Cobbles Classics the same without Boonen and Cancellara?

[Miburo]

I still look forward to it but it's not the same though, not at all

 

[SkyTears]

they are overrated have-been oldies anyway
it's not like TdF 2014

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I think racing will be better, more entertaining.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

they are overrated have-been oldies anyway
it's not like TdF 2014

Both were showing good form. Cancellara just won a monument last year.

 

[TMP402]

So polls are broken on the new forum. This has been some upgrade.

As to the question, I think it's more open and more exciting. A "changing of the guard" is fine by me, but I hope they get one last chance next year rather than go out with a whimper.

 

[Gigs_98]

Probably the race will be more interesting because not everyone just concentrates on boonen and cancellara. But although it may be more interesting it still won't be the same for me because Im a cancellara fan

 

[jmdirt]

FC is Trek's best shot at classic success (and he's not what he used to be). TB is just one of the weapons for Etixx-QS. ZS and NT were looking better than TB and have ridden well since his injury. So to answer the question, it might change the strategy for Trek, but overall the races will be unaffected by their absence.

 

[SeriousSam]

Boonen is past it and no big loss. Canc, yeah, still contesting monuments, bad luck he's not here

 

[trevim]

Re:

Boonen is past it and no big loss. Canc, yeah, still contesting monuments, bad luck he's not here

Boonen may be past it but just ask Terpstra or Stybar if they wouldn't prefer to have Boonen alongside them. As long as Boonen is in the front group everybody would be looking at him opening the window for some tactical riding; without him they have all the pressure on their shoulders.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Doesn't change anything.

It's like saying "What are the cobbled classics without Museeuw and Van Petegem" 10 years ago.

I mean.. generations change..
Boonen and Cancellara are 34, there might be a time very soon we will have to get used to cobbled classics without them.
Get ready for the new names to take over

 

[Jspear]

Doesn't change anything.

It's like saying "What are the cobbled classics without Museeuw and Van Petegem" 10 years ago.

I mean.. generations change..
Boonen and Cancellara are 34, there might be a time very soon we will have to get used to cobbled classics without them.
Get ready for the new names to take over

It most certainly can change the dynamics of things. Can we get used to it? Sure; soon we'll have no choice. But that doesn't take away from the fact that they both have been the dominant figures here for a decade. Whenever you have a dominant figure you notice their absence.

 

[cellardoor]

I think I'd prefer both of them in or both of them out, rather than just one of them in. I'd would really like to see one final showdown between them with both of them fully fit. Doesn't look like it's going to happen though as I think next year will be one year too many for both of them.

 

[hfer07]

How can it be said that RVV & P-R won't be the same without Boonen & Cance, well knowing they are at the end of their careers? Time to cheer up for the next generation. How can anybody be uninterested when we have the likes of G, GVA, Teprstra, Styvar, Vanmarke, Sagan, Degenkolb, Kristoff Boom, etc? They already rode along Cance & Boonen & proved their credentials.


I'd say is time for the new generation to take over.

 

[Kwibus]

Still super excited

Would've liked it even more if they started today, but unfortunately it's not happening.

 

[Vesica]

They wouldn't have played a (big) role in this year's RvV. Boonen was okay in the Omloop, but not great. He really wanted to win this race, the only Flemish race missing on his palmares, but what he showed there was not very impressive. Canc was okay in MSR and Tirreno (TT), but not as impressive as previous years. To be honest, if they were contending today, they were not the favorites.

 

[Flamin]

Re:

They wouldn't have played a (big) role in this year's RvV. Boonen was okay in the Omloop, but not great. He really wanted to win this race, the only Flemish race missing on his palmares, but what he showed there was not very impressive. Canc was okay in MSR and Tirreno (TT), but not as impressive as previous years. To be honest, if they were contending today, they were not the favorites.

What a load of nonsense

 

[Vesica]

^^ Please share your opinion in that case. Just saying that it is nonsense is just nonsense on its own.

 

[Flamin]

Boonen never won Omloop, yet won de Ronde 3 and Roubaix 4 times. He wouldn't have been the big favourite (in Roubaix one of the major ones though), but he would most definitely have played an important role here.

And I don't see how Canc was any less than last year in his build-up, winning a hilly stage in Oman and bombing the final Tirreno TT.

 

[Red Rick]

Boonen not being there is sad, because he's never afraid to open up the race. Cancellara has been like the most boring rider in the last few years, unagressive, waiting for the sprint where he can get 2nd place and channeling Andy Schleck, whining about every single thing there is

 

[Vesica]

Okay agree, they would have played a certain role. But (at least for me) they were not the big favorites for this year's RvV. Based on results earlier this season in comparison to other years.

 

[Flamin]

Re:

Boonen not being there is sad, because he's never afraid to open up the race. Cancellara has been like the most boring rider in the last few years, unagressive, waiting for the sprint where he can get 2nd place and channeling Andy Schleck, whining about every single thing there is

And even then, Canc could learn a lot from you when it comes to whining.

 

[Kwibus]

Red rick has a point though. Cancellara is really cringeworthy when he starts talking most of the times.

Sometimes he says good things though, like changing the final 10km of De Ronde.

 

[Flamin]

My point is that, unless I'm mixing him up with someone else, he's moaning about Canc whenever his name comes up.

 

[Pulp]

Of course it`s not the same, but the races are still great.

 

[ray j willings]

Fab's not been the same since they started checking his bikes for a motor