# Paris-Roubaix post race thoughts



## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

A snooze for the ages.

Cancellara is clearly way better than anyone else. Tactics be damned, he put in 3+ minutes on Boonen who was working hard from the time Cancellara went off the front.

In terms of excitement, this race was on par with the 2002 TdF and the 2006 Giro.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

Say what you will....but I love to see amazing performances....and what Cancellara did today was an amazing performance any way you look at it.

Every race doesn't need to come down to a sprint finish to be exciting...sometimes just watching excellence in action is good enough for me.


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## pdh777 (Oct 7, 2005)

That guy is on fire right now - he probably is the favorite over the next couple of weeks and look strong enough to pull out a couple more wins.

He didn't just pull away from Boonen, he pulled away from 6 or 7 good riders that couldn't help Boonen much because they were gassed.


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

pdh777 said:


> That guy is on fire right now - he probably is the favorite over the next couple of weeks and look strong enough to pull out a couple more wins.
> 
> He didn't just pull away from Boonen, he pulled away from 6 or 7 good riders that couldn't help Boonen much because they were gassed.



I don't know it sounds like they just decided they weren't going to pay. Boonen is pissed too. 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-rues-lapse-in-concentration-at-roubaix 

Hushovd sounded like he was happy to race for 2nd too. 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hushovd-satisfied-with-second-place-at-paris-roubaix

I thought the race was grate. I love watching someone like Cancellara just drop everyone and ride 50ks to win an a crazy race. But I am sad that Hincapie wasn't a factor at all today. I'm starting to think he just doesn't have the legs any more.


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## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

so impressive this win...it's one thing to win by 30 secs but winning with that margin is like putting your foot on your competitors' throats and crushing it


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

It was an impressive display of tactics and power.


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## 180 (Jan 10, 2009)

I'm a bit skeptical. A little too good to be true if you ask me but it makes for good tv.


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## waldo425 (Sep 22, 2008)

pulser955 said:


> I don't know it sounds like they just decided they weren't going to pay. *Boonen is pissed too. *
> 
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-rues-lapse-in-concentration-at-roubaix
> 
> ...



I think that he is just reaching out for people other than himself to blame ---


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## waldo425 (Sep 22, 2008)

I enjoyed the race. I didn't find it dull (but then again I do enjoy IPs and TTs.) I thought that it was cool watching Cancellara make his move and keep it going. I'm interested to see if he can pull off the triple wins in the classics.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

I was impressed that 1 man could out ride a group of 8. 

Wonder why Boonen's group didn't work together?


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

I agree with Tom,

The other "contenters" wussed and just run for second place.... p ussys


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## JohnStonebarger (Jan 22, 2004)

JaeP said:


> Wonder why Boonen's group didn't work together?


I think that's the real question. Cancellara's performance was awesome, and the move to get away was brilliant, but that group could have brought him back early on if it had worked to.

Boonen had been doing a lot of work just before Cancellara's move -- maybe everyone thought he was so strong they wouldn't work with him? Either way, though, they all decided to race for second.

I wasn't bored so much as disgusted.


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## ElvisMerckx (Oct 11, 2002)

180 said:


> I'm a bit skeptical. A little too good to be true if you ask me but it makes for good tv.


Looked like any other P-R to me.


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

JohnStonebarger said:


> I think that's the real question. Cancellara's performance was awesome, and the move to get away was brilliant, but that group could have brought him back early on if it had worked to.
> 
> Boonen had been doing a lot of work just before Cancellara's move -- maybe everyone thought he was so strong they wouldn't work with him? Either way, though, they all decided to race for second.
> 
> I wasn't bored so much as disgusted.


Boonen had worked hard after Arenberg to split the group apart. He was tired. 
When Cancellara went, it wasn't so much a move to go it alone, as it was to further split the group apart. Surprisingly no one went with him. From that point onwards he was commited. I think he knew that it was going to be a 50 km time trial to the end when looking behind only to find out that he was alone.

I also wonder what Bjorn Leukemans was thinking when Cancellara caught up to his group and passed them. He was gesturing but at what? FC to wait for him or the motorcycle to get out of the way?
Either way no one was going to catch him.
A magnificent performance all the way.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

waldo425 said:


> I think that he is just reaching out for people other than himself to blame ---


he was asking for riders to attack and they refused - you can see him on the video shaking his head when no one would take a turn at the front. it was clear the group was looking to keep clear of the peloton and not much more. Boonen missed the jump that was perfectly timed. 

it was a great race with a great finish. several time FC was in peril of crashing - he must have really been pushing it.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

was it just me or did hoste look seriously overweight?

maybe he had something under his jersey, hydration maybe?


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

I think it was one more example of why radios should be banned. riis saw that boonen went to the back, called FC to tell him to go. that, or pure coincidence, is why fc went when he did. no way he would have known that boonen went to the back. the group was relatively big, the wind howling.


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## hawker12 (Oct 19, 2003)

I thought Lance was supposed to ride, was he still sick from earlier in the week. Very odd that his name was never even mentioned in the broadcast?


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Fignon's Barber said:


> I think it was one more example of why radios should be banned. riis saw that boonen went to the back, called FC to tell him to go. that, or pure coincidence, is why fc went when he did. no way he would have known that boonen went to the back. the group was relatively big, the wind howling.


If it were the case that Riis played remote control, then bingo, this is another reason that race radios should be banned. 

What a crazy control loop:

Rider -> moto TV -> satellite -> France2 -> DS's portable tele -> race radio -> Rider.

Nonetheless, it was an amazing physical performance from FC!!


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

orange_julius said:


> If it were the case that Riis played remote control, then bingo, this is another reason that race radios should be banned.
> 
> What a crazy control loop:
> 
> ...


Well, Riis said: 
"I saw Boonen was in the back of the group and I told Cancellara to go" 
"If he had not gotten into a good rhythm I would have stopped him right away"


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## Kram (Jan 28, 2004)

Wookiebiker said:


> sometimes just watching excellence in action is good enough for me.


Word. Sparticus is DA MAN right now.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

Fignon's Barber said:


> I think it was one more example of why radios should be banned. riis saw that boonen went to the back, called FC to tell him to go. that, or pure coincidence, is why fc went when he did. no way he would have known that boonen went to the back. the group was relatively big, the wind howling.


FC was sitting in for the bulk of the time the previous attacks happened. he was watching Boonen carefully - saw him drop past him, looked back a few times and then rolled - Riis and FC were planning this for at least 10km. had Boonen slipped in behind FC, things would have been different. Boonen needed to eat - i bet FC could see him dropping the tempo on his pull.

it was a perfect storm given the lack of effort from the group - that could be seen from the previous pave section - what happened to Hincapie?


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## bnoojin (Mar 24, 2002)

JohnStonebarger said:


> I think that's the real question. Cancellara's performance was awesome, and the move to get away was brilliant, but that group could have brought him back early on if it had worked to.
> 
> Boonen had been doing a lot of work just before Cancellara's move -- maybe everyone thought he was so strong they wouldn't work with him? Either way, though, they all decided to race for second.
> 
> I wasn't bored so much as disgusted.


Boonen was too, judging by his post race comments. understandably. it seems that FC had everyone intimidated with his time trial pedigree... once he gets a gap no one will bring him back. 
you have to wonder about Boonen's tactics-doing some much work and attacking so early on. RVV clearly demonstrated that FC is on fuego with his form. Tom would be better to hold on to his wheel whatever the cost and then outsprint him in the velodrome.
weird that Thor and Flecha worked together. it had to be obvious to Flecha that he cant outsprint a green jersey winner. I suppose he consoled himself with making the podium would be worth it. hate when the contenders race for 2nd so relatively early in a race. Cancellara is quite amazing though.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*there is no way*

a single rider, even of FCs legendary stature can stay away from 5-8 top contenders who are trying together to catch him for 50K
my guess is no one wanted to help put Boonen back in a position of contention
The fact that Flecha had the legs for 2 attacks meant he wasn't pedaling hard when they were as a group

it was a coy move by FC but it was a tad chickensh!t doing it while Boonen is dropping back for food
but that's racing


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## farm (Jul 10, 2008)

Where was QuickStep? I know Stijn had a crap day, but Lefevre used to have 3-4 guys at the head of the race. Anybody know where Chaivenel is these days? Boonen said he made those early digs to shed some riders, but obviously he can't afford to do that when Cancellara is riding like this. That's what teammates are supposed to be for, and this is one of that team's races. Team fail.


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

atpjunkie said:


> ...my guess is no one wanted to help put Boonen back in a position of contention.The fact that Flecha had the legs for 2 attacks meant he wasn't pedaling hard when they were as a group. It was a coy move by FC but it was a tad chickensh!t doing it while Boonen is dropping back for food but that's racing


Besides Boonen who worked his heart out the only other rider from the chasers that I gained a lot of respect for was Roger Hammond. You could see that he has nowhere near the talent of the two favorites but man oh man, what an effort by him.

Thor, as much as I liked him I felt that yesterday he did quite a bit of wheel sucking.

As for your comment "tad chickensh!t", I respectfully disagree. Like you said, FC went, if 8 guys (none of whom were wearing Saxo Bank colors) can't get their sh!t together and chase, then it's their problem.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

atpjunkie said:


> a single rider, even of FCs legendary stature can stay away from 5-8 top contenders who are trying together to catch him for 50K
> my guess is no one wanted to help put Boonen back in a position of contention
> The fact that Flecha had the legs for 2 attacks meant he wasn't pedaling hard when they were as a group
> 
> ...



I agree with this, mostly. 

I mean, Boonen was a clear favorite, and he was isolated in his group. When that happens, you can't really expect the other people to wear themselves out towing you up to Cancellara so that you can beat them. You are a race favorite. If you want to win Paris Roubaix, then you have to win it. It reminded me of Cadel Evans going up Alpe D'uez in 2008. He didn't get angry at the Schlecks or CVV for not towing him up the road; he couldn't. He did get pretty mad at his own team, though. If Boonen wants to get mad at somebody for making him do all of the work, then he should get mad at his own team. Where the hell was Quick Step?? I thought they were supposed to be a strong classics team. 

Fabian was probably unbeatable at PR; even Boonen admitted this. He is a very strong rider with panache that most others lack. He demonstrated his strength, and the exhaustion he showed in the velodrome proved that he had given it his all. On the other hand, I seem to recall him attacking at times that other racers have deemed inappropriate, like in a feed zone. People have different opinions about that. Some people say that it's a race and if you lose you lose, and other people say that following the unspoken rules of the peloton serves everyone's interest in the end and that disregarding them is rude. I'm not giving my opinion, I am just saying that FC has shown that he may care a little less about things like that than some of the other racers do.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

Agreed about Roger Hammond; what a fantastic performance by him.


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Boonen did a lot of work*

Okay, he missed one of the key protaganists going away and the nobody was interested in chasing. Maybe they were knackered or maybe the just didn't want to mess up their own chances for a podium. I completely understand his point of view that anything but a win means nothing given that he's won it three times. It's really hard to tell their condition at that point in the race and then Hushovd and Flecha jumping off much later...well, it's smart racing on their part. Hushovd and Pozzato haven't had great health leading up so it's hard to tell. Flecha, well he did a lot of wheel following, his team and others later but that's racing.

Hammond was one of my dark horse podium picks along with Ballan (oops) so good to see him do well.




MG537 said:


> Besides Boonen who worked his heart out the only other rider from the chasers that I gained a lot of respect for was Roger Hammond. You could see that he has nowhere near the talent of the two favorites but man oh man, what an effort by him.
> 
> Thor, as much as I liked him I felt that yesterday he did quite a bit of wheel sucking.
> 
> As for your comment "tad chickensh!t", I respectfully disagree. Like you said, FC went, if 8 guys (none of whom were wearing Saxo Bank colors) can't get their sh!t together and chase, then it's their problem.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*Fabian went*



MG537 said:


> Besides Boonen who worked his heart out the only other rider from the chasers that I gained a lot of respect for was Roger Hammond. You could see that he has nowhere near the talent of the two favorites but man oh man, what an effort by him.
> 
> Thor, as much as I liked him I felt that yesterday he did quite a bit of wheel sucking.
> 
> As for your comment "tad chickensh!t", I respectfully disagree. Like you said, FC went, if 8 guys (none of whom were wearing Saxo Bank colors) can't get their sh!t together and chase, then it's their problem.


when Boonen went back for a feed
that is "I'm gonna go now because the one guy who can compete with me is back 10 riders'

when Fabian dropped Boonen on the Kappelmuur that was Mano a Mano. Him taking off when he did in P-R was getting a bit of a dirty adnantage


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*there were 2 contenders in this race*



thechriswebb said:


> I agree with this, mostly.
> 
> I mean, Boonen was a clear favorite, and he was isolated in his group. When that happens, you can't really expect the other people to wear themselves out towing you up to Cancellara so that you can beat them. You are a race favorite. If you want to win Paris Roubaix, then you have to win it. It reminded me of Cadel Evans going up Alpe D'uez in 2008. He didn't get angry at the Schlecks or CVV for not towing him up the road; he couldn't. He did get pretty mad at his own team, though. If Boonen wants to get mad at somebody for making him do all of the work, then he should get mad at his own team. Where the hell was Quick Step?? I thought they were supposed to be a strong classics team.
> 
> Fabian was probably unbeatable at PR; even Boonen admitted this. He is a very strong rider with panache that most others lack. He demonstrated his strength, and the exhaustion he showed in the velodrome proved that he had given it his all. On the other hand, I seem to recall him attacking at times that other racers have deemed inappropriate, like in a feed zone. People have different opinions about that. Some people say that it's a race and if you lose you lose, and other people say that following the unspoken rules of the peloton serves everyone's interest in the end and that disregarding them is rude. I'm not giving my opinion, I am just saying that FC has shown that he may care a little less about things like that than some of the other racers do.


Fabian eliminated his main rival while he was feeding
and left him with a handful of wheel suckers
As Boonen said (paraphrase) 'if he'd have dropped me I could deal with that'


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## Tabularosa78 (May 23, 2009)

In some ways I think the chase group wussed out. But I can't help thinking that maybe it was good strategy on their part. They were able to race for 2 podium spots instead of one. If they would of helped Boonen bridge then it was pretty apparent most of the group would of been racing for third.

Pozzato really impressed me. He was almost dropped 3 times but bridged back to the chase group.


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

atpjunkie said:


> Fabian eliminated his main rival while he was feeding
> and left him with a handful of wheel suckers
> As Boonen said (paraphrase) 'if he'd have dropped me I could deal with that'


I still don't believe that the race was lost at that point. A rider like Boonen with a bit of an effort could've caught up to FC. He wasn't exactly sprinting away from the field. I believe that TB wore himself out after Arenberg shedding the field. FC at that point was just slowly riding up to TB every time the latter would put in an attack. That along with the absence of Quickstep did in Boonen. Weird tactics from him since he could afford to stay in a group and not do as much and come into the velodrome and use his sprinting superiority over most of them.

Disclosure: I'm not a racer and may not know the unwritten rule of not attacking at the feed zone. Didn't Vino and Astana shed Cristophe Moreau a few years back at the TdF the same way?


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Fabian certainly had a phenomenal PR, but I might agree that it was almost boring to watch. I was a little put off by the fact that a pack of riders couldn't keep the gap more reasonable.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

MG537 said:


> I still don't believe that the race was lost at that point. A rider like Boonen with a bit of an effort could've caught up to FC. He wasn't exactly sprinting away from the field. I believe that TB wore himself out after Arenberg shedding the field. FC at that point was just slowly riding up to TB every time the latter would put in an attack. That along with the absence of Quickstep did in Boonen. Weird tactics from him since he could afford to stay in a group and not do as much and come into the velodrome and use his sprinting superiority over most of them.
> 
> Disclosure: I'm not a racer and may not know the unwritten rule of not attacking at the feed zone. Didn't Vino and Astana shed Cristophe Moreau a few years back at the TdF the same way?



I doubt that. Leukemans, who has had 3 top 10 finishes this year so far, couldn't even hold Cancellara's wheel. Maybe a better organized chase could have caught him, but Boonen on his own is unlikely.


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## scottie (Apr 28, 2004)

MG537 said:


> Boonen had worked hard after Arenberg to split the group apart. He was tired.
> When Cancellara went, it wasn't so much a move to go it alone, as it was to further split the group apart. Surprisingly no one went with him. From that point onwards he was commited. I think he knew that it was going to be a 50 km time trial to the end when looking behind only to find out that he was alone.
> 
> I also wonder what Bjorn Leukemans was thinking when Cancellara caught up to his group and passed them. He was gesturing but at what? FC to wait for him or the motorcycle to get out of the way?
> ...


I think Bjorn was upset because he thought Cancellare was getting drafting help from the motorcycle. He wasn't, and Bjorn was probably just frustrated he couldn't hold the wheel of FC.


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## slamy (Mar 15, 2004)

Fabian is just in a different league then the rest of these guys. In reading the comments from them all, they were all tired when he attacked. Pozzato said he rode in the last 30Km on sheer determination. S. Hinault said (he was in the lead group that FC blew past) that FC was doing 3-4 km faster on the cobbles then when Leukemans jumped on his wheel and lasted 300 meters before he blew up. Looking at Boonen he was gassed. FC has these guys all mentally played. They saw how hard and fast he attacked and no one had the energy or organization to fight it. Was a boring race to watch, but I guess no more boring then watching Boonen get to the velodrome with bunch or riders and beating them in a sprint.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

slamy said:


> Fabian is just in a different league then the rest of these guys. In reading the comments from them all, they were all tired when he attacked. Pozzato said he rode in the last 30Km on sheer determination. S. Hinault said (he was in the lead group that FC blew past) that FC was doing 3-4 km faster on the cobbles then when Leukemans jumped on his wheel and lasted 300 meters before he blew up. Looking at Boonen he was gassed. FC has these guys all mentally played. They saw how hard and fast he attacked and no one had the energy or organization to fight it. Was a boring race to watch, but I guess no more boring then watching Boonen get to the velodrome with bunch or riders and beating them in a sprint.


To be fair, Pozzato was just coming back from illness (he even skipped de Ronde) and the lesser Hinault is, well, a lesser rider. Between Hushovd and Flecha they could have worked with Boonen to bridge, in the earlier part of the split, but both decided to not risk their race by trying to win it ;-).


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

atpjunkie said:


> Fabian eliminated his main rival while he was feeding
> and left him with a handful of wheel suckers
> As Boonen said (paraphrase) 'if he'd have dropped me I could deal with that'


Attacking out of an official feed zone would have been unsporting.

Where, when, and how far back Boonen chooses to eat his food, on the other hand, is his own business.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

pretender said:


> Attacking out of an official feed zone would have been unsporting.
> 
> Where, when, and how far back Boonen chooses to eat his food, on the other hand, is his own business.


Boonen was dropping back to refuel after covering a few half hearted jumps. you're damn right that's when i would attack him. you take on the group, one of them will eventually drop you.


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## slamy (Mar 15, 2004)

orange_julius said:


> To be fair, Pozzato was just coming back from illness (he even skipped de Ronde) and the lesser Hinault is, well, a lesser rider. Between Hushovd and Flecha they could have worked with Boonen to bridge, in the earlier part of the split, but both decided to not risk their race by trying to win it ;-).


Well, I mean they were all there when he attacked and no one made a move?!?(Hushovd and Flecha) No one chased except Boonen. Boonen was gassed, Hincapie wasn't even around (pace must have been hard). I think the cross winds and the hard ride wore them all out. When FC went, it was like, ok, thats the race. Sure the other guys could have worked with Boonen, but after FC performance last week, mentally they gave up. As for Pazzato and Hinault sure they are not Tom Boonen, but Pazzato is still a class athlete and Hinault is having a good season. FC rode all the favorites into the dust on two consecutive weeks. You are going to need a team working together to pull him back the way he is going now. I don't know if this guy is on drugs or what but the speed he is able to maintain is insane. Like Boonen said last week, he was going 55km and he was still losing ground. Boonen did not play this race well. He should have stayed on FC wheel all day instead of making his attacks earlier and chasing down lesser riders. Had he saved some energy and stayed on FC wheel he might have been able to get him at the line.


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## Mosovich (Feb 3, 2004)

*Tactics and Hincapie..*

I think tactically who here wouldn't have done what FC did? I mean, even Boonen said he would've to.. Also, would you take the rider who could beat you for 2nd place to the line? Well, I'm sure Fletcha knew Thor would beat him, but he he secured his 3rd place..

I think Hincapie's ship sailed a few years ago.. I mean, he said he was the strongest he's been and he wasn't even there and he said in Flanders he was the strongest, so I think he's just going to have to accept the cards he's be delt.. Maybe if he'd been a more attacking rider things would be different and he'd gotten a stone a few years ago, but when your always waiting and watching, it ain't gonna happen.. Boonen and all the guys that win or have won, have always taken the race by the throat..


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## cyclelogic72 (Dec 1, 2006)

Agreed. What IS going on with Quick Step? Michael Barry did some excellent work for Flecha for long spells. Jez Hunt and, of course, Roger Hammond were valuable assets to Hushovd. Devolder is clearly having an off-season, but in his stead was there no one else to support Boonen for at least _most_ of PR? Boonen has a contract with Lefebvre till end of 2011. Though the Quick Step sponsorship may not be in place for next year, I would imagine in the coming months Lefebvre will be searching very keenly indeed to find one or two tough soldiers for Boonen's army.


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## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

atp, absolutely agree - after all, this is not a GT where you have other stages to recover after a bad day, this is no guts no glory and the riders who sat on Boonen's wheel and refused to chase displayed no guts to win one of the very greatest one day races. They not only rode themselves out of the win but made a farce of the race. 

No doubt Cancellara's ride was a great exploit but I'm not at all surprised Boonen was fed up - being beaten mano a mano is no disgrace but being beaten by the cowardly tactics of a bunch of wheelsuckers must make you want to spit


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## litespeedchick (Sep 9, 2003)

Given the way the leaders were strung out right about the time Cancellara went away, i don't think tactics were the key element. George looked to be in reasonably good position, he was staying in around 10th position. But to me it looked like everyone was riding at their limit, so when FC went...there was just no more gas. I doubt George failed to get into the Boonen group at that point because of tactics...I think he just couldn't.

It sucks to have repeated flats, or a broken stem, or miss an important move, but if you get beaten 'cause you just don't happen to be the best in the world that day...there's no shame in that and I hope George is at peace that he gave it what he had.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

What I was saying was:





pretender said:


> Attacking out of an official feed zone would have been unsporting.


Cancellara has done this before......





pretender said:


> Where, when, and how far back Boonen chooses to eat his food, on the other hand, is his own business.


But I agree with this.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

slamy said:


> He should have stayed on FC wheel all day instead of making his attacks earlier and chasing down lesser riders. Had he saved some energy and stayed on FC wheel he might have been able to get him at the line.


i sort of agree, but Phil and Paul said something about FC not looking well. i wonder if he started the race off not feeling 100% and then felt better after hanging. Saxo was setting the pace and had FC tucked in for a number of miles. i'm sure that helped him stay fresher.

Boonen missed two chances to put a hurt on FC, there was a break he chased down and then eased off - FC wasn't ready. on the FC break, had TB been 3 or 4 riders up, he could have countered and grab the wheel.

some big names missing from the top ten. i wonder if they are looking to break out in LBL.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

Mosovich said:


> I think Hincapie's ship sailed a few years ago..


Hincapie has always been a supporting rider.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

atpjunkie said:


> Fabian eliminated his main rival while he was feeding
> and left him with a handful of wheel suckers
> As Boonen said (paraphrase) 'if he'd have dropped me I could deal with that'


As Ricky Hatton once said after a boxing loss, "it's not a tickling contest". To make an error like putting yourself on the back of a group 50ft away from the one guy that you know can beat you is an inexcusable error. He should have gone to the back when FC did. Chances are that if Boonen had been up there when FC decided to go nothing would've changed except he would have finished with the piece of mind of being dropped.


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## tinkerbeast (Jul 24, 2009)

i must say im disappointed with the way FC attacked... attacking when boonen is at the back is ok but not when hes refueling... anybody can do that and get a gap and everybody needs to refuel... its just unsportsmanlike


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

alexb618 said:


> was it just me or did hoste look seriously overweight?
> 
> maybe he had something under his jersey, hydration maybe?


Hoste has always had a weird posture on the bike. I think that makes his belly stick out and look a bit chubby.


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

Bianchigirl said:


> atp, absolutely agree - after all, this is not a GT where you have other stages to recover after a bad day, this is no guts no glory and the riders who sat on Boonen's wheel and refused to chase displayed no guts to win one of the very greatest one day races. They not only rode themselves out of the win but made a farce of the race.
> 
> No doubt Cancellara's ride was a great exploit but I'm not at all surprised Boonen was fed up - being beaten mano a mano is no disgrace but being beaten by the cowardly tactics of a bunch of wheelsuckers must make you want to spit


I'm not so sure about this. While it was no TTT, the fact that some riders were repeatedly dropped when Boonen and later Flecha hit the front hard showed me that there was not a lot of energy left in that group. When they did hit the front hard they didn't take any time out of Cancellara's lead anyways, he was better alone.

Did Hoste, Hinault, Pozzato and Leukemans have much left?


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

asciibaron said:


> Hincapie has always been a supporting rider.



He's won national championships, classics (Gent), stage races, and stood on the podium at Paris Roubaix and Flanders.

Yes, George has always been a super-domestique at Grand Tours, but is more than just a supporting rider to be clear. He has always placed well at the classics, well enough that it is not ridiculous to consider him winning it. Lately, he is usually referred to as the _sentimental_ favorite, acknowledging that it is more likely for Boonen or Cancellara to win. It is ok to cheer for someone that could win the race, even if they aren't the statistical favorite. The statistical favorite doesn't always win. A couple of weeks ago, a lot of people would have gotten laughed at if they had predicted Chris Horner to beat Alejandro Valverde in a prestigious Spanish stage race, but he did. 

I recall an interview with Bjarne Riis last year when George narrowly missed the yellow jersey before going into the Alps. Riis is a pretty smart guy that knows the sport really well and had one of the race favorites and strongest climber on his team. They were talking about the effort to chase him down and keep him out of the MJ. In that interview he said that he did not think that it was a good idea to let George ride into the Alps in the yellow jersey. He didn't necessarily say that he actually believed him to be a GC threat, but he said that he thought it was a bad idea to let him go into the Alps in yellow.

Anyway, Hincapie is still a good racer, he wants to win the race badly, so I'm going to keep believing in him to win it even if he never does. 

People like him so much because he is a class act and nice guy. Some people don't like him for the same reasons.


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## dougydee (Feb 15, 2005)

thechriswebb said:


> Anyway, Hincapie is still a good racer, he wants to win the race badly, so I'm going to keep believing in him to win it even if he never does.


Hincapie is a bit like Stuart O'Grady, a very good rider to have on your team and one who will take the opportunity to win if it presents itself. O'Grady got that opportunity at PR in 2007 and grabbed it, when Hincapie's had that opportunity it hasn't gone his way.


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## Tugboat (Jul 17, 2006)

hawker12 said:


> I thought Lance was supposed to ride, was he still sick from earlier in the week. Very odd that his name was never even mentioned in the broadcast?


LA is back in Austin recovering from intestinal problems (and preparing for a soapbox derby according to his twitters over the last few days). Even if he did ride he would have been out the arse with the also rans. 

I don't know what commentary you were listening to but Phil Liggett still couldn't help his over enthusiastic fanboi-ism. One gem was when Cancellara's lead went over a minute and he felt the need to proclaim "the lead is now out to 61secs and that's the same margin that Lance Armstrong once won the Tour de France by". Hardly relevant but he gets a bit carried away in his love for LA most of the time.


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## gegarrenton (Jul 10, 2009)

Tugboat said:


> LA is back in Austin recovering from intestinal problems (and preparing for a soapbox derby according to his twitters over the last few days). Even if he did ride he would have been out the arse with the also rans.
> 
> I don't know what commentary you were listening to but Phil Liggett still couldn't help his over enthusiastic fanboi-ism. One gem was when Cancellara's lead went over a minute and he felt the need to proclaim "the lead is now out to 61secs and that's the same margin that Lance Armstrong once won the Tour de France by". Hardly relevant but he gets a bit carried away in his love for LA most of the time.


Yeah, I noticed that bit. Was good for a chuckle.


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## dana109 (May 1, 2009)

You will have to forgive me, as I don't totally understand the unspoken rules of the peleton. I'm a MTB racer who doesn't race road but enjoys and appreciates all aspects of cycling. Mountain bike racing is so much simpler. You start and try to get to the end first. Sometimes there are tactics, but in my local races it isn't uncommon for there to be a minute or two between the guy in front of me and guy behind me. The only unspoken rule is don't throw out an elbow or block the trail from someone who is clearly faster than you. 

Having said that it seems to me that, while it would have been more interesting to watch Cancellara drop Boonen "mano-a-mano" as someone said, Boonen stated that he would have done the same if Cancellara dropped back to refuel. So what does he have to whine about? Boonen even admitted that Cancellara was really strong and he probably wouldn't have won even if he had gone. I understand that he wanted to know for sure, but if he plainly admits he would have done the same then there is nothing to complain about in my opinion.


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## Iwannapodiumgirl (Jun 26, 2002)

it reinforces the only people you can rely on in the peleton is your own team. "...and Fabian Cancellara is riding to a high level of superbness..." (Phil Liggett)


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## Tabularosa78 (May 23, 2009)

SilasCL said:


> I'm not so sure about this. While it was no TTT, the fact that some riders were repeatedly dropped when Boonen and later Flecha hit the front hard showed me that there was not a lot of energy left in that group. When they did hit the front hard they didn't take any time out of Cancellara's lead anyways, he was better alone.
> 
> Did Hoste, Hinault, Pozzato and Leukemans have much left?


I agree with this. The announcers even noted that the group had lost quite a bit of speed after Pozzato had bridged back for the third time and found himself at the front pulling.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Fignon's Barber said:


> I think it was one more example of why radios should be banned. riis saw that boonen went to the back, called FC to tell him to go. that, or pure coincidence, is why fc went when he did. no way he would have known that boonen went to the back. the group was relatively big, the wind howling.


+1. As reveal by Riis, you are correct. I'm still in favor of Radio's at longer stage races. At the classics where one mistake can completely end a rider's chances - the value of the radio detracts too much from the abilities of the riders, IMHO.


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

*No more excuses...*



Bianchigirl said:


> atp, absolutely agree - after all, this is not a GT where you have other stages to recover after a bad day, this is no guts no glory and the riders who sat on Boonen's wheel and refused to chase displayed no guts to win one of the very greatest one day races. They not only rode themselves out of the win but made a farce of the race.
> 
> No doubt Cancellara's ride was a great exploit but I'm not at all surprised Boonen was fed up - being beaten mano a mano is no disgrace but being beaten by the cowardly tactics of a bunch of wheelsuckers must make you want to spit


Have to disagree. If Boonen had the gas - he would have chased Fabian down.
He was toast and all his arm-waving and head-shaking was cover for the fact that he had nothing left. If he did - why not put on the chase himself? If the others were racing for 2nd and 3rd - would they not chase Boonen if he made a run? Fabian had the power to go himself - didn't Boonen?
The truth seems to be that Fabian enjoyed a good escort by Saxo early on (where was Quickstep indeed?) and then conserved himself to ditch Boonen (again) when lady luck handed him a chance - Boonen was tanked and went back to refuel (instead of doing so while maintaining contact to his number one rival) and Fabian did the smart thing - rode like hell.
Amazing race by Fabian - Boonen just doesn't have the legs to beat Spartacus right now.
End of story.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*Boonen*



cyclelogic72 said:


> Agreed. What IS going on with Quick Step? Michael Barry did some excellent work for Flecha for long spells. Jez Hunt and, of course, Roger Hammond were valuable assets to Hushovd. Devolder is clearly having an off-season, but in his stead was there no one else to support Boonen for at least _most_ of PR? Boonen has a contract with Lefebvre till end of 2011. Though the Quick Step sponsorship may not be in place for next year, I would imagine in the coming months Lefebvre will be searching very keenly indeed to find one or two tough soldiers for Boonen's army.


and Fabian destroyed their support riders at Arenburg
they isolated themselves
many of Boonen's attacks were to try to isolate riders who still had support. He was trying to thin the herd then FC went for the kill


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*as Boonen said*



Bianchigirl said:


> atp, absolutely agree - after all, this is not a GT where you have other stages to recover after a bad day, this is no guts no glory and the riders who sat on Boonen's wheel and refused to chase displayed no guts to win one of the very greatest one day races. They not only rode themselves out of the win but made a farce of the race.
> 
> No doubt Cancellara's ride was a great exploit but I'm not at all surprised Boonen was fed up - being beaten mano a mano is no disgrace but being beaten by the cowardly tactics of a bunch of wheelsuckers must make you want to spit


I had no interest in 2nd, 3rd etc... place
Boonen was a bit knackered doing those massive pulls. Had Flecha (who showed he had energy), Hushovd and a few of the others taken some serious pulls up front they may have been in a lottery for first. They may not have won it but they would have had a chance. They rode for a podium spot afraid by helping Boonen he'd still have the legs to outkick them. Really disappointing from Hushovd, showed he had little confidence and he's a sprinter. Pozzatto, whatever guys a wheelsuck, Hammon was the only one besides Boonen with a grimace and yes I was cheering for Roger as well. 
BFD, you took second (3rd...) place, who remembers that? You had a chance for ALL the marbles and you lacked the nads to even try. This is why Flecha IMHO will always be an also-ran. 
Being in San Diego we heard alot about Phil Mickelson at the Masters. For those of you who don't know, he had a chance to play safe and keep a 1 stroke lead. Over the protests of his caddy and coach he took the hard shot and it helped him win the green jacket. His quote about the shot is "A good shot is the one you make, a safe shot is the one you take if you don't have the guts to take the good one"

I'm not even a golf fan but that quote worked for P-R just as well


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*oh there is nothing to complain about*



dana109 said:


> You will have to forgive me, as I don't totally understand the unspoken rules of the peleton. I'm a MTB racer who doesn't race road but enjoys and appreciates all aspects of cycling. Mountain bike racing is so much simpler. You start and try to get to the end first. Sometimes there are tactics, but in my local races it isn't uncommon for there to be a minute or two between the guy in front of me and guy behind me. The only unspoken rule is don't throw out an elbow or block the trail from someone who is clearly faster than you.
> 
> Having said that it seems to me that, while it would have been more interesting to watch Cancellara drop Boonen "mano-a-mano" as someone said, Boonen stated that he would have done the same if Cancellara dropped back to refuel. So what does he have to whine about? Boonen even admitted that Cancellara was really strong and he probably wouldn't have won even if he had gone. I understand that he wanted to know for sure, but if he plainly admits he would have done the same then there is nothing to complain about in my opinion.


but after last weeks epic showdown many of us were hoping for round 2
Fabian going when he did eliminated the chance for an epic showdown (one he may have one anyhow), that is all.
Road racing is totally different than MTB, there are far more group dynamics involved


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

asciibaron said:


> ...Boonen missed two chances to put a hurt on FC, there was a break he chased down and then eased off - FC wasn't ready. on the FC break, had TB been 3 or 4 riders up, he could have countered and grab the wheel.
> ...


Maybe Lefebvre needs to take radio lessons from Riis? :mad2: 

Ah, I'm all tore up- *to me, Boonen was clearly the strongest rider* -yes, even after seeing Spartacus' final TT effort. Well... strongest for 99.9% of the race. Maybe if he'd had some help from, oh- ANYone, it would have turned out differently. 
He wore himself out by taking SO many turns up front- long before FC left, Boonen was tearing it up. FB didn't have to be up there- he had half his team there!
I am very very disappointed in QST -wth were they? Why did Lefebvre leave Chavanel off the P-R team?!? My God man- you've only got a 3 really excellent riders- put them ALL in there.
And Stijn... well.  Good luck at the 'Shack, bro. (Say hi to Gert)

I was sooooo disappointed in -and for- Tommeke. I know you can't see everything, but why couldn't he hear me when I was yelling at my tv?! "GO-GO-GO! There he goes,Tom- this is the RACE!!!"  
But mostly I was disappointed/disgusted with the riders Boonen was stuck with. Clearly they wanted no part of trying to chase down FB, only to have Boonen crush them at the velodrome. But to just p ussy out like that?! It was obvious there was _some_ energy, but they just wouldn't work together.
Bah!!
Bad boy racers, Bad!!


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## zion rasta (Aug 15, 2004)

Well, so Boonen got the munchies and FC attacked. So he blames the group that all of a sudden he felt they were obligated to pull him?? 

To me Boonen should have launched his own solo attack to get the confidence out of FC.

That race is brutal and it takes more energy to go for it... Oh by the way, never mind that they were al tired from the last race.

FC is an animal on flat ground period.


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

Sun Tzu - Don't let your enemy determine when or how the battle should be fought.
Boonen would have loved for a small group of riders to slug it out all the way from the forest of Arenberg to the Velodrome and then sprint off to victory - Fabian and Riis were not having it and simply changed the rules of engagement playing to Fabian's forte...the TT. So at 50 klicks out, Sparticus began to TT it and that was all she wrote...Boonen was done.
If that bores you, do you really "get" cycling?


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## maximum7 (Apr 24, 2008)

If Bonnen was half the man his mind thinks he is, he could have done the same thing FC did, or at least caught him. Even if he wasn't back snacking, all he would have done is sit on FC's wheel til the end. Is that racing? 

He made his own bed. And was once again a "no show". 

Maybe if he could convert his arrogance into energy he could win a race....


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

FC attacked at the right time of course. He saw that Boonen was far back and so he just went on.

Boonen hesitated for a second and then took chase. By that time, FC was in full world TT champ mode and no WAY anyone was gonna catch him, especially since they were all looking around and hesitant.

Good for him. You snooze you lose.

Boring? Well, too bad he was just that much better and was the only guy who was committed to go away when he did. 

It would have been more exciting had Boonen just try and shoot away and chase him down and others followed. But, that didn't happen. Too bad.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

thechriswebb said:


> People like him so much because he is a class act and nice guy. Some people don't like him for the same reasons.


i didn't say i liked or disliked him - he is a supporting rider. many supporting riders have had their day in the sun, otherwise, why race? where was he on Sunday? that's right, toward the back of the dropped group 7 minutes behind FC and nearly 4 munites after Boonen. 

sure Hincapie has been in the top ten 5 or six times in the past decade, but he was only a podium contender once. he is a more rounded racer than Lance, but he is better suited to ride for someone else.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

maximum7 said:


> Maybe if he could convert his arrogance into energy he could win a race....


in the past 5 years he won it three times, placed second once, and was in the top ten once more. what a loser.


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## gh1 (Jun 7, 2008)

tinkerbeast said:


> i must say im disappointed with the way FC attacked... attacking when boonen is at the back is ok but not when hes refueling... anybody can do that and get a gap and everybody needs to refuel... its just unsportsmanlike


Hey wait! Let me get ready next time you decide to attack so I can grab your wheel! Thats just silly, wasnt a feed zone, Boonen should have been paying attn at that point in the race.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

gh1 said:


> Hey wait! Let me get ready next time you decide to attack so I can grab your wheel! Thats just silly, wasnt a feed zone, Boonen should have been paying attn at that point in the race.


it's not like he was eating a steak dinner, it was probably a goo squirt and a power bar. if i see you messing with a wrapper, i'm dropping the hammer.


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## slamy (Mar 15, 2004)

uzziefly said:


> FC attacked at the right time of course. He saw that Boonen was far back and so he just went on.
> 
> Boonen hesitated for a second and then took chase. By that time, FC was in full world TT champ mode and no WAY anyone was gonna catch him, especially since they were all looking around and hesitant.
> 
> ...


FC is doing a mental tap dance on Boonen. Last week in Flanders Boonen was beat down. He went as hard as he could go and still lost time to FC. When FC went in PR, he knew it was over and so did everyone else. Don't get me wrong I like Boonen, but I thought Riis played the race perfectly and Boonen didn't.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

uzziefly said:


> FC attacked at the right time of course. He saw that Boonen was far back and so he just went on.


According to a recent article, it was Riis who saw that Boonen went to the back and radio'd it to FC who "didn't even look back". 

Nonetheless, FC attacked at the perfect moment and Boonen was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't think Boonen will let FC out of his sight at the next one.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

spade2you said:


> I don't think Boonen will let FC out of his sight at the next one.


I thought the same thing... but before Paris-Roubaix...


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

LostViking said:


> Sun Tzu - Don't let your enemy determine when or how the battle should be fought.
> Boonen would have loved for a small group of riders to slug it out all the way from the forest of Arenberg to the Velodrome and then sprint off to victory - Fabian and Riis were not having it and simply changed the rules of engagement playing to Fabian's forte...the TT. So at 50 klicks out, Sparticus began to TT it and that was all she wrote...Boonen was done.
> If that bores you, do you really "get" cycling?


Yeah, I get cycling. Typically closer races (or games in any sport) are more dramatic. This was as one sided a race as I have ever seen.


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## gh1 (Jun 7, 2008)

asciibaron said:


> it's not like he was eating a steak dinner, it was probably a goo squirt and a power bar. if i see you messing with a wrapper, i'm dropping the hammer.


exactly, from what i saw boonen was sizing everyone's fitness up to decide on his next attack. wasnt paying attn to cancellara, his number one rival. big mistake but he knows that now.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Dan Gerous said:


> I thought the same thing... but before Paris-Roubaix...



LOL, fair enough.


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

What was the final finishing time, over six hours right?

Damn, the ability to focus mentally and physically for that long is incredible. I have trouble just riding that many hours, much less doing it in a serious race.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

SilasCL said:


> Yeah, I get cycling. Typically closer races (or games in any sport) are more dramatic. This was as one sided a race as I have ever seen.


only if you watched the last hour. even then it's PR - the cobbles can eat you.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

nayr497 said:


> What was the final finishing time, over six hours right?
> 
> Damn, the ability to focus mentally and physically for that long is incredible. I have trouble just riding that many hours, much less doing it in a serious race.


the first 3 hours are just thinning the herd. the last 2 hours are the actual race. there is a reason you never see the middle stretches on TV - it's riding, feeding, and some crashes. :thumbsup:


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

orange_julius said:


> If it were the case that Riis played remote control, then bingo, this is another reason that race radios should be banned.
> 
> What a crazy control loop:
> 
> ...


 zactly!


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

spade2you said:


> According to a recent article, it was Riis who saw that Boonen went to the back and radio'd it to FC who "didn't even look back".
> 
> Nonetheless, FC attacked at the perfect moment and Boonen was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't think Boonen will let FC out of his sight at the next one.


Hmm right. I just thought he looked around to know Boonen wasn't there and then he went. 

Either way, that was a perfect moment for sure.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Watching P-R over again, TB cooked his own goose by chasing down so many attacks himself. Apparently, it sucks to be the favorite at a race like that. After Boonen shredded every support guy except Hammond, everyone else conserved their energy for the end game (except Fabian, obviously).


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

AJL said:


> +1. As reveal by Riis, you are correct. I'm still in favor of Radio's at longer stage races. At the classics where one mistake can completely end a rider's chances - the value of the radio detracts too much from the abilities of the riders, IMHO.


I don't want to make this a for or against race radios argument but both Riis and Lefevere had access to the exact same footage. Furthermore, Cancellara's screaming red jersey wasn't exactly blending in with the rest of the surroundings. 
Boonen was spent at that moment and couldn't sprint up to FC's wheel even if his life depended on it. He had put in so many attacks the previous 10km trying to rip the field apart.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

MG537 said:


> Boonen was spent at that moment and couldn't sprint up to FC's wheel even if his life depended on it. He had put in so many attacks the previous 10km trying to rip the field apart.


Agreed. The fact that Boonen dropped so far back to take on some fuel reinforces this line of thinking.


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## maximum7 (Apr 24, 2008)

> what a loser.


Man, you said that right...


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## dwgranda (Sep 8, 2009)

Ligget can't ever let go of a 1:01 without referring to 2003. He did it in last year's tour too. I actually thought about it before he said it.



Tugboat said:


> LA is back in Austin recovering from intestinal problems (and preparing for a soapbox derby according to his twitters over the last few days). Even if he did ride he would have been out the arse with the also rans.
> 
> I don't know what commentary you were listening to but Phil Liggett still couldn't help his over enthusiastic fanboi-ism. One gem was when Cancellara's lead went over a minute and he felt the need to proclaim "the lead is now out to 61secs and that's the same margin that Lance Armstrong once won the Tour de France by". Hardly relevant but he gets a bit carried away in his love for LA most of the time.


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## twobournes (Oct 1, 2009)

The radio argument is a tough one - but nevertheless, if you look at FC's performance the week before - which came down to a one on one showdown early and had little or no influence by radios - you can see that FC is simply riding super strong right now *and he knows it*. Hence, he has the confidence to go early. The strategy used in Paris may have been influenced by radio, but I don't believe ANYONE had the legs to stay with him once he decided to go.


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## swierszcz (Mar 11, 2007)

asciibaron said:


> Hincapie has always been a supporting rider.


Johan Bruyneel obviously has a different opinion, if you read his book "We might as well win"


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

swierszcz said:


> Johan Bruyneel obviously has a different opinion, if you read his book "We might as well win"


Well, since I haven't read the book - how about a quick synopsis?


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

*Talk about knowing*

when to put the hammer down. I took this pic from the tv. He rode the whole race with that little angel on his pocket. Nice show.....


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## Zampano (Aug 7, 2005)

spade2you said:


> According to a recent article, it was Riis who saw that Boonen went to the back and radio'd it to FC who "didn't even look back".
> 
> Nonetheless, FC attacked at the perfect moment and Boonen was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't think Boonen will let FC out of his sight at the next one.




Right. As had been more or less indicated, each rider played to their own strengths but only one won. Boonen wore himself out pushing for a final selection, that would give him the advantage in a velodrome sprint. Cancellara, and Riis of course, did not want this. As it played out, neither did the rest of the lead group.

Boonen having spent too much energy playing his hand, Riis smelled blood watching him riding at the back, then it was Cancellara's turn to play his own card. 

With the advanced technology of media coverage and the added pressure of sponsor expectation, the spotlight on a place on the podium has become more important than it used to be. Racing seems to have changed from the old days of the hard men riding this race for honor. But did it really? In Leth's film on the 1976 Paris–Roubaix, De Vlaeminck had forced the selection which resulted in the composition of the final lead group. Merckx was stuck in the 2nd group with Walter Godefroot, who had fell from that lead group with a flat. Merckx attacked and attacked but no one could come forth to help, not even Godefroot.

As it turns out De Vlaeminck was worn by the forcing of his selection, and further, the other lead riders continued to bide their time letting him do all the work till the very end, hoping for their best chance at the finish line. And of course, De Vlaeminck lost at the line.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

AJL said:


> Watching P-R over again, TB cooked his own goose by chasing down so many attacks himself. Apparently, it sucks to be the favorite at a race like that. After Boonen shredded every support guy except Hammond, everyone else conserved their energy for the end game (except Fabian, obviously).


Maybe Boonen's faith in his own squad was low enough that he tried to take the race into his own hands and expend too much energy. It is fair to say that the QSI squad of 2010 is nowhere near the dominance and performance of the 2009 squad. 

Somewhere in Moorslede, there is much gnashing of Lefevere's teeth, and heads will roll at the end of the season for sure.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

orange_julius said:


> Somewhere in Moorslede, there is much gnashing of Lefevere's teeth, and heads will roll at the end of the season for sure.


Fair to say, especially with the comments already made concerning Devolder.


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## bigmig19 (Jun 27, 2008)

My DVR cut off at 30K to go. Normally this would give me a stroke, but I didnt care one bit. Kinds says it all.


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

*I just wanted to add...*

this at the end near here. I thought this was a cool spot when he had it in the bag. Wow, that was some exciting racing. He carried that little angel in his pocket the whole race. LOL.  I think this is my favorite race of the year.


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

*That stinks...*

that was in the best part. Eh, now you'll have to buy it. My son has no interest in the race but I was telling him what the time in the corner of the screen meant and he kept coming in to see the # and at one point FC had 3 minutes on the field as was I was quickly told.  Good Stuff


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## jermso (May 13, 2009)

It's Gotta Be The Bike!


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