Ronde Van Vlaanderen 2012

[rhubroma]

Even if Cancellara was in the final 3 making 4 he wouldn't have won.

My point was that Cancellara, on a good day, doesn't bring Boonen to the sprint. Capito.

Pozzato did a good race, he just lacks that "something special" to win.

 

[BillytheKid]

Shhhhhh, thehog must be correct...no matter what it takes!

Do you mean for the race or for the World Tour points?

Too bad we did not see the two race favorites in the final, nor next week at Roubaix.

Shows their mettle. Tough to have to slog for points after a crash out of you contender. Why would you scoff at that?

That's racing.

Cheers for Tom Boonen!

 

[Trofinios]

EBH did ok today, he did get back after his crash on Paterberg and managed to be in the same group as GVA, Breschel, Chavanel, etc. in the end. I was just disappointed that he didn't have anything left for the sprint. But still a good race imo.

His form seems ok, so maybe we can see a top 10 performance next weekend. P-R should suit him a bit better.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Of course Sagan is a monster, but that doesn't mean EBH isn't promising as well. The two of them were, by far, the best u25 riders in the race.

I'm wondering what you guys were expecting from him if this was disappointing. After E-3 and G-W I was worried that he wouldn't even be close, but he was clearly very strong today and showed a lot of potential. If he just improves a little bit he'll be right up there.

EBHs biggest problem is that he doesn't have a natural big engine, so he will probaly need a couple of years to get a big breakthrough in these types of classics
quite similar to PEtter Northug in that matter

 

[luckyboy]

We've had less opportunities to judge Vanmarcke's true potential on the monuments. He did seem to fade today, so we'll see.

This is only Sep's second season with a WorldTour team and his breakthrough/first time leadership for races like this. Plus he's a year younger than EBH.

 

[hushovd]

Seriously enough my friend. A guy as good as Cancellara deserves an entire team hand picked for the Classics. Period. Handing him RadioShack off-cuts from the Lance years is an embarrassment. Give him the team he deserves to win. I know you agree with me. Enough is enough.

Ahhhh, now I get it...it has nothing to do with Cancellara and everything to do with your obsession with a certain retired American and anything/anyone he was associated with.

 

[Lanark]

mwaa... 2000, 2004 and 2007 weren't really exciting too.
My favourites: 1995, 2000 and 2005

2009 was really bad. Preben van Hecke and Quiziato almost rode podium there. 2006 was boring as well, the race was decided 30 km from the finish. How was 2007 worse than that?

2002 is still my favorite of the races I've seen. Tafi the winner after a great battle of strenght, endurance, tactics and perseverance.

 

[nickel999]

Seriously enough my friend. A guy as good as Cancellara deserves an entire team hand picked for the Classics. Period. Handing him RadioShack off-cuts from the Lance years is an embarrassment. Give him the team he deserves to win. I know you agree with me. Enough is enough.

I agree and I really don't see why previous owners/team managers have missed out on this opportunity in the past- Very puzzling

 

[Arnout]

Of course Sagan is a monster, but that doesn't mean EBH isn't promising as well. The two of them were, by far, the best u25 riders in the race.

I'm wondering what you guys were expecting from him if this was disappointing. After E-3 and G-W I was worried that he wouldn't even be close, but he was clearly very strong today and showed a lot of potential. If he just improves a little bit he'll be right up there.

EBH is still under 25 He seems to be around for ages already.

 

[thehog]

Ahhhh, now I get it...it has nothing to do with Cancellara and everything to do with your obsession with a certain retired American and anything/anyone he was associated with.

No it has everything to do with leaving Saxo and then finding himself with GT based team in a merger.

Canc is awesome but I suspect he's a little stupid. First going to Leopard and subsequent race tactics. He had the chance to split at the start of the year but was again seduced.

I love Canc - he should retire with 4-5 Flanders and 2-3 Roubaix's. He's that good. Currently he's p1ssing it all away.

 

[BillytheKid]

Seriously enough my friend. A guy as good as Cancellara deserves an entire team hand picked for the Classics. Period. Handing him RadioShack off-cuts from the Lance years is an embarrassment. Give him the team he deserves to win. I know you agree with me. Enough is enough.

Your a master of misinformation Hog. RSN had three riders the 2nd group. That's a pretty high concentration for a bunch of off-cuts.

We are talking Flanders here.

But speaking of off-cuts.....

 

[roundabout]

I didn't find the route and the race that bad. Think of last year, how many people were in the group behind Cancellara-Chavanel before the Muur? Quite many for a Ronde (12-45 finished same time at 1.24).

What I would like is to have Koppenberg on the penultimate lap. Probably won't change much but at 50ish to go it would be a better place for some sort of selection to be made.

 

[rghysens]

2009 was really bad. Preben van Hecke and Quiziato almost rode podium there. 2006 was boring as well, the race was decided 30 km from the finish. How was 2007 worse than that?

2002 is still my favorite of the races I've seen. Tafi the winner after a great battle of strenght, endurance, tactics and perseverance.

Indeed, meant 2002 instead of 2000 in my favourite races.

 

[the pope]

I have no reason not to believe him this time, but Boonen explaining his technical problems is becoming a great gimmick

 

[thehog]

Your a master of misinformation Hog. RSN had three riders the 2nd group. That's a pretty high concentration for a bunch of off-cuts.

We are talking Flanders here.

But speaking of off-cuts.....

Spin it anyway you like but knocking down your own prize fighter with a massive own goal is a sin worse than adultery.

I'm looking forward to hearing Cancellara's own words on the incident.

I suspect he sent a text to Riis from the back of the ambulance saying "Bjarne we need to talk"....

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Still. The 2nd big group that finished a lot of guys that weren't really 'in' the race. Just like the old flanders. Because the last 13km are flat..

Just look at it:
12 Freire
13 Sabatini
15 Kristoff
16 Ladagnous
17 Florencio
18 Kroon

Favili, Schär, Keukeleire, Hoste, Muravyev, Vandenbergh, De Waele, Amador, Chainel, Mondory and others in that group...Almost 50 (!!!) men)

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

You know what Pozzato's problem is? He's no Cancellara.

I don't see your point. It's not at all like Pozzato would attack a lot but fade because he doesn't have Cancellaras class. He's just hardly doing anything active in the races, even in the ones he does win. Which are very few probably because he never tries anything which demands taking a chance.

 

[rhubroma]

My times have changes when Bartoli attacked on the "Kapelmuur."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXcJWZyZ_Bo&feature=related

 

[rhubroma]

I don't see your point. It's not at all like Pozzato would attack a lot but fade because he doesn't have Cancellaras class. He's just hardly doing anything active in the races, even in the ones he does win. Which are very few probably because he never tries anything which demands taking a chance.

Understood? He doesn't break the rest. You can't bring Tomke to the sprint!

 

[BillytheKid]

I agree and I really don't see why previous owners/team managers have missed out on this opportunity in the past- Very puzzling

A Hog acolyte. Swine-ish.

In bicycle racing crashes happen. Especially in feed zones. Three in the 2nd group shows RSN had the firepower, but no Sparticus.

 

[the pope]

cancellara: triple fracture of the collarbone

and the fall was caused by riding over a bottle.

 

[LaFlorecita]

cancellara: triple fracture of the colarbone

What, triple fracture.

 

[BillytheKid]

cancellara: triple fracture of the collarbone

and the fall was caused by riding over a bottle.

A typical feedzone delima.

 

[rhubroma]

What could have been!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Euskaltel actually managed to get a finisher (Rubén Pérez at 4'43") home ahead of Philippe Gilbert. Really.