95th Ronde van Vlaanderen - April 3 2011

[boomcie]

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

And with just a litle more luck he still might have won the RVV. That's how good he is.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

He has some, cause he was still very active and the only guy capable of following spartacus's initial attack.
Weather he had his own or chav's interests in mind is another topic. I think Q/step rode well. Boonen didn't screw the race up at all tho (IMO).

 

[sublimit]

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

Yeah I agree with most of that. Stannard deserves a mention too for some good work early on and Hammond was the only Garmin rider to turn up on the day.

 

[meandmygitane]

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.

Thor had issues working for (or letting his minions work for) Sastre and O'Grady, shouldn't be surprised if he had issues with working for Haussler and Farrar as well.

(He critisised the team selection for RVV for not including compatriot Gabriel Rasch, which surely isn't improving team morale either.)

 

[Christian]

Anyone know what happened to Joost Posthuma? I just ready he had to abandon due to a crash, is he injured?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

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?

yeah. It appears he made spartacus show his cards early, and thus did the impossible. Prevent cancellara winning.

 

[Thomsena]

Is all the Cancellara slating based on him being a good bike rider...?

 

[El Pistolero]

Anyone know what happened to Joost Posthuma? I just ready he had to abandon due to a crash, is he injured?

He crashed somewhere in the back of the peloton with a lot of km to go.

 

[Magnus]

but after all this race is the biggest evidence of why the radios should be banned.

And why is that?

 

[FignonLeGrand]

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.

On Belgium Tv Chav basically said he was told to wait for Boonen and not attack Canc.

Canc said he had cramp on the muur and wasnt attacking anyone at that point, he also said he would have stayed away if chav has cooperated, however he realised he wasnt going to, as boonen was just behind.

So Chav should have attacked on the muur and he may well have stayed away

 

[Jamsque]

Yeah I agree with most of that. Stannard deserves a mention too for some good work early on and Hammond was the only Garmin rider to turn up on the day.

I think I said with about 60km to go that Hammond was probably putting in Garmin's best ride of the day, and it seems I was right.

 

[beer_thirty]

PR just got a lot more interesting after today. Canc obviously strong but looking a little more human will possibly change the mentality of the rest going into next sunday.

Boonen will be better, and take away the bergs and maybe he'll have what he needs.

Thor better do something special, or I don't care how many TDF stages Farrar wins this year, their season sucks.

My darkhorse for PR? You heard it here first; Big George hangs tough on the Carrefour and somehow gets away while FC and TB are watching each other, and finally takes the long awaited win. The board implodes! What a ride today by him; he's still got some legs!!

 

[Kwibus]

-5
So stupid that Chavanel almost win...

Oh for real... Leukemans allready said after the race that he and Boonen said to eachother after Cancellara took off that they thought it was over and Cancellara would win. This prooves that it certainly wasn't Boonens intention.

Besides that how could you even think that it was Quicksteps genius tactics? When Boonen went I was thinking "What the hell are you doing?!? Canc is in your wheel... the guy is isolated and now your going to help him?!"

Ofcourse Cancellara would've went at some point, but imo Boonen should've just tag Cancellara's wheel. Instead of attacking himself with a teammate riding alone at the front.

 

[sublimit]

Canc could of done with O'Grady there to help at certain points. He got isolated and was him against everybody in the end. Not easy with the fair weather.

If it rained he would of walked that race..

 

[Cimber]

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?

Cos he had a team-mate alone in the front.

 

[Cimber]

And why is that?

+1

Without radios BMC might never have gotten organised to chase down Fabian and we would have seen another boring race.

 

[Christian]

Canc could of done with O'Grady there to help at certain points. He got isolated and was him against everybody in the end.

Yes definitely. Apparently Posthuma was in good condition but crashed out. I hope he's fine, haven't heard if he is injured or not.

In the end Cancellara reminded me a bit of Evans' ride in the WC last year - he knew it would be very difficult but he gave it all to honour the nr. 1 bib

 

[Cimber]

Is all the Cancellara slating based on him being a good bike rider...?

Spartacus is an awesome rider. Really incredible. But the slating has to do with him being so superior that the last 20-50 km of the race was incredible boring (was like wathing a TT). So imo ppl dont have anything against Fabian, they just want the race to be interesting till the end

 

[Kvinto]

And why is that?

Because imo the strongest riders should win the races, not the team tactics for the team cars. If Cancellara and Chavanel were working together the race could unfold different way. Sylvain was strong enough to win this race but the team tactics form the QuickStep team car said he should work for Boonen.

 

[cineteq]

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?

Exactly...what do you prefer a Cance attack later in the race or this far away?
Also remember who got second last year?
Boonen played it brilliantly based on what happened the previous year...Cance either has to stay with him or did what he did, otherwise it'll be 2 Quickstep guys riding for victory...

 

[cineteq]

Because imo the strongest riders should win the races, not the team tactics for the team cars. If Cancellara and Chavanel were working together the race could unfold different way. Sylvain was strong enough to win this race but the team tactics form the QuickStep team car said he should work for Boonen.

Chavanel working with Cancellara would have been suicide for him, namely handing the race to Fabian in a silver plate.

 

[Thomsena]

Spartacus is an awesome rider. Really incredible. But the slating has to do with him being so superior that the last 20-50 km of the race was incredible boring (was like wathing a TT). So imo ppl dont have anything against Fabian, they just want the race to be interesting till the end

Yeh, but.. A win in a sprint isn't exactly boring is it?

 

[Polish]

I think today puts some additional Fire in Fabian's Belly for Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
That is is true priority this spring IMO. As it should be....

And from one "La Doyenne" to another.
Old Man Tough Man Big George Bravo!
Joop set to get a worthy co-captain....

 

[Kvinto]

Chavanel working with Cancellara would have been suicide for him, namely handing the race to Fabian in a silver plate.

Why do you think so? Sylvain was in the breakaway before Cancellara and after all he was strong enough to end up on a second place. I don't say he should have won but I think he had to try

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I think today puts some additional Fire in Fabian's Belly for Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
That is is true priority this spring IMO. As it should be....

And from one "La Doyenne" to another.
Old Man Tough Man Big George Bravo!
Joop set to get a worthy co-captain....

He has no chance at LBL.