Rabobank(+ the rest): what a stuff up!

[NickRooz]

the felt that they lacked the power and form to have a chance to win, confirmed by the result, so did it as good as they could and rode fine. you can't always win.

But that's it:they never win.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

the felt that they lacked the power and form to have a chance to win, confirmed by the result, so did it as good as they could and rode fine. you can't always win.

yeah. considering that gesink and martens weren't great on the finale, and friere finds the final to steep 3 in the top 10 is a result I suspect rabo (and almost any team) would be pretty happy with.

i wonder if bmc would sway their 23rd or whatever they came for 3 in the top 10

 

[La Pandera]

I personally they didn't play the race tatics very well. Barredo and LLS looked quite strong. I think they initially rode to early on the front to split it up. I thought Martens and Gesink regardless of cramp should of given it a go. A lot if riders generally have cramp after 250km's. Just my opinion. I feel I have been singled out here even though I did make this thread. Again, others have agreed with me.


I think "loser" is too stronger of a word. Nobody is a loser as that is quite a mean word.

I'd imagine Gesink was simply hanging on for dear life if he was cramping at the time. Martens being in the final selection after returning from an injury was a bonus in itself. What I can't see or understand is your (and those that you say agree with you) inability to look at what tactics they used as sound and appropriate for the circumstances that existed.

 

[La Pandera]

I cramped also when I saw this race unfold from the moment we had live images...

But just like me, Gesink and the lot should have persevered and bite through the pain...

....isn't that what they did or are you joking?

 

[theyoungest]

But that's it:they never win.

No, they don't. Never. Absolutely never.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

But that's it:they never win.

obviously.



curious as to which teams you think do win.

 

[Bala Verde]

....isn't that what they did or are you joking?

forgot to use the emoticons, so yes, I was yoking

 

[La Pandera]

But that's it:they never win.

Just from failing memory, you have Freire's MSR and Paris Tours wins from last year and I'm sure Gesink has a couple of wins under his belt in his brief career. Never is a long time. Could you be more specific?

 

[NickRooz]

obviously.



curious as to which teams you think do win.

Lotto, Saxo Bank, Garmin etc. Those are the teams that won when it mattered the most. Can't say that about Rabobank last year and this year.

 

[theyoungest]

Lotto, Saxo Bank, Garmin etc. Those are the teams that won when it mattered the most. Can't say that about Rabobank last year and this year.

Rabo won ****ing Milan San Remo last year. Garmin have just one their first big race, ever.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Lotto, Saxo Bank, Garmin etc. Those are the teams that won when it mattered the most. Can't say that about Rabobank last year and this year.

Garmin ? seriously ? Garmin ? They only win Roubaix thx to Summie and not their special tactics. Garmin has been bad all spring

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Just from failing memory, you have Freire's MSR and Paris Tours wins from last year and I'm sure Gesink has a couple of wins under his belt in his brief career. Never is a long time. Could you be more specific?

LLS also won SS last year, amongst other races.
Gesink won a couple of semi-classics.

nick is shortsighted. guess he needs mcquacks approval to make a race good or not.

 

[luckyboy]

Lotto, Saxo Bank, Garmin etc. Those are the teams that won when it mattered the most. Can't say that about Rabobank last year and this year.

Garmin won Roubaix this year, Rabo won MSR last year. Take out Farrar and last year Garmin's biggest win was Scheldeprijs.

OPL had 11 wins last year and Gilbert got more than half of them, and won the biggest ones. Cancellara got in the big wins for Saxo last year. Often it's one or two riders on a team that win big.

 

[theyoungest]

LLS also won SS last year, amongst other races.
Gesink won a couple of semi-classics.

nick is shortsighted. guess he needs mcquacks approval to make a race good or not.

LLS didn't yet ride for Rabo, though

 

[sublimit]

did anyone really expect anything from rabo?
I know I didn't.

I thought martens might be able to do something, but he clearly didn't have the legs.

Dekker T maybe, but he's on another planet.
Martens can ride but it was always going to be Gilbert today. Rabo werent that bad - about the same as Sky last week with 3 in the top 10 or possibly better

 

[hrotha]

this is not about trolling. btw, katusha did not fail because they nearly won. Nobody really expected much of vacansoleil.

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I think it's time* to expect more from Leukemans. Just "being there" doesn't cut it anymore.

*This is funny considering the guy's 34, but hey, this is modern cycling.

 

[bicing]

Van Avermaet & BMC: what a legend!

Van Avermaet & BMC: what a legend!

To have guys in every move and still ride like legends was pretty heroic. When you attack and animate the race that's what you end up with. They were active and they really rode well for Van Avermaet's goal of top 25. To be less than 2.5 minutes from the winner is really good!

Honourable mentions to 49th place Santambrogio and 53rd place Santaromita.

 

[Anonymous]

 

[ak-zaaf]

Van Avermaet & BMC: what a legend!

To have guys in every move and still ride like legends was pretty heroic. When you attack and animate the race that's what you end up with. They were active and they really rode well for Van Avermaet's goal of top 25. To be less than 2.5 minutes from the winner is really good!

Honourable mentions to 49th place Santambrogio and 53rd place Santaromita.

They knew they'd fail miserably. And knowing is half the battle.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Rabobank: what a stuff up!

To have 3 guys in that lead move and still ride like losers was pretty embarrassing. When you suck the wheel and don't ride that's what you end up with. They didn't attack nor did they ride in their home race. They had a lot of numbers and stuffed that up badly.

I'll just repeat what I said in the Amstel Gold Race

You don't understand the character of this race. It's not as 'easy' as Flanders.
Nobody has anything left in the tank, then nobody can do anything.
When you're not strong enough in the Amstel Gold Race, you stand no chance.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

So again, to make it clear to ACF

They were just in survival mode in the last 20k. They had nothing left in the tank. Got it pumpkin?

If guys like Vinokourov, Cunego and Sanchez get completely dropped and ridden at 2 minutes, you know how hard this race has been.
But ACF thinks this is a cycling manager game where everyone has limitless energy and can attack, work, and fetch bottles on command

Sorry bro. I invite you to come over to the Netherlands one day, and ride the Amstel Gold Race tour version with me. You'll understand much much better how hard this race actually is.
It's unforgiving. It's brutal. It kills people off.

 

[hrotha]

Hey, don't mess with Van Avermaet. He's one of my boys, ACF's (half-joking) hype aside.

 

[roundabout]

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I think it's time* to expect more from Leukemans. Just "being there" doesn't cut it anymore.

*This is funny considering the guy's 34, but hey, this is modern cycling.

To be fair to Leukemans the last couple of years have been the best in his career and I'm really doubtful that there's more left in him.

 

[Mellow Velo]

From now on, he should be known as TVAVA (The Very Average Van Avermaet)

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

[ACF style] Sanchez, Vino, Cuneg, Hesejdal, Van Avermaet, Visconti, what a stuff up

Hyped up to be contendors, but not even in the final selection over the Keuteberg

Discuss!