Official thread: Amstel/Fleche/Leige

[ak-zaaf]

don't think valverde will make the final group this year. i think he didn't look as good as last year on huy.

i'm guessing andy schleck will probably blow everything up one final time on nicolas taking one guy with him who will obviously win.

guessing on cunego. might be samsan or rebellin.




hope i'm not right

 

[BroDeal]

I will go way out on a limb and predict Evans will finally win something important.

 

[laurentiu46]

don't think valverde will make the final group this year. i think he didn't look as good as last year on huy.

i'm guessing andy schleck will probably blow everything up one final time on nicolas taking one guy with him who will obviously win.

guessing on cunego. might be samsan or rebellin.




hope i'm not right

I think Valverde looked way better on Huy this year than in 2008. He was not even in the top 20 last year. Anyway,if he makes it with the best,he's the favourite to win the sprint.
Sammy Sanchez? Could try something on one of the descents

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The descents aren't long or technical enough for Sanchez to really make a difference.

 

[ak-zaaf]

got mixed up a bit about huy



i think sanchez is good enough to survive st.nicolas in anyones wheel.
valverde is not.
but if he's still close it will all depend on rodriguez. who is usually worth his weight in gold. (still not much ;p)

in a sprint i can only see cunego beat him, but only if he plays all his cards right.

 

[laurentiu46]

got mixed up a bit about huy



i think sanchez is good enough to survive st.nicolas in anyones wheel.
valverde is not.
but if he's still close it will all depend on rodriguez. who is usually worth his weight in gold. (still not much ;p)

in a sprint i can only see cunego beat him, but only if he plays all his cards right.

If Valverde won't be good enough to follow the best,it's because this year he didn't target the ardennes like in 2006-2008,trying to be as fresh as possible at the start of the TDF. Which could very well have been a mistake,if he won't be allowed to start "thanks" to the CONI.
I look forward to Simon Gerrans,he cracked the top 10 at both Amstel and Fleche,and could do it in Liege too.

 

[ak-zaaf]

...trying to be as fresh as possible at the start of the TDF. Which could very well have been a mistake,if he won't be allowed to start "thanks" to the CONI.

That would be about time. He's like OJ on wheels.

He should write a book called: If I did it.

 

[Merckx]

Any1 have any a good stream for lbl? Can't find anything steady so far..

 

[Zoncolan]

Any1 have any a good stream for lbl? Can't find anything steady so far..

http://www.sporza.be/cm/lmc/

http://www.rtbf.be/sport/cyclisme

Go Andy!!!

 

[Zoncolan]

Saxo guys were super strong today.
A brilliant ride by Andy. Well done, boy. Excellent tactics. Perfectly timed attack.
Valverde nowhere to be seen, I guess he's focusing on the Tour this year.
Rodriguez, a super ride. Should have been team leader at Fleche, might have won it.

 

[Merckx]

Saxo guys were super strong today.
A brilliant ride by Andy. Well done, boy. Excellent tactics. Perfectly timed attack.
Valverde nowhere to be seen, I guess he's focusing on the Tour this year.
Rodriguez, a super ride. Should have been team leader at Fleche, might have won it.

Brilliant ride by Andy indeed. Kind of disappointed in Valverde, seeing as I predicted him for all three ardennes classics...

Can Valverde even ride the tour, what with the whole Italian thing going on?

 

[jaylew]

Finally got a pick right! Valverde was always there, just didn't seem like he had that "extra"

Good for Andy - as good as he is, he almost never actually wins a race.

 

[Zoncolan]

Brilliant ride by Andy indeed. Kind of disappointed in Valverde, seeing as I predicted him for all three ardennes classics...

Can Valverde even ride the tour, what with the whole Italian thing going on?

My thoughts exactly. Seems a PITY he's focusing on the Tour where he might not get a ride.
Rebellin was again very good. How could I have ever doubted him?

 

[Zoncolan]

Finally got a pick right! Valverde was always there, just didn't seem like he had that "extra"

Good for Andy - as good as he is, he almost never actually wins a race.

Well, he doesn't really have a sprint, much like his brother. But my God, can he go on uphills. With his form being this good, looks like he will be the biggest threat to Contador in the mountains at the Tour. I wonder how much he's improved in TT's compared to last year?

 

[Cosette]

Fantastic ride by Andy Schleck! Absolutely brilliant!

Good move by Gilbert too. I believe it was the right move for him. Shame it didn't work out....

 

[benpounder]

Not to belittle Andy's attack and ride over the last 20km - it was a strong ride - but the Eurosport guys thought Schleck's win was as much due to the peleton not chasing him down. It sure looked that way to me.

This is once again an example of what bugs me about road cycling. Too often riders seem more concerned about making sure someone else doesn't win than they are about trying to win themselves. You see it when a break starts playing cat and mouse only to get swallowed up by the pelaton in the final km. You saw it today when none of the teams wanted to take the responsibility to chase Andy down. You cant win if you dont try, and today seems only Andy Schleck and a few others were willing to try.

And Rodríguez should have been Caisse d'Epargne's protected rider.

 

[jonjungel]

Not to belittle Andy's attack and ride over the last 20km - it was a strong ride - but the Eurosport guys thought Schleck's win was as much due to the peleton not chasing him down. It sure looked that way to me.

Saxo Bank had three or four riders in the chasing group behind Andy marking every move. What's the point in attacking when you're just towing them to the front? If Andy had been the leader in a weak team, his attack would most likely have been chased down.

 

[benpounder]

What's the point in attacking when you're just towing them to the front?

I did not say I did not understand the tactic - I dont like the tactic. Sure, had Caisse d'Epargne or Lampre or any other team tried to catch Andy, they likely would have dragged Kroon or F. Schleck back into play, but by not chasing Andy down, they garanteed that they would have absolutely no chance for a win.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Not to belittle Andy's attack and ride over the last 20km - it was a strong ride - but the Eurosport guys thought Schleck's win was as much due to the peleton not chasing him down. It sure looked that way to me.
This is once again an example of what bugs me about road cycling. Too often riders seem more concerned about making sure someone else doesn't win than they are about trying to win themselves.
And Rodríguez should have been Caisse d'Epargne's protected rider.

The group comprised of all favourites and no domestiques. Which contender is going to tow another favourite up to the leader, so he can get blown away at the finish?
It was also Junior Schleck who caused this to happen. He's going to be a handful for Astana, come the Tour.

Only one team had the numbers to chase and that was Saxo. So, game over.
No nice blue train working today.

Agree about Rodriguez. Caisse have wasted their hilly classics on a Pitiful performance.

 

[180mmCrank]

One mans meat another mans poison

This is once again an example of what bugs me about road cycling. Too often riders seem more concerned about making sure someone else doesn't win than they are about trying to win themselves. You see it when a break starts playing cat and mouse only to get swallowed up by the pelaton in the final km. You saw it today when none of the teams wanted to take the responsibility to chase Andy down. You cant win if you dont try, and today seems only Andy Schleck and a few others were willing to try.
QUOTE]

This is one of the things that makes cycling unique and captivating.

Cycling is a sport where you have to be prepared to lose in order to win. Some would say Gilbert made a brave move today others would say he miss timed his effort - could it be that it was brave and miss timed! Schleck made a brave move and deserved a great victory...and if the group had pulled him back would we be saying it was miss timed? He took a risk and was rewarded with the win.

One thing remains true - if you are never brave you never win!

 

[180mmCrank]

This is one of the things that makes cycling unique and captivating.

Cycling is a sport where you have to be prepared to lose in order to win. Some would say Gilbert made a brave move today others would say he miss timed his effort - could it be that it was brave and miss timed! Schleck made a brave move and deserved a great victory...and if the group had pulled him back would we be saying it was miss timed? He took a risk and was rewarded with the win.

One thing remains true - if you are never brave you never win!

 

[Mellow Velo]

Exactly.
Supposing the group had taken Schleck back, what then?
Exactly the same thing that we saw.
Attacks on the Cote St Nick and the same elite group cat n' mousing to the finish.

Sure, it's frustrating watching the other favourites pussy about, but more power to Schleck for using this recently added slope as a platform.

After all, he's never going to win a bunch sprint, is he?

 

[poki..]

Fantastis race of Andy Schleck! Congratulations!

It was really nice to see him, his brother and the Saxo Bank enjoy the win! I like that!

 

[hulkgogan]

Andy was flying, you don't drop an on form Phillipe Gilbert unless you're going extremely well.

As far as the tactics, I'm pretty sick of all the supposed big names like Cunego et al never taking responsibility and never hitting the wind in the finale of big races and expecting their domestiques to do everything until the last 1 km. When did this retardedness suddenly become the norm? Lemond and Kelly never rode like that. You rarely see "King" sprints of 4 or 5 big stars in the finale any more because the big stars no longer have the balls to ride with each other.

 

[El Loto]

I was really looking forward to the Classics signing off with a bang this Spring but it didn't even come close. As soon as Schleck attacked it was clear he'd win the race. CSC were far too strong. Although we have to apportion blame to the other teams. It seemed like any effort to reel him in only lasted for a handful of seconds until the obligatory 'turn around, arm off the bars, exaggerated look of confusion on face' displays. Not to mention the scenery on the run in to the finish was far from pleasant.