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Tour Match Up: Gesink v Van Den Broeck

Who will finish higher in the Tour de France?

  • TGBM!!!

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Let's Get Ready to CYCLE!!!


In the Orange corner, weighing in at 68 kilos, he is your 2011 Tour of Oman champion, the cycling pride of Varsseveld... Robert 'the Condor' Gesink!

In the Beige corner, weighing in at 69 kilos, he is your..... ummm.... ummmm... Well he has no victories to his name yet, but I'm sure he'll get one soon. He is the cycling Cub of Flanders... Jurgen Van Den Broeck!


Who will finish higher in this year's Tour de France? Discuss:
 
A grand tour is a funny thing and anything could happen but I have trouble believing Van den Broeck could improve significatively on his 5th (he might be 4th or even 3rd if the circumstances are 100% right but I don't see him being much closer to whoever ends up winning it), whereas Gesink has a lot more potential and I can easily picture him on the podium.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Moondance said:
Well, the Belgians (some of them at least) are seemingly in denial about it :rolleyes:

Same denial the Dutchies have for Boom at the classics :eek:

First thing Gesink has to proof to me is that he can get through a GT without falling. Hence my vote.
 
May 26, 2009
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Well, Samuel, Robert and Ivan are the prime candidates for podium behind Schleckette and Contador.


But we will see :)
El Pistolero said:
Same denial the Dutchies have for Boom at the classics :eek:

First thing Gesink has to proof to me is that he can get through a GT without falling. Hence my vote.

Jurgen? I'd really be surprised if he beats Robert. Not only does he lack punch (zero victories means he has no punch or that he is rather naive.. so far everything points to both), his season is unspectacular so far.

In this statistics are square against JvdB. No way to spin it really.
 
Im seeing some nice factions emerging here.

Gesink - Moondance, Timmy, Ruben, youngest, Havets, Barrus, Kwibus a few others.

JVDB- Pistrollero, Michael, Buffalo Soldier (boomcie?, thirteen)

Samu Sanchez- The Hitch, NV Pachi, (Ferminal, Libertine Seguros?)

Evans- ACF,dlwssonic, Sporzchick (if she finds her way) back, Tuarts, blaxland, bicing, greenedge a few others.








Soler - Ryo Hazuki:eek:

Any other takers?
 
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The Hitch said:
Im seeing some nice factions emerging here.

Gesink - Moondance, Timmy, Ruben, youngest, Havets, Kwibus a few others.

JVDB- Pistrollero, Michael, Buffalo Soldier (boomcie?, thirteen)

Samu Sanchez- The Hitch, NV Pachi, (Ferminal, Libertine Seguros?)

Evans- ACF,dlwssonic, Sporzchick (if she finds her way) back, Tuarts, blaxland, bicing, greenedge a few others.







Soler - Ryo Hazuki:eek:

Actually, I think Gesink can climb better. But the excuses the Dutchies come up with for Gesink are amusing to say the least. Already looking forward to them this July. But does it matter? Gesink will never win the Tour. I'd rather gloat with a victory than with a fourth place or something lol.
 
hrotha said:
A grand tour is a funny thing and anything could happen but I have trouble believing Van den Broeck could improve significatively on his 5th (he might be 4th or even 3rd if the circumstances are 100% right but I don't see him being much closer to whoever ends up winning it), whereas Gesink has a lot more potential and I can easily picture him on the podium.

I personally think the podium is too high for Gesink this year. Schleck and Contador are clearly in a different class and will claim the top two slots. So then there will be a battle royale for third between Basso, Gesink, Evans, Schleck the Elder, Samuel Sanchez, Van Den Broeck, and maybe guys like Wiggins and one or two members of the Shack Geriatric Squad (Kloden seems most likely).

From those guys, I'd rate Basso and Sanchez higher, Evans around equal, and the rest below. So I'll slot Gesink in 5th this year, pushing Evans into 6th, just to annoy ACF.
 
El Pistolero said:
Same denial the Dutchies have for Boom at the classics :eek:

First thing Gesink has to proof to me is that he can get through a GT without falling. Hence my vote.

When did I, or any Dutchie on this forum for that matter, ever predicted Boom would win, or even do well, in a classic? It's been D_Ts joke for years that Boom goes BOOM! after 200kms.
 
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Moondance said:
When did I, or any Dutchie on this forum for that matter, ever predicted Boom would win, or even do well, in a classic? It's been D_Ts joke for years that Boom goes BOOM! after 200kms FFS!

Every year during the spring season.

When did any Belgian say VDB was going to win the Tour? Can he beat Gesink in a GT? Well, yes he can. Will it happen? Who knows :)
 
Moondance said:
I personally think the podium is too high for Gesink this year. Schleck and Contador are clearly in a different class and will claim the top two slots. So then there will be a battle royale for third between Basso, Gesink, Evans, Schleck the Elder, Samuel Sanchez, Van Den Broeck, and maybe guys like Wiggins and one or two members of the Shack Geriatric Squad (Kloden seems most likely).

From those guys, I'd rate Basso and Sanchez higher, Evans around equal, and the rest below. So I'll slot Gesink in 5th this year, pushing Evans into 6th, just to annoy ACF.
Agreed, but I wasn't talking just about this year but about future Tours as well. I can definitely picture Gesink on the podium in the near future, while Van den Broeck, IMO, would need a pretty weird race to manage it.

(For the record, Van den Broeck is one of my favourite riders. Gesink too, but I like Van den Broeck better)
 
Moondance said:
I personally think the podium is too high for Gesink this year. Schleck and Contador are clearly in a different class and will claim the top two slots. So then there will be a battle royale for third between Basso, Gesink, Evans, Schleck the Elder, Samuel Sanchez, Van Den Broeck, and maybe guys like Wiggins and one or two members of the Shack Geriatric Squad (Kloden seems most likely).

From those guys, I'd rate Basso and Sanchez higher, Evans around equal, and the rest below. So I'll slot Gesink in 5th this year, pushing Evans into 6th, just to annoy ACF.

As I've been saying, the battle for third(or 2nd before Contador wasn't disciplined) is the thing to watch for this Tour. There's atleast 5 different people who have a shot at it. I'm leaning towards a Contador-Schleck-Shleck podium myself as I think Andy will carry Frank to 3rd.

As for Gesink vs JVdB: I have to go with Gesink based on results alone. I cannot believe how hard VdB is pimped with his palmares. Very unusual.
 
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El Pistolero said:
Actually, I think Gesink can climb better. But the excuses the Dutchies come up with for Gesink are amusing to say the least. Already looking forward to them this July. But does it matter? Gesink will never win the Tour. I'd rather gloat with a victory than with a fourth place or something lol.

The thing is... so far they haven't needed excuses at all. 3 finished GT's all in the top 3 and he's really young. Added a slew of victories and decent showings in classics. Not much to cry about.

And well, if Gesink won't win the Tour, wich does indeed seem rather obviious unless some Puerto boom takes out Schlekkette+AC(and yes he needs to stay unscathed), chances of him actually winning a GT are just so much bigger than JvdB.

Gesink has his own demon: Not only does he have a tendency to fall, he really gets banged up. But well... JvdB never won a pro race. That indicates he lacks certain key skills.

And about Boom: not only is he rated high by Belgium and Dutch pundits, he has a very impressive palmares for a young guy. Chances of him winning a classic are not remote. Even Gilbert needed a few years to get up there.
 
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Sorry, Boom's palmares on the road isn't impressive. It's good, but not impressive at all. Besides you don't need to win something to finish in front of Gesink.

At least VDB has been there in the final of some mountain stages. Can't say the same about Boom in a real classic.
 
El Pistolero said:
Sorry, Boom's palmares on the road isn't impressive. It's good, but not impressive at all.

Completely agree.

But I've always been bearish on Boom. In theory he has a masses of promise, but the best he can hope for, and he needs a lot of luck with this, is to end up in sort of George Hincapie territory. A few good wins here and there in other races, and a podium or two, but no big marquee classics wins.
 
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El Pistolero said:
Sorry, Boom's palmares on the road isn't impressive. It's good, but not impressive at all. Besides you don't need to win something to finish in front of Gesink.

As a 23 year old cyclo cross rider winning a GT stage is quite impressive. But sure, let's call it good :)

Still doesn't change a thing about JvdB. I guess having nothing at all after lucien really hurts (okay, Claudy was a hero) and makes you so snarky about Robert Gesink.

Moondance said:
Completely agree.

But I've always been bearish on Boom. In theory he has a masses of promise, but the best he can hope for, and he needs a lot of luck with this, is to end up in sort of George Hincapie territory. A few good wins here and there in other races, and a podium or two, but no big marquee classics wins.

I'm sorry but he's nothing like Big George. I'm not even sure where you get that crazy idea.

first of all they are quite different where Lars actually has a lot of punch (he wins Prologues)

At 22 winning Dutch Championship, 23 winning a GT stage, 25 winning the prologue of P-N. Look at George's first three years and say the same thing again.

I'd reserve judgement about Lars a bit longer, he's rather young :rolleyes:
 

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