95th Ronde van Vlaanderen - April 3 2011

[Ildabaoth]

What I mean is he just sitting on cancellara wheels, that really pi$sed me off.. He could do better..

Did you see just the last 20 km or something? Chavanel was in a breakaway, he was the only survivor there, shaking off every other companion. Then he managed to keep a steady pace while the peloton was losing chunks of time to Cancellara. And then, when they got caught, he was able to be in the leading trio. What else could he have done better?

 

[roundabout]

Well done Boonen for attacking and forcing Canc to go so early. It broke him.

Cancellara overestimated himself but he wasn't forced on the offensive. Quickstep deservedly lost as there was nothing clever about Boonen's attack.

 

[Anonymous]

Chavanel was quite simply brilliant today, deserves nothing but positive words as far as im concerned.

Yea, he deserved the win for sure. Nuyens just did what any rider in his position would have, so no disrespect for his win. But Chav deserved it.

 

[bicing]

There would have to be a mass exodus from Garmin if they can't win with such great talent in their classics team. It becomes blatantly obvious that the problem is their management and tactics, and not themselves.

Next year Saxo will get a couple of those guys.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Great race, great result (1st & 5th).

Shame Thomas pointlessly burnt matches at the end and finished 10th, needlessly missing UCI points for team Cavendish.

 

[sktooo]

everyone in the peloton is clearly ride against cancellara..

 

[Cerberus]

Well there is that too. That really ticked me off. It's clear that they made some sort of a deal with about 3km to go, and then when Chavanel saw Canc was toast, he decided all bets were off.

Oh well, bring on next Sunday.

They were not making a deal, they were congratulating each other on the race or something like that. Think about it - what kind of deal would they be making? For Chavanel to get the win? Spartacus doesn't need a second or third place. For Spartacus to get the win? Why would Chavanel agree to that? To go out an get a beer after the race? Possibly, but hardly relevant.

 

[Francois the Postman]

Great race, and a 1600 post long great race thread to go with it.

Thank you guys (and gals).

 

[Jan the Man]

Riders of the day-

Chavanel
Cancellara
Thomas
Gilbert
Scheirlinckx

Team of the day-

BMC

 

[Thomsena]

This is one of the best races I've seen in a long time. Cracking entertainment!

Nuyens did not deserve the victory? How can you make such a ridiculous statement like that?

 

[Bala Verde]

Um, that is a bit of revisionist history there JV. HE told them to stop working. Period. They "had no one left to ride"...yea, because you told them to be wimpy wheelsuckers instead of riding like men.

shouting in the radio that no one should contribute to the chase, in RvV, to ride for 3rd...

 

[luckyboy]

So two outsiders winning at each monument so far..

Hmm, Roubaix next.

 

[Ibanez]

Unbelievable race, especially considering how everyone considered it a foregone conclusion before the Muur. Gutted for Chava though, was rooting for him for 40ks.

The peloton must have been on motorbikes for the kilometre leading up to the Muur, that minute evaporated

 

[beer_thirty]

You can really tell Cancellara really left it all on the road. And Chavanel looks PlSSED.

Put 'em all in a straight line and Chava was fastest, but that's bike racing. He was great today; wheelsucking my ***. It was the only tactic that made sense at the time, right? Nailbiter of a finale I thought; great racing.

Canc=incredible ride. Nice to see him looking more human. Fought all the way to the end.

Nuyens made his career; great ride. Really loved the saxo team car shot.

Happy to see Tommeke w/some legs even though he couldn't really do anything on the bergs. He'll be way better in a week; perhaps an interesting Roubaix in store!

Langeveld @5th; sure likes like he's got the legs to win this one someday. Awesome.

Hincapie 6th!! What a ride by the old man.

Phil=Love the effort on the Bos; he's one of my favorite riders. But very surprised he wasn't there sprinting FTW. He needs to be better to win LBL looks like.

Thank you BMC!!!! JV, paying attention? THis is how it's done.

Garmin, just unbelievable. What an epically bad ride. JV quote like getting caught in a wiretap or something; never thought they'd be this easy to dislike, but they are.

 

[pmcg76]

No way. If anyone deserved that race it was Canc. That said I'm glad he didn't win from a 60k break. I'm still amazed Canc was able to force the winning break after that long solo. The guy has really rubbed me wrong the last several months but he really deserved to win that. He even led out...

Well, I feel Chavanel was out front busting his *** for a long time before Boonen set Cancellara on him, tactically Chavanel done the right thing sitting on Cancellara otherwise he would have been toast.

Lets not get too mixed up, Cancellara is a much stronger rider than Chav but considering he was out in front most of the day, Chav almost winning was some ride. I think thats why he and Canc shook hands they knew they were the main men today.

 

[roundabout]

Don't fault Farrar, JV was the A-hole on the Garmin side.

Great race.

Riis sure knows how to pull out surprises.

yes, real surprise that a man who had a second place before managed to win.

Almost as dumb as suggesting that riis can win Flanders with EE.

 

[veganrob]

Would have liked to see Chavanel win. He was the wild card and rode great till the end.

 

[luckyboy]

Great race, and a 1600 post long great race thread to go with it.

Thank you guys (and gals).

I'm glad I chose this race to make a thread

 

[Jamsque]

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

 

[Ildabaoth]

Well done Boonen for attacking and forcing Canc to go so early. It broke him.

I don't think it was their plan. Boonen was trying to bridge Chavanel. I'm pretty sure they were frustrated when Cancellara counter attacked and it was him who caught Chavanel, not Boonen. Anyways, great display by Quickstep, but hadn't it been by BMC, Cancellara would have probably won.

 

[Cimber]

+1
Quickstep showed great preparation and tactical moves....

Actually I found it stupid that Boonen attacked when Chavanel was out front alone thereby opening of for Cancellara. Chances were decent that Chavenel could have won.

Anyways, great win by Nuyens. I am sure Riis is sending Kim Andersen some nice thoughts today

 

[craig1985]

Scheirlinckx to get a WT contract next year?

 

[Cobblestones]

So, how's this 'make cycling interesting' thing going for you, JV?

 

[bicing]

Riders of the day-

Chavanel
Cancellara
Thomas
Gilbert
Scheirlinckx

Team of the day-

BMC

+1, they were definitely the best on the day.

 

[sktooo]

Did you see just the last 20 km or something? Chavanel was in a breakaway, he was the only survivor there, chaking off every other companion. Then he managed to keep a steady pace while the peloton was losing chunks of time to Cancellara. And then, when they got caught, he was able to be in the leading trio. What else could he have done better?

Yes, chavanel is very strong here but I just can't swallow the fact that he and quickstep is going all against fabian.. In my opinion, quickstep just racing for second place and to stop fabian.. Thats their mission