95th Ronde van Vlaanderen - April 3 2011

[Cimber]

Btw. I can't wait for Roubaix - there should be lots of highly ****ed off riders and teams trying to make a point.

Indeed. Will be a great showdown. I expect alot from Hushovd in PRB. Sadly Nuyens wont do PRB as he will focus on Amstel. I hope for Boonen or poor old Hincapie though.

 

[Cerberus]

To me, it looked as though Chavanel felt he wasn't as strong as Cancellara, thought that Nuyens wasn't that good, and decided to settle for second. Then the situation changed at the last second. That's how I see it.

I don't think that makes sense. Certainly it's possible that Chavanel didn't think he could win, but that's no reason to make any kind of deal about it, agreeing to let Canc win just doesn't get him anything he didn't already have. Also Chavanel actually took leads in the end. That makes no sense if he didn't think he had a shot at the win, if he felt the situation was hopeless he should have sat on and waited for Boonen to get up.

Actually sitting on a preserving energy for the sprint/waiting for Boonen to get up seems like the smartest move in any case, but it makes even less sense if he didn't feel like he had a shot at winning.

 

[Granville57]

And clearly, Tyler had other things on his mind. Perfectly understandable.

 

[beer_thirty]

The Chava/Canc 'handshake' was just the usual shake two guys make when they do a big effort together, it doesn't work, and the complexion of the race changes. Canc isn't an idiot; though Chava didn't work with him he was off the front already for a long time, and hung tough when he was caught. A great ride by him today that nearly paid off with the win of a career.

 

[Cimber]

Hate how UK Eurosport has 5 mins of talking then goes straight to some other sport. Went straight to a Belgian stream to see the podium/aftermath.

Scandinavien Eurosport went direcly to some Billard Tournament. Even before the winner was celebrated and even though the race finish 1 hour early. Bleh.

 

[boomcie]

This is why I think races should give out a 'best domestique' award, Geraint Thomas deserves some recognition for what he did today.

I like Thomas. Very good rider. He is really establishing himself everywhere.

 

[Cerberus]

Had he worked even a little with Cancellara (as Clarke did with him before that) they could well have stayed away and he would have won the sprint at the end.

Or perhaps being a bit more tired and with Cancellara being a bit fresher Spartacus would have dropped him like a sack of potatoes on Kapel-Muur.

 

[beer_thirty]

I like Thomas. Very good rider. He is really establishing himself everywhere.

+1000 Guy seems to have a massive heart to go along with the engine. Really like the way he rides.

 

[goggalor]

Yes, chapeau to Thomas. The second best British cyclist after Cav IMO, and by far the most exciting.

 

[Jamsque]

I think Thomas could be a dark horse contender at Roubaix. He clearly has excellent form and he won't have to deal with any hills.

 

[Cimber]

+1

Nuyens did nothing though, that much is correct.

Nah he was the one who tried to close the gap on the Muur and Bosberg (s?) but he couldnt. Also he tried to attack once after Bosberg. Tactically he rode very well though. Would have been awesome to see Chavanelt take it, and he was so close, but after all it was just awesome that Spartacus didnt win.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Vaughters = loser

 

[luckyboy]

Cancellara said he had cramps, that's why the gap tumbled then.

 

[beer_thirty]

Or perhaps being a bit more tired and with Cancellara being a bit fresher Spartacus would have dropped him like a sack of potatoes on Kapel-Muur.

+1

Easy to second guess now that Fabian proved himself a little more human today, but in the heat of battle it was the ONLY strategy that made any sense. If he would have worked w/FC and then got dropped on the Muur, he'd have been crucified for it.

The only way this would have made any sense is if Boonen would have been 2-3 minutes back, and QS would have given him the freedom to take his shot, but that wasn't the case.

 

[Rocksteady]

Vaughters = loser

I think the real disappointments are the Cervelo riders. All that talent brought in and still the best rider is Farrar??

Note: Those doing domestic work don't deserve my scorn. Mostly just Barbie. This isn't Thor's race, but I still expected more.

 

[Bala Verde]

He single-handedly brought back the group with Flecha Langeveld and Boonen after the muur and or bosberg? [Geraint Thomas]

 

[sublimit]

Vaughters is a joke, His riders dont deserve an idiot like that as boss.

You have to stay aggressive, Sky came away with nothing but at least they had a go.
Nuyens wins again similar to outfoxing Thomas the other day so well done to him.

 

[Cimber]

Or perhaps being a bit more tired and with Cancellara being a bit fresher Spartacus would have dropped him like a sack of potatoes on Kapel-Muur.

Chavanel had been in a breakaway for a long time when Spartacus bridged the gap + he had Tornado Tom behind. No reason he should work, but all the reason he shouldnt be able to keep Fabians wheel at the Muur, but he did. Chavanel was awesome today.

 

[Bala Verde]

Nice post-race interview with Cancelara

 

[Kvinto]

The quote of the day was from the Garmin team car about 25km to go, when Cancellara had an advantage of 1:00 and whole the BMC team were leading the main group:
"No ride, no ride, let the other teams do the work, no ride, surviving for the sprint"
Yes, it's the tactics of the real cobbled dream team

I do respect Sylvain Chavanel, he is a great rider, he isn't guilty of the way he rode in a breakaway with Cancellara but after all this race is the biggest evidence of why the radios should be banned.

 

[cineteq]

Boonen: good job screwing up this race, Tom. As it turned out, it's possible that without your move Cancellara wouldn't have blown himself up and he'd won easily, but your move was still idiotic. The situation was perfect for Quick Step, Cancellara had run out of domestiques and you'd been talking about how you only needed to stay with Cance and beat him in the sprint. Stupid.

-5
So stupid that Chavanel almost win...

 

[boomcie]

Props to

- Cancellara: for being the best by far (really happy he didn't win though)
- Chavanel: for obvious reasons
- Nuyens: for winning
- Gilbert: for being Gilbert
- The whole of BMC: for saving the race
- Thomas ánd Flecha: for racing with a lot of heart
- Scheirlinckx:

I probably forgot a few.

Disrespect for:

-Garmin

 

[hrotha]

-5
So stupid that Chavanel almost win...

Yes, I'm sure Cancellara's cramps were part of Boonen's calculations.

A move is smart or stupid regardless of the consequences and of how lucky you turn out to be.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Boonen wasn't very smart though he doesn't have form.

 

[spalco]

I don't really understand criticising Boonen for his attack; apparently he thought he had a chance so he gave it a go, why not? If he hadn't done it, Cancellara would've just attacked at a different time, but that was expected anyway, wasn't it?