RVV Ride of the day

[Jancouver]

By the way, Jancouver, in addition to being an accomplished racer myself, I'm also certified to administer blood lactate testing. So, whenever you feel like getting more out of that "power threshold" data, please feel free to get in touch! I would be more than happy to help you "understand" how to get more out of your power- and heart rate-based training (but only for a reasonable fee for my professional services, of course).

My lactate and VO2 max is tested but thanks for the offer

By the way, look again at the picture you posted from 2010 Roubaix ... in case you cant see it here is a detail

 

[ergmonkey]

My lactate and VO2 max is tested but thanks for the offer

By the way, look again at the picture you posted from 2010 Roubaix ... in case you cant see it here is a detail

This really isn't your day.

Have a closer look at the Roubaix 2010 photo. By the time Cancellara was solo, he had taken a bike change and no longer had an SRM. Notice that characteristic shape of a red SRM monitor that isn't there anymore? Once again proving that the world's greatest tempo rider has no problems riding without an SRM. That is why I chose a photo of Cancellara actually riding.

 

[spalco]

Im not one of the ones to dismiss Chavannel, second best ride of the day imo, but I guess the point is that while they may have done equal work, its more difficult and impressive to ride on the front from 40k to0, and match the peloton all the way, even after being caught, than it is to do so from 86k to 30.

I think if anyone but Fabian had done what Cancellara did, they would have become a forum legend, but because people had some idea of Cancellara as superman after e3, perhaps even subliminally thinking about the Canc motor thing, they dont see it as such a big deal and also like that Chavannel kept with thim.

But Cancellara already is a legend.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Well but people are wrong to believe in this Cancellara superman idea. Hes a top cyclist but I think back to the roundabout comment in the thread when he asked if people really thought it was over when with about 30 seconds in the lead and 30k to go the peloton came back together.

I think to mysellf, how on earth did it come to this

How on earth did it come to cycling experts (what i consider my fellow forumites to bee) expecting one man, to face the entire ****ing peloton. And it was the peloton because we saw first the entire BMC team and then a bunch of other teams sharing the pace against the one man.

It would be like telling Contador to race the motorcycle about Verbier and then being unmoved when he manages to beat it.

Yes he put in some amazing performances but if people believe Cancellara is going to out tt the entire peloton over 40km then they only have themselves to blame and its a tad unfair that Canc is getting the hate for their misunderstanding.

The fact that he actually managed to hold it for so long and then come back is something far more impressive than taking Flecha and Boonen on a roundabout, or winning the worlds itt by 2 minutes or stealing a sprint from the sprinters over 700m or 40king Paris Roubaix against a depleted group who have no intention to chase.

I mean for example, Cancellara doesnt win all ttts for his squad does he. A bunch of top riders working together will easily beat one man, especially over a longer distance. Doesnt matter if thats Eddy Mercx Fabian Cancellara or Francesco Moser a lot of top riders working together will prevail.

In none of his previous displays did he go head to head against groups of teams working to bring him back.

So, sorry for taking your time if you have read all of thsi but to answer the q yes, there is a difference between Thomas De Gendt doing it and Cancellara doing it, but at the same time, the task at hand was so difficult and the perfomance so impressive that the fact that it was Spartacus should not take away too much from the awe people feel for the performance.

not sure I agree.

Guys attack peletons all the time and get a gap, before being brought back. Sure he looked more impressive then any other in this circumstance (was brilliant how he just swept boonen of his wheel, and flew past boom and ebh), but this isn't his best performance. no way. Tactically he f**ked up, and cycling is more then just physical strength.
Plus he gained most of his time when the peleton was disorientated after the climb (this isn't unheard off in cycling btw). Once things settled down a bit and BMC got a proper chase going on, the gap came down (rest assured the time gaps they were giving us were flawed, dropping from a minute to 10 seconds in a km... okkk ). True that people have unrealistic measures for spartacus, and true that in the past he has steamed off with a lot of disorganization behind.

But you wrong in parts of your suggestion.

"How on earth did it come to cycling experts (what i consider my fellow forumites to bee) expecting one man, to face the entire ****ing peloton. And it was the peloton because we saw first the entire BMC team and then a bunch of other teams sharing the pace against the one man. "

I'll assume when people were making comments like game over etc, they didn't see the bmc organization, once it did become evident that BMC had numbers, people were suggesting maybe the race wasn't over. Before that, yes people expected spartacus to walk away with it, and that is a testament to his ability, and past performances.

and yeah TTT and flanders and not comparable. Although your right that not even he could beat an organized chase, the problem was a lot of people were unaware of this chase.. And with time updates suggesting they make no ground whatsoever, it is unsurprising that people were calling him superman.

What was more impressive was his ability (and this goes for chav too) to still attack after being brought back. He could have easily sat up at the top of the climb.

I still maintain chavanel was amazing.
He spend a lot of time on the front by himself, and then had to follow a swiss train (who may have lost some of its steam to be fair). And still managed to get amongst it at the end ( he also managed to make that initial selection in the finale with spartacus, ballan, gilbert and leukemans). And even when chav was up front, he wasn't soft peddling, so the placement to the finish means nothing in that regard.

I'm certain if spartacus waited he could have won this. But that was of course risky. That is where having a not so strong team very much hurt "superman"

Speaking of unrealistic expectations, I'm surprised at how many people are saying Boonen didn't look great. He didn't look bad, that is forsure. Was active and at the front for a long time, but like any other rider, couldn't follow cancellara. Spartacus was really pushing it when boonen was withhe him, he didn't want a passenger, effectively the boom/ebh road traffic ended that difference in strength.
I thought he looked a hell of a lot better then at GW. That guy isn't superman either.
And although I think his move might have destroyed spartacus (wheter it was intentional or not is not this discussion) in the long run, it destroyed his chances also. But I always feared for Boonen, likely to be the guy Cancellara was most wary off, and in reality Boonen is no match. Boonen had little hope as far as I'm concerned. Rode pretty well, but I agree let himself down in the finale. Based on that alone, I'd be willing to accept he wasn't at this best, but I think he wasted to much energy with the attack and trying to catch spartacus rather then that other excuse people are making.

 

[Tangled Tango]

Chavanel was my man of the race...the man is just a classy rider. He rode a great race took it to everyone and was unlucky to miss out.

He was also one of Merckx´s picks, which says a lot.

 

[Ferminal]

I'll assume when people were making comments like game over etc, they didn't see the bmc organization, once it did become evident that BMC had numbers, people were suggesting maybe the race wasn't over. Before that, yes people expected spartacus to walk away with it, and that is a testament to his ability, and past performances.

Most people made those comments before realising there was a big chase group forming, when it was just Boonen and a few others struggling to work together.

 

[R.0.t.O]

All the top three. A really deserving podium.

Nuyens - smart riding, stayed invisible then found all the right wheels after the Bosberg.
Chavanel - awesome job for the team from early on and still strong enough to go again in the finale.
Cancellara - physically the strongest guy there and not afraid to lay it on the road three times.

Negatives:
Boonen - the team really delivered for him but he just didn't have it in the finale when the chance was there. He was supposed to be second favourite and Cancellara just rode away from him THREE TIMES. Absolutely zero chance next sunday.
Garmin - pointless.

 

[Flamin]

Plus he gained most of his time when the peleton was disorientated after the climb (this isn't unheard off in cycling btw).

I think you missed something. After the Leberg, Canc had already opened up a gap of 38 sec on a chasing group with Boonen, before the peloton caught that group back on the Valkenberg.

 

[movingtarget]

The three podium finishers were the rides of the day along with Thomas and Ballan. Ballan used up too much fuel, closing gaps but a very gutsy ride all the same. Gilbert's attack was good but probably expected at that stage of the race. I think he may have done better, attacking after the climb like Cancellara. He seems to do better on uphill finishes. Attacking and trying to time trial from a long way out is not his strong suit. That said, I think he will be very hard to beat in the Amstel Gold.

 

[Sparta]

If Chavenel had maybe done 25% of the work could they have stayed away and him beaten Cancellara in a sprint? Its a possibility but I think he did the right thing with all the information possible at the time.

For me Nuyens was the rider of the day because he won, rode it tactically brilliantly allthough it was the only way he could ride it given his lack of team. That is the beauty of the race though there is not one tactic which always wins. If the race had not come back together Nuyens would have been written off for another year having not featured at all in the race but he took his chance brilliantly.

The three strongest riders were Gilbert, Canc and Chavenel. The first two got it wrong tactically and you could argue the same about Chavenel but he really screwed up in the finishing straight by taking the wrong line.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

If Chavenel had maybe done 25% of the work could they have stayed away and him beaten Cancellara in a sprint? Its a possibility but I think he did the right thing with all the information possible at the time.

For me Nuyens was the rider of the day because he won, rode it tactically brilliantly allthough it was the only way he could ride it given his lack of team. That is the beauty of the race though there is not one tactic which always wins. If the race had not come back together Nuyens would have been written off for another year having not featured at all in the race but he took his chance brilliantly.

The three strongest riders were Gilbert, Canc and Chavenel. The first two got it wrong tactically and you could argue the same about Chavenel but he really screwed up in the finishing straight by taking the wrong line.

to be fair to gilbert he was playing to his characteristics.
Nuyens was probably more lucky then tactically brilliant.

And had chav. done work, it would have meant spartacus dropping him on the muur and probably being too wasted to compete for a podium spot in the finale.

 

[ergmonkey]

Nuyens was probably more lucky then tactically brilliant.

I think it's hard to say that Nuyens wasn't both lucky and tactically brilliant in equal measure--unless you think he had another tactical option for winning this race.

He certainly couldn't afford to burn matches chasing down Cancellara and Chavanel himself, and once the break was caught there were many different attacks being thrown out in succession and Nuyens certainly couldn't afford to mark them all himself. In the end, he marked an attack containing a group of riders he knew he could outsprint (i.e. a group without Boonen, Gilbert, Ballan or Thomas and, instead, grouped up with two slightly more diesel riders who had been working hard for the last 90 minutes).

Under the circumstances, I think his tactics are hard not to credit.

 

[greenedge]

Chavanel, cancellara, nuyens, ballan etc. Thought lars boom could have held on if he had not done as much work. Thought sky performed well. Flecha and Thomas had catapalised on Hayman's work. Feel really sorry for Gilbert and Hincapie too for some reason. Greg avaermet was strong too and voeckler could have done better with a stronger team. Hats off to simon clarke and guedson. Pity FDJ had no Offredo. Pozzato was poor

 

[movingtarget]

If Chavenel had maybe done 25% of the work could they have stayed away and him beaten Cancellara in a sprint? Its a possibility but I think he did the right thing with all the information possible at the time.

For me Nuyens was the rider of the day because he won, rode it tactically brilliantly allthough it was the only way he could ride it given his lack of team. That is the beauty of the race though there is not one tactic which always wins. If the race had not come back together Nuyens would have been written off for another year having not featured at all in the race but he took his chance brilliantly.

The three strongest riders were Gilbert, Canc and Chavenel. The first two got it wrong tactically and you could argue the same about Chavenel but he really screwed up in the finishing straight by taking the wrong line.

Yes, Nuyens has a lot of experience and never panicked. He followed the moves wherever he could while others were attacking and chasing. Very smart ride for someone who was not one of the strongest on the day. Chavanel should have forgotten about Boonen. I think this is what caused him to react too late as he knew Boonen was right behind the leaders. It would have been the perfect result for a tactically clever race by Quickstep. But Nuyens was obviously the freshest rider of the three at the finish.

 

[boomcie]

Yes, Nuyens has a lot of experience and never panicked. He followed the moves wherever he could while others were attacking and chasing. Very smart ride for someone who was not one of the strongest on the day. Chavanel should have forgotten about Boonen. I think this is what caused him to react too late as he knew Boonen was right behind the leaders. It would have been the perfect result for a tactically clever race by Quickstep. But Nuyens was obviously the fastest rider of the three at the finish.

Fixed it for you.