Who will win 2015 Ronde van Vlaanderen?

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

Terpstra, Thomas, and Vanmarcke to battle it out with Terpstra taking the spoils, methinks.

Stybar more likely than Terpstra for RVV tbh, roles reversed for Roubaix

 

[alspacka]

Calm down people, Sagan's got this. No questions asked.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

*****Vanmarcke, Thomas, Stybar
****Terpstra, Vandenbergh
***Kristoff, Sagan
**Devolder, Van Avermaet, Roelandts, Degenkolb, Stannard
*Boom, Oss, Chavanel, Pozzato, Paolini

GVA and Kristoff should both be higher in the list, Vandenbergh lower

 

[PremierAndrew]

For me:

****Thomas Vanmarcke Stybar
***Terpstra Kristoff GVA (Assuming he wasn't affected too much by his E3 crash)
**Sagan Roelandts Boom
*Paolini Wiggins Vandenbergh Oss Chavanel Degenkolb

 

[MagnusMagnussen]

Devolder.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re:

You seriously cannot give Vandenbergh 4 stars and even rate him above Kristoff.

I can't help being impressed by Vandenbergh. One day he will win a race, maybe not the RvV, but a semi-classic.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

*****Vanmarcke, Thomas, Stybar
****Terpstra, Vandenbergh
***Kristoff, Sagan
**Devolder, Van Avermaet, Roelandts, Degenkolb, Stannard
*Boom, Oss, Chavanel, Pozzato, Paolini

LOL at Vandenbergh. He should at best have 1 star

Would rate Kristoff 4 stars and Paolini 2 stars.
Stannard should not be on the list.
Stybar should have 4 stars, not 5. Vanmarcke knows what it takes to be in the front of De Ronde. Stybar doesn't.

 

[BigMac]

Could it be? Could the poll possibly be working?

edit: no

 

[Pantani_lives]

A compromise would look something like this:

*****Thomas, Vanmarcke
****Stybar, Terpstra, Kristoff
***Sagan, Degenkolb
**Devolder, Van Avermaet, Roelandts, Vandenbergh, Paolini
*Boom, Oss, Chavanel, Wiggins, Stannard

 

[dicanio_michael]

Re: Re:

*****Vanmarcke, Thomas, Stybar
****Terpstra, Vandenbergh
***Kristoff, Sagan
**Devolder, Van Avermaet, Roelandts, Degenkolb, Stannard
*Boom, Oss, Chavanel, Pozzato, Paolini

LOL at Vandenbergh. He should at best have 1 star

Would rate Kristoff 4 stars and Paolini 2 stars.
Stannard should not be on the list.
Stybar should have 4 stars, not 5. Vanmarcke knows what it takes to be in the front of De Ronde. Stybar doesn't.

If 5 starts rating is this high that Stybar is not at, Vanmarcke should have won a monument by now.
Stybar might not have a good record here, but he was a plan 2 (maybe 2b) rider back then. And he knows how to follow an winning move judging from his cyclo-cross when he was not a reserved rider.

Btw Thomas might be a bit ahead of the favourites by now

 

[jaylew]

The only guys I think could actually win this:

*****Thomas, Stybar
****Terpstra, Kristoff, Vanmarcke
***GVA, Sagan
**Degenkolb, Vandenbergh, Paolini, Roelandts
*Devolder

Would like to see Terpstra or GVA take it.
Also wouldn't mind Stybar or Sagan.
Rather not Kristoff.
Please, anyone but Degenkolb.

 

[Jancouver]

OK Here is my star rating

***** Styby, Sagan, Thomas
**** Terpstra, Vanmarcke
*** GVA, Dagenkolb, Roelandts
** Vandenbergh, Kristoff
* Oss, Haussler, Leukemans, Chavanel, Wiggins, Pippo

Outside bet ...
Johny Hoogerland + Jan Barta + DurboTurbo to sweep the podium with a start to finish breakaway

 

[nepetalactone]

Re:

OK Here is my star rating

***** Styby, Sagan, Thomas
**** Terpstra, Vanmarcke
*** GVA, Dagenkolb, Roelandts
** Vandenbergh, Kristoff
* Oss, Haussler, Leukemans, Chavanel, Wiggins, Pippo

Outside bet ...
Johny Hoogerland + Jan Barta + DurboTurbo to sweep the podium with a start to finish breakaway

I'm thinking about the same, maybe flipping Sep and Peter.

 

[Asero831]

no love for lobato?

 

[Vesica]

***** Thomas, Vanmarcke,
**** Terpstra, Stybar, Vandebergh
*** Van Avermaet, Degenkolb, Kristoff
** Paolini, Oss
* Sagan, Roelandts, Boom

 

[GP Blanco]

Re:

no love for lobato?

Maybe he can do a Farrar but I do not consider him an outsider for winning the race.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

For me:

***** Thomas, Vanmarcke
**** Stybar, Kristoff, Terpstra
*** Degenkolb, GVA, Sagan
** Roelandts, Vandenbergh
* Boom, Devolder, Oss

 

[The Hegelian]

Re:

Terpstra is my pick. I thought he was incredible in Ghent-Wevelgem. He was the last man to join the successful break, having to bridge a 49 second gap to do so, which he did over only 4.5km. Then he was first over the Kemmelberg (only Thomas could stay with him). Then flatted he with 18km to go and lost 20-25 seconds, which he regained in only 1.5km. Then as soon as he did catch the lead group he immediately attacked (only Paolini following him). Then he outsprinted Thomas for second place.

Everyone seems to be (understandably) so impressed with how strong Thomas was, but overlooking how good Terpstra was.

Agree with this. I think he'll be the man for Etixx, and they'll be a force as usual. It's counter intuitive, but I could see it being beneficial for them to be without Boonen - less cards to play = a clearer plan to run with.

Would love to see GVA win, but until he actually snags a big one it's kind of impossible to imagine anything other than a brilliant and noble podium.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

Terpstra is my pick. I thought he was incredible in Ghent-Wevelgem. He was the last man to join the successful break, having to bridge a 49 second gap to do so, which he did over only 4.5km. Then he was first over the Kemmelberg (only Thomas could stay with him). Then flatted he with 18km to go and lost 20-25 seconds, which he regained in only 1.5km. Then as soon as he did catch the lead group he immediately attacked (only Paolini following him). Then he outsprinted Thomas for second place.

Everyone seems to be (understandably) so impressed with how strong Thomas was, but overlooking how good Terpstra was.

Agree with this. I think he'll be the man for Etixx, and they'll be a force as usual. It's counter intuitive, but I could see it being beneficial for them to be without Boonen - less cards to play = a clearer plan to run with.

Would love to see GVA win, but until he actually snags a big one it's kind of impossible to imagine anything other than a brilliant and noble podium.

Terpstra isn't as good as Stybar on the hills though. Agree that Terpstra will be Etixx's man for Roubaix but Stybar should get the nod for Flanders

 

[Asero831]

This will end up in a Sprint as domestiques will keep the favorites at bay. Paolini, Wiggings and Benoot will be key here
My money is on Degenkolb

 

[sir_velo]

No mentions anywhere of the current Belgian Champion? Jens Debusschere has been going great guns recently, and certainly worth an e/w pop at very large odds.

 

[memyselfandI]

Dunno, but would looove to see Sir Wiggo this time doing the 2010 FC style runaway with Stybar or Terpstra and then coming home with solo win.

 

[ray j willings]

Re:

Dunno, but would looove to see Sir Wiggo this time doing the 2010 FC style runaway with Stybar or Terpstra and then coming home with solo win.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....that can't happen

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Wiggins attacks at the start, is joined by some riders to form the break, eventually leaves his break companions to go solo and wins by 8 minutes.

 

[luckyboy]

***** Benoot
****
*** Vanmarcke
**
* Someone else