Belgian Classics

[Luna]

Hehehe. Yes, that happens from time to time. But it's really a hard to job to always know immediately which rider is in the picture.

Today I wasn't at home, so I couldn't watch the race.
But on saturday I defenitely w'ont miss Monte Paschi.
I hope they will have a stream without any geo-restrictions.
myp2p already indicates that there might be a opportunity
( http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?match ... art=sports ).
That would be the first time, that see live pictures from that
beautiful race.

(ok ok, not quite a Belgian Classic, but somehow it belongs into this thread, anyway)

[Luna]

Hm, 21 years old, 6th race as a professional, and winning Le Samyn. Nice thing, that!

[Bear]

...

But on saturday I defenitely w'ont miss Monte Paschi.
I hope they will have a stream without any geo-restrictions.
myp2p already indicates that there might be a opportunity
( http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?match ... art=sports ).
That would be the first time, that see live pictures from that
beautiful race.

(ok ok, not quite a Belgian Classic, but somehow it belongs into this thread, anyway)

Too bad, no stream really works.

[Lizard]

Yes, stream would be nice. Can´t find it.

[Bear]

Race is over now. But i was trying to find a stream for hours. No result. Hopefully this will become better in the future...

[Luna]

It's always the same. They just don't want us to watch that race

[iBanesto]

Forget about Sagan, we have the next big thing: Jens Keukeleire. Won Le Samyn in a long sprint against Hutarovich and others. Won Driedagse van Westvlaanderen with a stage win and two third places. Today he won Nokere Koerse after a nice Cofidis leadout ahead of Boeckmans and Traksel. Small races, yes, but he is only 21 years old. Let's see what he can do against the big boys in DDV next wednesday.

[Bear]

Yap, great performance this year for a 21-year-old. The others had no chance against him in the sprint I think. Really strong, I am excited of his future races...

[Lizard]

Other subject: Heinrich Haussler. Extremely strong last spring with 2nd at MSR and great performances at the flandrian races. Strongest sprinter at Roubaix, but didn´t manage to get in the winning group... now he´s injured, grrr!

[Luna]

Hondo on the starlist for Harelbeke. His first chance to go for his own, maybe. Go, Danilo!

[iBanesto]

Been quiet here for so long, didn't say a word about Dwars door Vlaanderen and E3. Ok, real quick, Saxo superstrong, both Breschel and Cancellara. Unless Chavanel and Devolder get their game together those two will play cat and mouse with Boonen next Sunday. Flecha is stronger than ever this year, teammate Hagen has some troubles this spring, I don't expect too much from him. Same for the Cervelo duo Haussler/Hushovd, plenty of sicknesses and injuries in the peloton in general. Rabobank strong, but they lack a topper, Martens, Langeveld, Boom, Nuyens,... can all be among a select group of ~30 riders, but I don't see one of them on the podium. Lotto is once again a one man show: Gilbert. Pippo strong in the E3, but missed Boonen's big attack on the Paterberg.
Ok, enough general stuff, more about today. Nice teamwork by Liquigas, they used the crosswind after the first Kemmelberg perfectly, but they made the fault to put the wrong people in the escapes later on. Oss and Kuschynski fought for the victory against the big names - Gilbert, Breschel, Freire - while Quinziato and Bennati sat in the chase group waiting. Not smart. Lotto had two riders in the final six man group and just gets a third place out of it, not brillant either. I did like the new course, very tough. Open windy sections in the flat part after the Kemmelberg and the part before the Kemmel is just up and down on tiny roads, awesome. Definitly not a course for a bunch sprint anymore.

[olmania]

Cancellara superstar

[Bear]

Great performance of him

[iBanesto]

Today the best won, no doubt about it. Cancellara was a class of his own.
Breschel got screwed by his own crew. The mechanic gave him the wrong bike, it was O'Grady's bike, so he had to change once more. All of this in the crucial zone before the Molenberg, when Cancellara unleashed his power.
Boonen said he had cramps on the Muur, right at the time when Cancellara accelerated he wanted to go after him, but his legs just wouldn't do it. It got better later on, but then he was 30s behind. Everytime he looked down he was doing 55 kmh and still didn't get closer or even lost time. Leukemans said the same, he and Gilbert were going all out after the Bosberg - he also said they were doing 55 kmh - and still the gap went up. Incredible. Overall one of the most memorable RVV's that I've seen.

[Cerro Torre RT]

Only negative thing is that next Sunday will be very boring if Cancellara does not get technical problems.

[Luna]

I see a chance that neither Boon' nor 'Llara wil win Roubaix as they mark each other to death. Maybe finally Devolder? Or someone of third party team.

[iBanesto]

It all depends on the weather. Dry race, possibly tactical. Rainy race, survival of the fittest. We'll get back to that on Friday.

[olmania]

I see a chance that neither Boon' nor 'Llara wil win Roubaix as they mark each other to death. Maybe finally Devolder? Or someone of third party team.

Flecha ?
Devolder ?

I agree with you, I think this year, the race will be for an "outsider"( no boonen, no cancellara^^).
And the weather will be clear all the week. If no rain on Sunday, the pavés wont be wet.

[Aixteam]

Cancellara is too strong to be trapped . And I think he's not scared by Boonen .
He'll go alone at Carrefour de l'Arbre and Boonen will finish 2nd (or farer) again .

[Cerro Torre RT]

This is even easier to predict than what i did.

Carrefour de l'Abre is so late in the race, that it is sure indeed that Canch will attack there, if he's not alone yet. But race can be decided against him long before. What does not mean i expect anything like that, but much more action from Cancellara long before that point.

[olmania]

Cancellara superstar ! No comment !

[iBanesto]

Like last year I'm mad at Hushovd. If he rides like that he'll never win Roubaix. Same for Flecha. Cancellara is an alien.

[captain ahab]

very impressive from cacellara,but also very boring...last 30km where as boring as a time-trial...

take cacellara out,and you have a race that is intresting to the last meter...

[Luna]

Boooring. I'm not interested in beeing impressed. I want to see interesting races. That was none such race...

[Bear]

I think Cancellara doesn't care about a boring race if he wins it

I was hoping that Boonen, Hushovd, Flecha and maybe Leukemans could stay with Cance for a long time. But with more than 40km to go it was sad to see them behind Cance. It looked like they didn't even try to go with him. Boonen was not in a good position and the others didn't want to?? I think Hushovd had to try more, he seemed to be in a good shape and was attentive all the time (maybe not??). For sure, Cance is one of the best time trial specialists, but the others looked like they were not trying to work together and "really" chase him.