RVV Ride of the day

[Flamin]

Last year was more impressive. The only difference was that he had Boonen with him to pull sometimes till the Muur. This time he did pretty much the same, but had no Boonen to help him.

It's pretty clear Boonen isn't on top form yet, so dropping him so soon in the race doesn't make it more impressive than last year.

Last year was more impressive of Canc then this. He was strong, but not as strong as last year.

Making 5 chasers (Boonen, Leukemans, Boom, Pozzato and Van Avermaet), who were working together well, look like amateurs. That was impressive.

 

[LugHugger]

I voted for the winner because it's fantastic to see potential realised. But, Cancellara was awesome - again, Chavanel-gutted for him and Geraint Thomas for another performance which gives us a glimpse of the future.

Absolutely the best RvV for years. Brilliant.

 

[Cobblestoned]

I cant believe anyone would vote for Chavannel. Yeah, he was OTF but quite honestly he could win the race if he would help Spartacus just a bit instead of sucking on his wheel for 20km. He had the chance to stay away and out-sprint Cancellara but he decided he would keep sucking his wheel till the end and thats why he got second. He is THE loser of the day (along with Garmin).

PS . Nick Nuyens should send a case of Champagne to the BMC because without them they would never bring them back.

Great to read something like this. Really.

I just gave up trying to understand some people and why Chava wins this poll with nearly 50 %. lol
Mr. superwheelsuckingwithoutsense Chavanel wins poll - and the winner gets 5 votes. lol
Voted for Cancellara. He is the only one I consider doing a better ride than Nuyens - the winner.

Somehow, in this forum, winners do everything wrong regularly.
Some smash on the winners as soon finishline is crossed - because they did everything wrong, only to be surpassed by people smashing on some losers already on ground anyway.

Long way to go for majority to reach something that is called "understanding" "fairness" and "style".

 

[Anonymous]

Van avermaet doesn't get a mention? he was brilliant today!

+1

Ballan sold out so many times today...

What a race! I was watching in a tent on the Muur with some Quick Step brass and they were sooooo ****ed Chava didn't get it. They didn't say anything nice about Boonen either.

But, that was a real bike race.

 

[enrecul]

rides up the final hill like a Euskatel rider.

Hilarious. The boys in orange look so out of place in Flanders...

Canc was awesome

Chav was brilliant...wanted him to win all day

Geraint was a legend.....i agree, without his ballsy work, Nuyens would ahve struggled to get back on

 

[Matthijs]

BMC for the win! Despite some DC's allready giving up (we have evidence because of the sporza-camera's), they started a chase. And Vacansoleil maybe even more, because allthough they had allmost no helper left but still helped BMC, while other teams had for instance Jurgen Roelands, Dries Devenyns and Gert Steegmans to work for their leader, but didn't do ****.

 

[pmcg76]

Great to read something like this. Really.

I just gave up trying to understand some people and why Chava wins this poll with nearly 50 %. lol
Mr. superwheelsuckingwithoutsense Chavanel wins poll - and the winner gets 5 votes. lol
Voted for Cancellara. He is the only one I consider doing a better ride than Nuyens - the winner.

Somehow, in this forum, winners do everything wrong regularly.
Some smash on the winners as soon finishline is crossed - because they did everything wrong, only to be surpassed by people smashing on some losers already on ground anyway.

Long way to go for majority to reach something that is called "understanding" "fairness" and "style".

I dont have a problem with people choosing Cancellara but to dismiss Chavanel is even more clueless. Go back and either watch the race or read the race report.

Lets see Chavanel attacked with 86km to go, caught the leaders and was the main pace-setter in the leading group working his **** of. Meanwhile Cancellara was hiding in the main bunch doing very little in the way of work other than following.

With 49km remaining Chavanel attacks on the Molenberg leaving all the break and continuing on his own.

With 40km to go Boonen attacks taking Cancellara with him and resulting in Cance continuing with the attack leaving the rest behind.

32km remaining Cance catches Chavanel who has been on his own for almost 20km now but he still manages to hang onto the flying Cance.

Chavanel is told not to work with Cancellara.

With 18km reamining the bunch catches Cancellara/Chavanel.

When Cancellara attacks again, only Chavanel and Nuyens can stay with him.

So in summary, Chavanel was at the front of the race for almost 100km. He attacked on the Oude Kwaermont and Molenberg and was the most hardworking rider in the bridging break and then the lead group for almost 40km. He then spent another 17km riding on his own of the front.

From the time of Cancellara attacking at 40km to when he was caught on the Muur was a total of 22km. So the question is how could the super fantastic Cancellara not drop a guy who had been out in front for almost 60km before he caught him.

Chavanel on his own 17km.
Cancellara on his own or with Chavanel 22km. Wow, big difference 5km.

Yes Cancellara was probably the strongest but Chavanel done equal if more work during the entire race and still finished 2nd. When is the last time a guy won a classic having been involved in the action from almost 90km out? Where did all those guys who were in breaks earlier on with Chavanel finish?

That was an amazing battling performance from an underdog so perfectly normal to choose Chavanel

 

[Moviefan1203]

Cancellara by far. He worked his **** off and got nothing for it.

 

[The Hitch]

I dont have a problem with people choosing Cancellara but to dismiss Chavanel is even more clueless. Go back and either watch the race or read the race report.

Lets see Chavanel attacked with 86km to go, caught the leaders and was the main pace-setter in the leading group working his **** of. Meanwhile Cancellara was hiding in the main bunch doing very little in the way of work other than following.

With 49km remaining Chavanel attacks on the Molenberg leaving all the break and continuing on his own.

With 40km to go Boonen attacks taking Cancellara with him and resulting in Cance continuing with the attack leaving the rest behind.

32km remaining Cance catches Chavanel who has been on his own for almost 20km now but he still manages to hang onto the flying Cance.

Chavanel is told not to work with Cancellara.

With 18km reamining the bunch catches Cancellara/Chavanel.

When Cancellara attacks again, only Chavanel and Nuyens can stay with him.

So in summary, Chavanel was at the front of the race for almost 100km. He attacked on the Oude Kwaermont and Molenberg and was the most hardworking rider in the bridging break and then the lead group for almost 40km. He then spent another 17km riding on his own of the front.

From the time of Cancellara attacking at 40km to when he was caught on the Muur was a total of 22km. So the question is how could the super fantastic Cancellara not drop a guy who had been out in front for almost 60km before he caught him.

Chavanel on his own 17km.
Cancellara on his own or with Chavanel 22km. Wow, big difference 5km.

Yes Cancellara was probably the strongest but Chavanel done equal if more work during the entire race and still finished 2nd. When is the last time a guy won a classic having been involved in the action from almost 90km out? Where did all those guys who were in breaks earlier on with Chavanel finish?

That was an amazing battling performance from an underdog so perfectly normal to choose Chavanel

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.

 

[Christian]

I think if anyone but Fabian had done what Cancellara did, they would have become a forum legend

True, people consider this normal for Cancellara, had it been de Gendt people would go bananas

 

[hrotha]

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.

Well, yes, and if anyone but Boonen had done what Boonen did, it would be considered a superb race of his, not a herp derp. And if Andy finishes 13th at the Critérium, he softpedalled and it's worth zilch, but Nordhaug finishing 11th is a pretty good result. You can't separate the performance from the rider.

 

[zapata]

I voted cancellara. Regardless of the outcome, he was enormous. In the beginning i was just hoping for an interesting race, and someone other than cancellara challenging him, but in the end I was disappointed to see him lose to nuyens.

 

[The_Grand_Depart]

I'm gonna have to go with Canc, pretty hard to beat just going for broke the whole race

 

[The Hitch]

Well, yes, and if anyone but Boonen had done what Boonen did, it would be considered a superb race of his, not a herp derp. And if Andy finishes 13th at the Critérium, he softpedalled and it's worth zilch, but Nordhaug finishing 11th is a pretty good result. You can't separate the performance from the rider.

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.

 

[ergmonkey]

Cancellara is near the top of my list because he raced with enormous heart and strength--frequently attacking for the win and never giving up. But, I can't quite give him full marks for today's race. He's guilty of having over-estimated himself, and in hindsight (which is, of course, always a tad unfair), his ride in E3 looks extravagant.

Today Cancellara never looked as good off the front as he did in E3. He never had the same other-worldly impetus on the downstroke of each pedal rev, and he didn't shut down the gap to Chavanel anywhere near as quickly as he would have last weekend.

I'll also point out that, so far, Cancellara's having almost exactly the same Classics season Boonen had last year (2nd in San Remo followed up with a very spirited ride to the podium in Flanders)--that's an extremely impressive feat in its own right, but not good enough to qualify as a success by the rider's own standards.

Nuyens, on the other hand, had to do everything right to win today. For starters, a number of posters have pointed out how strong and important teams like BMC were; but, posters have noted this almost as a slight to Nuyens, as if the strong teams did him a favor. So far, though, I haven't noticed other posters commenting on how hard it is for a rider with Nuyens' characteristics to win Flanders with a team like Saxo Bank this year.

At the very least, Quickstep, Sky, BMC, Leopard, Garmin, Katusha and Vacansoleil all have better rosters for this race. For Nuyens to get it right today, he had to be tactically astute, cool, very strong, and of course lucky, too. Still, a perfect ride for him, in my opinion. Add that to his earlier semi-classic win in Dwars Door Vlaanderen and his decisions to skip Omloop and K-B-K, and it looks like he's done everything right at every step leading up to and throughout Flanders.

I either give Chavanel a tie with Cancellara for second or a very close third. He was strong, smart, and gutsy. With a little more luck in the sprint, he could have done a little more, too... Either way, a big step forward for Chavanel and a necessary result for Quickstep on a day when Boonen wasn't quite brilliant.

 

[benpounder]

Long way to go for majority to reach something that is called "understanding" "fairness" and "style".

Most misunderstandings are due to folks ignoring anothers fundemental premise. Throwing in fairness and style reflects more of your own bias than those with whom you disagree.

I dont have a problem with people choosing Cancellara but to dismiss Chavanel is even more clueless.
[...]
Lets see Chavanel attacked with 86km to go, caught the leaders and was the main pace-setter in the leading group working his **** of. Meanwhile Cancellara was hiding in the main bunch doing very little in the way of work other than following.
[...]
So in summary, Chavanel was at the front of the race for almost 100km.
[...]
So the question is how could the super fantastic Cancellara not drop a guy who had been out in front for almost 60km before he caught him.
[...]
That was an amazing battling performance from an underdog so perfectly normal to choose Chavanel

Well argued.

 

[microdose]

Fantastic race, with MSR and Flanders being this good lets hope PR is not a let down.

Chavanel as the best ride very closely followed by the Canc.

Interestingly Scott Sunderland said on SBS coverage that the increase in temperature might have taken a little off the Canc. Apparently as such a big man (he said 82 kg) he has enormous needs for water as evident by taking some many bottles on board in that last 40 K. According to Sunderland, when O'Grady won PR in 2007 (it was hot and dusty) the Canc apparently suffered big time due to heat on that day.

 

[Jancouver]

Cancellara is near the top of my list because he raced with enormous heart and strength--frequently attacking for the win and never giving up. But, I can't quite give him full marks for today's race. He's guilty of having over-estimated himself, and in hindsight (which is, of course, always a tad unfair), his ride in E3 looks extravagant.

Today Cancellara never looked as good off the front as he did in E3. He never had the same other-worldly impetus on the downstroke of each pedal rev, and he didn't shut down the gap to Chavanel anywhere near as quickly as he would have last weekend.

I'll also point out that, so far, Cancellara's having almost exactly the same Classics season Boonen had last year (2nd in San Remo followed up with a very spirited ride to the podium in Flanders)--that's an extremely impressive feat in its own right, but not good enough to qualify as a success by the rider's own standards.

Nuyens, on the other hand, had to do everything right to win today. For starters, a number of posters have pointed out how strong and important teams like BMC were; but, posters have noted this almost as a slight to Nuyens, as if the strong teams did him a favor. So far, though, I haven't noticed other posters commenting on how hard it is for a rider with Nuyens' characteristics to win Flanders with a team like Saxo Bank this year.

At the very least, Quickstep, Sky, BMC, Leopard, Garmin, Katusha and Vacansoleil all have better rosters for this race. For Nuyens to get it right today, he had to be tactically astute, cool, very strong, and of course lucky, too. Still, a perfect ride for him, in my opinion. Add that to his earlier semi-classic win in Dwars Door Vlaanderen and his decisions to skip Omloop and K-B-K, and it looks like he's done everything right at every step leading up to and throughout Flanders.

I either give Chavanel a tie with Cancellara for second or a very close third. He was strong, smart, and gutsy. With a little more luck in the sprint, he could have done a little more, too... Either way, a big step forward for Chavanel and a necessary result for Quickstep on a day when Boonen wasn't quite brilliant.

He's guilty of having over-estimated himself???

You probably dont race or/and never did. Or you dont know that Cancellara lost his SRM computer during the race. At that point, he didnt know his heart rate and most likely even more importantly he didnt know his power output and probably overcooked it. Guys like Cancellara (and me) train with power meter and use the power threshold info for pacing....but thats probably too complicated for you to understand

 

[Eric8-A]

Chavanel for sure. He broke free, stayed away for a long time, stuck with Cancellara and ended up providing a fantastic result. I was rooting for him and he was one of my picks for the win today. It would have been great had he gotten the win, but for the result he got, not bad.

 

[M Sport]

Nuyens. Won the race, you can't do any better than that.

Tie for second. Fabian and Chavanel. Fabian did what he had to do. Chavanel, brilliant ride and must have wondered how Tom f'ed it up so much. Must have been thinking too much about the afterparty.

 

[benpounder]

...At that point, he didnt know his heart rate and most likely even more importantly he didnt know his power output and probably overcooked it. Guys like Cancellara (and me) train with power meter and use the power threshold info for pacing....

And so many are worried about race radio.

 

[ergmonkey]

He's guilty of having over-estimated himself???

You probably dont race or/and never did. Or you dont know that Cancellara lost his SRM computer during the race. At that point, he didnt know his heart rate and most likely even more importantly he didnt know his power output and probably overcooked it. Guys like Cancellara (and me) train with power meter and use the power threshold info for pacing....but thats probably too complicated for you to understand

Try again. I've only raced at elite level in two sports--with and without power meters. I also don't really see any need for you to attack my athleticism, anyway. Even if someone on here didn't manage to upgrade to P/1/2 racing in his first ever season of bike racing, I would assume that such a poster might have a lot to contribute in this thread if he carefully watches and enjoys a lot of pro bike racing.

Furthermore, your comment seems to suggest that Cancellara doesn't know how to pace himself without a power meter. This might be an issue for your own pacing, but I don't think that it is such an issue for Cancellara, as he has won a lot of his greatest victories without a power meter.

My original post should have made it very clear that I admire Cancellara and I believe he did a great race; but, I still think he misjudged it and he lacked some of the strength he was expecting to enjoy after his romp at E3. That's why I think he "only" did the second or third most impressive ride of the day.

 

[ergmonkey]

Guys like Cancellara (and me) train with power meter and use the power threshold info for pacing....but thats probably too complicated for you to understand

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).

 

[ergmonkey]

Roubaix 2010 (no power meter):

Roubaix 2006 (no power meter):

Milan-San Remo 2008 (no power meter):

 

[TheDude]

Great race. Everybody marked Cancellara. Chavenel get respect points, and would have been my ride for the day, but his timing was off. He should have won. Nuyens gets my vote - he has had a junk last couple of years in the classics, but did everything right today.