Omloop Het (Volk) Nieuwsblad - Feb 26th 2011

[TRDean]

he is also 10 cm smaller. albert is 182 x 68 that isn't pure climber build. frank schleck is 186x65

There is no "pure climber" build...you of all people should know this...the great colombians are wafes...short ones at that!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Ever ridden on cobbles? You certainly need a specific technique, you know. You gotta ride the bike with your lower back.

Cyclo crossers do ride enough road races during off-season. Riding in a peloton is no trouble at all for them.

yes I have. what you need is weight/bmi in a sense because your body will go all over the place. I'm not saying cyclo crossers can't ride the peloton but a cyclo cross race can be compared to a mountainstage almost like an mtb race, but more explosive I say. it's shorter in extreme endurance which is why moist of them have trouble on longer roadraces and mtb riders are good on long road races but have trouble with 3 week roadraces sometimes.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

he is also 10 cm smaller. albert is 182 x 68 that isn't pure climber build. frank schleck is 186x65

Why not compare him with Chicken.
True, Albert needs to have some body for cyclocross, but still, his body and riding abilities lean closer to a climber.

 

[TRDean]

yes I have. what you need is weight/bmi in a sense because your body will go all over the place. I'm not saying cyclo crossers can't ride the peloton but a cyclo cross race can be compared to a mountainstage almost like an mtb race, but more explosive I say. it's shorter in extreme endurance which is why moist of them have trouble on longer roadraces and mtb riders are good on long road races but have trouble with 3 week roadraces sometimes.

I have to agree here...well said.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

There is no "pure climber" build...you of all people should know this...the great colombians are wafes...short ones at that!

soler is the most perfect example of the most perfect climber build.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Why not compare him with Chicken.
True, Albert needs to have some body for cyclocross, but still, his body and riding abilities lean closer to a climber.

I agree with this and with cyclo cross you usually gain weight. boom gained 7 kg as a cyclo cross rider then when he was u23 rider on the road

 

[TRDean]

soler is the most perfect example of the most perfect climber build.

I think it is Louis Herrera...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I think it is Louis Herrera...

I think many people mistake perfect climber build with size. in the end what matters is extreme lean build, light frame and very long legs. soler has these things more than anything and is very explosive despite all of this, which is what a climber defines imo.

herrera was very small and incredibly light. light frame, but not the tall legs or explosivity of soler.

very good example is rujano, he is not build as a climbe,r you can also see this the way he races, he always sits in his saddle riding big gear and he is quite muscled for his small frame. but with 48 kg you are naturally going uphill at much higher pace especially when you push away 8,3 watt per kg.

 

[L'arriviste]

Let's get back on topic, shall we?

 

[jens_attacks]

Let's get back on topic, shall we?

so did you all have decide who will win?

devolder or leukemans?

 

[boomcie]

so did you all have decide who will win?

devolder or leukemans?

Neither

 

[L'arriviste]

so did you all have decide who will win?

devolder or leukemans?

I think we'll see gutsy performances from:

Flecha, Boasson Hagen, Maaskant (he might get a free day and he needs to do well this year), Devolder, De Gendt, Gilbert, Roulston, Ivanov, Boom, Langeveld, Chainel.

Really not sure about the winner. Flecha is clearly going very well but he might keep his powder dry and help Hagen. Gilbert idem. So the furthest I can go is to say I think it will be a strong "second string" rider.

It'll also be good to see how Kroon responds now he's back.

 

[Kvinto]

Flecha will win by a solo attack. Then Devolder will beat unmotivated Gilbert in a two-man sprint for a second place. Hagen will win the sprint from a main group ahead of Langeveld, Rollin, Roulston, Veelers, Boom and Burghardt.

 

[Ferminal]

Flecha will win by a solo attack. Then Devolder will beat unmotivated Gilbert in a two-man sprint for a second place. Hagen will win the sprint from a main group ahead of Langeveld, Rollin, Roulston, Veelers, Boom and Burghardt.

Unmotivated Gilbert?

 

[Kvinto]

Unmotivated Gilbert?

Don't take it too serious
Edit: But it should be the only explanation why did Gilbert lose a sprint to Devolder

 

[boomcie]

The longer I think about it, the more I am starting to feel like like Boonen might actually be close on Saturday. I know he has stated that the "Omloop Het Nieuwsblad" was not one of his priorities for 2011, but I also believe he is hungry like hell. He will certainly show himself on the "Taaienberg", that's a no-brainer.

 

[federalski]

I am not exactly an expert on the classics but does anyone give Hayden Roulston much of a chance in this race ?

I have noticed he is odds of 80/1 which seems pretty big to me.
10th last year's in Paris - Roubaix
A good 4th in last year's Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne in horrible conditions which has to show something for his spirit.
Should be one of HTC's protected riders with this team shouldnt he ?

BAK Lars Ytting
DEGENKOLB John
EISEL Bernhard
GHYSELINCK Jan
RASMUSSEN Alex
ROULSTON Hayden
SMUKULIS Gatis
VELITS Martin

 

[Lanark]

I am not exactly an expert on the classics but does anyone give Hayden Roulston much of a chance in this race ?

I have noticed he is odds of 80/1 which seems pretty big to me.
10th last year's in Paris - Roubaix
A good 4th in last year's Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne in horrible conditions which has to show something for his spirit.
Should be one of HTC's protected riders with this team shouldnt he ?

BAK Lars Ytting
DEGENKOLB John
EISEL Bernhard
GHYSELINCK Jan
RASMUSSEN Alex
ROULSTON Hayden
SMUKULIS Gatis
VELITS Martin

No, his chances are extremely small. 80/1 seem like pretty accurate odds. Although the Omloop might not be as big as the Ronde, it still a race that's generally won only by pretty big names with a lot of experience.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Weather forecast on saturday is going to be light showers and 7oC

 

[Jamsque]

Weather forecast on saturday is going to be light showers and 7oC

Sounds like classics weather to me!

 

[Winterfold]

Sky have put up a very strong team for this - and with both Flecha and EBH in good form they are going to be very difficult to deal with. If both of them make the final selection, which there must be a good chance, it will be very hard for other favourites.

Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Barry, Russell Downing, Mathew Hayman, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Ian Stannard, Jeremy Hunt

With that team I expect them to make the race really hard.

 

[auscyclefan94]

The longer I think about it, the more I am starting to feel like like Boonen might actually be close on Saturday. I know he has stated that the "Omloop Het Nieuwsblad" was not one of his priorities for 2011, but I also believe he is hungry like hell. He will certainly show himself on the "Taaienberg", that's a no-brainer.

Why should he show himself on the Taaienberg as he put a massive target on his back last year and caused a big gap of which he didn't want to continue with because he couldn't go solo for 50km?

 

[whittashau]

Of all the Italian teams to invite they invite S&P? I find that stange

 

[theyoungest]

Why should he show himself on the Taaienberg as he put a massive target on his back last year and caused a big gap of which he didn't want to continue with because he couldn't go solo for 50km?

That's tradition. It isn't called the Boonenberg for nothing. Just testing his legs, and putting on a show for the crowd.

 

[boomcie]

That's tradition. It isn't called the Boonenberg for nothing. Just testing his legs, and putting on a show for the crowd.

That is correct.