Boonen

[Buffalo Soldier]

Boonen is not the only one. There is no Freire, no Bennati, no Ciolek...

 

[jaylew]

Boonen is not the only one. There is no Freire, no Bennati, no Ciolek...

But Boonen is not even in the mix; his best finish is 16th. Freire has a 2nd, 3rd, and a 4th. Ciolek has a 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th. As for Benna, I don't anyone expected anything from him as he has been clearly out of form since his injury earlier in the season.

I think part of his struggle is definitely due to QS' weakness at this year's Tour as has been previously mentioned. I read him talking after one stage, saying he didn't have the expected teammates in the finale. QS usually has a good train going but as a team, they just don't appear to be on form.

 

[Benneth]

Why is Steegmans not racing this year? Remember him being in Boonen's shadow 2 or 3 Tours ago despite getting a win or two himself along the way.

 

[jaylew]

Why is Steegmans not racing this year? Remember him being in Boonen's shadow 2 or 3 Tours ago despite getting a win or two himself along the way.

I think it was issues with Katusha management over that new PED clause they had the riders sign. They brought Napolitano instead and he missed the time cut-off on stage 9

 

[Futuroscope]

Frankly, I think he's probably past it as a top sprinter. Still got what it takes as a Classics rider, and probably could go for breakaway stage wins if he was in shape. But I suspect he wasn't in great shape, then had a few crashes in the first week, and hasn't really gained any fitness.
Devolder's another that is probably just going to be a very good Classics rider, or maybe short, not-too hilly stage races. I think the one good perfomance he had (Vuelta?) was more a fluke than a rule.

+1.........

 

[samb01]

Tom Boonen, the extremely successful non-doping coke-fiend? Come on!

What we're seeing now is a Boonen who has decided to be prudent and forego his usual 'professional preparation' due to the turmoil following his _third_ positive test for cocaine.

 

[perico]

Boonen's only 28 or 29, so it's not like it's that he's too old. He should have another 5 or 6 years before he sees a steep decline because of age.

It's gotta be his head.

 

[runninboy]

Boonen's only 28 or 29, so it's not like it's that he's too old. He should have another 5 or 6 years before he sees a steep decline because of age.

It's gotta be his head.

Definitely his head, the other day he was in about 15th at the 1k flag and he never moved up, other riders were but he just kind of sat there. then when the sprint started he just sat up and yelled something.
Its like he lost his nerve to mix it up. When the argy bargy started he totally backed off despite being placed pretty well.

 

[Animal]

He seems to be going off the rails in a manner similar to Pantani, and his "people" need to look out for him.

From http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/cycling/article6719441.ece

Two days after winning the Belgian title and shortly before the Tour began, he was captured by Belgian paparazzi in a dishevelled and drunken state, snatching food from the plates of customers in a late night burger bar. Further allegations in the Belgian media of romantic entanglements saw his partner, Lore, exit the family home.

A lot of pros with superstar careers which get dislodged by scandal take it very hard psychologically. It killed Pantani. VDB is a shadow of his former self.

 

[fatandfast]

Boonen could easily turn this around if he Listened to Wiggins,Armstrong or Hausler,It's preparation he got to stop hearing the thump of the disco the night before and get out and train.He is so good that he forgot how he got there.If Lance was smart or Sky they would get this guy and put him in isolation and let him out of his cage before the Tour of California.Quickstep is cancer.Their whole organization is like pudding,Tom has had enough.He needs some tough love,not somebody making excuses for him doing an 8ball.

 

[Animal]

I agree a kick up the arse would do him good. But he needs someone to be on his case for a season, not to be left to his own devices, and end up unemployable or dead.

 

[luckyboy]

VDB is a shadow of his former self.

What happened to Van Den Broeck?

 

[Animal]

Don't be silly.

The original one!

 

[luckyboy]

Didn't he try and kill himself once? Frank - who won LBL a while ago right?

 

[Animal]

Yes, Frank VDB. He's washed up now. Cycling eats people up, they are expected to dope if they have talent, and then they get spat out if they get caught, or if there is scandal associated with them. It's not good on a human level. Boonen needs the help that Pantani did not get.

 

[luckyboy]

Yeah, there was an article in a paper and David Millar mentioned a Columbian guy called Jiminez who died from cocaine. Not sure how long ago it was though.

 

[Cobber]

+1 for the "mentally fatigued" arguements. After seeing him win Paris-Roubaix this year it is hard to classify him as past it. In my opinion, all the BS that surrounded the lead-up to the TdF affected him emotionally and likely seriously affected his physical preparation as well.

Boonen is one of my favourite riders and I hope he gets his life together soon!

 

[badboyberty]

You've got wonder if having the race start in the party capital of Europe didn't do Boonen any favours.

Seriously, I think we're seeing the development of two different ways to run a team, the Saxo-bank, Garmin, Astana style where they hold the riders hands even when they go to the toilet way, and the old way, embodied by Quickstep and Silence, that leaves the riders almost completely to themselves between races. I'd suspect we'll be seeing the new school totally replace the old system within a few years as the old school teams aren't getting consistent results and seem to be in the centre of the worst scandals.

 

[Animal]

I think that badboy is correct (Except that Monaco is not the party capital of Europe!)

Teams need to take more care of their athletes.

Times have changed. The social conditions in which potential cyclists grow up have softened.

23 years olds (I'm thinking of impressionable neo pros) are children nowadays. The DS needs to be a surrogate father to keep them in line.

 

[Animal]

Yeah, there was an article in a paper and David Millar mentioned a Columbian guy called Jiminez who died from cocaine. Not sure how long ago it was though.

Jose Maria Jimenez, died in 2003.

Thierry Claveyrolat shot himself a couple of years before that.

 

[patswana]

Seriously, I think we're seeing the development of two different ways to run a team, the Saxo-bank, Garmin, Astana style where they hold the riders hands even when they go to the toilet way, and the old way, embodied by Quickstep and Silence, that leaves the riders almost completely to themselves between races.

Hmmm, I'm not convinced that the difference between teams is how much they hold the riders' hands, but then that discussion probably needs to go to "the clinic".

I mean, Popo, for example, was a powerhouse at Discovery (& before), spends a year at Silence where he can't keep up with anyone, then suddenly again is a powerhouse at Astana. Is he that forgetful that he can't remember how to train/ride in that one Silence year? Or is there some other extra assistance he gets at Discovery/Astana?