Belgian Classics

[iBanesto]

Tomorrow is the day! Cycling season starts again, finally.

Les etoils, from the folks at wvcycling.com:

***** Boonen
**** Hagen, Gilbert
*** Burghardt, Nuyens, Van Avermaet
** Bennati, Flecha, Haussler, Roelandts
* Ballan, Bozic, Chavanel, de Waele, Rosseler

It might rain a bit, that makes the race even more interesting.

[Bear]

If somebody knows a good livestream for het volk I would be happy to get this. I will search tomorrow at livesports but don't know if there is a good one.

[Luna]

A link to the stream is expected to appear here at the given time:

http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?match ... art=sports

[iBanesto]

http://voetbal-kijken.blogspot.com/2010 ... 1400h.html

Good streams, up and running.

[Demenageurs]

Thanks for the links!

[Luna]

Jon Anton Pijl! Nice win. I waited very long for such success for him. But paradoxically it's not the same joy that it would have been if he wore still the orange and blue colours of Rabobank. I really have my problems with the Sky Team; how it came into existance and how it behave in the first few races of the season (espacially the desert ones). Maybe that will change over the coming weeks and months. But anyway, FLECHA !

[iBanesto]

Ok, not a fantastic race yesterday, weather too good, peloton together until the Taaienberg. Then Boonen made the selection himself, but a lot of people came back later on. Boonen and Nuyens very strong, but both had punctures in bad situations, Nuyens even twice. Haussler strong, but he missed the right move. Gilbert and Roelandts were strong for Lotto, but not strong enough to hold Flecha's wheel when he went solo on the Lange Munte. So, not the strongest won, but still someone who highly deserves it, just remember that incident with Flecha, Mattan and the "neutral" service car in Wevelgem a couple of years ago.

K-B-K today, weather is predicted to be horrible, wind, rain, and even more wind and rain. Favorites basically the same as yesterday.

[Luna]

Yeah, Flecha had a little luck yesterday with many contenders fading away for mechanical reasons. But as you said, he deserved it. And luck always is a factor at those races.

Rain and wind over Kuurne sounds pretty good


Yesterday I watched the stream at RTBF.be. The voetbal-kijken-link seemed to work good as well. But the steady advertising breaks were a little disturbing.
Kuurne at RTBF: http://www.rtbf.be/sport/cyclisme/autre ... ideo-67927

[Luna]

Oops, Boonen dropped out of the race, as did Nuyens.

[Luna]

More oops. RTBF not for german viewsers today. Watching at sporza: http://live.sporza.be/cm/lmc/wielrennen ... e/1.477527

[iBanesto]

I'm also watching sporza now. Boonen, Nuyens, Flecha, Pippo, Van Avermaet out. Looks like a typical race for an outsider.

[Luna]

Race shortened by ~20km. The Cote du Trieu will be skipped, as a tree fell on the road..

[Bear]

I couldn't watch the race until now and still have no sound... what about haussler? how does he look?

[Luna]

Didn't see him. Seemingly today Hushovd and Hunt are the men for Cervelo.

Eichler still lurking in the big chase group (G3) behind the two groups of three.

[Bear]

Ah ok, thank you. Just saw that Hushovd is in a good position now.

[iBanesto]

Flens, Traksel, Stannard

+1 Minute: Hushovd, Hunt, Roulston

+2 Minutes: Group Chavanel, Rosseler, Roelandts, Hoste, some more Rabos, Goddaert, Eichler,...

Looks very much like one of the front six wins.

[Luna]

Boasson Hagen tried following Hushovd and Hunt when they rode out of the the now G3, but didn't succeed. Maybe not in best shape. Roulston tried it afterwards on his own and easily managed to bridge up to them.

[Luna]

Cervelo perished on all fronts ...

[Bear]

Looks like one of the three in front will make it. I bet Flens will do it

[iBanesto]

My money is on the old man.

[Luna]

Flens looked al little uncomfortable a few times during the race, shaking his arms in order to push the blood back into his fingers. I would be happy for him if he wins. But I think Flens will do it.

[Luna]

Wow. What a finale. Very entertaining.

[Bear]

Traksel wint de koers!

[Bear]

And the canadian Dominique Rollin on 5th

De top 6

1. Bobbie Traksel (Ned)
2. Rick Flens (Ned)
3. Ian Stannard (GBr)
4. Hayden Roulston (NZe)
5. Dominique Rollin (Can)
6. Thor Hushovd (Noo)

The victory of Bobbie maybe unexpected. But: He won the Ronde van Vlaanderen for U23 riders in 2000. So he couldn't be that bad

[iBanesto]

Cheering for the wrong belgian neoprof, today done in perfection by the commentary of RTBF. Zingle, Zingle, ZINGLE! At least someone from the right team won.

1. Jens Keukeleire (Cofidis)
2. Gregory Joseph (Topsport)
3. Cedric Pineau (Roubaix)
4. Yauheni Hutarovich (FdJ)
5. Kristof Goddaert (Ag2r)