Greg Van Avermaet

[Tonton]

GVA forced the issue, he was the strongest, it's a big win and the biggest prizes are yet to come. This could be a Gilbert '11 type of year in the making...stay tuned...

 

[KGB]

Re:

Not the optimal prep during the winter

Yet still is more than ready for the opening weekend, wins Omloop again. Not stellar in Tirreno - Adriatico or MSR where Peter Sagan shone very bright, people, including myself, began to think GVA and the rest would have a very hard time beating Sagan.

Then proceeds to casually win E-3 and G-W in style!

I will be rooting for GVA on Sunday and definitely not Sagan. Greg deserves to win the race he desperately wants to win and Im beginning to see what some people mean when they say Sagan has a shady personality (intentionally making another rider crash today in G-W).

Lol sound like you are more frustrated then Sagan you choose wrong one for cheer up after MSR and now even making some crash stories

 

[movingtarget]

GVA finding it much easier to win these days. All of the podiums have been forgotten. The Orica rider is usually a good bunch sprinter which just shows how strong GVA is at the moment.

 

[SKSemtex]

GVA forced the issue, he was the strongest, it's a big win and the biggest prizes are yet to come. This could be a Gilbert '11 type of year in the making...stay tuned...

The biggest price is not comming. Today he lost his chance for Monument this year. Happy Sagan was his best chance. After what I saw today and after what I saw in short video after MSR I am pretty sure that Sagan will do anything possible to prevent GVA from beating him in the sprint. Even if that means somebody else is winning. :sad:
His only chance is Sagan crashing.

 

[dlwssonic]

GVA forced the issue, he was the strongest, it's a big win and the biggest prizes are yet to come. This could be a Gilbert '11 type of year in the making...stay tuned...

The biggest price is not comming. Today he lost his chance for Monument this year. Happy Sagan was his best chance. After what I saw today and after what I saw in short video after MSR I am pretty sure that Sagan will do anything possible to prevent GVA from beating him in the sprint. Even if that means somebody else is winning. :sad:
His only chance is Sagan crashing.

LOL entirely based on your bias speculation

 

[SKSemtex]

GVA forced the issue, he was the strongest, it's a big win and the biggest prizes are yet to come. This could be a Gilbert '11 type of year in the making...stay tuned...

The biggest price is not comming. Today he lost his chance for Monument this year. Happy Sagan was his best chance. After what I saw today and after what I saw in short video after MSR I am pretty sure that Sagan will do anything possible to prevent GVA from beating him in the sprint. Even if that means somebody else is winning. :sad:
His only chance is Sagan crashing.

LOL entirely based on your bias speculation

Well. I cannot wait for next Sunday when this forum explode calling Sagan wheelsucker, letting "the strongest classic rider" doing the majority of work after Paterberg, just to easilly outsprint him on the line.

 

[dlwssonic]

GVA forced the issue, he was the strongest, it's a big win and the biggest prizes are yet to come. This could be a Gilbert '11 type of year in the making...stay tuned...

The biggest price is not comming. Today he lost his chance for Monument this year. Happy Sagan was his best chance. After what I saw today and after what I saw in short video after MSR I am pretty sure that Sagan will do anything possible to prevent GVA from beating him in the sprint. Even if that means somebody else is winning. :sad:
His only chance is Sagan crashing.

LOL entirely based on your bias speculation

Well. I cannot wait for next Sunday when this forum explode calling Sagan wheelsucker, letting "the strongest classic rider" doing the majority of work after Paterberg, just to easilly outsprint him on the line.

Well I won't be calling him that. I just don't think it's fair to say that after one race. Once Sagan and GVA get in a small group and everyone is working well, both have a very mutual understanding to go all out. Both know they have a 50/50 shot in the sprint.

 

[Jagartrott]

It's quite noticeable how Cyclingnews is trying to create an unpleasant rivalry between GVA and Sagan (and their fans). Whatever Greg says, they always pick that part that seems critical of Sagan - even though (as with the latest example today, on that Sagan shouldn't have gone so close to the public) those quotes are always out of context. I think it's quite sad, and it's equally sad that people here fall for that. Two great cyclists that have a very open and attractive style of riding. We should be happy to have them.

 

[trucido]

Re:

It's quite noticeable how Cyclingnews is trying to create an unpleasant rivalry between GVA and Sagan (and their fans). Whatever Greg says, they always pick that part that seems critical of Sagan - even though (as with the latest example today, on that Sagan shouldn't have gone so close to the public) those quotes are always out of context. I think it's quite sad, and it's equally sad that people here fall for that. Two great cyclists that have a very open and attractive style of riding. We should be happy to have them.

You'd think they could spend more time on QA (i.e. link to GvA article points to a Boonen one instead, typos, inaccuracies on reporting race incidents) but hey those don't generate clicks I guess.

 

[DFA123]

Fully deserved monument win, to cap one of the finest nine months of racing by a rider that you'll ever see (and he even had time to break an ankle in the middle of it!). It's a pleasure to witness such an aggressive and skillful rider consistently dominate races. He's had significant bad luck in both RVV and PR this season, and still came away with 1st and 2nd places. A legend of the sport for me.

 

[sir fly]

Would be really unjust should have he finished the spring without a Monument.

 

[Saint Unix]

He's had an insane year after so many years of being the quintessential "Nearly Guy". Without a doubt the best cyclist in the world at the moment. Any rider who finishes in the front group of P-R deserves to win, but GvA clearly deserved it the most of them. Puncture before Arenberg and did most of the work in the front trio.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

He's had an insane year after so many years of being the quintessential "Nearly Guy". Without a doubt the best cyclist in the world at the moment. Any rider who finishes in the front group of P-R deserves to win, but GvA clearly deserved it the most of them. Puncture before Arenberg and did most of the work in the front trio.

Just amazing to think that a rider, in this day and age of specialization, could possibly win both Paris Roubaix and the Olympic Road Race on that course. Possibly could have added RVV if he wasn't taken down as well.

Having taken Sagan's place as the undoubted star of the Classics, I bet he's got his eye on the World Champions jersey now as well. Must be the early favourite.

 

[jaylew]

What a 9 months! I'm so happy for him. Good point about him winning both Roubaix and the Olympics on such a tough course. Then again, he's always had that versatility. He even has good results in LBL and Lombardia.

Edit: switched Olympics for Worlds

 

[El Pistolero]

He's riding AGR this year. Will be interesting to see the Belgians (GVA & Phil) racing against the hilly classic specialists there.

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

He's riding AGR this year. Will be interesting to see the Belgians (GVA & Phil) racing against the hilly classic specialists there.

If he can win Amstel, he should give Liege a shot like Gilbert did with De Ronde. If not this year, then next year.

A reverse scenario.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

What a 9 months! I'm so happy for him. Good point about him winning both Roubaix and Worlds on such a tough course. Then again, he's always had that versatility. He even has good results in LBL and Lombardia.

Yeah, his versatility is hugely impressive. It's a shame in a way that he is reaching this level late-ish in his career, because he is one rider with the ability to really challenge for all monuments - but time is surely against him now. On the other hand, it's just great to see him finally racking up the big wins.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

He's riding AGR this year. Will be interesting to see the Belgians (GVA & Phil) racing against the hilly classic specialists there.

I have absolutely no idea what to expect in Amstel this year with that course change. I have my doubts GVA will be there, however. Meaning I have my doubts he'll even start.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

He's riding AGR this year. Will be interesting to see the Belgians (GVA & Phil) racing against the hilly classic specialists there.

Gilbert is a hilly classic specialist. He is also very strong on cobbles, but he certainly isn't a cobbled specialist, unless you missed 2011

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Unleashed after Olympics. Finally wins big classics and now even monuments.

He's on for a Gilbert 2011 like year.

 

[portugal11]

He looks like the nibali of classics. He must do some vodoo because his 2 biggest wins came after punctures and crashes from his rivals in critical moments

 

[trucido]

Re:

He looks like the nibali of classics. He must do some vodoo because his 2 biggest wins came after punctures and crashes from his rivals in critical moments

You could also argue the opposite where his rivals have benefited from him crashing out etc.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re:

He looks like the nibali of classics. He must do some vodoo because his 2 biggest wins came after punctures and crashes from his rivals in critical moments

You mean like Sagan's Ronde van Vlaanderen win last year?

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

He's had an insane year after so many years of being the quintessential "Nearly Guy". Without a doubt the best cyclist in the world at the moment. Any rider who finishes in the front group of P-R deserves to win, but GvA clearly deserved it the most of them. Puncture before Arenberg and did most of the work in the front trio.

Just amazing to think that a rider, in this day and age of specialization, could possibly win both Paris Roubaix and the Olympic Road Race on that course. Possibly could have added RVV if he wasn't taken down as well.

Having taken Sagan's place as the undoubted star of the Classics, I bet he's got his eye on the World Champions jersey now as well. Must be the early favourite.

A lot of full-blown statements there, but I understand your emotions. I probably would have been equally enthusiastic if Fabian had won RVV last year. I may never become a fan of Van Avermaet, but he deserved the win most of the those in the front trio, and based on his whole career there's no denying a monument win had to come sooner or later. Congratulations to him and to all of his fans. Enjoy the moment!

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

He looks like the nibali of classics. He must do some vodoo because his 2 biggest wins came after punctures and crashes from his rivals in critical moments

You could also argue the opposite where his rivals have benefited from him crashing out etc.

Only ronde come to my mind. Sagan won also 2 wc