Who will win PR 2014?

[DirtyWorks]

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.

Cancellara can be beaten. He's been beaten at P-R. Even as a rider who very, very likely had riders from other teams assigned to follow him everywhere at Flanders he still won. Boonen and Sagan both are similarly capable. They are hard on Boonen like they are hard on Sagan after Flanders regardless of circumstances. No podium.

 

[Jspear]

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.

Yes, Cancellara can definitely be beaten. OPQS will definitely want to have a strong showing after Flanders. Also, Sep Vanmarcke is very strong right now....Cancellara will definitely have his hands full. I'm still hoping he'll win.

Btw will he have Devolder for support?

 

[Kwibus]

Next Sunday has everything for a surprise winner. A heavily marked Cancellara which gets isolated quickly so the early attackers and smallers favourites who get to ride away have a chance of winning as well.

Cancellara probably has too many good riders on his wheel and right now isn't strong enough to drop them all.

 

[Afrank]

Yes, Cancellara can definitely be beaten. OPQS will definitely want to have a strong showing after Flanders. Also, Sep Vanmarcke is very strong right now....Cancellara will definitely have his hands full. I'm still hoping he'll win.

Btw will he have Devolder for support?

Yest, he'll have him. Not sure how much he'll realistically be able to do after crashing so many times at Flanders. hopefully all his crashes won't hinder him too much.

 

[Jspear]

Yest, he'll have him. Not sure how much he'll realistically be able to do after crashing so many times at Flanders. hopefully all his crashes won't hinder him too much.

Ok thanks. Hopefully he'll be ok. I knew he was scheduled to ride PR, but I was still asking because of his crash injuries....didn't know if things had changed.

 

[Afrank]

Next Sunday has everything for a surprise winner. A heavily marked Cancellara which gets isolated quickly so the early attackers and smallers favourites who get to ride away have a chance of winning as well.

Cancellara probably has too many good riders on his wheel and right now isn't strong enough to drop them all.

But as we saw in RVV, the other big favorite (Vanmarcke) isn't the type of rider that will just suck wheel and not do any turns. He's more then willing to help out. BMC also I think will likely go on the attack (like Phinney and GVA did at RVV). Omega, they'll probably most likely to suck Cance's wheel (which is a shame because they have some of the best riders). Nevertheless I don't think Cancellara will have as hard a time with people sucking his wheel as he has had in the past.

But of course there's still always the chance we could get a surprise. Anything can happen on the cobbles.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Yest, he'll have him. Not sure how much he'll realistically be able to do after crashing so many times at Flanders. hopefully all his crashes won't hinder him too much.

Imagine if Cancellara actually worked for Devolder during the run-in to the velodrome. That would be awesome race strategy assuming Devolder and Cancellara get that far at the sharp end of the race. It deals with the hangers-on that will be assigned to Cancellara's wheel, but not likely given Cancellara's ambitions and capabilities.

My pick in the poll is Vanmarke. Cancellara is a very likely podium. Anything can happen. I love this time of year!!!

 

[Kwibus]

But as we saw in RVV, the other big favorite (Vanmarcke) isn't the type of rider that will just suck wheel and not do any turns. He's more then willing to help out. BMC also I think will likely go on the attack (like Phinney and GVA did at RVV). Omega, they'll probably most likely to suck Cance's wheel (which is a shame because they have some of the best riders). Nevertheless I don't think Cancellara will have as hard a time with people sucking his wheel as he has had in the past.

But of course there's still always the chance we could get a surprise. Anything can happen on the cobbles.

I was just thinking about this, but no need to post it anymore as you just did
Just realised as well that the other big favourite Vanmarcke will be happy to put on the hurt together with Fabian.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

I don't know if I'd call Vanmarcke a big favourite. I doubt he can string together two big rides on the trot at this stage in this career and even if he can I doubt he can finish it off. Everything seemed to fall perfect for him on sunday

 

[Kwibus]

I don't know if I'd call Vanmarcke a big favourite. I doubt he can string together two big rides on the trot at this stage in this career and even if he can I doubt he can finish it off. Everything seemed to fall perfect for him on sunday

I don't think he can finish it off as well, but looking at last P-R and this years Flanders he seems to be very strong and impossible to drop. Twice now he has been able to follow Cancellara when everyone else got dropped. So he knows he can do this stuff. He will be an ally of Canc, allthough they won't help eachother their styles will probably help eachother though

 

[Afrank]

I don't know if I'd call Vanmarcke a big favourite. I doubt he can string together two big rides on the trot at this stage in this career and even if he can I doubt he can finish it off. Everything seemed to fall perfect for him on sunday

All cobble season Vanmarcke has been consistently strong, placing 4th, 3rd, 5th, 4th, 3rd (Scheldeprijs being the only one day spring classic he hasn't been in the top 5 in). So we know he has the form. We also know from last year he can handle the cobbles of Roubaix as well as anyone.

I don't think a repeat performance akin to last years, even after his Flanders performance, would be too much an ask (and it's not like he's been riding every day since Flanders like in a GT after all). I consider him along with Cancellara the two biggest favorites.

 

[yespatterns]

I voted Cance, but would be thrilled if he, Sep, or Boonen won. So many reasons to cheer on so many people. Godammit, I love this race so much!

 

[Angliru]

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 really made me smile! Thanks!

 

[spanky wanderlust]

This really made me smile! Thanks!

thanks guys. i'd love to take credit. but the fact is, this snarky wiggins comedy writes itself.

 

[42x16ss]

thanks guys. i'd love to take credit. but the fact is, this snarky wiggins comedy writes itself.

I bet

Just take the old LA/USPS material, run the switcheroo on a couple of names and BOOM!

 

[movingtarget]

Imagine if Cancellara actually worked for Devolder during the run-in to the velodrome. That would be awesome race strategy assuming Devolder and Cancellara get that far at the sharp end of the race. It deals with the hangers-on that will be assigned to Cancellara's wheel, but not likely given Cancellara's ambitions and capabilities.

My pick in the poll is Vanmarke. Cancellara is a very likely podium. Anything can happen. I love this time of year!!!

Yeah I would like to see Sep win but he will be heavily marked along with Cancellara. I wonder if it could be a year for surprises again like the year Van Summeren won. Maybe a rider like Phinney if he has a lot of luck towards the finish. I remember the year O'Grady won, everyone was looking at Cancellara but O'Grady had very good form going into the race and it wasn't so much tactical as Cancellara did not have a good day and told O'Grady to ride his own race. With Flecha gone, Ballan suspended,Hushovd not in his previous form nor Boonen it's hard to see past the two obvious choices. Stybar would be the other one who could win without surprising.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Stybar would be the other one who could win without surprising.

We know Stybar can go the distance at the sharp end of the race now. Unless we get some kind of radical change in DS strategy from OPQS since Flanders, I think Stybar ends up working for someone else... who doesn't podium.. That is sad considering the depth of talent for the Spring Classics. But, it's what makes bike racing great to watch.

 

[Archibald]

could hushovd get away with a vansummeren type strategy? We know BMC will be sending riders up the road and phinney will be marked if he goes, but what if hushovd goes up the road early doors... would the other DS's take him as a serious threat? could he be a serious threat if he gets away with some others and a decent gap?

 

[Afrank]

Doubt they'd let Hushovd get away in a early break. He may not be the same rider he once was, but given his history don't think other teams would want to take the risk of letting him get away with the early break.

 

[42x16ss]

Doubt they'd let Hushovd get away in a early break. He may not be the same rider he once was, but given his history don't think other teams would want to take the risk of letting him get away with the early break.

Especially if Phinney and/or GVA are well placed at the head of things. Hushovd would be far too dangerous to have up the road in reserve for BMC.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Especially if Phinney and/or GVA are well placed at the head of things. Hushovd would be far too dangerous to have up the road in reserve for BMC.

This is why I predict a podium spot for BMC. The way they played Flanders was as good as it gets.

 

[RetroActive]

John Degenkolb

 

[rainman]

thanks guys. i'd love to take credit. but the fact is, this snarky wiggins comedy writes itself.

There may not be any credit to take by Sunday evening. But I cant blame, I've had a joke or two at Wiggo's expense. looking for a very good ride from him, possible podium.

 

[VanBsr]

There may not be any credit to take by Sunday evening. But I cant blame, I've had a joke or two at Wiggo's expense. looking for a very good ride from him, possible podium.

based on what?

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

GVA to come second.
Thomas to crash.

Have I missed anything else out?

Well, ok... Vanmarcke must be due a big win.