Zdenek Stybar Thread

[Afrank]

Very serious.

So far, Paris-Roubaix aside, he's only been a domestique. Even a domestique for Cavendish in Milan-Sanremo while he normally should be a better climber.

I've been following Stybar since his 2005 9th spot at the Giro delle Regioni, which was the best thing he could've done on the road as a U23, and more closely since 2007 in the prairies and I can safely say that he can be a decent roadie but not a big star as he can be in cyclocross. Niels Albert has more ability for the road. Boom too.

And I'm fed up with all this 'bad luck' matter. He could easily have avoided this spectator if he were still fresh. De Vlaeminck has always said "In Paris-Roubaix, crashes and punctures are not bad luck, it's a matter of clear-mindedness".

His missing a turn a bit further (he, the cyclocrosser !) and that he lost much time on a short distance shows that he was burnt out. It's crystal clear.

He showed today he can be a contender in the big races. sure he might be able to get more success in cross, but the success that could come with cross in nowhere near as prestigious as that which would come with road.

And just because he was tired at the end of the Hell of the North/Queen of the Classics/Paris-Freaking-Roubaix doesn't mean he can't be a contender for the win there in the future. He's still relatively young and there is plenty of room for him to improve on today's performance.

 

[wiggos sideburn]

Very serious.

So far, Paris-Roubaix aside, he's only been a domestique. Even a domestique for Cavendish in Milan-Sanremo while he normally should be a better climber.

I've been following Stybar since his 2005 9th spot at the Giro delle Regioni, which was the best thing he could've done on the road as a U23, and more closely since 2007 in the prairies and I can safely say that he can be a decent roadie but not a big star as he can be in cyclocross. Niels Albert has more ability for the road. Boom too.

And I'm fed up with all this 'bad luck' matter. He could easily have avoided this spectator if he were still fresh. De Vlaeminck has always said "In Paris-Roubaix, crashes and punctures are not bad luck, it's a matter of clear-mindedness".

His missing a turn a bit further (he, the cyclocrosser !) and that he lost much time on a short distance shows that he was burnt out. It's crystal clear.

Don't know if he could have easily avoided the spectator and he did well to stay on his bike. But of course he wasn't fresh there was less than 10 km's to go. But just because he was far from fresh isn't a reason for him not to do well in the future.

 

[spookyload]

If Vanmarcke and Canc had ridden side by side in the sprint, Vanmarcke would have won.

You are joking right? Maybe if they hadn't ridden the entire PR at 44k/h for six hours he would have won. Cancellara won because he still had something in the tank at the end. Stybar might have held on to a wheel till the end, but to have something left in the tank for the sprint is totally different. These guys didn't just cruise into the velodrome. They fought the whole way there. You know how you feel at the top of your hardest climb? That is how they felt starting the sprint. There just isn't anything in the tank if it isn't there.

 

[jens_attacks]

De Vlaeminck has always said "In Paris-Roubaix, crashes and punctures are not bad luck, it's a matter of clear-mindedness".

that one might be one of the biggest de vlaeminck's bullshiit stories

 

[spookyload]

Since you guys seemed wrapped around the axel with Stybar hitting fans...here he is running me down before the Namur cross race in 2011. He literally didn't care who was in front of him and made is own path through the crowd. He hit me in the back as I was trying to get a snap of Sven Nys approaching the start line. I got this picture on reflex. He did apologize for running me over however.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

that one might be one of the biggest de vlaeminck's bullshiit stories

There's a lot of truth in that. The crash of Vandenbergh for example should have never happened. Normally you'd have the reflex to quickly move your head and avoid the spectator. After 240km of PR though, Vandenbergh's reflexes might have been a bit absent...

 

[jens_attacks]

There's a lot of truth in that. The crash of Vandenbergh for example should have never happened. Normally you'd have the reflex to quickly move your head and avoid the spectator. After 240km of PR though, Vandenbergh's reflexes might have been a bit absent...

just like on arenberg i think it's time for barriers on carrefour de l'arbre.and yes the riders are guilty too because they can choose to ride on the easier parts. those parts should be forbidden with the barriers.let only the cobbles for them

 

[Roderick]

There's a lot of truth in that. The crash of Vandenbergh for example should have never happened. Normally you'd have the reflex to quickly move your head and avoid the spectator. After 240km of PR though, Vandenbergh's reflexes might have been a bit absent...

+1

VDB admitted that his crash was probably his own fault

 

[katkotom]

I didn´t have the impression that Zdenek was 2nd best today...despite being the only one able to follow Fabian, he was always hidden in the slipstream of the bunch when his teammates and others tried to make a race...OPQS played their cards well but their "bad luck" was only due to fatigue...Fabian did all he could to drag Zdenek through the dirt and it paid off...nevertheless Zdenek did very well

 

[Echoes]

Since you guys seemed wrapped around the axel with Stybar hitting fans...here he is running me down before the Namur cross race in 2011. He literally didn't care who was in front of him and made is own path through the crowd. He hit me in the back as I was trying to get a snap of Sven Nys approaching the start line. I got this picture on reflex. He did apologize for running me over however.

Lol. We weren't far away from each other then !

 

[Echoes]

There's a lot of truth in that. The crash of Vandenbergh for example should have never happened. Normally you'd have the reflex to quickly move your head and avoid the spectator. After 240km of PR though, Vandenbergh's reflexes might have been a bit absent...

His case is even more obvious. He was already dropping.

Many past champions confirmed what De Vlaeminck said. He's an idiot who doesn't know anything about that race, of course. He clearly stated that when he punctured himself it was the year he was not in top form ...

I already stated this in 2009 after the crashes by Hushovd and Flecha. And Boonen won then (rider I rather dislike but I had to admit the best won).

 

[trevim]

Only one that could follow Cancellara outright today at the end and looked great till then..

There was also that guy Vanmarcke that took turns with Cancellara after being on the attack something like 50km from the finish...
Anyway great result for Stybar, he has the stamina/class for the monuments and Lefevre has an headache for next year's classics.

 

[spookyload]

Lol. We weren't far away from each other then !

We definitely were close to each other because I have a photo like yours too of him warming up. Too funny. That was my favorite cross race I went to in the three years I was in Germany. Snow, mud, and messy run ups.

 

[Echoes]

I was there at every edition, too. Namur is the town where I've grown up. I loved the first edition when they had to go really down on the Citadelle.

In 2010 a similar event occurred to me. I was standing at the last turn before the Esplanade I was taking picture of Zdenek (I think) and Kevin Pauwels almost hit me at high speed coming down. He almost had to pull out of the race because of me.

 

[spookyload]

You are lucky. Namur is a beautiful town. My three years in Germany proved that Belgium is truly the gem of Europe. Great riding, great food, and amazing beer. It was one of the few places in Europe where you feel the locals truly wanted to party with anybody, even us Americans who were usually outcast in most of Europe. You could go to a cross race, grab some frites, a spot on a muddy turn, and someone always had a beer to share. Now that I am back in the States, my addiction to Belgian beer is quite expensive. I most definitely will be back on holiday soon.

 

[screaming fist]

Just looked at the incident today again and it looks the spectator first hit Cancellara on his helmet but he wasn't knocked out of his line, then the spectator hit Stybar. Vanmarcke was leading that moment and avoided the specator who had his arm outstretched all the time

 

[will10]

His case is even more obvious. He was already dropping.

Many past champions confirmed what De Vlaeminck said. He's an idiot who doesn't know anything about that race, of course. He clearly stated that when he punctured himself it was the year he was not in top form ...

I already stated this in 2009 after the crashes by Hushovd and Flecha. And Boonen won then (rider I rather dislike but I had to admit the best won).

It's a valid point but you won't see these mistakes in a wet Roubaix even though the riders are just as tired at that point. Why? Because no-one wants to ride in the gutter in a wet Roubaix because it's just mud. In a dry Roubaix the fastest line is aiming at spectators' feet.

 

[Echoes]

Cyclocross legend Albert 'Berten' Van Damme (World Champion 1974) said in 2011:

"Stybar probeert het nu ook als wegrenner en doet dat niet onverdienstelijk. Maar ik zie hem op termijn toch terugkeren naar de cross. Hij is ambitieus op de weg maar grote rondes en klassiekers rijden is nog andere koek dan een kermiskoers. En er is natuurlijk ook het financieel aspect. Als wegcoureur zal hij voorlopig zeker niet zoveel verdienen als in de cross."

"Now Stybar also gives it a try as a road rider and does not do it uncommendably. But in the long run I still see him getting back to the cross. He's ambitious on the road but GT's and classics racing is another kettle of fish than a kermess. Besides there's also the financial aspect. As a road rider he won't earn as much as a cross rider, for the moment."

(I insist on the fact that this comment dates from 2011.)
(in Albert Van Damme : De Leeuw van Laarne by Stefaan Van Laere, Bola Editions)

 

[jens_attacks]

well styby just said that next year he will come back to win it.

 

[Echoes]

You are lucky. Namur is a beautiful town. My three years in Germany proved that Belgium is truly the gem of Europe. Great riding, great food, and amazing beer. It was one of the few places in Europe where you feel the locals truly wanted to party with anybody, even us Americans who were usually outcast in most of Europe. You could go to a cross race, grab some frites, a spot on a muddy turn, and someone always had a beer to share. Now that I am back in the States, my addiction to Belgian beer is quite expensive. I most definitely will be back on holiday soon.

Lol yeah, the sphere at those cyclocross is the best I've ever seen. It doesn't get better for me. You'll have to pay from €8 to 13 in pre-selling but it's definitely worth it.

And I really miss Styby last winter. (so yeah perhaps it's wishful thinking if I wanna see him back).

Friends would always tell me that Namur is a beautiful town. But of course if you've grown up there, you're rather indifferent to it.

It's a valid point but you won't see these mistakes in a wet Roubaix even though the riders are just as tired at that point. Why? Because no-one wants to ride in the gutter in a wet Roubaix because it's just mud. In a dry Roubaix the fastest line is aiming at spectators' feet.

And if you're relatively exhausted all the more you'll try to take that line and risk a crash or a puncture, since it's the most dangerous line too. The more in-form riders will take less risks.

 

[wiggos sideburn]

Just watched the highlights no way was Stybar at fault for getting hit by the fan. The fan was obviously trying to get a picture of cancellara's back and pretty much pushed Stybar you can see the guys camera go flying

 

[DirtyWorks]

just like on arenberg i think it's time for barriers on carrefour de l'arbre.and yes the riders are guilty too because they can choose to ride on the easier parts. those parts should be forbidden with the barriers.let only the cobbles for them

To the bolded, crowd control barriers penalize fans for athletes finding a dangerous line across spectators toes. Crowd control barriers are necessary at the Finish of races. But, no way on most of a course like this.

Similarly, the appearance of crowd control barriers on some stage racing climbs is ridiculous. Let's just put the riders on a race track if you are going to put fences up everywhere. That's been done and it's boring.

 

[DirtyWorks]

His missing a turn a bit further (he, the cyclocrosser !) and that he lost much time on a short distance shows that he was burnt out. It's crystal clear.

He REEAAALLLLYY missed that turn. IMHO, he tends to be mentally 'fragile.' If things are going okay, he's extraordinary. A little unexpected something seems to take him out of that super-fast mind space.

 

[JRanton]

Some dumb blonde woman holding out a camera phone potentially cost him a Paris Roubaix win, or at the very least a podium. Have some respect for the riders ffs!

 

[JRanton]

He indeed hit a spectator, he says.
But just like with Vandenbergh, I don't think you should blame the spectators.

What? She nearly took Cancellara out, but he managed to duck and instead it was Stybar who got hit. Of course it's the spectator's fault!