Tour de Belgique - Tour of Belgium 2012 (2.HC) May 23 - May 27

[El Pistolero]

With the difference Tour of Belgium organisers don't pretend to be the biggest race out there, that's why they don't get trashed,

A subtle difference you don't seem to get, as always

You're forgetting another subtle difference, I'm sure you know what I mean.

 

[Spine Concept]

Talking about subtile differences. I had hoped Garmin would be there so we can see how subtite the difference between Tony and Dekker is in the TT
Do you know if Dekker will be doing the Dauphine?

...and then you deflect the attention away from your ignorant error by making very daft comparisons about a guy who has only recently been back in the peloton after being out for a coupe of years.

 

[Bavarianrider]

...and then you deflect the attention away from your ignorant error by making very daft comparisons about a guy who has only recently been back in the peloton after being out for a coupe of years.

He wasn't out for no reason.
And no one forbidded him to train in those years,too

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Keep deflecting your ignorance when you are out of arguments once again

 

[Bavarianrider]

Keep deflecting your ignorance when you are out of arguments once again

Well we all know that you guys have run out of arguments when you start throwing around your personal insults.
Anyway, the field is really weak i realized. Even ****ing Bayrernrundfahrt might have a stronger one.

 

[dlwssonic]

with that much timetrialing how on earth can gilbert win it??

 

[greenedge]

I think Martin will win this. He also has an able lieutenant in Terpstra. I will however tip Gilbert to win stage 5 and definitely give the leader a scare.

Boom based on this years PR, a few ITTs' he has done and winning TOB ( similar but less good ) i think has a big chance here.

 

[Bavarianrider]

with that much timetrialing how on earth can gilbert win it??

Didn't he have some descent TT in the past?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well we all know that you guys have run out of arguments when you start throwing around your personal insults.
Anyway, the field is really weak i realized. Even ****ing Bayrernrundfahrt might have a stronger one.

personal insults? You are the one starting with insulting by going on about my favorite rider when you got an answer to the topic of Tour of Belgium. So you're deflecting the argument and starting the insults.

Once again. You show your ignorance. Everytime somebody outwits you about a subject (like Tour of Belgium here), YOU are the one starting the insults and deflections. Maybe if you stayed on topic for once and wouldn't revert to insults it would not come to this.

 

[dlwssonic]

Didn't he have some descent TT in the past?

20km is pretty long for him and there is tony.

 

[Bavarianrider]

personal insults? You are the one starting with insulting by going on about my favorite rider when you got an answer to the topic of Tour of Belgium. So you're deflecting the argument and starting the insults.

Once again. You show your ignorance. Everytime somebody outwits you about a subject (like Tour of Belgium here), YOU are the one starting the insults and deflections. Maybe if you stayed on topic for once and wouldn't revert to insults it would not come to this.

I never use any personal insults against posters. And i don't see how i insulted Dekker.
You are the one who is insulting people with terms like ignorant and so on.

 

[Bavarianrider]

20km is pretty long for him and there is tony.

The last stage is Taylor made for Gilbert though.
Of course, if Tony goes all in he should win.

 

[classicomano]

Lieuwe Westra!

 

[Gloin22]

Lieuwe Westra!

We can safely predict another 2nd place here

 

[Flamin]

really excited about this race, with the itt finishing just a few 100m from my home.

the route favours the time trialists, so I think Martin vs Boom vs Westra. and I expect something from the cyclocrossers, Stybar and Albert. both in good shape.

this is also phil's first race with his brother Jérôme

 

[CobbleStoner]

I love the Ronde van Belgie because only Belgians and Dutch care about it, and it has THE best leaders jersey of any stage race in the world.
Westra could take it, Chav or Terpstra also. gonna be a great race either way

 

[Spine Concept]

I never use any personal insults against posters. And i don't see how i insulted Dekker.
You are the one who is insulting people with terms like ignorant and so on.

No, you like to take the moral high ground don't you? Taking little jabs at a poster's favorite rider or make baseless assumptions over and over is bound to elicit a reaction in that regard. Thus, I cannot sympathize with you when you do get labelled an ignorant nor should you be surprised. You really are not doing Martin any favors here.

Regardless, I still think Martin has the best papers if he really goes for it in the TT. I have no idea where Gilbert stands to be honest, but he's always a favorite. Then we have Boom, Stybar, and Albert, the cyclocrossers with the biggest chance of achieving something here. I remember Albert did surprisingly well in last year's (?) edition, especially in a particular stage though I'm not certain which one. I hope Boom has some decent form going into this as it should suit him well. Stybar is an enigma, who knows what will happen once he really goes for it. I'm looking forward to this one to be honest.

 

[boomcie]

Hilly stage epic most of the time. Looking forward! Tony for gc.

 

[Echoes]

Then we have Boom, Stybar, and Albert, the cyclocrossers with the biggest chance of achieving something here. I remember Albert did surprisingly well in last year's (?) edition, especially in a particular stage though I'm not certain which one. I hope Boom has some decent form going into this as it should suit him well. Stybar is an enigma, who knows what will happen once he really goes for it. I'm looking forward to this one to be honest.

It was the 4th stage of the 2009 edition, Fléron to Fléron. But it was only a surprise for those who didn't really know him because he already showed in the U23 he could perform on the road (8 wins out of the 10 he started, or something).
That day, he was in the morning breakaway cought by the leaders but hung up and could still attack in the last climbs. I still remember the great battle with Lars Anthonius Boom.

De Waele won because Niels had a mechanic in the sprint. Definitely the best race to watch, that season.

After that he would go on winning the prologue of the Boucles de la Mayenne, top10 the Circuito Montañes (if I'm not mistaken) and winning the Tour of Alsace (+ stage on the Ballon d'Alsace), that year.

We've never seen such a great Albert on the road, since then.

In 2008, while he was still racing for Paelmans, he was again in the morning breakaway of the queen stage of the Tour (of Belgium) and passed the Mur de Huy, alone ahead but then he dropped out, while Nys could catch the main group (with no road race in his legs before).

 

[Spine Concept]

It was the 4th stage of the 2009 edition, Fléron to Fléron. But it was only a surprise for those who didn't really know him because he already showed in the U23 he could perform on the road (8 wins out of the 10 he started, or something).
That day, he was in the morning breakaway cought by the leaders but hung up and could still attack in the last climbs. I still remember the great battle with Lars Anthonius Boom.

De Waele won because Niels had a mechanic in the sprint. Definitely the best race to watch, that season.

After that he would go on winning the prologue of the Boucles de la Mayenne, top10 the Circuito Montañes (if I'm not mistaken) and winning the Tour of Alsace (+ stage on the Ballon d'Alsace), that year.

We've never seen such a great Albert on the road, since then.

In 2008, while he was still racing for Paelmans, he was again in the morning breakaway of the queen stage of the Tour (of Belgium) and passed the Mur de Huy, alone ahead but then he dropped out, while Nys could catch the main group (with no road race in his legs before).

Thank you so much for that. Albert is indeed a multi-talented rider. It's a shame we don't get to see him more on the road.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

An Post Sean Kelly are sending an interesting squad. It's all Belgian, bar Australian track star Scott Law. The main leader will obviously be Nico Eeckhout, and I'd love to see him get a stage, but it will also be worth watching Kenneth Vanbilsen, who has just won the U23 Ronde and who has had podium finishes recently in the Circuit de Wallonie and the ZLM Tour.

Bagdonas is in Ireland defending his Ras title.

 

[El Pistolero]

I love the Ronde van Belgie because only Belgians and Dutch care about it, and it has THE best leaders jersey of any stage race in the world.
Westra could take it, Chav or Terpstra also. gonna be a great race either way

I'm afraid they changed the leaders jersey this year. If I remember correctly it's a red one now.

 

[El Pistolero]

It was the 4th stage of the 2009 edition, Fléron to Fléron. But it was only a surprise for those who didn't really know him because he already showed in the U23 he could perform on the road (8 wins out of the 10 he started, or something).
That day, he was in the morning breakaway cought by the leaders but hung up and could still attack in the last climbs. I still remember the great battle with Lars Anthonius Boom.

De Waele won because Niels had a mechanic in the sprint. Definitely the best race to watch, that season.

After that he would go on winning the prologue of the Boucles de la Mayenne, top10 the Circuito Montañes (if I'm not mistaken) and winning the Tour of Alsace (+ stage on the Ballon d'Alsace), that year.

We've never seen such a great Albert on the road, since then.

In 2008, while he was still racing for Paelmans, he was again in the morning breakaway of the queen stage of the Tour (of Belgium) and passed the Mur de Huy, alone ahead but then he dropped out, while Nys could catch the main group (with no road race in his legs before).

Wasn't too bad last year either actually. He missed the initial move instigated by Gilbert, but made it almost back to the front of the race on his own(he was already between the cars), but sadly for him, that's when Gilbert decided to increase the pace again.

 

[TRDean]

I'm hoping for a stage win from van Hummel.

 

[Panda Claws]

Gilbert claims to have actually trained last month. So it will be interesting to see what he can do.

Tony Martin would normally be the favorite but he has showed even less than Gilbert this year (so far).