on Sunday.

 

[Gigs_98]

Why no Stannard for a three-peat? It's great to wear dossard No.1. I've worn it in extremely minor, no-big-deal-interclubs-and-regional races - everyone wants your wheel and makes you ride out of your skin.


If he wants to try something different, well OK, but it is strange being double defending champ and all.

He wants to save himself for Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. A pity because he won't win those races realistically. His biggest hope will be to pull a Van Summeren.

Although it is ofc always possible that a rider gets better you are probably right. Besides the last two editions of omloop het nieuwsblad he hasn't won that much so hoping for a monument win seems rather optimistic. Moreover he also only won last years edition because of Etixxs stupidity so you can't really count that one