95th Ronde van Vlaanderen - April 3 2011

[beer_thirty]

Boonen played it brilliantly based on what happened the previous year....

Obviously folks who think this have a right to their opinion, but it makes no sense at all IMHO. FC is isolated, QS have one of the best riders in the world off the front, and Boonen in the group looking halfway decent at least.

For Gods sake, the last thing you do is draw the guy out; you pin yourself to the guys wheel and make him show his cards first. Even if he blows you away in the end, you still don't light the fuse for him, right?

 

[Cimber]

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

No but in 2010 we didnt see that. The last 15km in De Ronde and the last 40km in PRB were broing last year. Thats why alot of ppl wanted to see someone else than Fabian win today.

 

[Christian]

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....

You mean winning LBL or putting more fire in his belly? Supposedly he ends his spring with AGR

Great ride by Geaorge indeed

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

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

He did try. Didn't you notice him coming second and almost beating Nuyens at the end?

 

[Christian]

No but in 2010 we didnt see that. The last 15km in De Ronde and the last 40km in PRB were broing last year. Thats why alot of ppl wanted to see someone else than Fabian win today.

Well except for Dim, he's just evil

 

[Cimber]

Obviously folks who think this have a right to their opinion, but it makes no sense at all IMHO. FC is isolated, QS have one of the best riders in the world off the front, and Boonen in the group looking halfway decent at least.

For Gods sake, the last thing you do is draw the guy out; you pin yourself to the guys wheel and make him show his cards first. Even if he blows you away in the end, you still don't light the fuse for him, right?

+1

They blew Fabian out, but that was hardly the intend when Tom attacked. Also if Tom hadnt attacked Sylvian might have won instead of being 2nd.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

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

had he worked he probably would have been dropped, and if caught by the others had nothing left in the tank. Tactically it was better to let spartacus do the work. Chav had been in the front for a long time, and alone a long time.

 

[Cimber]

had he worked he probably would have been dropped, and if caught by the others had nothing left in the tank. Tactically it was better to let spartacus do the work. Chav had been in the front for a long time, and alone a long time.

Yep, it would have been so stupid if Chav had worked

 

[Kvinto]

He did try. Didn't you notice him coming second and almost beating Nuyens at the end?

Because Boonen was too far behind on a last km

 

[rghysens]

+1

They blew Fabian out, but that was hardly the intend when Tom attacked. Also if Tom hadnt attacked Sylvian might have won instead of being 2nd.

If Boonen didn't attack, BMC (and maybe even cervélo )would have closed the gap to Chavanel before they reached the muur. Chavanel did everything right in this race (well, maybe not in the last 1km). No-one could smell Cancellara was going to implode.

 

[Lanark]

Looking back it would have been better if Chavanel had worked with Cancellara, but it was a very understandable decision not to do it. Cancellara was the big favorite, Chavanel was on the front from the Oude Kwaremont, pretty much everyone expected him to drop Chavanel on the Muur, it would make sense to think that his only chance was to sit in his wheel and hope you survive the Muur. Obviously Cancellara wasn't strong enough for that (or didn't drink enough), but they couldn't have known that at that moment.

 

[Mellow Velo]

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.

Me too, except I have a nasty feeling he'll be the tank engine again for Flecha.
Working in tandem, they could upset the odds.

No one, but no one is calling Gee a wheel sucker today!

 

[Frosty]

Full results are out now

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-flanders-upt/results

2nd Garmin was Hushovd in 53rd at 4:29 down, Haussler 61st at 8:02, next was Hammond who came in with a group 15 minutes down.

 

[Elegant Degenerate]

Obviously folks who think this have a right to their opinion, but it makes no sense at all IMHO. FC is isolated, QS have one of the best riders in the world off the front, and Boonen in the group looking halfway decent at least.

For Gods sake, the last thing you do is draw the guy out; you pin yourself to the guys wheel and make him show his cards first. Even if he blows you away in the end, you still don't light the fuse for him, right?

Exactly.

Ironically, we have people here crying to JV for telling his sprinter not to pull 40ks out so he can then win in a bunch sprint later on. Yeah right....

While praising Boonen for an amateur mistake, because it made the race more 'interesting'.

 

[Kvinto]

had he worked he probably would have been dropped, and if caught by the others had nothing left in the tank. Tactically it was better to let spartacus do the work. Chav had been in the front for a long time, and alone a long time.

Yes, it's logically, but probably doesn't mean for sure

 

[Thomsena]

No but in 2010 we didnt see that. The last 15km in De Ronde and the last 40km in PRB were broing last year. Thats why alot of ppl wanted to see someone else than Fabian win today.

I can undestand that people want to have an exiting race like today, but a Cancellara win in the sprint wouldn't have changed anything to the exitement of the race since he was caught 10 km before the finish?.. - that's what I don't undestand.

 

[El Pistolero]

Exactly.

Ironically, we have people here crying to JV for telling his sprinter not to pull 40ks out so he can then win in a bunch sprint later on. Yeah right....

While praising Boonen for an amateur mistake, because it made the race more 'interesting'.

Not that it was Boonen's intention, but the tactic was brilliant. Cancellara's own arrogance killed him in the race. Thinking he could win with a 50km solo.

Roubaix, sure. Flanders? No no no no.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Yes, it's logically, but probably doesn't mean for sure

well, I'm guessing logic takes preference over distinct possibility for cycling tactics

 

[Dalakhani]

If Cancellara and Chavanel were working together the race could unfold different way.

Yes, but wouldn't that have just saved FC's energy a bit better and taken energy out of SC?

i.e. Turned the race into a 2 horse race where the other horse (FC) would have been much stronger relative to the other.

(Compared to what actually happened.)

It seemed to me that Chavanel played his cards correctly from that position.

Steve

PS Great race. I was supporting Canc and thought he had it in the last km. Top drama!

 

[hrotha]

Not that it was Boonen's intention, but the tactic was brilliant. Cancellara's own arrogance killed him in the race. Thinking he could win with a 50km solo.

Roubaix, sure. Flanders? No no no no.

It wasn't Boonen's intention, it wasn't even a tactic.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Exactly.

Ironically, we have people here crying to JV for telling his sprinter not to pull 40ks out so he can then win in a bunch sprint later on. Yeah right....

While praising Boonen for an amateur mistake, because it made the race more 'interesting'.

chavanel was never going to survive without someone or a group bridging, don't be ignorant. Tommeke was either going to get away have a go, bride with chav and work or force spartacus to show his hands. Was risky, but it paid of to an extent.

 

[ulrikmm]

An inmpressively clever ride from Nuyens. I kept an eye on him for the last two climbs, and he certainly seemed to save energy, and then knew to used it in the decisive final 2 km of the race. Congratilations to him, a truly great spring classic rider, and to Riis, for getting even with Cancellara.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Yep, it would have been so stupid if Chav had worked

If QST did do something like work behind - yes, would have been stupid.
But they didn't - so no, never.

That was highly poor by QSTs DS and highly unfair against Spartakus - with deserved end. No win.

Glad Chava did something in last kms, when Boonen was on his way to front.

 

[beer_thirty]

chavanel was never going to survive without someone or a group bridging, don't be ignorant

No disagreement here; I just think you don't light the fire for the guy with your own man up the road. Canc is isolated; make him make the first move, for better or worse.

 

[boomcie]

Despite him only being in half decent shape, Boonen's last k was still pretty impressive. Gotta give him that. I really hope he pulls it off at PR.