Bicycle Racing 2012
- Thread starter The Boy
- Start date
Sigmund Fraud
893 all the way.
Like Boonen but don't want to see him equal De Vlaeminck's record of 4 wins. I want Thor to win, BMC have the muscle to split everybody in half at Arenberg. Its about bloody time Boasson-Hagen got his act together and won a classic though, he had some good form for Flanders...
I created an urban75 league, but no-one was interested
I'm interested!!
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
I don't think that winning a fourth Paris Roubaix really changes Boonen's position in cycling history relative to De Vlaeminck all that much. Boonen already has more cobbled Monuments and a slightly better record in the second tier cobbled classics, even in the unlikely event that he never wins another. And on the other hand, he's never going to win eleven Monuments, or add Liege Bastogne Liege or Lombardia to his palmares. So he's already going to be remembered as more successful on the cobbles but he's never going to be remembered as being even close as an all round one day racer. Much the same can be said if you compare Boonen to Kelly.
Oddly enough, I think that winning Milan San Remo does more for Boonen's palmares than a fourth Paris Roubaix. It's odd that he never won it, despite coming second, third and fourth.
Boasson Hagen is an odd one. He's been unlucky with injuries in the early part of his career, which has presumably limited his ability to make the most of his talent so far. It's interesting that of the three young riders most widely touted as future cobbled Monument winners, Boasson Hagen, Vanmarcke and Sagan, it's Sagan, the youngest, who has so far shown the most in the closing stages of very long races. Both Boasson Hagen and Vanmarcke were completely cooked at the end of this years Ronde.
I agree with you about Thor. I'd love to see him finally get his win. It has to be said though, that he's shown absolutely nothing so far this year. Like a certain other huge BMC signing.
On the subject of Boassen Hagen, istr reading that he struggles with energy drinks, bars, gels etc which would explain why he was tucking into a sandwich with 50km to go on Sunday and, possibly, explain why he struggles with the pace of a one day race. Could be bollocks though, and irrelevant if true.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
Well that was hilarious.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
Yes. He's one of the climbing midgets its hard not to like.
Bradley Wiggins won a bunch sprint at Romandie today, which is one of the most unlikely results we'll see all season. It obviously wasn't a "normal" sprint, as the peloton had been shattered on a climb and then half of it regrouped minus the sprint specialists, but it's still pretty astonishing.
Almost (but not quite, obvs) as astonishing as stage 2 of the Tour of Turkey...
Mr Moose
What the hell are we supposed to tell the kids?
It was. Looked up the report this evening with my son and we both took a double-take.
Mr Moose
What the hell are we supposed to tell the kids?
Which works out at 4 takes.
Well into the Giro now, and no thread so figured I would just post here. Two bunch sprints (that ended in crashes) and two TTs, possibly the most boring week's racing imaginable. Another sprint stage today I guess, although will still be watching just on the off-chance that it goes crash free and we get to see a sprint between Demare and Cavendish (U23 WC vs WC).
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
Cavendish looking dominant in the sprints so far. There's only really Goss putting up a fight (well, if you don't count knocking him off his bike as putting up a fight), with Kittel and Greipel not there and Farrar being pretty poor in the first half of this season. I agree that it's been pretty boring so far, although I quite enjoyed the Team Time Trial.
The GC battle looks like a potentially great one, because there's no dominant favourite and a whole load or riders can legitimately fancy their chances of winning.
Joaquim Rodriguez, for instance, shouldn't really be capable of winning a Grand Tour. But like Bradley Wiggins in the Tour this year a combination of a very favourable parcours and the absence of certain riders makes a win at least imaginable. Rodriguez has generally been an abysmal TT rider, but here he is with two time trials down and only 31 KM of TT left in a Grand Tour, all the climbing still to come and he actually has 20 seconds to 2 minutes lead on most of the favourites. Plus there are time bonuses in the stages with hilly finishes which should benefit him.
Mind you, he'll still probably manage to have a terrible day in the mountains and lose ten minutes.
The GC battle looks like a potentially great one, because there's no dominant favourite and a whole load or riders can legitimately fancy their chances of winning.
Joaquim Rodriguez, for instance, shouldn't really be capable of winning a Grand Tour. But like Bradley Wiggins in the Tour this year a combination of a very favourable parcours and the absence of certain riders makes a win at least imaginable. Rodriguez has generally been an abysmal TT rider, but here he is with two time trials down and only 31 KM of TT left in a Grand Tour, all the climbing still to come and he actually has 20 seconds to 2 minutes lead on most of the favourites. Plus there are time bonuses in the stages with hilly finishes which should benefit him.
Mind you, he'll still probably manage to have a terrible day in the mountains and lose ten minutes.
So much for my predictions for Demare. Looked like FDJ got their train all wrong.
I doubt Rodriguez can believe how well it is set up for him. At least it means that the likes of Cunego, Rujano, Gadret et al have to go for it if they want to achieve anything. Should be fun. Eventually.
I doubt Rodriguez can believe how well it is set up for him. At least it means that the likes of Cunego, Rujano, Gadret et al have to go for it if they want to achieve anything. Should be fun. Eventually.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
This Giro has been surprisingly dull so far, at least when it comes to the GC riders. Fucking Liquigas keeping a fast constant pace on the climbs and discouraging attacks. Hopefully it will all kick off finally tomorrow.
The best thing about the race so far has been Henao. That lad looks like the real thing. This is his first Grand Tour!
The best thing about the race so far has been Henao. That lad looks like the real thing. This is his first Grand Tour!
Just wait until Le Tour when UK Postal make LeakyGas look like amateurs. Oh, and way to put a hex on Henao
.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
Oh, and way to put a hex on Henao
Yes. I will now predict further disaster for him in an attempt to un-jinx him.
(Although being in the top 10 in your first GT at this point is still pretty outstanding).
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
You don't see that every day. Cavendish beaten in a straight sprint, without being out of position or getting boxed in.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
If Hesjedal manages one more day without cracking, I will laugh and laugh and laugh. What a performance.
So basically, any bookies looking at this tread just bet against whoever we predict and they're in money, right? Anyway, hope to fuck Hesjedal doesn't win. Nothing against the guy, but he sounds like a triathlete.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
Wiggins and Sky looked very strong at the Dauphine. Which may or may not be a good thing - it's a little early to be hitting absolute top form. I can't say that I'm very happy with their tactic from an entertainment point of view. They are like a much stronger version of Liquigas at the Giro, keeping up a strong steady pace, killing off attackers and incidentally killing off the excitement of each stage from the point of view of a neutral.
You can't blame Wiggins and Sky for using what is obviously their strongest tactic. It's not as if Wiggins can trade accelerations with the best climbers and he's not under any obligation to throw away his one and only chance at the Tour just to keep me entertained, but I don't have to like it.
You can't blame Wiggins and Sky for using what is obviously their strongest tactic. It's not as if Wiggins can trade accelerations with the best climbers and he's not under any obligation to throw away his one and only chance at the Tour just to keep me entertained, but I don't have to like it.
