Sat 5th of March: Montepaschi Strade Bianche (was Monte Paschi Eroica) 1.1

[El Pistolero]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3A7_kG2_3U

Is there any doubt who will win?

I like to quote my old posts

 

[Christian]

 

[auscyclefan94]

Gilbert attacked in the last km, Cunego and ballan came very close but couldn't quite get him back.

 

[El Pistolero]

2x 2nds?? That's hardly racking them up. Nice try...

At least Ballan is showing good form again. To be honest I wasn't even going to take him into account for the classics, but I think I will now. Although I don't see him win a monument this year, but some good placings will be possible.

 

[microdose]

Gilbert attacked in the last km, Cunego and ballan came very close but couldn't quite get him back.

sounds like a great race. lack of coverage is major bs though.

 

[Ryaguas]

Ahhhh man... Gilbert is too much class... but hey Ballan and Cunego... two guys who are recovering the past form... those are very good news!!

 

[El Pistolero]

sounds like a great race. lack of coverage is major bs though.

Perhaps this will spark some interest in Belgium now.

Here, they only care for "small" races when a Belgian wins

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Perhaps this will spark some interest in Belgium now.

Here, they only care for "small" races when a Belgian wins

So you admit the Belgian cycling press are the most, well second most (behind americans/british), chauvinistich sports press in the world?

 

[El Pistolero]

So you admit the Belgian cycling press are the most, well second most (behind americans/british), chauvinistich sports press in the world?

I wouldn't call Belgium chauvinistic in the sense that we're a highly federalized country. We're even turning slowly into a confederate state.

But yes, Belgian press mostly just cares about Belgians in sport. If they fudge up they'll destroy them in the press, if they're doing good then nothing but good words. It's the way it is here.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ok, Flemish sportspress than.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

when belgians suck in sports, belgian media usually makes up excuses. it's in countrys like uk, germany or netherlands were when you do bad the press kills you.

 

[El Pistolero]

when belgians suck in sports, belgian media usually makes up excuses. it's in countrys like uk, germany or netherlands were when you do bad the press kills you.

You should read what the press said about Boonen sometimes... You'll be shocked. They even crap on Devolder when he won Flanders. And when he didn't win it only got worse. Greg van Avermaet gets a lot of bad press as well, especially in 2009.

In countries like Germany they only care about doping, not the sport.

 

[sublimit]

when belgians suck in sports, belgian media usually makes up excuses. it's in countrys like uk, germany or netherlands were when you do bad the press kills you.

Its more national teams that get it in the neck than individuals in the UK, The England cricket team lost to Ireland yesterday and they got battered. Quite rightly though because they were hopeless.

 

[Ryaguas]

Well... tabloids with scandals and attacking some persons in what sells nowadays

 

[El Pistolero]

Philippe Gilbert must be extremely popular in Italy, no? He really wins a lot of Italian races. I'd be ****ed if I was Italian

 

[sublimit]

Gilbert has ensured he wont be invited back now for next year to go along with ex winners Lovqvuist and Iglinsky lol.

The Italian strategy didnt work..

 

[theyoungest]

I wouldn't call Belgium chauvinistic in the sense that we're a highly federalized country. We're even turning slowly into a confederate state.

But yes, Belgian press mostly just cares about Belgians in sport. If they fudge up they'll destroy them in the press, if they're doing good then nothing but good words. It's the way it is here.

In Holland it's total destruction no matter what they do (specifically by the NOS' foremost talking head Mart Smeets, unless you're Niki Terpstra or Thomas Dekker).

 

[El Pistolero]

In Holland it's total destruction no matter what they do (specifically by the NOS' foremost talking head Mart Smeets, unless you're Niki Terpstra or Thomas Dekker).

How did they react when the Dutchies lost the world cup football?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Just really dissapointed, nothing else. No burn. Except for de Jongs flying kicks.
Generally during the world cup the press was constantly criticising the lame counter-attacking style of the team.
But we are way off topic now

 

[El Pistolero]

Gilbert has ensured he wont be invited back now for next year to go along with ex winners Lovqvuist and Iglinsky lol.

The Italian strategy didnt work..

They were asking for trouble for inviting Gilbert anyway, I wonder what they were thinking if they really wanted an Italian winning

Gilbert to win both Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo now

Just like good old Fabian in 2008.
(chance is small, I know)

 

[c&cfan]

i have a problem with gilbert.

i dont see him as capable of wining something big besides lombardia (when the other contenders are just too tired).

in fact i believe that valverde is the one. he already proved it. shame that in this years, his peaking years, he cant race.

he cant beat boonen or cancellara when they are for the win..
he cant beat valverde when he is 100% on..

not to mention what these guys are as true cyclists. my heroes.

i mean, how can gilbert hope to be better as cyclist?

bonnen can also win sprints
cancellara can also win stage races and he is the man to beat in TTs
and valverde..well.. he can do anything.

gilbert can only hope do dominate preparation races. but what matters, monuments, he wont.

if i am wrong gilbert, please show it in style.

pistolero, you do know that cancellara is about the same age as gilbert (one year older maybe.) and that does not mean that cancellara will stop winning one year before gilbert does.

 

[El Pistolero]

i have a problem with gilbert.

i dont see him as capable of wining something big besides lombardia (when the other contenders are just too tired).

in fact i believe that valverde is the one. he already proved it. shame that in this years, his peaking years, he cant race.

he cant beat boonen or cancellara when they are for the win..
he cant beat valverde when he is 100% on..

not to mention what these guys are as true cyclists. my heroes.

i mean, how can gilbert hope to be better as cyclist?

bonnen can also win sprints
cancellara can also win stage races and he is the man to beat in TTs
and valverde..well.. he can do anything.

gilbert can only hope do dominate preparation races. but what matters, monuments, he wont.

if i am wrong gilbert, please show it in style.

Philippe Gilbert dropped Valverde quite easily on one of the late hills in LBL 2010. Yes, his attack failed, but he did drop Valverde and even after they caught him again Valverde couldn't drop Gilbert.

Gilbert is really way better in the classics than Valverde right now. I don't think Valverde can follow him anymore in an uphill sprint.

Gilbert already won 2 monuments and he was one of the strongest, if not the strongest in last year's Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Valverde might have been third in LBL 2010, but Gilbert was way more agressive than Valverde and only lost to him in the sprint. And we all know Valverde can sprint better than Gilbert.

Let's also not forget who destroyed the peloton at Milan-San Remo 2008 shall we? It was Philippe Gilbert who was responsible for that, not Fabian Cancellara.

Not to forget he was the strongest non-sprinter at the worlds last year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That was lovely, the acceleration on Saint Nicolas from Gilbert last year. Haven't seen anyone go up that fast since Vandenbroucke in 99.

 

[Lanark]

Gilbert's problem last year was that he could drop everyone on a climb, but had a hard time defending his lead. That happenend in the Gold Race, were he attacked on the Keutenberg, but was quickly captured by Ivanov and Kolobnev, it happened in LBL, were he was by far the best on the Saint Nicolas, but could barely hold his lead on Valverde and a some of other guys for a couple of kilometers, during the Worlds he had the same problem, dropping everyone on the last hill, getting caught 3 kilometers later.

He only succeeded (and brilliantly) in Lombardia, but that was after he got a gap in the descent, in the rains, against some tired, and not that strong, competitors.

 

[jmspinto]

Awsome

I'm beginning to think that Phillipe Gilbert is not of this world! He is absolutely awsome, a trully exciting cyclist, whem he attacks for good the other only manage to follow ... after him!!! SUPER!!! I'm already looking for the next one.