Sun 11th April: Paris - Roubaix, 259km

[eljimberino]

Cervelo. Hushovd or Hausler.

 

[Jan the Man]

1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Hushovd

Others in top 10-

Breschel, Flecha, Hoste, Boom, Langeveld, Devolder, Ballan

 

[Cerberus]

I'm going to display a total lack of imagination and predict a podium of
1) Cancellara
2) Boonen
3) Breschel

 

[goonermatt]

1)Boonen
2) Sparticus
3) Flecha

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Martijn Maaskant required stiches in his elbow after his own team car ran him over in Flanders (explaining no performance there) and fell again in Scheldeprijs.

*sigh* Talk about bad luck at the wrong moment

Hopefully he is ok for Roubaix, he trained whole winter for these 2 races, and now it looks like its going all wrong

 

[Sørensen]

1. Boonen \o/
2. Cancellara
3. Brechel

 

[carrai]

paris - roubaix

I bet on Flecha!

1. Van der Flecha
2. Boonen
3. Hushovd

 

[ak-zaaf]

Rabo for Roubaix:

Sebastian Langeveld, Lars Boom, Tom Leezer, Jos van Emden, Rick Flens, Joost Posthuma, Tom Stamsnijder en Maarten Tjallingii.

All Dutch

 

[auscyclefan94]

Rabo for Roubaix:

Sebastian Langeveld, Lars Boom, Tom Leezer, Jos van Emden, Rick Flens, Joost Posthuma, Tom Stamsnijder en Maarten Tjallingii.

All Dutch

tipping rabo which means they won't win!

 

[mr. tibbs]

tipping rabo which means they won't win!

But I think if ak-zaaf tips them, it may balance out your tip. We'll have to wait and see where the mighty Dutch hammer falls. But for now, I confess, I only see two guys in the contention for the win. And neither one of them is Farrar.

I originally voted Quickstep (read: Boonen) in this poll, but now I'm not so sure. I think the winner of the race will be the cyclist who has the legs to continually animate it, and right now that looks like Spartacus.

But then again, I don't think there have been more than two or three (or four?) cyclists with Boonen's affinity for Roubaix, so...we'll have to see.

The presence of certain sprinters in the final 30 kms will hamper Cancellara's chances to get the gap he needs to win solo, but if it's just him and one other guy, who can stop him from riding away?

And here's an interesting question: if you're Pippo, whose wheel do you attach yourself to?

 

[Oldman]

But I think if ak-zaaf tips them, it may balance out your tip. We'll have to wait and see where the mighty Dutch hammer falls. But for now, I confess, I only see two guys in the contention for the win. And neither one of them is Farrar.

I originally voted Quickstep (read: Boonen) in this poll, but now I'm not so sure. I think the winner of the race will be the cyclist who has the legs to continually animate it, and right now that looks like Spartacus.

But then again, I don't think there have been more than two or three (or four?) cyclists with Boonen's affinity for Roubaix, so...we'll have to see.

The presence of certain sprinters in the final 30 kms will hamper Cancellara's chances to get the gap he needs to win solo, but if it's just him and one other guy, who can stop him from riding away?

And here's an interesting question: if you're Pippo, whose wheel do you attach yourself to?

+1. You're right on all counts and I dutifully await Az-kaaf's pronouncement...

 

[krebs303]

Need to mix it up this. Dark underdogs I'd hope see do well are George Hincapie and Lars Boom. George's time may have passed and too early for Boom.
But hey it's Paris-Roubaix (it rhymes)
stuff can and will happen.
However I would not place a wager on either.

What is better a solo rider entering the velodrome after a heroic effort or 5 or 6 battling it out in a sprint finish?

 

[theswordsman]

I bet on Flecha!

1. Van der Flecha
2. Boonen
3. Hushovd

Pinarello has a new model bike for Flecha to ride Sunday.
http://www.bikeradar.com/racing/art...nio-flechas-team-sky-pinarello-kobh-601-25665

 

[Anonymous]

But I am biased. Horrendously so

I can respect that. In fact, I would rather see Boonen win. I just don't think it will happen.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well nearly everyone here is biased in some way (nearly everyone, before people get angry at me ).

Ofcourse I'm rooting for Boom and Langeveld. But I think it's 50km to long for Boom and too hard for Langeveld, so then I hope Flecha does well. Although it seems his best form passed.

Other underdog I'd like to see win is Vansummeren. A long shot I know, but hey, he's ALWAYS working for someone else. Might as well have a lucky day here

 

[ak-zaaf]

Other underdog I'd like to see win is Vansummeren. A long shot I know, but hey, he's ALWAYS working for someone else. Might as well have a lucky day here

Couldn't agree more. I would rather see him win than any Dutch guy (In the unlikely event of a Dutchy-Summie sprint I will probably retract that )

 

[mr. tibbs]

Need to mix it up this. Dark underdogs I'd hope see do well are George Hincapie and Lars Boom. George's time may have passed and too early for Boom.
But hey it's Paris-Roubaix (it rhymes)
stuff can and will happen.
However I would not place a wager on either.

What is better a solo rider entering the velodrome after a heroic effort or 5 or 6 battling it out in a sprint finish?

I'll take a solo move that develops in the final 20 km where dude holds out by 10-20 seconds over a string of scattered chasers, every man for himself.

 

[ferryman]

Can't see past the big two for the win but I am also looking forward to seeing how the young guys from Liquigas get on. Some great talent in their start list and I think they will be there to race.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Well nearly everyone here is biased in some way (nearly everyone, before people get angry at me ).

Ofcourse I'm rooting for Boom and Langeveld. But I think it's 50km to long for Boom and too hard for Langeveld, so then I hope Flecha does well. Although it seems his best form passed.

Other underdog I'd like to see win is Vansummeren. A long shot I know, but hey, he's ALWAYS working for someone else. Might as well have a lucky day here

pretty much agree. would love boom/langeveld to do something, but I doubt it.

 

[Andrichuk]

I don't see Boom winning but I hope he gets a top 5 at least.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I don't see Boom winning but I hope he gets a top 5 at least.

no he wont win, all I was hoping from this spring was some signs that he might be a real contender in the years to come. I think he will be.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He needs to make longer training rides first.

Often read he dus 4/5 hours. When you want to win these classics and get used to 260km, you have to do 6/7 hours, and distances up to 250km.

Boogerd always did these marathon trainings...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

He needs to make longer training rides first.

Often read he dus 4/5 hours. When you want to win these classics and get used to 260km, you have to do 6/7 hours, and distances up to 250km.

Boogerd always did these marathon trainings...

I agree, apparently he ran out of gas at flanders also, indicates the distance is a little much, also struggled a bit at the end of msr, otherwise I'm sure he could get over those climbs.

*misses the Boogie Grin

 

[Jan the Man]

No Ballan.

 

[Ferminal]

Yet Caisse will not pull "their man".

What a farce.