Mens Road Race: Suprises and dissapointments

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Boonen doesn't win every race like that. Hushovd does.
.

That's not the point. Try again later.
Unbelievable how thick some people are

The point is that no Belgian cared that Boonen won in Madrid 2005 without doing a single meter of lead work and not being the strongest in the race. But they do now Hushovd won (without a team, on the contrary of Boonen) because they have Gilbert now.

 

[Balleballe]

In what way was the Tour 2009 during Paris-Roubaix?

His wins are always in a sprint and his other significant results in big races (top 5 Paris-Roubaix) also don't involve a lot of offensive cycling.

Which rider started the final attack that eventually made Boonen win P-R 2009? Well, it was Hushovd. He could have won that year if he hadn't crashed.

 

[hrotha]

Boonen doesn't win every race like that. Hushovd does.

The cobbles-stage in the Tour? Hushovd didn't do anything, that was all Cancellara, Schleck and Evans, Thor just hid in the back of the group.

Even his good results in Paris-Roubaix. He just follows Boonen, Cancellara or Flecha, Hushovd himself never attacks.

Oh gods, the "Hushovd didn't work in stage 3" thing again? Jesus Christ. Of course he didn't, he's not some stupid amateur.

 

[The Hitch]

In what way was the Tour 2009 during Paris-Roubaix?
.

What

Von Brinkman said that Hushovd did lots of attacking in the 2009 Tour de France to secure the Green jersey. He is right. This has nothing whatsoever to do with Paris Roubaix.

And while I agree Hushovd a tad unfairly got his PR second this year by wheelsucking Flecha, during TDFs Hushovd competes very bravely for the green jersey despite the fact that the points system is designed against him. He has to kill himself on mountain stages to get 9 points and in breakaways for 3 points while Cav gets led out by his train to take 35 points like that. It takes a lot of balls to compete for the green the way Thor does.

 

[The Hitch]

The cobbles-stage in the Tour? Hushovd didn't do anything, that was all Cancellara, Schleck and Evans, Thor just hid in the back of the group.

Well lets not forget what Cancellara did to thor the day before. Thor had earned a gap on his rivals and was about to take mega points in the green jersey battle. At that point Fabian decided to get involved in a battle which wasnt his, and neutralise the stage. This cost Thor what he had worked so hard in the stage for - green jersey points.

And you are surprised that Hushovd refused to work with Cancellara the next day? Lesson to Cancellara. You get involved in other peoples battles, you wont get anything out of it.

 

[Mich78BEL]

You are a Belgian right?
Remember Tom Boonen in 2005?

/

all i remember from that race was M. Wuyts screaming 'Tommeke wat doe je nu?...'

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

all i remember from that race was M. Wuyts screaming 'Tommeke wat doe je nu?...'

So you get my point right?

Hushovd wins the same way Boonen did in 2005. Back then, you couldn't care less that Boonen did 0.00 in the lead (+he had a team). Now you almost villify Hushovd for doing nothing (without a team), winning the same way.

Pure chauvinism and hypocracy at it's best.

 

[ingsve]

Disappointments:
The US team...best they could do was 73rd? Why even bother.

Well, the US management/riders don't seem to care about worlds at all. They never send anything better than a 2nd tier team. Even with Farrar there the overall team was not their best selection.

 

[ingsve]

People criticizing Hushovd for staying in the peloton just shows a fundamental lack of understanding of cycling. Also it's not like he was the only rider that was interested in a sprint. It's the people who don't want a sprint to has to animate the race and thats what those riders did. Unfortunately for them the course favoured riders that wanted it to come back together.

Hushovd can't be blamed for not having team mates, that's just how the worlds selection works. And it's not like it's in any way an advantage for him either. He had no one to help him position himself going into the climbs each lap. He had to do that all by himself and he defended himself in the climbs very well. The last lap he was 13th over the climb from a 40 man group yet people blame him for not being in the top 5 with Gilbert, Evans and Schleck etc.

 

[Christian]

Came 15th i think is all.

Yeah I was pretty impressed by that considering how hard the race was and who else was all in that group ... great job!

 

[auscyclefan94]

It was the Italian team tactics which blew the race into excitement with 6 laps to go.

I personally think that Nibali should of been the leader as on the final laps Pozzato was really cooked on the climbs and just wheel sucked all day. The italians tatics smashed themselves up a bit too much. If they played a bit better they would of had a small group of 10 riders going to the line fighting it out for the sprint where pozzato or one of the other italiians would of had a good chance.

Apparently they've kissed and made up. GVA says they'll never be best friends, but he realises there are races that he can never win but Gilbert can, and there's a mutual respect between the two.

GVA absolutely smashed himself out there. He was a great work horse for Gilbert.

 

[Mich78BEL]

So you get my point right?

Hushovd wins the same way Boonen did in 2005. Back then, you couldn't care less that Boonen did 0.00 in the lead (+he had a team). Now you almost villify Hushovd for doing nothing (without a team), winning the same way.

Pure chauvinism and hypocracy at it's best.

my point was that i don't remember much of that race, can't remember if i watched a part of it or only saw highlights on the news

 

[skidmark]

I was particularly impressed that there were 15 nations in the top 16 spots (with Kazakhstan having 2 in the top 12, wtf?) - shows that cycling is becoming a more globally represented sport, for sure.

 

[unsheath]

Pozzato the big girls blouse. Never does any work and is always glued to the favourite's wheel the whole race. If you want to talk about wheel suckers and perpetual non attackers, we've got a new poster boy. Only God Can Judge Me? This guy lives in La La Land..

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Japan had 2 riders in the lead group going into the final lap.
Serpa was part of some big moves.

And the fact that we saw the Slovenians pulling back the break in the final 2 laps... there are no small countries anymore

 

[irideredthebike]

Boonen doesn't win every race like that. Hushovd does.

The cobbles-stage in the Tour? Hushovd didn't do anything, that was all Cancellara, Schleck and Evans, Thor just hid in the back of the group.

Even his good results in Paris-Roubaix. He just follows Boonen, Cancellara or Flecha, Hushovd himself never attacks.

Cancellara was riding for Schleck, who was interested in gaining time for the GC. Evans was also seeking time in the GC. Thor didn't have the same motivation, so his tactics where perfect.

Allan Davis has mentioned that Thor did a huge effort at the front on the last lap to bridge the gap to the small breakaway that had gone away on Challambra.

I think Thor will be a fantastice world champion following on from Evans, he is likely to be in the mix for race wins and points jerseys all year. It will be great to see the rainbow jersey so prominently featured all year again.

Finally, well done Geelong. A great day.

 

[hfer07]

Japan had 2 riders in the lead group going into the final lap.
Serpa was part of some big moves.

And the fact that we saw the Slovenians pulling back the break in the final 2 laps... there are no small countries anymore

I'd love to see in years to come a winner from a country with no cycling tradition, just to witness the embarrassment of the big teams and how they'll blame each other

 

[PCutter]

I'd love to see in years to come a winner from a country with no cycling tradition

You won't have to wait long, the country's called Britain

Presumably all those calling for only the riders who work to be rewarded with wins want Jens Voigt and Stuart O'Grady to be given the last few years Tour GC as they do the majority of the work at the front over the three weeks? Thor played the cards he had. If Belgium/Aust/Italy couldn't do enough to keep the sprinters out of it, than so be it - thats racing.

 

[Parrulo]

Came 15th i think is all.

ty for the info

tbh i not very surprised as andre cardoso is a great rider. would make an amazing montain domestique for a gt conterder.

 

[jmax22]

Not surprising, but disappointing: The U.S. Team. Why do they always do poorly at worlds? Seriously, 73rd place their best effort? And this after some of the talking heads at USAC called it one of the strongest teams they've ever assembled. What a joke, they sucked and were never a factor.

 

[ingsve]

I'd love to see in years to come a winner from a country with no cycling tradition, just to witness the embarrassment of the big teams and how they'll blame each other

How is the cycling history in Slovenia or rather Yugoslavia? I think Slovenia are looking very strong at the moment with a relatively broad set of top riders for not being a traditional cycling nation.

 

[hrotha]

I'd love to see in years to come a winner from a country with no cycling tradition, just to witness the embarrassment of the big teams and how they'll blame each other

I thought Hushovd won?

 

[Nick777]

I thought Hushovd won?

Cycling is the traditional sport in Norway - you know, the version with skis

 

[nicholaaaas]

i'm dissappointed with the overall result, that a rider who did so little for the entire race ends up winning

sounds like great tactics to me

 

[auscyclefan94]

You won't have to wait long, the country's called Britain
Presumably all those calling for only the riders who work to be rewarded with wins want Jens Voigt and Stuart O'Grady to be given the last few years Tour GC as they do the majority of the work at the front over the three weeks? Thor played the cards he had. If Belgium/Aust/Italy couldn't do enough to keep the sprinters out of it, than so be it - thats racing.

Agreed - The woeful peformance by the brits was quite funny and is quite funny all year round. In a way I would of rathered an attacker such as Gilbert, Koos or Evans to win but Hushovd still won the sprint and stayed the distance which was a great effort. Hopefully he can honour the rainbow jersey well next year like Cadel has

I think I have found out why Cancellara under performed.

Congrats to thor the vikinger for his win. He deserved this really. Was really hard today and my engine whent out of fuel.Thanks for support