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Sun 11th April: Paris - Roubaix, 259km

Page 34 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

Which team will the winner of Paris Roubaix be on?

  • Another team not listed

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Anonymous

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Jamsque said:
Seriously? So what should Flecha have done in your opinion? I guess he could have put in some monster pulls in that chase group, worn himself out, STILL not caught Spartacus, and ended up with 5th or 6th? Less prize money, less exposure for the sponsor, but hey, you show that you have balls so it is all worth it? Come on. Tactics in cycling is about more than just machismo. Flecha knew there were a lot of guys who could out-sprint him in that group so he worked with them a bit, got away with Hushovd, and then basically towed him all the way to the line and gifted him second.

They could have caught Spartacus if they had tired, and at least the others in the group pulled SOME. Flecha pulled NONE. He rolled off the front like the wind was burning him. Then he attacks? Then he attacks AGAIN? Then he wants to complain that Thor rode HIS wheel. Like I said, neither deserved their placings, but at least Thor had a teammate pulling. All Flecha did was sit in and attack when everyone else burned themselves out. Real courage and sportsmanship...
 
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hektoren said:
Deserved??? Didn't know there was an ethics commission involved who decides who is or isn't deserving of a medal, basing their choices on fanboys' ill-conceived notions of machismo, judging the size of the riders gonads by their ability to ride themselves into the ground for no apparent reason.

Last time I checked, cycling involved cyclists, a stop-watch, a predefined stretch of road and comparable equipment. The object of the race is to get to the finish first. Crossing the line as no. 47, satisfied that noone rode more butch won't land you a medal. :p

Really? You race for first by sitting in and not chasing down the guy who is in 1st. Then you attack when the other guys who HAVE been pulling get tired so that you can race for SECOND. Fact is that Hammond and Boonen rode like men. Flecha and Thor...not so much. But hey, it is bike racing, and it has happened before and will happen again. Doesn't mean I have to like the tactic, nor does it mean I shouldn't voice my opinion on the subject. We are all entitled to our opinions, its just that mine is right:D
 
Mar 11, 2009
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Thoughtforfood said:
They could have caught Spartacus if they had tired, and at least the others in the group pulled SOME. Flecha pulled NONE. He rolled off the front like the wind was burning him. Then he attacks? Then he attacks AGAIN? Then he wants to complain that Thor rode HIS wheel. Like I said, neither deserved their placings, but at least Thor had a teammate pulling. All Flecha did was sit in and attack when everyone else burned themselves out. Real courage and sportsmanship...

So let me get this straight: putting in pulls in a group half-full of exhausted riders that is not co-operating well and is not gaining any time on people up the road is brave and sportsmanlike, but dropping that same group (including one of the pre-race favourites!) with a well-timed attack and then basically soloing to the finish, gaining time all the way (granted Spartacus had sat up) is cowardly?

Also, I am yet to see any evidence put forward of Flecha 'complaining' about Thor riding his wheel all the way to second.
 
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Quick note: I readily admit that nobody was going to beat Spartacus yesterday. If they had caught him, they would succeeded only in getting dropped AGAIN. However, I have never liked it when a rider has sat in, and then attacked when everyone else did the work. I recognize that sometimes the team dictates things like that, and I think it is wimpy, cowardly racing. Never liked it regardless of the rider and never will. I also cannot stand Team Sky, so that makes it fun to pound on one of their riders for doing it.
 
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Jamsque said:
Seriously? So what should Flecha have done in your opinion? I guess he could have put in some monster pulls in that chase group, worn himself out, STILL not caught Spartacus, and ended up with 5th or 6th? Less prize money, less exposure for the sponsor, but hey, you show that you have balls so it is all worth it? Come on. Tactics in cycling is about more than just machismo. Flecha knew there were a lot of guys who could out-sprint him in that group so he worked with them a bit, got away with Hushovd, and then basically towed him all the way to the line and gifted him second.

I agree, can't really fault Flecha for racing the way he did. It was a war of attrition and nobody was going to catch Cancellara, so the best thing to do was to conserve what energy he had. He was never going to outsprint or outchase Boonen or Pozzato, though Pippo wasn't in the best form to begin with due to illness and wasn't realistically that much of a threat, so he had to race the way he did.

Criticizing Flecha for the way he raced puts him in a no-win situation. Saying he should have helped to chase Cancellara down would leave him spent and podium-less, which could give way to accusations of him racing a stupid race. Race as he did and he gets accused of not having his testicles drop. In such a scenario Flecha ins't allowed to podium for working well within his own set of limitations, which is pretty unfair.
 

Crazy Horse

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hektoren said:
Deserved??? Didn't know there was an ethics commission involved who decides who is or isn't deserving of a medal, basing their choices on fanboys' ill-conceived notions of machismo, judging the size of the riders gonads by their ability to ride themselves into the ground for no apparent reason.

Last time I checked, cycling involved cyclists, a stop-watch, a predefined stretch of road and comparable equipment. The object of the race is to get to the finish first. Crossing the line as no. 47, satisfied that noone rode more butch won't land you a medal. :p

Agreed. I think some of the Boonen fanboys are new to the sport so don't understand the tactical nature of pro cycling. They think it's like American football or something where you are supposed to use muscle rather than brain power. But that's not how cycling works.

I think a few people also have something against Team Sky and the little visit of James Murdoch to the race, which is why they are looking for reasons to hate on them. Flecha is just the whipping boy.
 
A

Anonymous

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Jamsque said:
So let me get this straight: putting in pulls in a group half-full of exhausted riders that is not co-operating well and is not gaining any time on people up the road is brave and sportsmanlike, but dropping that same group (including one of the pre-race favourites!) with a well-timed attack and then basically soloing to the finish, gaining time all the way (granted Spartacus had sat up) is cowardly?

Also, I am yet to see any evidence put forward of Flecha 'complaining' about Thor riding his wheel all the way to second.

Um, if by "putting in pulls" you mean, hitting front and dropping back IMMEDIATELY or getting two men away from you having to pull and quickly pulling in behind the guy who just dropped off and drifting to the back with him, then yes, I guess he put in a pull. In my world, you actually exert effort when you get to the front instead of saving your energy so that you can attack the men who are doing all the work.
 

Crazy Horse

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Thoughtforfood said:
Never liked it regardless of the rider and never will. I also cannot stand Team Sky, so that makes it fun to pound on one of their riders for doing it.

Looks like I was dead right.

You often have to work out the hater agenda.
 
Mar 11, 2009
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Way to misread my post, but whatever. It's clear you are mainly bagging on Flecha because you don't like the team he rides on. I think he rode a very tactically sound and physically strong race and thoroughly deserved his spot on the podium, and it seems like most other people here do as well. If you want to hate on him for not living up to some crazy macho standard of always winning from the front and never conserving your energy for tactical reasons then go right ahead.
 
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Thoughtforfood said:
Fact is that Hammond and Boonen rode like men. Flecha and Thor...not so much.

I don't know what's worst: Riding like a headless chicken, or supposing it's a typical manly trait to do so.
Get over it: Canc was recognized as too strong by his opponents, and if you haven't got the legs for it no tactic under the sun, short of phoning for a thug to smash Spartacus' windpipe, would've ended with a different winner.
 
A

Anonymous

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Crazy Horse said:
Agreed. I think some of the Boonen fanboys are new to the sport so don't understand the tactical nature of pro cycling. They think it's like American football or something where you are supposed to use muscle rather than brain power. But that's not how cycling works.

I think a few people also have something against Team Sky and the little visit of James Murdoch to the race, which is why they are looking for reasons to hate on them. Flecha is just the whipping boy.

Man, seriously, seek psychiatric help. You are MENTALLY ILL. I only hope that you have no family to inflict your particular psychosis upon, because that would be a real shame. I will report your post again, and then ignore you AGAIN.
 

Crazy Horse

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Thoughtforfood said:
Man, seriously, seek psychiatric help. You are MENTALLY ILL. I only hope that you have no family to inflict your particular psychosis upon, because that would be a real shame. I will report your post again, and then ignore you AGAIN.

You don't like losing an argument so out come the personal ad hominen attacks.

The irony is you're probably one of the few people here that really is mentally ill. That's why you are allowed to do things that others are not. People know you have several issues. Transference.

You've also just admitted to trolling Team Sky.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Jamsque said:
Way to misread my post, but whatever. It's clear you are mainly bagging on Flecha because you don't like the team he rides on. I think he rode a very tactically sound and physically strong race and thoroughly deserved his spot on the podium, and it seems like most other people here do as well. If you want to hate on him for not living up to some crazy macho standard of always winning from the front and never conserving your energy for tactical reasons then go right ahead.

You might want to actually read the thread then...especially the part DURING THE RACE when Flecha was sitting in like a little wimp waiting to race for second...and getting 3rd. Again, if he keeps up that tactic, he will be in the top 10 A LOT!
 

Crazy Horse

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Jamsque said:
Way to misread my post, but whatever. It's clear you are mainly bagging on Flecha because you don't like the team he rides on. I think he rode a very tactically sound and physically strong race and thoroughly deserved his spot on the podium, and it seems like most other people here do as well. If you want to hate on him for not living up to some crazy macho standard of always winning from the front and never conserving your energy for tactical reasons then go right ahead.

Yeah TFF is just trolling.

For all his talk of people needing big balls, he so hates people disagreeing with him that he reports them to the moderators the first chance he gets.

He's as thin skinned as they come. Talk about a whimp.
 
Thoughtforfood said:
No, riding like you have a set shows courage and sportsmanship. Sitting in and waiting for others to burn themselves out, and then attacking for second doesn't.

I am not criticising Boonen, but I am not critisising Flecha either. But you moralizing from the comfort of the armchair...well, thats funny.
 
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Von Mises said:
I am not criticising Boonen, but I am not critisising Flecha either. But you moralizing from the comfort of the armchair...well, thats funny.

That has nothing to do with "morals." It has to do with sportsmanship, and Flecha showed little to none. Hey, you are judging me from the comfort of your armchair, so you are somehow in a better position? Physician heal thyself.
 
Crazy Horse said:
Yeah TFF is just trolling.

For all his talk of people needing big balls, he so hates people disagreeing with him that he reports them to the moderators the first chance he gets.

He's as thin skinned as they come. Talk about a whimp.

All the same, I've reported it. I'm relatively new to this forum but I've already seen way too much bile like this spilled. These sorts of tactless and tasteless remarks have absolutely nothing to do with yesterday's Paris Roubaix.
 
Mar 10, 2009
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Ok guys, please cut the personal attacks. Don't let a great (IMO) thread about one of the monuments go down the drain like this.

Talk strategy, tactics, performance whatever you like, but please stop the incessant bickering.

Make up, apologize for whatever has been said, so all can get over it and continue to discuss racing again. It's April, and there is still much awesome cycling to come.
 
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L'arriviste said:
All the same, I've reported it. I'm relatively new to this forum but I've already seen way too much bile like this spilled. These sorts of tactless and tasteless remarks have absolutely nothing to do with yesterday's Paris Roubaix.

Crazy Horse is another incarnation of a troll who has been here for the last 8 months or so. He has been banned NUMEROUS times, but is very adept at subverting bans. The moderators are well aware of his antics, and he will be banned again sometime today. If my post towards him seemed over the top, then you definitely have no idea of the disruption he has caused this forum. Fortunately, it only takes a couple of hours to get his newest posts and name banned. It used to take days or weeks, and he would put up hundreds of inane, disruptive posts. You honestly have no idea who you are dealing with when you address him. When I say that he is mentally ill, it is because he is mentally ill. You should see some of the PM's he has sent. The guy is really tweaked.
 
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Bala Verde said:
Ok guys, please cut the personal attacks. Don't let a great (IMO) thread about one of the monuments go down the drain like this.

Talk strategy, tactics, performance whatever you like, but please stop the incessant bickering.

Make up, apologize for whatever has been said, so all can get over it and continue to discuss racing again. It's April, and there is still much awesome cycling to come.

Crazy Horse is BPC. I flagged his post.
 
Jan 18, 2010
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i realised the TFF guy is an idiot a while back. i just see the funny side now and dont take it too seriously because its not worth it.
 
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Don't know if this has been discussed yet, but just a quick question: am I the only one who found Roubaix to be unbelievably boring this year? I mean after Fabian's attack. No organization from the "chase group" or a sense of urgency. They were basically out for a leisurely group ride. Thankfully, Thor and Flecha eventually grew a pair and closed the gap (sort of), but I actually got bored watching Roubaix.

When Fabian first attacked there was one point where the gap dropped from like 21 to 19 seconds, but nobody even tried to bring him back....so disappointing.
 
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sublimit said:
i realised the TFF guy is an idiot a while back. i just see the funny side now and dont take it too seriously because its not worth it.

Awe, how cute. She gwets hwer feewings hwort when you dwont wike widers or tweams fwrom hwer cwountry. Awe...still not wearing big girl panties.
 
My problem with Flecha, Hushovd, et al is that, whenever Boonen went, they covered immediately; but, when Cancellara went, nothing. They just sat and watched him go, despite the fact that he was the clear favorite coming in to the race and he did the exact same thing in Flanders. Of course, as soon as Boonen got back up front, they were more than happy to grab HIS wheel.

And as for Boonen wasting energy with all of his attacks: that's how he rides Roubaix. He did the exact same thing several times last year. He would put in a big effort, thin the group, and then drift back and take stock. The difference is that last year, Spartacus wasn't in top form.

Well played by Cancellara. He waited for the right moment to attack and went for it. I think it's pretty indicative of the mindest the other guys were in that the right moment to attack was when Boonen--and no one else--was at the back, which is what is generating the negativity directed at Flecha and Cervelo. Canc and his team car knew that only one guy would cover his attack, and the sand-bagging from the others definitely helped his already considerable chances.

Hats off, Spartacus. Dude made the race today, just like at Flanders. He's a true champion.

And nuts to racing for second.
 
ImmaculateKadence said:
Don't know if this has been discussed yet, but just a quick question: am I the only one who found Roubaix to be unbelievably boring this year?

I think it was discussed, far back in the mists of time on this mammoth thread ;)

One contributor hit the nail on the head for me when he/she said (more or less) that it was a dullish race to watch but that wouldn't stop it from being long remembered in history for Cancellara's achievement.

I watched it on RTBF here in BE and the commentators were suffering from a rather ill-concealed schadenfreude as Cancellara tore up the cobbles that would in other years have made a final selection. All those marvellous and dangerous and glorious cobbles were, well, redundant.

If you saw E3 and Flanders, and doubtless you did, you probably felt yesterday as soon as Cancellara got clear that it was all over. It was just a mental fait accompli. Thus felt the rest of the lead group, apparently. :D
 

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