Paris - Roubaix: April 14th, 2019

[gunara]

Re: Re:

Kristoff will destroy this bike race the big hunk of meat that he is

I think you may be right but I'm hoping for anyone other than Kristoff or Degenkolb. No guarantee of course, but I feel like it will have been a crappy edition if either of them win.

I think those two men are yet to win cobbled monument in crappy ways. Dege's previous win was full heart (& Bart), and Kristoff didn't win RvV in the way Viviani supposed to win E3 (well, how could anyone?). Both races IMO are not really below the average excitement level of recent monuments.

 

[Pantani_lives]

I think Gilbert really got ill last week, not just as an excuse. I would love to see Vanmarcke win, but I'm not too confident about that either. He would just deserve to win Flanders or Roubaix at least once in his career.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

Only reason Hayman was allowed in the break was because of the racing he missed with his broken arm.

That simply is not true.
Chavanel was in that break, and he was certainly more of a threat than Hayman at that moment, yet he was allowed to go in that break.

Yeah, it's a bit of a strange claim. I find it hard to believe that, if Hayman hadn't broken his arm, then the likes of BMC, Quickstep, Tinkoff would have been busting a gut to close down any break with him in it. He was a rider without any results for four years, and who was never a really serious threat even at his peak.

Only reason is certainly extreme, but let's be honest, it was the main reason. Crap riders don't finish top 10 3 years in a row riding for other people.

I remember with 80kms to go when Hayman kept forcing the break thinking that he needed to stop riding so wastefully - that he was going well and needed to work less lol.

He didn't finished top 10 three times in a row!
And he was not considered a serious threat with or without his broken arm!
Or do you think the likes of Erviti and Jelle Wallays were considered as serious threats, not to mention Chavanel?

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

Only reason Hayman was allowed in the break was because of the racing he missed with his broken arm.

That simply is not true.
Chavanel was in that break, and he was certainly more of a threat than Hayman at that moment, yet he was allowed to go in that break.

Yeah, it's a bit of a strange claim. I find it hard to believe that, if Hayman hadn't broken his arm, then the likes of BMC, Quickstep, Tinkoff would have been busting a gut to close down any break with him in it. He was a rider without any results for four years, and who was never a really serious threat even at his peak.

Only reason is certainly extreme, but let's be honest, it was the main reason. Crap riders don't finish top 10 3 years in a row riding for other people.

I remember with 80kms to go when Hayman kept forcing the break thinking that he needed to stop riding so wastefully - that he was going well and needed to work less lol.

He didn't finished top 10 three times in a row!
And he was not considered a serious threat with or without his broken arm!
Or do you think the likes of Erviti and Jelle Wallays were considered as serious threats, not to mention Chavanel?

Sorry, twice in a row, three times in all IIRC. I never said Hayman was a serious threat for the win, but under normal circumstances a break with him in it wouldn't get that much leash, at least at Roubaix.

 

[Blanco]

But that was not a normal break, it was formed after a 70-80 km's of furious racing. That break never got much leash, and was caught with some 60 km to go. And in that break Hayman was not considered as the most serious threat (at least not alone), Chavanel and Erviti (previously top 10 in Flanders) are considered at least equal, if not bigger threats, and it had nothing to do with Hayman's broken arm couple of months earlier...

Edit: We do know now of course that he was indeed the big threat then, but at the time I'm pretty sure he was not considered as one.

 

[Laplaz]

No love for Asgreen here? I think he could be DQS's best card.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re:

No love for Asgreen here? I think he could be DQS's best card.

Asgreen and Lampaert are probably in the best shape at that team. Asgreen is only riding his first P-R, but last week it was his first RvV as well.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

No love for Asgreen here? I think he could be DQS's best card.

Asgreen and Lampaert are probably in the best shape at that team. Asgreen is only riding his first P-R, but last week it was his first RvV as well.

What exactly has Lampaert done that would suggest him being anywhere close to Stybar who was sick before Flanders but should be fine for tomorrow?

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

But that was not a normal break, it was formed after a 70-80 km's of furious racing. That break never got much leash, and was caught with some 60 km to go. And in that break Hayman was not considered as the most serious threat (at least not alone), Chavanel and Erviti (previously top 10 in Flanders) are considered at least equal, if not bigger threats, and it had nothing to do with Hayman's broken arm couple of months earlier...

Edit: We do know now of course that he was indeed the big threat then, but at the time I'm pretty sure he was not considered as one.

Nobody thought Hayman was in it. If you go back to the race thread, I made several comments expressing my amazement at how well he was riding even before the winning group formed. I fully expected him to ride for Durbridge, who kept bridging to the lead group and puncturing.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

No love for Asgreen here? I think he could be DQS's best card.

Well, he's in his first full WT-season, doing his first P-R, and DQS need to have some people do the work.
Of course, he might not be the first rider sent to pull the pack if such action is needed.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

No love for Asgreen here? I think he could be DQS's best card.

Well, he's in his first full WT-season, doing his first P-R, and DQS need to have some people do the work.
Of course, he might not be the first rider sent to pull the pack if such action is needed.

I think the directors watched Flanders and know that he is one of their two best shots for victory in P-R no matter how few seasons he has ridden.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re: Re:

No love for Asgreen here? I think he could be DQS's best card.

Asgreen and Lampaert are probably in the best shape at that team. Asgreen is only riding his first P-R, but last week it was his first RvV as well.

What exactly has Lampaert done that would suggest him being anywhere close to Stybar who was sick before Flanders but should be fine for tomorrow?

I just have my doubts whether Stybar will be at his best again after being ill last week. Lampaert had three top 10 finishes this year in spite of working a lot, so he could be good tomorrow. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[search]

Re: Re:

No love for Asgreen here? I think he could be DQS's best card.

Well, he's in his first full WT-season, doing his first P-R, and DQS need to have some people do the work.
Of course, he might not be the first rider sent to pull the pack if such action is needed.

Keisse and Declercq will do the early work, Asgreen and Senechal are those to join potential (big) mid-race breakaways, Lampaert said. If that doesn't work out, it's time for the three leaders to shine (=Asgreen and Senechal off to domestique duties).

 

[sir fly]

Looking forward to tomorrow.
Even more balanced field than last Sunday, and we've seen what happened there.
Recent races should be encouraging for the riders and teams. Fortune could favour the brave.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Küng and Gaudin are interesting outsiders. Overall I wouldn't underestimate the Germans. Politt, Degenkolb and even Sütterlin (he has surprised me a bit in the spring classics and Roubaix should suit him even more).

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

No love for Asgreen here? I think he could be DQS's best card.

Well, he's in his first full WT-season, doing his first P-R, and DQS need to have some people do the work.
Of course, he might not be the first rider sent to pull the pack if such action is needed.

Keisse and Declercq will do the early work, Asgreen and Senechal are those to join potential (big) mid-race breakaways, Lampaert said. If that doesn't work out, it's time for the three leaders to shine (=Asgreen and Senechal off to domestique duties).

Well, I sure am curious about how well a guy as green in that race as Kasper is will do.

 

[Bolder]

Re: Re:

No love for Asgreen here? I think he could be DQS's best card.

Well, he's in his first full WT-season, doing his first P-R, and DQS need to have some people do the work.
Of course, he might not be the first rider sent to pull the pack if such action is needed.

Keisse and Declercq will do the early work, Asgreen and Senechal are those to join potential (big) mid-race breakaways, Lampaert said. If that doesn't work out, it's time for the three leaders to shine (=Asgreen and Senechal off to domestique duties).

Well, I sure am curious about how well a guy as green in that race as Kasper is will do.

Rim shot!

 

[search]

Re:

Küng and Gaudin are interesting outsiders. Overall I wouldn't underestimate the Germans. Politt, Degenkolb and even Sütterlin (he has surprised me a bit in the spring classics and Roubaix should suit him even more).

Sütterlin did almost half of the Ronde on Castrillo's spare bike, as both of his own were broken - and still finished 22nd. He could play a decent role indeed.

 

[Wvv]

Someone will win his second cobblestone tomorrow.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

W V Aert ftw!!
1 EF to podium..

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Küng and Gaudin are interesting outsiders. Overall I wouldn't underestimate the Germans. Politt, Degenkolb and even Sütterlin (he has surprised me a bit in the spring classics and Roubaix should suit him even more).

Sütterlin did almost half of the Ronde on Castrillo's spare bike, as both of his own were broken - and still finished 22nd. He could play a decent role indeed.

Sutterlin is also looking forward to this race.

 

[Amazinmets87]

It looks delightfully cold ☺

 

[Robert5091]

Re:

It looks delightfully cold ☺

A wee nip in the air in the early hours (-1 C at the moment) - Frosty

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

Kristoff will destroy this bike race the big hunk of meat that he is

I think you may be right but I'm hoping for anyone other than Kristoff or Degenkolb. No guarantee of course, but I feel like it will have been a crappy edition if either of them win.

I think those two men are yet to win cobbled monument in crappy ways. Dege's previous win was full heart (& Bart), and Kristoff didn't win RvV in the way Viviani supposed to win E3 (well, how could anyone?). Both races IMO are not really below the average excitement level of recent monuments.

To each his own but I did say "no guarantee of course". Not a fan of either in any case.

 

[IndianCyclist]

What happened to the usual polls?