97th Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2011

[c&cfan]

What's this obsession you have with Gilbert not being a champion? He just p0wned the complete current Ardennes elite all by himself and still it's not enough.

obsession?where?

sorry? you mean be still until the last 5km, work a little with 4km to go, and then, in the last climb, in a race that isnt a monument, that following the favourite's wheel is almost useless, win?

it was a nice win to watch, really nice, indeed.

he is a really good racer, i just dont understand and dont see facts to call him a champion.

champions? active true champions-boonen, canc, valv, conti. then you have basso, menchov cavendish. and thats it. maybe i am forgetting someone... no offense.

to be a champion, you need to win the big races (big sprints for a sprinter, big tts for a tter etc) and dominate them even when you have everyone behind you.

can you call him a champion youngest?i cant.

 

[c&cfan]

guys, i really like him. everyone does.. we need more like him. but a champion?not yet. maybe one day.

 

[El Pistolero]

You can't call Rebellin a champion as well then.

Valverde never did anything in both his LBL wins besides in the sprint. Totally sucking Rebellin's wheel in 2008. Almost got beaten by a 19 year old or something even.

The Amstel Gold Race has just an as hard competition field as LBL. And the course is also pretty hard, harder than some other Monuments. The only difference is, it's not old enough to be called a Monument.

I fail to see how Valverde's stage win in the Tour of 2008 is more impressive than anything Gilbert has shown. I've actually seen way more impressive stuff from Gilbert the last 2 years.

 

[boomcie]

guys, i really like him. everyone does.. we need more like him. but a champion?not yet. maybe one day.

This grudge you hold against him, burry it... Did he rape you by any chance?

 

[c&cfan]

You can't call Rebellin a champion as well then.

Valverde never did anything in both his LBL wins besides in the sprint. Totally sucking Rebellin's wheel in 2008. Almost got beaten by a 19 year old or something even.

The Amstel Gold Race has just an as hard competition field as LBL. And the course is also pretty hard, harder than some other Monuments. The only difference is, it's not old enough to be called a Monument.

yes i can call rebellin a champion. he did history. (besides, look at his palmares)

valverde- first of all, he won it more than one time even when he was the favourite and was battling against the 100% hilly classic specialists. second, what is you problem?unlike gilbert, valv is unique. he does (and wins) much more than classics. but again you forget that.

the last part, you are so wrong. so wining dauphine or suisse is the same as wining the tour? riders see amstel as preparation, even gilbert. amstel isnt the true season goal, the true dream, and it will never be as long as it is close to liege in the calendar.

last- if you say something that i see as nonsense, based in pure fanboyism (fanboyism is good, but not as you do it), i wont discuss with you.

 

[c&cfan]

This grudge you hold against him, burry it... Did he rape you by any chance?

no.. but canc did rape him,2 times already.

 

[El Pistolero]

Gilbert said he won't use Amstel as training before it started, but riding for victory.

Even Andy schleck, notorious for not caring for a single race outside the Tour, actually WANTS to win this race. That says enough.

No one uses AGR as preparation. If you aren't in top form by then you're screwed for LBL.

 

[c&cfan]

Gilbert said he won't use Amstel as training before it started, but riding for victory.

Even Andy schleck, notorious for not caring for a single race outside the Tour, actually WANTS to win this race. That says enough.

No one uses AGR as preparation. If you aren't in top form by then you're screwed for LBL.

are you serious? i mean.. why are you so literal when you want? why are you so biased? do you real think that specially gilbert (and even andy) sees amstel as he sees liege?

pistolero, am i wrong? if so, why and where?

 

[boomcie]

no.. but canc did rape him,2 times already.

A joke I don't understand.

 

[El Pistolero]

"I thought he was loco or super strong," Rodriguez said as it was clear that Gilbert was wasting energy just before they were about to reach the tough final climb. The group was closing in on Schleck and the Luxembourger was soon to be caught on the Cauberg when Rodriguez launched a surprise attack.

"I thought it was possible to beat him by attacking from far out. He turned out not to be mad but super strong. The way he accelerated... super. Super-Gilbert. He pulled off a great numéro.

"To finish second is a great achievement and hopefully I'll feel as good in Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège," Rodriguez said. The top rider in 2010 on the UCI rankings aims to get a win in one of the upcoming races and then he'll aim for a good result in the overall classification of the Giro d'Italia.

By the way, Canc called him the Cancellara of the Ardennes. Shouldn't talk about him self in third person, but oh well.

 

[c&cfan]

"I thought he was loco or super strong," Rodriguez said as it was clear that Gilbert was wasting energy just before they were about to reach the tough final climb. The group was closing in on Schleck and the Luxembourger was soon to be caught on the Cauberg when Rodriguez launched a surprise attack.

"I thought it was possible to beat him by attacking from far out. He turned out not to be mad but super strong. The way he accelerated... super. Super-Gilbert. He pulled off a great numéro.

"To finish second is a great achievement and hopefully I'll feel as good in Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège," Rodriguez said. The top rider in 2010 on the UCI rankings aims to get a win in one of the upcoming races and then he'll aim for a good result in the overall classification of the Giro d'Italia.

By the way, Canc called him the Cancellara of the Ardennes. Shouldn't talk about him self in third person, but oh well.

what does that have to do with this discussion?

rodriguez saying that.. well, it was a great kick by gilbert. we saw it. but that's it.

again you put canc in the mix... do you want to know what is being a champion? there.. the canc. RVV,PR,e3, WiTT. thats what it means being a champion. than if you win that like he did, you are superman.

 

[El Pistolero]

No, E3 is a small sh*tty race that people just use for preparation and has a weak field.

RVV has a weaker field than AGR.

Just to use your own arguments against you.

 

[boomcie]

Didn't Freire also say Gilbert in Amstel was the most impressive thing he'd eve seen?

@c&cfan: Grudge > burry it.

 

[c&cfan]

No, E3 is a small sh*tty race that people just use for preparation and has a weak field.

RVV has a weaker field than AGR.

Just to use your own arguments against you.

first-about e3, you are right. thats why champions just win with a 50km solo. (in those circunstances)

RVV?well.. its a race that some dream about (unlike agr), with the best in those kinds of terrain (even if they are just a few) going all out for the win. its one of the great goals (unlike agr).

do you even have some real argument, pistolero? i mean, all of what you say is quickly countered and defeated in discussions. you simply like gilbert. and that's cool... but you do need to rationalize.

entertaining us like he does, is good. but not superman's work. he never did that.

 

[c&cfan]

Didn't Freire also say Gilbert in Amstel was the most impressive thing he'd eve seen?

@c&cfan: Grudge > burry it.

most impressive finale maybe. but even as a finale, well, i guess freire wasnt in that tour were gilbert finished 2nd or 3rd in the first stage. or even gilbert's wins vuelta, some of bettini's wins, etc.

what was said about e3 by devolder? i know, but do you?

 

[El Pistolero]

Gilbert of 2011 is a whole lot stronger than the Gilbert of 2008.

Don't worry, you'll see the difference in the first stage of the Tour this year

Freire won the green jersey in the Tour of 2008 btw.

 

[The Hitch]

Gilbert of 2011 is a whole lot stronger than the Gilbert of 2008.

Don't worry, you'll see the difference in the first stage of the Tour this year

Yes. Why? Well guess who wont be there

 

[theyoungest]

Yes. Why? Well guess who wont be there

Lol. Yes, we'll still have to see Gilbert vs. Valverde on a finish like that. Bring on 2012, some competition for lil' Philly Gilly again.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yes. Why? Well guess who wont be there

Because Valverde likes the Vuelta so much?

 

[c&cfan]

Gilbert of 2011 is a whole lot stronger than the Gilbert of 2008.

Don't worry, you'll see the difference in the first stage of the Tour this year

Freire won the green jersey in the Tour of 2008 btw.

yes, he is.

but did he ever beat valverde for the win or in a uphill sprint in a small group? i dont remember. but even if he did, how many times was be beaten by valv?

still, that isnt important.

what matters is that no one can call him a true champion based in acelerations (almost all are just futile), not important(for the big guns) wins etc, because he isnt.

basically, you call him a champion based on nothing that makes a cyclist a true champion. how's that?

 

[c&cfan]

Lol. Yes, we'll still have to see Gilbert vs. Valverde on a finish like that. Bring on 2012, some competition for lil' Philly Gilly again.

in fact gilbert was there, but he was weak back then. but he was in liege last year, his main goal for the season.

 

[El Pistolero]

I wouldn't call second place behind Valverde weak by the way. He was weaker then he is now, but not weak.

 

[c&cfan]

I wouldn't call second place behind Valverde weak by the way. He was weaker then he is now, but not weak.

you are totally right.

still, can you call gilbert a true champion?dont run. that doesnt mean that you\we cant like him or be fans of him. look at evans(not the best example but whatever)..

 

[theyoungest]

in fact gilbert was there, but he was weak back then. but he was in liege last year, his main goal for the season.

I mean the current Gilbert of course, who is clearly much stronger than he was back then. As you also seem to acknowledge.

 

[c&cfan]

I mean the current Gilbert of course, who is clearly much stronger than he was back then. As you also seem to acknowledge.

i do acknowledge that and i do admire him. thats not the point here. still, valv beated him last year in liege, as you seem to forget.