# Thoughts Post Flech Wallone



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

Fleche is like watching an NBA game: tune in for the last 2 minutes and you see all you need to see. Impessive victory for cadel. I was praying for anyone but contador to win. its a bit to early for the fingerbang.


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## Swish (Jul 31, 2004)

Fignon's Barber said:


> Fleche is like watching an NBA game: tune in for the last 2 minutes and you see all you need to see. Impessive victory for cadel. I was praying for anyone but contador to win. its a bit to early for the fingerbang.



Not this year, not this year!


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Good to see Cadel making moves in races. That rainbow jersey really seems to have turned something in him.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

I disagree. Its never too early for the fingerbang, although not the one associated with Contador.

Interesting quote from Evans:



> "This is my sixth or seventh time doing the race and I've never pre-ridden the course," he explained. "I saw the climb in a whole new perspective - I waited right until the last moment, I took them just in the last 100 metres and that was the right time to go."


It's almost like Evans is a new man these days. The move to get the win at the Worlds, setting up his teammate at Lombardia, and now this. He's actually becoming a likable rider. Finally.


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

right on with the evans observation. not quite to the likable stage yet, but I can say I've at least gained respect for him. He needs a signiture victory celebration, ala fingerbang. maybe a boxing kangaroo or perhaps that signal the official gives after a score in australian rules football.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

Fignon's Barber said:


> right on with the evans observation. not quite to the likable stage yet, but I can say I've at least gained respect for him. He needs a signiture victory celebration, ala fingerbang. maybe a boxing kangaroo or perhaps that signal the official gives after a score in australian rules football.


isn't his signature victory celebration punching a journalist? On another note, uphill sprints are great to watch - that was a grinder.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

Evans needs to hop off his bike and jump like a kangaroo after he wins.


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

*What happened to that Euski Rider hiitng the deck?*

I saw him on the ground but didn't catch what happened. Did the commentators say how he crashed. Looked like a good one. His bike up against the guard rail and him by the centerline. Anyone?.......


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

evs said:


> I saw him on the ground but didn't catch what happened. Did the commentators say how he crashed. Looked like a good one. His bike up against the guard rail and him by the centerline. Anyone?.......


 speaking of commentators, I watched on eurosport, and must say that Duffer and Kelly are brutal. I much prefer the flemish speaking sporza.be announcers, and I can't understand 80% of what they're saying! Kelly, loved you as a racer,but.......


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

Looks like Popovych has a wrecked knee.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

stevesbike said:


> isn't his signature victory celebration punching a journalist?


That would be _awesome_. Not as cool as Flecha's but close.


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

Fignon's Barber said:


> speaking of commentators, I watched on eurosport, and must say that Duffer and Kelly are brutal. I much prefer the flemish speaking sporza.be announcers, and I can't understand 80% of what they're saying! Kelly, loved you as a racer,but.......


So what archive were you watching? David Duffield, 79 next month!, is pretty much retired and only makes the odd studio appearance at the TdF. Kelly wasn't commentating either today! The guest cyclist Smith is a Scotsman not Irish.
It appears your flemish must be better than your english. You just did'nt realise it.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

Coolhand said:


> That would be _awesome_. Not as cool as Flecha's but close.


he's definitely had practice with it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fikz...B362EEAF&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=38


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## JohnHenry (Aug 9, 2006)

awesome post race quote from contador,_
"it's also true that when you're so close to victory it's not nice to be third"_ heh.


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## lemonlime (Sep 24, 2003)

JohnHenry said:


> awesome post race quote from contador,
> _"it's also true that when you're so close to victory it's not nice to be third"_ heh.


I would be pleased to hear that from him at the end of July.


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## twiggy (Mar 23, 2004)

lemonlime said:


> I would be pleased to hear that from him at the end of July.


I think you mean Armstrong!


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## Dwaynebarry (Mar 16, 2004)

Thoughts post Fleche?

Why does anyone attack at the bottom? I can't recall it ever working.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Dwaynebarry said:


> Thoughts post Fleche?
> 
> Why does anyone attack at the bottom? I can't recall it ever working.


for the same reason people attack 200 meter into a race. That never works either. Except when it does once in a rare while.


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## Jesse D Smith (Jun 11, 2005)

*Never say never.*



mohair_chair said:


> I disagree. Its never too early for the fingerbang, although not the one associated with Contador.


We'll have to agree to disagree.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

Dwaynebarry said:


> Thoughts post Fleche?
> 
> Why does anyone attack at the bottom? I can't recall it ever working.


for most riders :

if you attack you probably won't win

if you don't attack you definitely won't win


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Pretty big crowd at the end and nice win for Cadel*

I like the race and the Mur definitely is a tricky one to judge. Evans has gone too early before and that fact plus the reccie seemed to have helped. Schleck's, well we shall see how they go in LBL although good to see Voight up front. Contador went early but his form seems pretty good. Valverde, well we shall see on Sunday.


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## Iwannapodiumgirl (Jun 26, 2002)

nice to see cadel attacking... being the champion du monde has lit a fire under him?


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## dougydee (Feb 15, 2005)

Iwannapodiumgirl said:


> nice to see cadel attacking... being the champion du monde has lit a fire under him?


As has riding for a team that he feels is supporting him.


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## izzyfly (Jul 10, 2009)

Nice win for the Aussie! Who wud've thunk he'd leapfrog (in his case kangaroo-leap) AC at the last second. Wud be niz to have a youtube post of this last kilometer to the tune of "Chiti-Chiti bang-bang" (Pistolero's got one bang, Cadel has a chiti-chiti Bang-bang!)


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## steve_e_f (Sep 8, 2003)

that overhead shot of them grinding up the final hill with the bikes swaying side to side sure did give a sense of how much exertion was going into those pedal strokes.


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## Dwaynebarry (Mar 16, 2004)

den bakker said:


> for the same reason people attack 200 meter into a race. That never works either. Except when it does once in a rare while.


Right but in those situations you're basically gambling on a tactical win where the group mistimes the chase down usually because no one will take the responsibility to do the work, same as if you jump out of a group before the sprint.

Seems like the Muy is always ridden pretty much flat out, with maybe only one or two guys with enough left at the top to actually "sprint". IOW, there's essentially no tactical advantage from jumping out of the group before it gets really steep since no one is hesitating to chase you down, they're all riding more or less flat out anyway once it really gets steep.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Dwaynebarry said:


> Right but in those situations you're basically gambling on a tactical win where the group mistimes the chase down usually because no one will take the responsibility to do the work, same as if you jump out of a group before the sprint.
> 
> Seems like the Muy is always ridden pretty much flat out, with maybe only one or two guys with enough left at the top to actually "sprint". IOW, there's essentially no tactical advantage from jumping out of the group before it gets really steep since no one is hesitating to chase you down, they're all riding more or less flat out anyway once it really gets steep.


and the gamble is to have enough time at the really steep part that you wont be too slow relative to the pack once that happen. They guys trying know full well that schleck, cunego, contador will have them for lunch once they open up so they have nothing to loose. 
It's a long shot for sure but so is a far away breakaway in a classic. When was the last time a classic was won by a 150km or more breakaway?


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## Dwaynebarry (Mar 16, 2004)

den bakker said:


> and the gamble is to have enough time at the really steep part that you wont be too slow relative to the pack once that happen. They guys trying know full well that schleck, cunego, contador will have them for lunch once they open up so they have nothing to loose.
> It's a long shot for sure but so is a far away breakaway in a classic. When was the last time a classic was won by a 150km or more breakaway?


Sure that's the idea but jumping at the bottom of the hill just before it starts biting for real only gives you a lead of a handful of seconds and puts you in the red when you hit the steep part. It's not going to ever be enough to hold off the strongest riders, which is my point. You need more than a handful of seconds when it gets steep and you're not going to get that by attacking at the bottom of the hill rather than earlier.


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## harlond (May 30, 2005)

den bakker said:


> When was the last time a classic was won by a 150km or more breakaway?


Was it Boasson Hagen in 2009 Gent Wevelgem? Otherwise, Virenque in Paris-Tours?


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## rrcat2 (Oct 9, 2007)

Dwaynebarry said:


> Thoughts post Fleche?
> 
> Why does anyone attack at the bottom? I can't recall it ever working.



'98 Bo Hamburger attacked at the flag with 1km to go..beautiful move. Small group hesitated at bottom and he took a flyer from the back...


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

harlond said:


> Was it Boasson Hagen in 2009 Gent Wevelgem? Otherwise, Virenque in Paris-Tours?


2009 was with 36km to go.....
around 1 time every 10 years?


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

evs said:


> I saw him on the ground but didn't catch what happened. Did the commentators say how he crashed. Looked like a good one. His bike up against the guard rail and him by the centerline. Anyone?.......


there were posts / bollards in the center of the road in that section. quite a bad place for them, especially if you're blindly following wheels.


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## farm (Jul 10, 2008)

den bakker said:


> and the gamble is to have enough time at the really steep part that you wont be too slow relative to the pack once that happen. They guys trying know full well that schleck, cunego, contador will have them for lunch once they open up so they have nothing to loose.
> It's a long shot for sure but so is a far away breakaway in a classic. When was the last time a classic was won by a 150km or more breakaway?


I believe it was the "Flatland Opportunist" in the 2004 Paris-Tours:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2004/10/photos/dekker-holds-them-off_29509



I love that guy.


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## swuzzlebubble (Aug 4, 2008)

*Team tactics too*



Dwaynebarry said:


> Thoughts post Fleche?
> 
> Why does anyone attack at the bottom? I can't recall it ever working.


Guys who go early there would often have a team-mate holding back. Eg Kolobnev had Rodriguez and Klöden had Horner.


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

Just saw this on VS - great racing!

Cadel is coming on...he's talking about the Giro, but he really wants the Tour.

Seems Conti and the Schlecks are holding back for the Tour (?).

Also just read how Conti helped Vino win LBL - wonder if that will cement Vino's loyalty when the Tour rolls around? Imagine if Vino goes for it at the Tour! Then it would truly suck to be AC - stabbed by teammates for two-years running.


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## tommyrhodes (Aug 19, 2009)

Great race. 
and for what its worth, i hope vino goes for it at the tour. Make the race more exciting.


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

Good result for Cadel. I've been a fan since his mountain bike racing days. Nice to see him finally ride somewhat inspired.
What next, Hincapie actually winning a spring race? Get outta here.


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