Strade Bianche 2013, March 2nd, 188 kms 1.1

[theyoungest]

Knowing his team is weak, he desperately needs to make friends/do deals with other teams. The fact that this doesn't really seem to happen makes me wonder if Fabs is possibly not terribly popular among his peers, or just doesn't offer up enough money.

This guy never should've left Riis the way he did. But he made his bed when he disappeared during the Vuelta mid-stage. By now he ought to have figured out some sort of contingency plan until he can get out of Shack (or to have pressured Shack to hire him enough help)

I think Cancellara is quite popular in the peloton, but why would you help him to get your a.ss kicked in the final? You don't have much friends in the race if you're that good.

 

[SafeBet]

Moser seems in better shape despite this being his second race of the year.

Don't think so. He didn't look smooth after the attack. He's building up.

 

[Beech Mtn]

I honestly wouldn't mind if Cancellara broke Sagan once with an attack of him, but he doesn't seem strong enough. You can't wheelsuck Sagan either. I'm afraid he'll win Milan-San Remo and the Ronde van Vlaanderen rather easily.

This race was almost impossible to win against Cannondale by the way, Sagan and Moser together were too much for every team.

Anyway, I figured already that Valverde wasn't in too great shape despite him winning a lot. He finished 11 seconds down on Sagan and 10 on Cancellara.

I would've liked to have seen what Amador could have done, if he'd had the others working for him.

 

[Beech Mtn]

I think Cancellara is quite popular in the peloton, but why would you help him to get your a.ss kicked in the final? You don't have much friends in the race if you're that good.

In the case of Kolobnev, who was in that group, another chance to earn some cash

 

[gruppeto993]

Knowing his team is weak, he desperately needs to make friends/do deals with other teams. The fact that this doesn't really seem to happen makes me wonder if Fabs is possibly not terribly popular among his peers, or just doesn't offer up enough money.

This guy never should've left Riis the way he did. But he made his bed when he disappeared during the Vuelta mid-stage. By now he ought to have figured out some sort of contingency plan until he can get out of Shack (or to have pressured Shack to hire him enough help)

yeah no one would help a guy like him only to get beaten in the finale. Same goes to sagan. No one cooperates with him because they know he'll beat them for the win. BTW, what happened in the 2010 Vuelta with disappearing mid stage?

 

[Beech Mtn]

yeah no one would help a guy like him only to get beaten in the finale. Same goes to sagan. No one cooperates with him because they know he'll beat them for the win. BTW, what happened in the 2010 Vuelta with disappearing mid stage?

He still had another year left on contract w/ Riis, was determined to break contract to go to Leopard with the Schlecks & co. FC & Riis reached a deal to let him out of contract a year early, but he still left Vuelta mid-stage without telling anybody. At first, the team wasn't even aware he'd pulled out of the race.

 

[screaming fist]

Haven't Riis and Cancellara made their peace since that?

 

[Eshnar]

Out of interest, #StradeBianche today has become so trending that it has started to be used as a spamming hashtag on twitter

 

[kanari]

Out of interest, #StradeBianche today has become so trending that it has started to be used as a spamming hashtag on twitter

Same thing happened with Omloop and #OHN a week ago. It's really annoying as it's a nice way to follow a race if you're not in front of a computer.

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

we'll i'd say, that now the things got pretty ****ty for the other teams. Given the circumstances that both sagan and moser are in the lead group, the winning team could be obvious. They could repeat this trick round and round. The problem is, that if the moser goes, he can very easily end up wining, and if he's not allowed to go, he will just catch every attempt to break, which will end up in sagan winning. Probably, the only tactics against this would be to let moser go, then kick sagan off the bike and then catch moser .

Ha, you are probably right there

 

[Martin]

we'll i'd say, that now the things got pretty ****ty for the other teams. Given the circumstances that both sagan and moser are in the lead group, the winning team could be obvious. They could repeat this trick round and round. The problem is, that if the moser goes, he can very easily end up wining, and if he's not allowed to go, he will just catch every attempt to break, which will end up in sagan winning. Probably, the only tactics against this would be to let moser go, then kick sagan off the bike and then catch moser .

ROFL, LOL..
Peter might even finish 98th, but every time he gets into the finish he wins, because he's always riding different race. terminators can't compete with humans.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

According to Blanco, TJ Slagter had a flat tire on the flat in the final and wasted a lot of energy coming back to the group.

 

[cineteq]

I think Cancellara is quite popular in the peloton, but why would you help him to get your a.ss kicked in the final? You don't have much friends in the race if you're that good.

Cancellara:
"The best team won today, there's no doubt about that"

Translation:
"My team sucks"

 

[gruppeto993]

Cancellara:
"The best team won today, there's no doubt about that"

Translation:
"My team sucks"

an accurate translation. But the team he had today is not going to be the team he has for the rest of the classics. Gallopin, devolder, rast are all much better domestiques. according to his team PR, 4 of the riders punctured or crashed. But neither hondo nor roulston were one of those. These two being invisible isn't very promising since they are both useful when on form.

 

[serfla]

Cancellara:
"The best team won today, there's no doubt about that"

Translation:
"My team sucks"

One trick pony speaks about his team...
Like it would have been different if he had five Cancellaras around himself. Each of them would ride the same way. That's the problem.
He's the most predictable rider in peloton.

 

[Miburo]

Cancellara:
"The best team won today, there's no doubt about that"

Translation:
"My team sucks"

Pretty much yea, he's right though.

I'm sure he'll move teams next year.

 

[Froome19]

Like it would have been different if he had five Cancellaras around himself. Each of them would ride the same way. That's the problem.

He's the most predictable rider in peloton.

On a more selective course though it may not matter.

 

[gruppeto993]

One trick pony speaks about his team...
Like it would have been different if he had five Cancellaras around himself. Each of them would ride the same way. That's the problem.
He's the most predictable rider in peloton.

I don't think he's the most predictable rider in the peloton. His attacks are one the best any classics rider puts in and his style of racing is not predictable. I mean what do you expect him to do, rely on a sprint against the likes of sagan or boonen? Or do you want him to attack in a mountain stage? Or perhaps try to win on a HC finish? He is as predictable as boonen, rodruigez, sagan etc.
A better team would have helped him chase and mark moser. but what he could have done against sagan remains unknown.

 

[manafana]

could have had some fixed cameras for the final km as was hard for motorbikes, and helicopoter could only see so much great tactics paying off, moser is going be good one in future.

 

[serfla]

I don't think he's the most predictable rider in the peloton. His attacks are one the best any classics rider puts in and his style of racing is not predictable. I mean what do you expect him to do, rely on a sprint against the likes of sagan or boonen? Or do you want him to attack in a mountain stage? Or perhaps try to win on a HC finish? He is as predictable as boonen, rodruigez, sagan etc.
A better team would have helped him chase and mark moser. but what he could have done against sagan remains unknown.

I don't agree.
Boonen, Sagan, Rodriguez, etc... Are more versatile.
You can't just follow the tempo of these riders and have a good chance to win, while everyone who can follow Cancellara's tempo knows he'll win.
Cancellara's just the hardest rider to follow, and that's his one and only trick.
Just look at 2011 season and last year's MSR, that's the point.

 

[gruppeto993]

I don't agree.
Boonen, Sagan, Rodriguez, etc... Are more versatile.
You can't just follow the tempo of these riders and have a good chance to win, while everyone who can follow Cancellara's tempo knows he'll win.
Cancellara's just the hardest rider to follow, and that's his one and only trick.
Just look at 2011 season and last year's MSR, that's the point.

Boonen, Sagan and Rodriguez are more versatile? I disagree. Look at his wins and his 2nd/3rd/4th places. He is as versatile as the three above. Whilst these three can sprint, he can time trial. His style of racing is to do with power rather than explosiveness. You can say what you want but I still think he is the strongest classics rider there is despite not always being a winner.

 

[serfla]

Boonen, Sagan and Rodriguez are more versatile? I disagree. Look at his wins and his 2nd/3rd/4th places. He is as versatile as the three above. Whilst these three can sprint, he can time trial. His style of racing is to do with power rather than explosiveness. You can say what you want but I still think he is the strongest classics rider there is despite not always being a winner.

That's right.... Just the strongest. And that often isn't enough for the win.
That's what I'm talking about.

 

[Peccio89]

Boonen, Sagan and Rodriguez are more versatile? I disagree. Look at his wins and his 2nd/3rd/4th places. He is as versatile as the three above. Whilst these three can sprint, he can time trial. His style of racing is to do with power rather than explosiveness. You can say what you want but I still think he is the strongest classics rider there is despite not always being a winner.

It might be the strongest, but the fact that he is always slower than his main opponents gives him a big tactical disadvantage, that's why i'd rather have Sagan or Boonen in my team for the classics.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

"I think we did everything we could do" - Aike Visbeek (Argos DS)

DNF TIMMER Albert Team Argos - Shimano
DNF SINKELDAM Ramon Team Argos - Shimano
DNF PETERSON Tom Team Argos - Shimano
DNF MEZGEC Luka Team Argos - Shimano
DNF GESCHKE Simon Team Argos - Shimano
DNF FROHLINGER Johannes Team Argos - Shimano
DNF DAMUSEAU Thomas Team Argos - Shimano

 

[El Pistolero]

In the last 3 years(started counting after his Roubaix win in 2010) Cancellara has only won 2 races that aren't time trials, poor guy.

Of course he can still pick up some nice wins before the end of his classics season this year.