Omloop Het (Volk) Nieuwsblad - Feb 26th 2011

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Formally known as Omloop Het Volk

Saturday February 26, 2011.

Profile;

Likely Startlist
Official Website

Recent Winners;
Nick Nuyens (2005)
Philippe Gilbert (2006)
Filippo Pozzato (2007)
Philippe Gilbert (2008)
Thor Hushovd (2009)
Juan Antonio Flecha (2010)

Sorry couldn't wait anymore
Season really begins next saturday. Discuss.

 

[The Hitch]

That is the most accurate profile ive seen. You can see roadbumps on that.

 

[Ryaguas]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Omloop Het Volk only means one thing...

TIME FOR SPRING CLASSICS!!

I'm more climbing guy... I've never been focused in the spring classics but this year will be different... I'll pay more attention to it and I'll try to enjoy it as much as possible... also what an startlist! only big names!
Right now I dont know whom to pick... so I'll wait a bit

but 2 names come right now to my mind... EBH and Gilbert

 

[Francois the Postman]

Finally, cycling!

You and me Timmy. Can't wait...

 

[Race Radio]

Yeah, finally. Last year was great for both Het Volk and KBK.

Is Eurosport showing them in English?

 

[Francois the Postman]

Is Eurosport showing them in English?

I don't think so. Not according to their "upcoming" schedule:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...t-releases-list-of-2011-cycling-coverage.html

And there is nothing listed in the (British) Eurosport schedule for next Saturday either.

I guess it will be just like last year, Sporza all the way! (I vaguely recall that their stream wasn't geo-restricted last year, but if it isn't, it will, of course, be in Flemish).

 

[The Hitch]

what an startlist! only big names!

I dont know. No Canc, no Ballan no Haussler. No Sagan

Great but could be better.

Also, wtf are Aqua e Sapone doing there? Betancourts listed as their leader. Can he do something here ?

 

[luckyboy]

Hoping for Gilbert . I'll be at my girlfriend's though, so I doubt I'll be seeing it

 

[Kwibus]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Omloop Het Volk only means one thing...

TIME FOR SPRING CLASSICS!!

I'm more climbing guy... I've never been focused in the spring classics but this year will be different... I'll pay more attention to it and I'll try to enjoy it as much as possible... also what an startlist! only big names!
Right now I dont know whom to pick... so I'll wait a bit

but 2 names come right now to my mind... EBH and Gilbert

Same here! I've never ever watched any spring classics besides RVV and P-R and the ardennes ones. And now I can't wait for it to start!

 

[Michele]

Couldn't wait any longer!

 

[Kwibus]

I hope the weather will be bad. Last week we had quite good weather for the time of the year and I was happy with it as it increased the likeliness of poor weather during the spring classics

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I hope the weather will be bad. Last week we had quite good weather for the time of the year

Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne more than made up for that.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Should be interesting. I expect guys who have race a fair bit this season to do well. Some guys start their season here and generally don't go to well.

 

[maltiv]

Why isn't Haussler starting? He's not injured again, is he?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Well Breschel won't be racing with his announcement of his knee injury again.

I see these guys as the favourites; Flecha, Boasson Hagen, Hushovd, Boonen and Burghardt. There are a probably a few others but some of those guys are starting their season so will be a bit rusty.

 

[ingsve]

Why isn't Haussler starting? He's not injured again, is he?

They have a very though selection to do so I think they are probably using these early races to test things out.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I dont know. No Canc, no Ballan no Haussler. No Sagan

Great but could be better.

Also, wtf are Aqua e Sapone doing there? Betancourts listed as their leader. Can he do something here ?

if there is one colombian climber build for these classics it's betancourt, the guy is incredibly heavy build.

however I think it's just good experience for him for these roads and all the turning hazzle.

 

[Matthijs]

Why isn't Haussler starting? He's not injured again, is he?

I thought he quit the Tour of Oman yesterday, hope it's nothing.
Aqua e Sapone is probably in because their history. Last years Paolini (and off course Reinier Honig ) raced with this team...

 

[Damiano]

I'll put my money on Flecha. 4th in the Qatar proloque and 9th on the Green Mountain proves good form!

 

[Publicus]

It officially feels like cycling season now.

 

[steelciocc]

YES - The season finally begins!

 

[sublimit]

I might go into hibernation for 6 days, I'm getting the withdrawal sypmtoms of being bored ****less with the current warm up races in the Middle East and Spain.

Roll on Saturday.

 

[beer_thirty]

Hello All,

First time poster here; longtime lurker. Figured the onset of spring classic season was a good time to enter the fray! For me, the northern classics are what it's all about, and the Omloop really marks the start of my favorite time of year! With a raging Tommeke back to (I hope!) his best, Thor dreaming about a PR win in the rainbow jersey, Fabian in a new team, and all the usual insanity, CAN'T WAIT!

For the Omloop, I say Tommeke! He wants to show everyone he's not done yet and will not play it close to the vest; he'll win next week to kick off an epic northern classics season. The break last fall will have done him a world of good.

Quick profile for anyone who is interested, or even anyone who is not.

51 years old
Mpls, MN, USA
Still ride hard, don't race seriously any longer simply because it's not how I choose to spend every sunday. More into the new trend of 'strade biancha' type rides/races springing up around the country, and to that end am entered in this: http://almanzo100.blogspot.com/

Current quiver: Specialized Carbon TriCross, 2009. Have a nice set of Ultegra road wheels w/ Hutchinson tubeless that fit it perfectly. Double duty as cross and road ride.
Surly Steamroller Fixie
Superfly Hardtail

Independent Software Consultant. Love the software biz.

Fan of (in this order)
1) Northern classics . I think nothing of taking a morning off during the week to stream a Belgian semi-class over my laptop, to a flatscreen tv purchased solely for this purpose. Sunday mornings in April are spent w/a circle of like minded friends, drinking Stella and microbrews and screaming at the TV. I am sure the neighbors headed to church are wondering wtf.
In this order: PR, RVV, Omloop, E3,KBK/GW/Brabants-Pijl, and whatever else I can find on steephill, eurosport, even, <gasp> cyclingtv.

KBK was the best last year for me; epic day.

2) Worlds in a hilly year. Geelong/Mendrisio = awesome.

3) Hilly Classics. Love those hills, though just not quite the same for me as PR and Rvv. Watched the last three hours of LBL last year for the first time, and became a bigger fan than ever, however. Years of watching it on Versus network really never showed how cool a race it is. LBL, Amstel, GDL,FW

4) GT's : Giro, far and away. Stage 7 last year... best day of racing I've ever seen. Productivity decreased drastically as I was able to watch most of it live on RAI in the mornings. I still love TDF, just because it's the tour. Vuelta was cool last year as well.

That's it then; longest winded I'll ever get. Looking forward to a great spring!

 

[Hugo Koblet]

It's gonna be great!

Hagen for the win.

 

[theyoungest]

Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne more than made up for that.

He said it was good weather last week, as in: next week it will probably be crap weather. Hopefully.