Devolder for LBL - skipping the Tour

teagar
teagar Posts: 2,100
edited November 2009 in Pro race
As the title suggests.

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrenn ... older_luik


Can't see him doing remotely well in luik bastenaken luik to be honest.

Quick-Step are running out of options on the hilly classics though, without Bettini, and Schumacher falling through the floor. Surprised they havn't made any moved to rectify that.
Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.

Comments

  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    With Boonen and Chavanel, it makes sense to get Devolder aiming for something else. I'm not sure if he'll do it but it's wise for QS to spread things across more races.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    He's got the engine

    He's got the guts

    He can climb a bit

    He's got the tactical nou.....


    I'll get me coat.
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    Kléber wrote:
    With Boonen and Chavanel, it makes sense to get Devolder aiming for something else. I'm not sure if he'll do it but it's wise for QS to spread things across more races.

    True, but Chav has to be a better bet for the Ardennes surely?
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    calvjones wrote:
    Kléber wrote:
    With Boonen and Chavanel, it makes sense to get Devolder aiming for something else. I'm not sure if he'll do it but it's wise for QS to spread things across more races.

    True, but Chav has to be a better bet for the Ardennes surely?

    He'll probably ride too.
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    I'm not sure why targetting LBL means you have to miss the Tour. QS will be going into this year's Tour looking for nothing more than stage wins anyway, so why not have Boonen, Chavanel and Devolder?
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    afx237vi wrote:
    I'm not sure why targetting LBL means you have to miss the Tour. QS will be going into this year's Tour looking for nothing more than stage wins anyway, so why not have Boonen, Chavanel and Devolder?


    Devolider apparantly feels that the last two Tours went very badly for him (*correct*), so figures he's better off going to the Vuelta, where he's enjoyed some success before.


    Given his obvious talent on the bike, he truly has been rubbish in the Tour.
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    teagar wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    I'm not sure why targetting LBL means you have to miss the Tour. QS will be going into this year's Tour looking for nothing more than stage wins anyway, so why not have Boonen, Chavanel and Devolder?


    Devolider apparantly feels that the last two Tours went very badly for him (*correct*), so figures he's better off going to the Vuelta, where he's enjoyed some success before.


    Given his obvious talent on the bike, he truly has been rubbish in the Tour.

    Yeah, I like him a lot. It's difficult to know how good he actually is though, with both of his Ronde's coming like they did. Very fragile mentally perhaps? I was at his hotel following his last Ronde and he looked like a little lost lamb amongst the press, whilst Tom sat quietly in the corner eating his pasta :!:
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    edited November 2009
    calvjones wrote:
    teagar wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    I'm not sure why targetting LBL means you have to miss the Tour. QS will be going into this year's Tour looking for nothing more than stage wins anyway, so why not have Boonen, Chavanel and Devolder?


    Devolider apparantly feels that the last two Tours went very badly for him (*correct*), so figures he's better off going to the Vuelta, where he's enjoyed some success before.


    Given his obvious talent on the bike, he truly has been rubbish in the Tour.

    Yeah, I like him a lot. It's difficult to know how good he actually is though, with both of his Ronde's coming like they did. Very fragile mentally perhaps? I was at his hotel following his last Ronde and he looked like a little lost lamb amongst the press, whilst Tom sat quietly in the corner eating his pasta :!:

    Concerning Devolder:
    The flemish always say, if you can win de ronde, you can win the worlds. Given that he's won twice, i'd say he's pretty damn good. Just not great over anything much more than a bump.


    Tom's very cool. 8)
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    teagar wrote:
    The flemish always say, if you can win de ronde, you can win the worlds. Given that he's won twice, i'd say he's pretty damn good. Just not great over anything much more than a bump.


    Tom's very cool. 8)

    He's not that bad a climber - he finished 11th overall in the Vuelta a few years back.

    Just been looking at his past results, and he's only started two Tours de France ('08 and '09). DNF last year and 83rd this year. Kinda surprising, really.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    err, afx, he won the Green Jersey in 2007.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Kléber wrote:
    err, afx, he won the Green Jersey in 2007.

    Sorry, I was referring to Devolder, not Boonen.
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    afx237vi wrote:
    teagar wrote:
    The flemish always say, if you can win de ronde, you can win the worlds. Given that he's won twice, i'd say he's pretty damn good. Just not great over anything much more than a bump.


    Tom's very cool. 8)

    He's not that bad a climber - he finished 11th overall in the Vuelta a few years back.

    Just been looking at his past results, and he's only started two Tours de France ('08 and '09). DNF last year and 83rd this year. Kinda surprising, really.

    All remember from that Vuelta was watching suffer like a dog when the mountains got big.

    Maybe he'll be ok in LBL. OK in a classic doesn't cut it for QS however.
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Sorry, afx

    QS are really on the slide. Could Omega-Lotto become Belgian's top squad in 2010?

    Certainly Devolder vs Gilber in L-B-L, well things could be close if Devolder was on a good day but Gilbert would win the sprint if they both came to the finish line together.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Kléber wrote:

    Certainly Devolder vs Gilber in L-B-L, well things could be close if Devolder was on a good day but Gilbert would win the sprint if they both came to the finish line together.

    Even if Pip was on a bad day, he'd win as he's smarter.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • pat1cp
    pat1cp Posts: 766
    iainf72 wrote:
    Kléber wrote:

    Certainly Devolder vs Gilber in L-B-L, well things could be close if Devolder was on a good day but Gilbert would win the sprint if they both came to the finish line together.

    Even if Pip was on a bad day, he'd win as he's smarter.

    Are saying Stijn is lacking on an intellectual front ?

    I think it was 2008 when he was bigging his chances up in the Tour (for a top 10, anyway). I thought at the time he might do OK, given his performance in the Vuelta the Autumn prior. He got a right royal spanking and withdrew with an illness I think.
    http://tinyurl.com/332edp
    http://tinyurl.com/2nu7r3
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Kléber wrote:
    QS are really on the slide. Could Omega-Lotto become Belgian's top squad in 2010?

    They have the winners of the last two Flanders (who gets nothing but ridicule here for some reason), the last Roubaix and the last two Belgian champions. They haven't lost anyone of note in the close season. Where is this slide?

    Sure they won't be up to much in GTs but when where they ever up to much?

    Omega Pharma have one good un and one almost good one.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    Timoid. wrote:
    Kléber wrote:
    QS are really on the slide. Could Omega-Lotto become Belgian's top squad in 2010?

    They have the winners of the last two Flanders (who gets nothing but ridicule here for some reason), the last Roubaix and the last two Belgian champions. They haven't lost anyone of note in the close season. Where is this slide?

    Was thinking the same myself cant really see how it can be defined as a slide, ok so Boonens sprint is maybe on the wane but they still nailed Flanders and Roubaix fling in Barredos San Sebastien win then surely for a Belgian classics team thats success .
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    I suppose I'm looking back at the glory days of Mapei. Then, a win in Flanders and Roubaix was possible, but they could also win Milan-San Remo with Bettini, Liege with Bartoli or Bettini and Amstel with Zanini. Then they'd get a podium in the Giro, several stage wins in the Tour and keep going right until the end of the year.

    Today QS don't fire on so many fronts, but that's normal given their Belgian sponsor and the focus on April. But as I say, it could be that Omega gets the upper hand next year, but that's a possibility, not a certainty.

    Maybe Patrick Lefevere can spend the long winter evenings investigating happy ants and inner chimps?
  • richard wants a baum
    richard wants a baum Posts: 744
    Cant see Omega doing better next year Gilbert will do well but thats about it. QS dont have any prospects for the GT's but do Omega ?
    Take care of the luxuries and the necessites will take care of themselves.
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    richard wants a baum wrote:
    Cant see Omega doing better next year Gilbert will do well but thats about it. QS dont have any prospects for the GT's but do Omega ?

    Jurgen Van Den Broeck isn't bad.

    6th in the Giro last year, 15th in the Tour this year.


    Beglium's finest GT rider.
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    And they've got Moreno now... 11th in the Vuelta. From Valverde helper to Cadel helper to GC leader?

    BTW, I don't think every team needs a GC rider - teams riding round France to defend their man's 8th place in the overall doesn't make for the most interesting racing.
  • NicFrance
    NicFrance Posts: 256
    teagar wrote:
    Jurgen Van Den Broeck isn't bad.

    6th in the Giro last year, 15th in the Tour this year
    and he is only 26. so his best yares are still to come.

Categories