# Cobbled Classics (E3, Ghent, Flanders, Roubaix)



## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

In today's edition of "watch the hard men follow Fabian while the break goes on to compete for the win"...:mad2:

In any event, congratulations to Sagan...Fairly pleased to see Sky at the front. Quite understandable that Boonen didn't have the form tody, but OPQS remains a murderer's row. Nice to see a couple of MTN Qhubecka riders make the second selection, as well.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

dnice said:


> In today's edition of "watch the hard men follow Fabian while the break goes on to compete for the win"...:mad2:
> 
> In any event, congratulations to Sagan...Fairly pleased to see Sky at the front. Quite understandable that Boonen didn't have the form tody, but OPQS remains a murderer's row. Nice to see a couple of MTN Qhubecka riders make the second selection, as well.


Before I write anything about the race for full disclosure:

_I am a lousey mid-pack cat 3 amateur racer with a day job and little actual race tactics experience speaking with the benefit of hindsight as an arm chair manager who sucks at racing and I'm only bringing this up because this is a race discussion thread on a race discussion board._

So...

Pretty exciting stuff. Surprised Thomas worked as hard as he did in the last few kms. With the benefit of hindsight, he probably should have let Sagan chase down all the attacks from Vandenbergh in the last few kms.

Just my opinion and would appreciate other people's thoughts on the tactics of the race.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

foto said:


> _I am a lousey mid-pack cat 3 amateur racer with a day job and little actual race tactics experience speaking with the benefit of hindsight as an arm chair manager who sucks at racing and I'm only bringing this up because this is a race discussion thread on a race discussion board._


LOLZ.

And I'm a fat old man who can barely throw a leg over my bike. Nonetheless, I have a POV I'm willing to share. I think it's great to see Sagan win in a tactical finale against worthy competitors. He seems to be coming into his own.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

dnice said:


> In today's edition of "watch the hard men follow Fabian while the break goes on to compete for the win"...:mad2:


So, I only watched some highlights. I take it that when Fabs tried to bridge the gap, at ~13-14km, no one helped him? Better to make sure Cancellara loses than to take a chance and possibly win??! Meh.

Congrats to Sagan!


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

AJL said:


> So, I only watched some highlights. I take it that when Fabs tried to bridge the gap, at ~13-14km, no one helped him? Better to make sure Cancellara loses than to take a chance and possibly win??! Meh.
> 
> Congrats to Sagan!


yup, and the brilliant part was that they held his wheel after he had chased back on from a crash at around 43k to join a group that was still within 16 seconds of the leaders.


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## JackDaniels (Oct 4, 2011)

oh cancellara held up by a crash?










ride 'til you're cross-eyed boys


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

AJL said:


> So, I only watched some highlights. I take it that when Fabs tried to bridge the gap, at ~13-14km, no one helped him? Better to make sure Cancellara loses than to take a chance and possibly win??! Meh.
> 
> Congrats to Sagan!


It's one of the suspenseful elements of this sport. When you see a group hang back like that it's hard to tell if they're forcing Fans to work or if they're simply too tired to help. Chances are if there's a team with nobody in the front and more than 1 in the chase(Lotto, Giant), if they're not working, they simply can't do it. They're hanging on, hoping to get something out of the 2nd group sprint..


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

AJL said:


> So, I only watched some highlights. I take it that when Fabs tried to bridge the gap, at ~13-14km, no one helped him? Better to make sure Cancellara loses than to take a chance and possibly win??! Meh.
> 
> Congrats to Sagan!


same thing has happened to Boonen in numerous spring classics
that's why when they win, it is all the more impressive, they are marked men and accept that, and are still instigators


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

atpjunkie said:


> same thing has happened to Boonen in numerous spring classics
> that's why when they win, it is all the more impressive, they are marked men and accept that, and are still instigators


Terpstra stepped in to lead opqs while boonen recovers. I hope boonen finds his old self before the spring is over.


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

Van Avermaet Salvages The Day For BMC In E3 Harelbeke | Cyclingnews.com

this bit is not very helpful.

"Once in the chase group with Fabian Cancellara there was not much Van Avermaet could do.* If he worked he sacrificed his chances of success and if he waited the gap wasn’t going to come down.* Having a teammate in front would’ve helped his situation a lot, Van Avermaet suggested."

apparently "success" is finishing in the top 10 of the race??


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

foto said:


> Terpstra stepped in to lead opqs while boonen recovers. I hope boonen finds his old self before the spring is over.


Bloody terrible thing going through a miscarriage with your spouse, I was surprised he raced. I hope he can recover quickly as well.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

davidka said:


> It's one of the suspenseful elements of this sport. When you see a group hang back like that it's hard to tell if they're forcing Fans to work or if they're simply too tired to help. Chances are if there's a team with nobody in the front and more than 1 in the chase(Lotto, Giant), if they're not working, they simply can't do it. They're hanging on, hoping to get something out of the 2nd group sprint..





atpjunkie said:


> same thing has happened to Boonen in numerous spring classics
> that's why when they win, it is all the more impressive, they are marked men and accept that, and are still instigators


True, you both bring up excellent point. That's part of the dynamics of the race. I should appreciate it more. With changes in cable programming the past few years (thank you Comcast), I watch fewer races and have lost some perspective. Too bad I distain watching long programs on the internet.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

dnice said:


> Van Avermaet Salvages The Day For BMC In E3 Harelbeke | Cyclingnews.com
> 
> this bit is not very helpful.
> 
> ...


no it's not. 
guy is only human, he has no nuclear reactor up his ass. only so much energy to use.


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

den bakker said:


> no it's not.
> guy is only human, he has no nuclear reactor up his ass. only so much energy to use.


but much more than that--he's the tenth place winner! :thumbsup:


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

dnice said:


> but much more than that--he's the tenth place winner! :thumbsup:


who is saying that besides you? not Van Avermaet.


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## JackDaniels (Oct 4, 2011)

At some point Van Avermaet put in a massive dig to rejoin the chase group to Cancellara and a few others. If he had gone to front and done that when the break was 13 seconds up the road and the chasers were all together, he might have brought it all together.

Sitting in in the chase group when you don't have anyone up the road is one reason breakaways succeed.


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## Chainstay (Mar 13, 2004)

One worry is that once Vandenbergh got up the road a little then Sagan could turn on the jets, make the bridge and drop Thomas in doing so. Thomas tried to keep things together and gamble everything on the sprint. Of course that didn't work either.

I think a tough hill on the final run in would have been the only way to cause Sagan any difficulty. His bridge after being gapped on the climb was impressive.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

Here's the way I see it:
- Sagan and the rest of the breakaway deserved their results. Sure, they took advantage of the peloton detonating, but they rode extremely hard against some very determined chasers. That was just good racing.
- Cancellara rode like a champion. A lot of today's top-tier racers would have called it a day or rode easy, but he was like a freight train pulling all of those unwilling/unable riders to shouting distance of the front of the race. He got as much coverage as Sagan, which had to please the sponsors. If you can't win, at least show the colors.
- OPQS showed some serious depth to the squad. Boonen had an understandable bad day, and the team missed out on the win, but they certainly reminded everyone why they are still the Northern Classics gold standard. If Tom can recover for Flanders, this could be an epic showdown.


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

getting my Gent picks in early:

Sagan the clear favorite, but there are many on form and you would probably get short odds on Kristoff or Dagenkolb, as well. The heart says Phinney, but coming off illness is tough, same for Boonen. Heart or head? Neither, going with Borut Bozic because it seems like 2014 is the breakout year for so many riders.


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## shoegazer (Nov 2, 2007)

I love watching Stijn Vandenberg race as much as I do Boonen.


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## dot (Mar 4, 2004)

dnice said:


> In today's edition of "watch the hard men follow Fabian while the break goes on to compete for the win"...:mad2:
> 
> In any event, congratulations to Sagan...Fairly pleased to see Sky at the front. Quite understandable that Boonen didn't have the form tody, but OPQS remains a murderer's row. Nice to see a couple of MTN Qhubecka riders make the second selection, as well.


weren't they too afraid of Fabian to do any work? There were only two guys working, Devolder, killing himself for Fabian and a Giant-Shimano rider for Degenkolb (sorry, forgot the name). Everyone is just sat up and sucked, no wonder they lost. I think Cancellara should have dispatched some kicks to lazy bastards to do some work, he has both status and charisma.


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## dot (Mar 4, 2004)

5k left! Go Devolder!


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## dot (Mar 4, 2004)

---


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

the 'stache delivers in a sprint! that was a good race. i hope the netapp team came through ok.


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## shoegazer (Nov 2, 2007)

so many crashes. that was probably an expensive race for Sky


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

dot said:


> weren't they too afraid of Fabian to do any work? There were only two guys working, Devolder, killing himself for Fabian and a Giant-Shimano rider for Degenkolb (sorry, forgot the name). Everyone is just sat up and sucked, no wonder they lost. I think Cancellara should have dispatched some kicks to lazy bastards to do some work, he has both status and charisma.


There are two reasons riders won't work in a chase. They shouldn't (team mate in break) and they can't (they can't). The second is why we've seen Fabian ride away large groups chasing by himself. There may have been 20 in the TV screen, but there were only 3 that could ride.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

davidka said:


> There are two reasons riders won't work in a chase. They shouldn't (team mate in break) and they can't (they can't). The second is why we've seen Fabian ride away large groups chasing by himself. There may have been 20 in the TV screen, but there were only 3 that could ride.


Those are the two valid reasons. 

A third is unwillingness. Some racers save their legs and expect others to shut down the break. They're _racing for second_.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Local Hero said:


> Those are the two valid reasons.
> 
> A third is unwillingness. Some racers save their legs and expect others to shut down the break. They're _racing for second_.


So tell me: go to the front drilling it, have nothing left to attack afterwards. What has been accomplished besides bringing at least 3 sprinters from other teams back into the race? since you're spent you can just wait to be steam rolled in the sprint. What exactly is that racing for?


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## Hiro11 (Dec 18, 2010)

Very, very deep field this year for the Ronde. Outside of the obvious Spartacus, Sagan, Boonen etc:

Paolini looked bad-ass at the head of the pack in DePanne. Grim faced, bearded, charging the cobbles and bergs... grizzled vet. Watch out for him.

I think Phinney will show up this weekend.

Vandenbergh is going like a train as well.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

den bakker said:


> So tell me: go to the front drilling it, have nothing left to attack afterwards. What has been accomplished besides bringing at least 3 sprinters from other teams back into the race? since you're spent you can just wait to be steam rolled in the sprint. What exactly is that racing for?


That's the dilemma. 

Matt Busche ran down the break in the US Championship. Why?


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Local Hero said:


> That's the dilemma.
> 
> Matt Busche ran down the break in the US Championship. Why?


ill admit not having watched it. did he win after running down the break? did a team mate win? since you don't say which us championship.


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

Can't wait till Sundays Ronde van Vlaanderen :thumbsup: Should be a great show. A lot of powerful riders will be there.Who's your favorite? Personally I like the obvious, Spartacus or the youngsta, Sagan. But is Sagans team strong enough?


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

Getting my picks in. Fabu looks in top form, and what can one say about the OPQS team? I think almost anyone on that squad is legitimate threat to win, particularly given the tactical options available to them. Sagan is the the danger man; and there are so many ways that he could attack and win. And Vanmarcke's clearly on form and poised for a victory. The winner will come from the favorites, I believe. Heart says Fabu, head says Terpstra.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

evs said:


> But is Sagans team strong enough?


compared to trek?


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

Oh yeah another good youngster, Vanmarcke is so strong. Watch out for him. Belkin has a strong team if I recall correctly.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Local Hero said:


> Those are the two valid reasons.
> 
> A third is unwillingness. Some racers save their legs and expect others to shut down the break. They're _racing for second_.


I suppose we could chop it finer but I think this one falls under "they shouldn't", ie. if assisting the chase virtually guarantees a lost chance at a result then they should not help.


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

I don't know who is on Cannondales team. But just for fun, compare them to Trek, Belkin and Omega QS. It seems Sagan does find a way to get up there near the front. Tv coverage doesn't really go in to the dynamics of a race to well. Is Sagans team helping him enough or is he using a lot of energy to stay up there by himself.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

evs said:


> I don't know who is on Cannondales team. But just for fun, compare them to Trek, Belkin and Omega QS. It seems Sagan does find a way to get up there near the front. Tv coverage doesn't really go in to the dynamics of a race to well. Is Sagans team helping him enough or is he using a lot of energy to stay up there by himself.


Sagan is supported but lacks a guy or two who are strong enough to be still there once the decisive attacks begin… He's fine in normal races, but in such a tough race… Fabian has Devolder, Boonen has Terpstra, Stybar and maybe even a few more. Although Cannondale signed Oscar Gatto this year and he seems to be in form as of late and so is Maciej Bodnar. Bodnar was very supportive in last year's Gent-Wevelgem, he was into the break with Sagan, working the front, he flatted, came back, then worked some more… Sagan went on to win solo with the wheelie and rear wheel skids… But that was last year, and not in De Ronde. And while they're great teammates, they're not in the same league as Terpstra, Stybar and Devolder. The rest of Cannondale's team is Kristijan Koren, Alan Marangoni, Fabio Sabatini, Ted King and Paolo Longo Borghini. It's not that it's a weak team but perhaps not a team that's specialized in spring classics like Quick-Step and perhaps Belkin. Trek doesn't have a strong team but Fabian and Devolder alone makes up for it and then some.

Sagan sometimes spends energy going back to the team car himself or riding on the front when he doesn't have to, things like that so while I think he's as good as Fabian and Boonen, these two wont make those kind of mistakes. That's experience but Sagan is one year smarter. And if you ask me, his form was on the way down at De Ronde last year. He had been going strong for a long period and was showing some signs of fatigue. This year he came in later into form and he seems to be pretty close to peaking right on time. So being fresher, a year of added experience, it could make the difference.

I'm pulling for Sagan but I wouldn't be surprised to see the race being won by Terpstra or Stybie, à la Devolder when he was let go by the favorites and managed to win. Small group with Sagan, Fabz, Tommeke, Sep, Van Avermaet, Chavanel and a few others, if Stybar attacks, who chases? Boonen and Terpstra can relax and follow, if Fabz still has Devolder, he'll probably put him to do the chasing work… if he works himself, everyone will let him work as much as possible…

Fabian will probably try to do the same thing he always does and try to power away either on a climb or if that doesn't work, with a short burst of power on the following roads, he has to drop Boonen and Sagan before the finish, he knows it, his rivals know his single tactic, my grandma knows it and he doesn't have another option, if he can't drop the other big names… well he'll complain and whine that they sat on his wheel and blah blah but they're not stupid, they know his single way to win. In a one against one duel like last year or a few years back against Boonen, he gets an inch and he's gone. But if there are more than one strong guy, it's not as sure. They might look at each other and finally race for second or would Boonen and Sagan and Sep work together to bring him back? If Quick-Step are still in numbers then, they'll probably work and gamble on the sprint. Sagan vs. Boonen in a true sprint? I'd give the edge to Sagan these days but, after a race like that, it's not so sure…

But, I'm just thinking out loud here, there are many other possible scenarios, more than years when there was only 2 clear favorites who were clearly so much stronger than the rest. Which is good for us, I think it's harder to predict this year… And there'll be some bad luck, crashes and it's supposed to rain...

Sheeeesh! I love this race!


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

Thanks for the info. Great write up of the teams. Thanks for filling me in on Cannondales team. I'm going to try and keep an eye on them this race to see how they do. Hopefully they can protect Sagan. This is one long race. He's going to need every ounce of energy he can muster for those bergs. A lot of strong riders are lining up for this one. Should be a good one. Hopefully the rain won't be to bad. Omega has a lot of strong riders. I can see them doing a number on Fabian like they did to Hincapie in Roubaix a few years ago. The bergs might play a major role in that though. .


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

Yeah, it's the Ronde van Vlaanderen eve. So excited for tomorrow. I think Sagan will bring it tomorrow, but I'm secretly hoping for Cancellara to match Boonen's 3 victories.
Who do you got?

Tonight's battle will be between these 3. I'm thinking the Blue will be the favorite, but I'll be the winner when all's done! Love me some Chimay!!!


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

I'm going with Sagan until he wins every single race he's entered.

Does that make m a fanboy?


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

yes! i have no words left to describe fabu's win. just extremely happy for him. brilliant race.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

Dan Gerous said:


> Sagan is supported but lacks a guy or two who are strong enough to be still there once the decisive attacks begin… He's fine in normal races, but in such a tough race…


And boy was this obvious today.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

That was a great race today and the finish was a lot of fun. All the big contenders were in it and had their chance. It was also nice to see Phinney animate things a little.


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## JackDaniels (Oct 4, 2011)

I only saw the last 30k but great racing by GVA and FC. Everyone else, not so much.

Thought it was especially lame for Vandenbergh to do no pulls for GVA (even though I'm sure he was just following instructions).


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

Great win by Spartacus. I was concerned he would get beat in a sprint, but he pulled it off. So much for the criticism that he always tries the same tactics. 
Now I can't wait for Roubaix. I think Phinney will definitely be in the mix next week. It was great to see him today. I'm hoping for an American first next Sunday!


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

burgrat said:


> Great win by Spartacus. I was concerned he would get beat in a sprint, but he pulled it off. So much for the criticism that he always tries the same tactics.
> Now I can't wait for Roubaix. I think Phinney will definitely be in the mix next week. It was great to see him today. I'm hoping for an American first next Sunday!


big win for Spartacus. OPQS looked dominant but could only muster putting 3 in the top 10
these wins , especially as a favorite / returning champ are so hard to come by.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Van Avermaet put in a spectacular and amazing ride. Cancellara was by far the cleverest.


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

Anybody know where I can find a replay of the race?


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

pulser955 said:


> Anybody know where I can find a replay of the race?


Try YouTube. There is usually a video up a day or 2 after the race. I was having lots of problems finding a good stream of the race, so my live version sucked and I'll be looking for a recap as well.
Also check out Cyclocosm | Pro Cycling Blog | Pro Cycling Blog. He does 4-5 minute recaps of all the big races called "How the race was won" which are very cool to watch!


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

burgrat said:


> Try YouTube. There is usually a video up a day or 2 after the race. I was having lots of problems finding a good stream of the race, so my live version sucked and I'll be looking for a recap as well.
> Also check out Cyclocosm | Pro Cycling Blog | Pro Cycling Blog. He does 4-5 minute recaps of all the big races called "How the race was won" which are very cool to watch!


Thanx. I found video of the last 45ks. Its the Eurosport feed but dam the video quality is bad. I have to keep looking.


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

Great racing. Chapeau Spartacus.... he doesn't seem like a one trick pony any more and over the last year has developed somewhat of a finishing sprint. Poor Sagan, no teammates to help in in the end. Even the commentators mentioned it several times that he was isolated and had nobody from his team there in the last 40k. That was an enjoyable morning watching this. Can't wait for next weekend.


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

pulser955 said:


> Thanx. I found video of the last 45ks. Its the Eurosport feed but dam the video quality is bad. I have to keep looking.


Yes, the Eurosport feed was up and down on quality. Not sure where the issue was, but it seemed that some of the motorcycle cams had the lower quality as sometimes the picture would come in really clear on my connection when they switched to a different camera. I don't think it was a connection issue as the bit rate is only about 2.5MB/s. 

Finish was quite similar to MSR except no fast sprinter in the group to nip Spartacus at the line.


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## Hiro11 (Dec 18, 2010)

Hiro11 said:


> Very, very deep field this year for the Ronde. Outside of the obvious Spartacus, Sagan, Boonen etc:
> 
> Paolini looked bad-ass at the head of the pack in DePanne. Grim faced, bearded, charging the cobbles and bergs... grizzled vet. Watch out for him.
> 
> ...


I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with my form calling here. All three were non-obvious and featured prominently in the race.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Eurosport vid video quality wasn't great, but boy, I'd trade the announcers for Phil and Paul in a heart beat.

Anywho, congrats to Fabian for figuring out how to win even when you're not THE strongest. Bummer for Van Avermaet though - gutsy ride.


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## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

evs said:


> Poor Sagan, no teammates to help in in the end. Even the commentators mentioned it several times that he was isolated and had nobody from his team there in the last 40k.


I think Sagan is a great rider, but with all his flashy antics (not talking about the finishing line, the green beard, pinching girls booties, signing girls boobies) I don't feel sorry for him when he looses at all.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

LOL'd at the guy in the Molteni rainbow jersey on the orange Merckx bike on the service road at about 12km to go.
Serious fans there.
Most of the course was very well marshalled. There were miles and miles of barriers, I've never seen so much in a race. But still...
Too bad about the accident with van Summeren and the elderly lady. He's shook up and last I heard she was in intensive care. I haven't heard much more about it.

Hopefully the fans at Paris Roubaix won't be as bad as last year. They knocked a few guys out of contention and that just is not right.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

evs said:


> Poor Sagan, no teammates to help in in the end


Didn't see any Trekkies either but that didn't stop Fabian from winning.


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## dot (Mar 4, 2004)

So... On whom should I bet this Sunday? Watching Cancellara winning is BORING. Can't even think of living in the Merkcx's era, when, I guess, a major point was if he wins again or who if not him. I'd like to see some fresh faces. But it looks like the field has only one top contenter and everyone else is only trying to catch up with him.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

Cinelli 82220 said:


> Hopefully the fans at Paris Roubaix won't be as bad as last year. They knocked a few guys out of contention and that just is not right.


As I recall, the OPQS riders ran into the spectators standing on the side of the road, rather than the other way around. I think they were just gassed and the cobbles did the rest. Nobody wants to see a rider go out of contention like that, but I don't thinkit was fan interference that lost them the race.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Alaska Mike said:


> As I recall, the OPQS riders ran into the spectators standing on the side of the road, rather than the other way around. I think they were just gassed and the cobbles did the rest. Nobody wants to see a rider go out of contention like that, but I don't thinkit was fan interference that lost them the race.


I have watched that race probably 5 times as it is one of my favorite races every year and a fun one to take in while I am on the spin bike. It was pretty the fans' fault in both crashes last year. I believe one guy hit someone's camera lens that was poking out and the other was just out too far. If you are there or know anything about the race, it's pretty clear that the riders will be riding on the side of the road to minimize the impact of the cobbles and to go faster. People just get too excited and lose perspective. Unfortunately, both guys were in the hunt when it happened.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Very common to see people standing in the path of oncoming racers.
They are looking at their camera viewfinder and not what is actually going on around them. If they have a big telephoto lens and are looking at a rider that is a fair distance away they can be unaware of riders that are outside the field of view. Often the riders have to slow right down to get around them.
Now there's people taking pics with tablets! How can you see anything when you hace an ipad in front of your face?


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## JohnStonebarger (Jan 22, 2004)

dot said:


> So... On whom should I bet this Sunday? Watching Cancellara winning is BORING... I'd like to see some fresh faces...


I'd like to see Phinney and Stybar at the front. (I'm not betting, though, just crossing fingers.)


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

dot said:


> Watching Cancellara winning is BORING. Can't even think of living in the Merkcx's era, when, I guess, a major point was if he wins again or who if not him.


I disagree. I think it is impressive that someone that is so marked by his rivals can still pull off a victory. I can see your point though. I remember the Armstrong years when the Tour was basically over after the 1st mountain stage, every year.
Place your bet on Phinney for Sunday. I think he will at least podium and it's his destiny to win Roubaix.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

burgrat said:


> I disagree. I think it is impressive that someone that is so marked by his rivals can still pull off a victory. I can see your point though. I remember the Armstrong years when the Tour was basically over after the 1st mountain stage, every year.
> Place your bet on Phinney for Sunday. I think he will at least podium and it's his destiny to win Roubaix.


I like the fact that we have 2 of the greatest cobbled racers riding @ the same time
I don't think OPQS will get caught out again


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

How will OPQS handle it? Is Boonen the man? What if he isn't there mentally? Is he still the man? They have a lot of strong riders. But trek has some strong riders to. I hope Stijn Devolder can help Spartacus power over the cobbles for a good portion of the race. This should be a good one and don't count out Belkin. You better watch out for Van Marcke haha. 

https://twitter.com/sepvanmarcke/status/453110935310581760/photo/1


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

evs said:


> How will OPQS handle it? Is Boonen the man? What if he isn't there mentally? Is he still the man? They have a lot of strong riders. But trek has some strong riders to. I hope Stijn Devolder can help Spartacus power over the cobbles for a good portion of the race. This should be a good one and don't count out Belkin. You better watch out for Van Marcke haha.
> 
> https://twitter.com/sepvanmarcke/status/453110935310581760/photo/1


that's a great post! i like it.


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## dot (Mar 4, 2004)

evs said:


> I hope Stijn Devolder can help Spartacus power over the cobbles for a good portion of the race.


that's the man who inspires admiration with his work for the team. He's a domestique for now and will hardly win a big race but his devotion is absolute. Classy racer!


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

atpjunkie said:


> I like the fact that we have 2 of the greatest cobbled racers riding @ the same time
> I don't think OPQS will get caught out again


Totally agree, it's been a great time to be a fan of cobbled classics!
Hope Tommeke can pull it together for PR (won't blame him if he can't).


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

I hope that Cancellara wins this one so he ties Boonen for both Flanders and PR, so that next year will be the biggest, and probably final, Boonen-Cancellara showdown.

I wouldn't mind Boonen winning this year, however, so that he can take sole possession of the title of "Mr. Paris-Roubaix" away from DeVlaeminck. That guy seems like a bitter old man.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

Rashadabd said:


> I have watched that race probably 5 times as it is one of my favorite races every year and a fun one to take in while I am on the spin bike. It was pretty the fans' fault in both crashes last year. I believe one guy hit someone's camera lens that was poking out and the other was just out too far. If you are there or know anything about the race, it's pretty clear that the riders will be riding on the side of the road to minimize the impact of the cobbles and to go faster. People just get too excited and lose perspective. Unfortunately, both guys were in the hunt when it happened.


I have the DVD, and it's in the rotation during the trainer season (all 6 months of it).
I didn't see the spectators move before the contact occurred. In my opinion, that's on the rider. It's always a wall of fans in that section of pave, and last year was no different. Other riders negotiated the same situation (or worse). I would hate to see yet another section of pave fenced off. Next thing you know they'll be cancelling it for rain or sending street sweepers out to remove any dirt from the roads. At a certain point you have to accept that these things happen and are as part of the Northern Classics as bad weather and untimely mechanicals. It's part of what makes them so beautiful.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

dot said:


> that's the man who inspires admiration with his work for the team. He's a domestique for now and will hardly win a big race but his devotion is absolute. Classy racer!


Interesting, given that he was criticized on every previous team for only riding well for one race a year (Flanders). Not that I wouldn't kill to have his Ronde wins, but he's been known to ride for himself at times. Maybe Demol finally convinced him to ride as a domestique instead of a star.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Alaska Mike said:


> Interesting, given that he was criticized on every previous team for only riding well for one race a year (Flanders). Not that I wouldn't kill to have his Ronde wins, but he's been known to ride for himself at times. Maybe Demol finally convinced him to ride as a domestique instead of a star.


in either case, he is not a factor sunday.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

den bakker said:


> in either case, he is not a factor sunday.


Why not?


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## redlizard (Jul 26, 2007)

foto said:


> Why not?


Because he'll be on the team bus or back in the hotel. He's out of the race.


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