95th Ronde van Vlaanderen - April 3 2011

[Lanark]

Ah, the same Devolder who recently said he won the Ronde twice despite having to work for Boonen?

Have you seen the 2008 Ronde? He worked his *** off for Boonen, setting the pace on multiple climbs, went in a group with Ballan and Hincapie to protect Boonen, and attacked after that. What else would you call that?

Good one!
Seriously, the guy races 2 days a year. Not hard to impress him I suppose. What Cancellara did was impressive, but it would have been game over for him with all his mechanicals if Boonen, Gilbert, Flecha and all the others were there. Some of you guys seem to be downplaying Gilbert's win at Lombardia because of the so called weak field, but for Cancellara there's no room for it? E3 Prijs had a weak field, that's a fact.

Your comment about these two riders just prove my point that they're totally riding for second place sunday. Losers.

Is Cancellara the top favorite? Yes.
Does the top favorite always win? No.

So you admit Gilbert's victory in Lombardia should be downplayed because of the weak field? Nice of you to admit that.

What Leukemans and Devolder seem to realise is that if Cancellara is as good as he was last week, everyone will be riding for second place, they're just being realistic. No reason to call them 'losers' just because you want to keep your hopes up that Boonen or Gilbert will win.

Of course he can lose, if he has a bad day, or has bad luck, but if Devolder, someone who has ridden all the cobbled classics in the last year, says something is the most impressive thing he has ever seen, that says a lot (lolz he rides two races a year).

 

[kanari]

Looks like there's no Van Summeren in the Garmin roster for Sunday. (From Garmin's facebook page). Anyone know why?

 

[Lanark]

Has troubles with his knee. I don't know if he'll be able to start.

 

[El Pistolero]

Did you cycle here from Wales?



Your posts on many occasions use the clause "some of you say... so you cant say...."

Who is "some of you". Some people might have said that Gilbert at Lombardy was unimpressive. I dont remember it though maybe c&ccfan.

please show quotes of people saying this.

And your put down of Devolder is pretty weak. He once said something in the heat of the moment which is likely to be true and so he cant be trusted regarding Cancellara.

Also consider that those who may have said it arent neccesarily the same people who are now saying Cancellaras win was awesome.

You also need to understand the concept of repeating a feat being more impressive than the original success.

E3 2010 ok he had a good dayRVV,Boonens chain slipped, PR, well the bunch didnt work. ANd yet, goes into E3 2011 as the favourite and again rides away from them as if they were u23 riders.

And if you want to compare Cancellara E3 to Gilbert GDL (your choice) well I do think Canc daring people to follow him and flying away from them was more outrageous.

Lanark said it countless of times. As evidenced in his response to my post just now.
And Boonen didn't lose because of his chain slipped in the RVV. He just wasn't strong enough. But OK.

I'll say what Thevenet said after his first Tour when. "Tell me who was second and I'll rate your victory"

And Devolder didn't say it in the heat of the moment, but in an interview with a Belgian newspaper today.

Ps: What does Cancellara being arrogant have to do with being outrageous?

 

[El Pistolero]

Have you seen the 2008 Ronde? He worked his *** off for Boonen, setting the pace on multiple climbs, went in a group with Ballan and Hincapie to protect Boonen, and attacked after that. What else would you call that?
So you admit Gilbert's victory in Lombardia should be downplayed because of the weak field? Nice of you to admit that.

What Leukemans and Devolder seem to realise is that if Cancellara is as good as he was last week, everyone will be riding for second place, they're just being realistic. No reason to call them 'losers' just because you want to keep your hopes up that Boonen or Gilbert will win.

Of course he can lose, if he has a bad day, or has bad luck, but if Devolder, someone who has ridden all the cobbled classics in the last year, says something is the most impressive thing he has ever seen, that says a lot (lolz he rides two races a year).

Yes, I've seen the Ronde in 2008. And the only reason he won was because of Boonen. Put him in another team and he would never have won. It's that simple.

And no I'm not admitting the field was weak at Lombardia, just pointing out your hypocrisy.

Everybody looked at Boonen in 2008/2009 because he was the top favorite. He lost because everyone watched him and gave Devolder a free victory. They didn't race to win because the entire peloton are mostly idiots I guess. It surprises me how many cyclists today seem happy to ride for second place. If you get second after trying it all then fair enough. If not, GTFO.

 

[Lanark]

Yes, I've seen the Ronde in 2008. And the only reason he won was because of Boonen. Put him in another team and he would never have won. It's that simple.

And no I'm not admitting the field was weak at Lombardia, just pointing out your hypocrisy.

Everybody looked at Boonen in 2008/2009 because he was the top favorite. He lost because everyone watched him and gave Devolder a free victory. They didn't race to win because the entire peloton are mostly idiots I guess. It surprises me how many cyclists today seem happy to ride for second place. If you get second after trying it all then fair enough. If not, GTFO.

Wow, you really don't like Devolder huh? Of course he had a huge tactical advantage in 2008 with Boonen in the group behind him, but the biggest reason that he won was because he was incredibly strong. He barely had a 20 second lead after the Muur, and guys like Flecha and Nuyens, who used far less energy during the race, still couldn't catch him. Maybe he wouldn't have won if he rode for another team, but anyone else riding with Devolder's tactics that day wouldn't have won either. It was the most impressive victory in Vlaanderen of the last ten years (after last years of course). His 2009 victory was far less impressive I have to admit, and much more dependent on the fact that nobody wanted to work with Boonen in their wheel.

Nobody gave Devolder a free win in 2008, everyone apart from his teammates tried everyting they could to catch him, but failed.

I don't see why you keep bringing up Lombardia. Yes, it has a weaker field than the spring classics, so you can't say that just because someone won Lombardia, that means he can win Liège (Cunego won Lombardia 3 times, but certainly will never win Liège). Cancellara has already shown that if he is in 100% shape he is better than anyone in de Ronde and Roubaix, so if he shows the same shape (or even better, as Devolder says) in the E3, it doesn't really matter how strong the competition was.

I don't know where your little rant that many cyclists today seem to be contend with a second place comes from?

 

[El Pistolero]

Lol seriously Nuyens. Wow these spring classics must have such a strong field for Nuyens to come second.

Of course I don't like Devolder, he has a far better palmares then someone like him deserves. He's a cyclist who only focuses on 2 or 3 races in a year. He's even worse than Andy Schleck.

Ps: Damiano Cunego could certainly win Luik in his heyday... Nowadays he can't win Lombardia as well anymore.

And as for your last question. Ever watched any cobbled monuments lately? It seems like only Boonen and Cancellara ride for the victory in these races while the others don't even try anymore.

 

[hrotha]

Ps: Damiano Cunego could certainly win Luik in his heyday... Nowadays he can't win Lombardia as well anymore.

Amazing, one bad season in your career and suddenly you can't win any important races ever again.

 

[El Pistolero]

Amazing, one bad season in your career and suddenly you can't win any important races ever again.

524 days or so without wins without any sort of bad luck.

 

[The Hitch]

524 days or so without wins without any sort of bad luck.

He was in the mix at worlds 09. top 10 in 2 Ardennes classics, finished ahead of most gt contenders on Monte Zoncolan and just behind Cuddles in Giro stage 7.

Thats what i call just below top form. Not something thats unexpected from a proffesional bike racer. Or from any athlete. They have bad seasons once in a while.

Especially when like Cunego theyve been winning big big races since very young.
I mean they cant all be like Gilbert, winning big races practically every year since 2004. Oh wait

I mean, jeez, hes not even finishing down in the pack or anything, hes up there. Perfectly understandable.

Also take into account that your 500 figure includes months of off season.

 

[El Pistolero]

He was in the mix at worlds 09. top 10 in 2 Ardennes classics, finished ahead of most gt contenders on Monte Zoncolan and just behind Cuddles in Giro stage 7.

Thats what i call just below top form. Not something thats unexpected from a proffesional bike racer. Or from any athlete. They have bad seasons once in a while.

Especially when like Cunego theyve been winning big big races since very young.
I mean they cant all be like Gilbert, winning big races practically every year since 2004. Oh wait

I mean, jeez, hes not even finishing down in the pack or anything, hes up there. Perfectly understandable.

Also take into account that your 500 figure includes months of off season.

Exactly, below top form is not good enough to win big races now is it. If Damiano Cunego hasn't disappointed you lately then I don't know what disappoints you. I don't see what Cunego's old results have to do with anything here. So far, he has shown he's just not on his old level anymore. Finishing fourth on the Zoncolan is nice and all, but it was just the Giro and why not talk about his performance in some other stages of the Giro?

I know the Giro is holy here, but the Tour had a tougher field last year. This year will be somewhat different, but only because of circumstances(Contador riding the Giro because of the doping case, Menchov and Sastre riding the Giro because they're not invited to the Tour, etc)

What excuse does he have from being one of the best one day racers in the peloton and now he's really just second tier at best.

 

[Jamsque]

Man alive do I ever wish this forum had an ignore functions sometimes. Remind me why we are debating Damiano Cunego in the Ronde van Vlaanderen thread again?

 

[The Hitch]

Below top form is not good enough to win big races now is it. If Damiano Cunego hasn't disappointed you lately then I don't know what disappoints you. I don't see what Cunego's old results have to do with anything here. So far, he has shown he's just not on his old level anymore. Finishing fourth on the Zoncolan is nice and all, but it was just the Giro. I know the Giro is holy here, but the Tour had a tougher field last year. This year will be somewhat different, but only because of circumstances(Contador riding the Giro because of the doping case, Menchov and Sastre riding the Giro because they're not invited to the Tour, etc)

Forget what position he finished in and take a look at the times. He finishes 2 minutes down on Basso. 40 seconds down on Evans and 28 on Scarponi.

3 of the worlds best climbers right there on a 1 hour grind.

Your the one who goes on and on about how important climbing is in Ardennes and Lombardy. Well, that was the ultimate climbing test and Cunego is tip top.

And like i said, 5th and 6th (or some such) in Amstel and FW. In FW he beat Valverde and Gilbert. Thats right in the mix. Your acting as if he finished 40th or something. Anyone but Cunego, that would be impressive. People were very impressed by Hejsdal finishing top 10 for example. Same with Horner.

No one said his season wasnt a disapointment. You however said he will never come back. Because riders and athletes dont get seasons where they underperform Presumably that means Boonen too who also had a bad season would after 2010 never win another cobbled classic.

Oh wait

Man alive do I ever wish this forum had an ignore functions sometimes. Remind me why we are debating Damiano Cunego in the Ronde van Vlaanderen thread again?

Pisti said Cunego is past it. Some of us wont just sit back without action to such claims.

 

[Flamin]

Of course I don't like Devolder, he has a far better palmares then someone like him deserves. He's a cyclist who only focuses on 2 or 3 races in a year. He's even worse than Andy Schleck.

Based on one year in which he messed everything up? In 2008, he even targetted top 10 in the Tour. And he will target a good GC result and a stage win this year too.

Calling his win in de Ronde 2008 a free victory is an april fool I suppose?

 

[El Pistolero]

Forget what position he finished in and take a look at the times. He finishes 2 minutes down on Basso. 40 seconds down on Evans and 28 on Scarponi.

3 of the worlds best climbers right there on a 1 hour grind.

Your the one who goes on and on about how important climbing is in Ardennes and Lombardy. Well, that was the ultimate climbing test and Cunego is tip top.

And like i said, 5th and 6th (or some such) in Amstel and FW. In FW he beat Valverde and Gilbert. Thats right in the mix. Your acting as if he finished 40th or something. Anyone but Cunego, that would be impressive. People were very impressed by Hejsdal finishing top 10 for example. Same with Horner.

No one said his season wasnt a disapointment. You however said he will never come back. Because riders and athletes dont get seasons where they underperform Presumably that means Boonen too who also had a bad season would after 2010 never win another cobbled classic.

Oh wait

I never said he wasn't in the mix, I just said that in his current state he'll never win a Monument again. Finishing fifth at AGR last year means nothing. He was never close to win it.

Boonen got second two times in a Monument last year. Cunego not so much. Never got close to a big win anymore since his season in 2008.

It doesn't happen all the time that a cyclist just loses his form for such a long time without any excuses. That's just totally weird. I actually never even said he was past it, I said he'll never win Lombardia anymore. So, I don't know what posts you've been reading, but sure as hell not mine. No way you could've taken all that stuff out of 1 line from my post lol.

 

[El Pistolero]

Based on one year in which he messed everything up? In 2008, he even targetted top 10 in the Tour. And he will target a good GC result and a stage win this year too.

Calling his win in de Ronde 2008 a free victory is an april fool I suppose?

Who do you see most racing on full potential? Andy or Devolder?

Andy. Although that doesn't say a lot.

I must say him targeting a top 10 in the Tour in 2008 worked out great I still remember Armstrong saying Devolder could win the Tour. Talk about total overhype lol.

I never said he got a free win. I just said he wouldn't have won without Boonen in his team(which Devolder denies )

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

A goodie, El Pistolero vs the rest discussion again. Fun.

Getting some popcorn, please continue

 

[Flamin]

Who do you see most racing on full potential? Andy or Devolder?

Andy. Although that doesn't say a lot.

I must say him targeting a top 10 in the Tour in 2008 worked out great I still remember Armstrong saying Devolder could win the Tour. Talk about total overhype lol.

Andy: hilly classics + Tour

Devolder: spring classics + Tour (except for last year)

I don't see much of a difference.

Yes I know Devolder really getting a top 10 is a joke, but the point is, he did and still does focus for something else than the classics only.

I never said he got a free win. I just said he wouldn't have won without Boonen in his team(which Devolder denies)

Maybe, maybe not. Fact is, that Devolder was by far the best in the race (apart from Boonen, so we'll never know).

 

[Anonymous]

Cancellara is an absolute shoo-in on Sunday.

13/8 is akin to finding money on the street

 

[El Pistolero]

Andy: hilly classics + Tour

Devolder: spring classics + Tour (except for last year)

I don't see much of a difference.

Yes I know Devolder really getting a top 10 is a joke, but the point is, he did and still does focus for something else than the classics only.

No offence, but I never noticed Devolder at the Tour?

I know he had this idea for doing good at the Tour once and did OK for the first week or so in 2008(?), but that doesn't say much.

He very much just focuses on a select amount of races and I hate cyclists that do that.

Devolder is more the kinda guy that races well in the Tour de Belgique, Belgian national championships and the Ronde(+ some good domestiqueing for Boonen at Roubaix)

 

[auscyclefan94]

Boonen will win!!!!! Tomeke Tomeke Tomeke!

 

[El Pistolero]

I'm thinking of picking Boonen for the prediction game yes

Cancellara is just a too obvious pick for me.

 

[Winterfold]

Dear God

Please can someone who isn't Cancellara win RVV this weekend?

My preference is for Phil Gilbert the most excitingest attacking rider's rider in the peloton. But anyone will do really.

This is not because I dislike Spartacus but because foregone conclusions are dull. Except Victoria Pendleton.

In penitence

Winterfold

 

[Flamin]

No offence, but I never noticed Devolder at the Tour?

I know he had this idea for doing good at the Tour once and did OK for the first week or so in 2008(?), but that doesn't say much.

He very much just focuses on a select amount of races and I hate cyclists that do that.

Devolder is more the kinda guy that races well in the Tour de Belgique, Belgian national championships and the Ronde(+ some good domestiqueing for Boonen at Roubaix)

What can Devolder do more than peak for the spring classics and try to get a decent GC result and a stage in a GT? It's difficult for a Devolder-type to be very active and present in a GT (even being in top form), because he has no sprint and he isn't the best climber either.

 

[Granville57]

With less than an hour of April 1st left, is this story real?

Tour of Flanders to provide live television feeds from team cars
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-of-flanders-to-provide-live-television-feeds-from-team-cars