Who will win PR 2014?

[Hugo Koblet]

Cancellara's win would be the perfect result. But every 3-4 years there's a surprise in PR....
1997 Guesdon
2001 Knaven
2004 Backstedt
2007 O'Grady
2011 Vansummeren
What about a French win? Gaudin, Turgot, Chavanel...

And each year after Cancellara has won, there has been a surprise: Cancellara 2006, O'Grady 2007; Cancellara 2010, Vansummeren 2011. It's also hard to look past a French winner here: Everytime Paris-Roubaix has been held in a "14" year, there has been a French winner: Charles Crupelandt won in 1914. Statistics never lie.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

And each year after Cancellara has won, there has been a surprise: Cancellara 2006, O'Grady 2007; Cancellara 2010, Vansummeren 2011. It's also hard to look past a French winner here: Everytime Paris-Roubaix has been held in a "14" year, there has been a French winner: Charles Crupelandt won in 1914. Statistics never lie.

ah, the magnificent 1914 race. what a show, I wish i was there

 

[Hugo Koblet]

ah, the magnificent 1914 race. what a show, I wish i was there

Don't worry, Gaudin will make 2014 even more magnificent

 

[Jancouver]

I doubt anyone considered GVA as a real threat the moment he went clear, since there were still 30k to go, so you can't really blame them for sending Stijn with him at that point. They were probably trying to put pressure on Cancellara and co to force them to the front, but Canc kept his head cool.

What didn't make sense was when they didn't respond to counterattacks (the one from Leukemans for example) or when they actually did, they just closed the gap and sat on (Stybar with EBH) that was just plain dumb.

Exactly, GVA was no threat and Stijn should have not followed his move. He should stay with his leaders and do the dirty work. He pretty much wasted 30km just to sit on GVA wheel until they got caught by Fabu/Sep and then sat again ... just to finish 4th. At least he should work with GVA and he would finish second.

Again, those guys cant race without radios.

 

[therhodeo]

Cant see past Wiggins.

Apart from pretty much everyone else in the race.

I mean if there were carrots still here he could beat them but no one else.

 

[Flamin]

Exactly, GVA was no threat and Stijn should have not followed his move. He should stay with his leaders and do the dirty work. He pretty much wasted 30km just to sit on GVA wheel until they got caught by Fabu/Sep and then sat again ... just to finish 4th. At least he should work with GVA and he would finish second.

Again, those guys cant race without radios.

What's the purpose of that? Give Cancellara a free ride? Stijn going with GVA was a reasonable move. It's about what happened behind that is inexplicable.

 

[thrawn]

I've gone for Sep. Unless of course Cancellara just sits on his wheels and outsprints him

 

[Oliver]

I think Cancellara but I hope Vanmarcke

 

[VanBsr]

From TrekFactory's twitter:

"Looking ahead: here's what the first cobblestone sector for Sunday's #parisroubaix looks like! (Photo via @nieroepen)"

 

[Dazed and Confused]

From TrekFactory's twitter:

"Looking ahead: here's what the first cobblestone sector for Sunday's #parisroubaix looks like! (Photo via @nieroepen)"

lol, PR is indeed very special.

 

[DirtyWorks]

I've gone for Sep. Unless of course Cancellara just sits on his wheels and outsprints him

Cancellara will have a train right behind him the whole race. If Cancellara flats, the whole train will stop. Not kidding.

Conditions look good for a fast race based on that photo. The dust will be minimal and not too many blind puddles.

If that is the first sector from the start of the race, that's scored a "3" by the ASO. About 14KM of that kind of track, 18KM of "4"-rated track and 8KM of "5"-rated track.

 

[Afrank]

From TrekFactory's twitter:

"Looking ahead: here's what the first cobblestone sector for Sunday's #parisroubaix looks like! (Photo via @nieroepen)"

Oh boy, this is gonna be good.

 

[Tournesol]

Cancellara will win alone,think he might be on even better form than Sunday.Would be happy with him tying Boonen so that 2015 will be the mother of all cobbled seasons to decide the cobblestone master of all-time.

 

[perico]

Spartacus is just too good.

This. That's all.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

Cant see past Wiggins.

Apart from maybe Cancellara, Sagan or Boonen

this.

his legendary bike handling skills, mental toughness, his proven experience on the cobbles and his masterful tactical sensibilities will add up to a dominant victory here.

and by victory, i mean top 30 at least. he definitely, definitely, has what it takes to break the top 30, between 1 and 2 minutes back. it's gonna be the stuff of legend. they'll be talking about it in the wiggins thread for years! cn might even get you to click on an article about it.

 

[BYOP88]

Oh boy, this is gonna be good.

Damn right it is!

 

[BYOP88]

this.

his legendary bike handling skills, mental toughness, his proven experience on the cobbles and his masterful tactical sensibilities will add up to a dominant victory here.

and by victory, i mean top 30 at least. he definitely, definitely, has what it takes to break the top 30, between 1 and 2 minutes back. it's gonna be the stuff of legend. they'll be talking about it in the wiggins thread for years! cn might even get you to click on an article about it.

Chapeau Sir, Chapeau!

 

[Pippo_San]

I wonder what's gonna happen in the forums if the Knight wins.
The Tour de suisse 2011 thread of epicness would probably be obliterated.

 

[Jancouver]

I wonder what's gonna happen in the forums if the Knight wins.
The Tour de suisse 2011 thread of epicness would probably be obliterated.

Yeah, there is always a chance that everyone from the leading group of favorites will crash out and Sir Wigo will come from behind to take the W.

 

[Ripper]

Cant see past Wiggins.

Apart from maybe Cancellara, Sagan or Boonen

Where is the winky face?

 

[Ripper]

this.

his legendary bike handling skills, mental toughness, his proven experience on the cobbles and his masterful tactical sensibilities will add up to a dominant victory here.

and by victory, i mean top 30 at least. he definitely, definitely, has what it takes to break the top 30, between 1 and 2 minutes back. it's gonna be the stuff of legend. they'll be talking about it in the wiggins thread for years! cn might even get you to click on an article about it.

This is the best post of the year thus far. Well done

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

This. That's all.

Why would people say that, since Cancellara was not as dominant in RvV like 2013, and PR last year already was a close call.

 

[perico]

Why would people say that, since Cancellara was not as dominant in RvV like 2013, and PR last year already was a close call.

Because I don't think anyone will beat him. His record speaks for itself. Is he beatable? Yes, but do I think it will happen this year? Probably not. Boonen is the only one as talented as Spartacus, but he looked downright pedestrian last week.

Just my own feelings on the matter.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Because I don't think anyone will beat him. His record speaks for itself. Is he beatable? Yes, but do I think it will happen this year? Probably not. Boonen is the only one as talented as Spartacus, but he looked downright pedestrian last week.

Just my own feelings on the matter.

Hopefully, OPQS will run a much more aggressive strategy at P-R. Cancellara would be alone, quite like poor Sagan at Flanders. They've got the talent.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Also, why are people so hard on Boonen. I personally think it's amazing he still has this form and motivation after what happened.

Anyway, for me Cancellara definitely can be beaten. He clearly is less strong than the year before, and last year he already only won by a small margin.