Teams and riders for the classics

[AntonioRossi]

Dunno, ask again on tuesday when his season starts.

right, forgot season just started

 

[AntonioRossi]

seems like EBH is doing well so far

 

[lucybears]

We're talking about cobbled classics and I view Gasparotto more as an ardennes rider, that's why I left him off the Astana list.

Enrico Gasparotto down to race

22-02 26-02 Giro di Sardegna
27-02 Classica Sarda Sassari - Cagliari
03-03 Giro del Friuli
09-03 15-03 Tirreno - Adriatico
19-03 Milano - Sanremo
04-04 09-04 Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco
17-04 Amstel Gold Race
20-04 La Flèche Wallonne
24-04 Liège - Bastogne - Liège

 

[Wurfel]

Someone has the calendar from Gusev for the upcoming months?

 

[AntonioRossi]

so it seems like Breschel is really out of contention for the first few (semi) classics because of his knee. It seems that he still wants to do those races
Who will lead Rabobank now? Still Breschel?

 

[Reuell]

I don't know, Theo Bos perhaps?

 

[taiwan]

I don't know, Theo Bos perhaps?

BOOM! (+Langeveld)

 

[ingsve]

so it seems like Breschel is really out of contention for the first few (semi) classics because of his knee. It seems that he still wants to do those races
Who will lead Rabobank now? Still Breschel?

Well, Boom and Langeveld seem both to be going fairly well at the moment and they'll probably bring Matthews to some of the races as well. Bos can perhaps not feature in the classics just yet but perhaps he could learn for teh future.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Óscar Freire, anyone?

 

[roundabout]

I'll still take my chances on Langeveld.

 

[taiwan]

Óscar Freire, anyone?

Oops, how could I forget.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Not for the cobbled classics.

Besides, Boom is going really well. And Langeveld has been doing pretty good lately too. Almost every stage in Algarve he finished top 20, except for the mountain stage (where he finished 25th). And in the GC 15th. And in Mallorca already 5th and 4th.

So Boom and Langeveld will certainly do well in the 200km flanders classics. But the big ones (RVV and PR) are still a question mark as always

 

[Reuell]

For Boom that is correct, Langeveld has had a few couple of amazing years in De Ronde, except last year.

 

[theyoungest]

Not for the cobbled classics.

Besides, Boom is going really well. And Langeveld has been doing pretty good lately too. Almost every stage in Algarve he finished top 20, except for the mountain stage (where he finished 25th). And in the GC 15th. And in Mallorca already 5th and 4th.

So Boom and Langeveld will certainly do well in the 200km flanders classics. But the big ones (RVV and PR) are still a question mark as always

Oscarito, not for the cobbled classics? Remember Gent-Wevelgem?

Boom and Langeveld will rock. And let's face it, it was always going to be about those two (or three if you include Freire), because who really expected Breschel to still reach top form for the classics? I know I didn't.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gent Wevelgem does not count as a cobbled classic in my book, sorry, aside from the one hill, there's really nothing there

Give Freire more than just the one cobblestroke and he sucks, he has proven that plenty of times.

Stop giving freire's qualities he does not have. It annoys me so many people think this just because Freire won and did well in Gent Wevelgem. The least cobbly of all cobbled classics (well maybe Scheldeprijs is even worse).

Freire simply does not rate at cobbles and will never win a race such as Omloop, RVV, PR, E3 etcetera when they really race...

 

[theyoungest]

Gent Wevelgem does not count as a cobbled classic in my book, sorry, aside from the one hill, there's really nothing there

Give Freire more than just the one cobblestroke and he sucks, he has proven that plenty of times.

Stop giving freire's qualities he does not have. It annoys me so many people think this just because Freire won and did well in Gent Wevelgem. The least cobbly of all cobbled classics (well maybe Scheldeprijs is even worse).

Freire simply does not rate at cobbles and will never win a race such as Omloop, RVV, PR, E3 etcetera when they really race...

It doesn't hurt to win that one non-cobbled classic in the midst of all the cobbled ones though. BTW correct me if I'm wrong, but the new course certainly seemed more cobbly. And it featured a strong (if slightly stupid) Freire.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No, it had more hills, not more cobble strokes.
Gent Wevelgem has little to do with cobble qualities. And like I said, it shows that Freire never performs in any other REAL cobbled classics.
He even said himselfs he hates the cobble strokes because he can't ride them fast at all.

Making him a leader in one of those is simply stupid. They tried it a few times in RVV and everytime he failed miserably.

 

[Anonymous]

Sky - known so far. (updated)

Omloop
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Barry, Russell Downing, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mathew Hayman, Jeremy Hunt and Ian Stannard
KBK
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mathew Hayman, Greg Henderson, Jeremy Hunt, Ian Stannard, Chris Sutton and Geraint Thomas
MSR
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Barry, Thomas Löfkvist, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Ian Stannard, Bradley Wiggins, Michael Rogers
Dwaars dor Vlaanderen
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Barry, Russell Downing, Mathew Hayman, Juan Antonio Flecha, Chris Sutton, Geraint Thomas, Jeremy Hunt
gent Wevelgem
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Barry, Mathew Hayman, Greg Henderson, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Ian Stannard, Jeremy Hunt
Flanders
Arvesen, Barry, Boasson Hagen, Hunt, Flecha,
Roubaix
Arvesen, Barry, Boasson Hagen, Hunt, Flecha, Thomas
Amstel Gold
Boasson Hagen, Uran, Arvesen
Liege Bastogne Liege
Uran

 

[Eric8-A]

Gent Wevelgem does not count as a cobbled classic in my book, sorry, aside from the one hill, there's really nothing there

Give Freire more than just the one cobblestroke and he sucks, he has proven that plenty of times.

Stop giving freire's qualities he does not have. It annoys me so many people think this just because Freire won and did well in Gent Wevelgem. The least cobbly of all cobbled classics (well maybe Scheldeprijs is even worse).

Freire simply does not rate at cobbles and will never win a race such as Omloop, RVV, PR, E3 etcetera when they really race...

Believe me I know what you mean. Not regarding Oscar Freire, but Berny Eisel. My brother hails him now as the best classics contender because he won Ghent-Wevelgem last year

 

[taiwan]

Sky - known so far. (updated)

Omloop
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Barry, Russell Downing, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mathew Hayman, Jeremy Hunt and Ian Stannard
KBK
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mathew Hayman, Greg Henderson, Jeremy Hunt, Ian Stannard, Chris Sutton and Geraint Thomas
MSR
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Barry, Thomas Löfkvist, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Ian Stannard, Bradley Wiggins, Michael Rogers
Dwaars dor Vlaanderen
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Barry, Russell Downing, Mathew Hayman, Juan Antonio Flecha, Chris Sutton, Geraint Thomas, Jeremy Hunt
gent Wevelgem
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Barry, Mathew Hayman, Greg Henderson, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Ian Stannard, Jeremy Hunt
Flanders
Arvesen, Barry, Boasson Hagen, Hunt, Flecha,
Roubaix
Arvesen, Barry, Boasson Hagen, Hunt, Flecha, Thomas
Amstel Gold
Boasson Hagen, Uran, Arvesen
Liege Bastogne Liege
Uran

Nice team for the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Flecha and Boasson hagen seem to have some form too. I can see them defending.

 

[analo69]

Believe me I know what you mean. Not regarding Oscar Freire, but Berny Eisel. My brother hails him now as the best classics contender because he won Ghent-Wevelgem last year

Bah. He only won because Matti Breschel got unlucky and punctured with 5 km to go. Breschel was the second best classics rider last year, but he got unlucky more than once. Too bad. I was really cheering for him. He did win in Waregem though.

The last couple of days I have been genuinely sad because he got injured again. And I still have some sadness within me because of the second place in the worlds in september. 1,5 m from eternal glory after 265 km of racing. It makes me almost cry to think about it.

He will be back again in Copenhagen this autumn.

 

[AntonioRossi]

so it is Boom and Langeveld leading Rabobank in the early classics

 

[AntonioRossi]

out of BMC"s strongest men ; Kroon, Quinziato, Burghardt, Avermaet, who do you guys reckon will be end in the top 10 - 15 in Omloop or Kuurne?

 

[auscyclefan94]

out of BMC"s strongest men ; Kroon, Quinziato, Burghardt, Avermaet, who do you guys reckon will be end in the top 10 - 15 in Omloop or Kuurne?

They will most likely find a awa to screw it up!

In all seriousness, Van avermaet should go well in KBK and Burghardt maybe is the best choice for Het volk

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

so it is Boom and Langeveld leading Rabobank in the early classics

meh cobbles are unpredictable, would be foolish for rabo to put all their eggs in one basket.

I would suggest both would be protected riders, maybe as the races progress one would get more preference. But I'd suggest it would be more a case of 'who has the legs' on the day.

In fact I remember reading both boom and langeveld as well as Wynants were all protected riders for saturday.