Your Hopes For The 2010 Season...

all show no go

With the 2009 road season well and truly behind us, it's obviously time to start looking ahead to next year. I was wondering what you folks would like to see happen as I believe it could be one of the best years for pro cycling in aeons what with the advent of Team Sky, the aspirations of Cavendish, The Shack vs Astana and so on.
So what are your hopes/predictions for 2010?
I'd like to see Cav win Ghent-Wevelgem and the Tour's Green Jersey, Twiggo get a stage and a top 5 position in a major tour, Tony Martin to come to the fore and really show what he's got and for Team Sky to bag at least 1 major race by June. I also think it could be the break through year for Geraint Thomas in 2010.
These are just my first thoughts that spring to mind, i'd be interested to know what you folks are looking to see happen next year.........

Anonymous

To actually do some races rather than crash in March and break my leg.

calvjones

Pip for Flanders

Hushovd for Roubaix

Me to get around the Liege course without karking

Would quite like to see Cadel get the Tour (but it won't happen)

LangerDan

Boonen to get his mojo back and take Flanders and Roubaix

Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche both to take Tour stages. Philip Deignan to stay healthy and build on what he has achieved this year.

The main GT contenders racing agressively would be nice, for a change

Polka Dot jersey going to one of the main contenders, rather than someone who purposely lost a shedload of time so they'll be let away for the day.

Cav not to wait until he's carried to the last furlong, but off in a 5-man break with 50 km to go. In sleet.

Team Sky wheeling out the "cherry juice" explanation.

Spartacus not to bother wasting his time with the hour record and go for something completely barking - Grimpee des Alpes or MTB Downhilling.

The UCI to forget about doping and race radio for while and concentrate on the real scourge of professional cycling - Twitter accounts.

greasedscotsman

Someone to actually take on Cavendish. Don't really mind who wins, but I don't want to watch a sprint finish already knowing who's going to win.

And rain at Paris Rouabaix...

teagar

I want to see the big four early season classics riders - Boonen, Ballan, Pozzato, Cancellara (possibly gilbert and devolder too?), all in top form, smashing each other to bits in all the early season classics, From Het Volk ( iknow it's not called that anymore!) all the way through MSR, E3, Ghent, Flanders and Roubaix. Preferably Boonen beating them all in the ones that matter.

Either way, I want real 'koresen', as the Dutch would say. Proper racing. The same goes for the ardenne classics, which are increasingly becoming like MSR but with a (steep) uphill sprint. The Waalse Pijl was a joke last year.


That aside, some agressive racing in the GTs wouldn't go amis. I'm not that interested in GC's being decided just on a blast up the final mountain in a mountain top finish and boring time trials. i want 'waaiers' (side wind echelons), breaks, cheeky attacks on unexpected stages to be factors as important in the GC as moutain top finishes and time trials.

Some competition for Cav wouldn't go amis. His MSR win was his most exciting win for me (not just because it's a classic!) because it wasn't expected and he really had to fight for it. Still would like Boonen to smash him a few times after Cav's MSR comments.

afx237vi

greasedscotsman wrote:

Someone to actually take on Cavendish. Don't really mind who wins, but I don't want to watch a sprint finish already knowing who's going to win.

And rain at Paris Rouabaix...

Both of those would be good. It was only the second half of last year that Farrar really found his sprinting legs, so maybe he has another gear still to come. He was getting pushed around a bit in the first half of the year, so I think as he gets more experienced he'll get more consistent too.

A non-stalemate in the Ronde would be nice.

As the OP says, I think Geraint Thomas could be in for a good year. His first road win, at least.

bobtbuilder

Tom Boonen to win a fourth Paris-Roubaix and not to get coked off his tits.

Wiggo to get dropped like a bad habit on the first serious tour climb.

Lots of Philippe Gilbert on the attack.

Cunego to finally decide to give up on Grand Tours.

And if Santa was feeling really kind, the 2011 TdF route to include the Puy de Dome. :idea:

redddraggon

NapoleonD wrote:

To actually do some races rather than crash in March and break my leg.

But look on the brightside, how many mentions did you get on Eurosport during the Classics?

FJS

Flecha to win Paris-Roubaix. Or Flanders. Or anything really.

Contador to have a serious go at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Amstel Gold

Gesink and Andy Schleck to hurt Bertie in the TdF mountains

teagar

FJS wrote:

Flecha to win Paris-Roubaix. Or Flanders.

Should ask Hoste about that one:

Flecha better not come near me. I'm furious since we are the suckers

Flecha ruins my race first of all when he wasn't pulling and acting stupidly. Then he was able to attack, and in the end it turned out he wasn't even able to steer. If someone like that slips away there's not much you can do but to ride over him; I couldn't avoid him. The fact that we're finishing fourth and fifth boosts the morale, but personally I'm sick of it

After this year's Paris Roubaix.

He said more stuff on Sporza but can't find that.

I tend to agree with him.

afx237vi

Hoste accusing someone else of not pulling their weight is absolutely hilarious. Dude is the biggest wheelsucker I've ever seen.

gabriel959

It sounds to me like sour grapes ...

FJS

Let's say that the reason Hoste almost never wins anyhting isn't down to Flecha falling in Paris-Roubaix. P-R was a crash-fest and Hoste was not the only unlucky rider there (Boonen also fell at some point, as did Hushovd and more or less everyone). I understand his frustration with his results, especially at that point when things looked very bleak for Lotto, but to me that was the biggest cry-baby interview of last year.

Sporza is very good, the best really, but unfortunately in the Spring (and cyclo-cross season) they tend to be a little, uhm, patriotic.

Flecha is an always attacking rider - as a spectator I enjoy that and hope he wins something significant next year.

teagar

afx237vi wrote:

Hoste accusing someone else of not pulling their weight is absolutely hilarious. Dude is the biggest wheelsucker I've ever seen.

Haha.

Fair enough.

I don't rate Flecha as a rider. Nice guy and all that though.

Like I said, forget Flecha and all that lot. It's Pozzato, Boonen, Cancellara and Ballan I want to see smashing each other over the cobbles.

The proper big boys...

shockedsoshocked

Geraint Thomas for TDF 2010 prologue.

Bets in now 8)

timoid.

Another for Hushovd to win Roubaix...in the rain.

VdV to podium in Paris.

Gesink to give Bertie a run for his money.

Spain to have a change of heart over the OP blood bags.

Pat McQuaid to stand down.

finchy

Euskaltel rider to win the Tour of the Basque Country

Wiggins to realise that his best chance of a big win is probably in a shorter tour, and really hammer Paris-Nice or another race of a similar stature.

Hushovd to get a classic.

Cav for M-SR, G-W and P-T.

Contador and Schleck to be within seconds of each other at all times in the TdF. Heavy rain during TTs to ensure that all grand tours are decided in the mountains.

No doping scandals for the reason that every single rider in the peloton decides the risk of getting caught is now so high as to not make it worth taking the chance.

LA to reach out and start stroking AC's bottom during the TdF. AC grins sheepishly. Mr T then appears in a team car, leans out and shouts "Get some nuts! Grrrrr!"

secretsqirrel

johnfinch wrote:

LA to reach out and start stroking AC's bottom during the TdF

If he does Vino will bite his hand off.

finchy

SecretSqirrel wrote:

johnfinch wrote:

LA to reach out and start stroking AC's bottom during the TdF

If he does Vino will bite his hand off.

Well, looks like Lance Armstrong's "treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen" didn't work out then.

moray_gub

bobtbuilder wrote:

Tom Boonen to win a fourth Paris-Roubaix and not to get coked off his tits.

Wiggo to get dropped like a bad habit on the first serious tour climb.

Lots of Philippe Gilbert on the attack.

Cunego to finally decide to give up on Grand Tours.

And if Santa was feeling really kind, the 2011 TdF route to include the Puy de Dome. :idea:

I think the Lttle Prince gave up on GTs a year or so back and as for the Puy de Dome unfortunately the Tour will never go up there again becuase of this

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/pass ... wse/2.html

Oh and Boonen to do a do a Roubaix -Flanders double
Contador to do Paris Nice style f*ck up in the Tour
Cunego to take LBL
Wiggo to finish 30 mins back on the tours first big mountain

SpaceJunk

Evans to win the Giro (let's be honest, he's got no chance at the Tour).

Schleck (Jnr), Gesink etc all pushing AC at the Tour.

Thor for Roubaix

Val(Piti) [Whoever he is :roll: ] finally getting the punishment he deserved.

Wiggins getting a reality check on a true GT parcours.

Ligget and Sherwen announcing their retirement from cycling commentating pre TdF

Cavendish getting a personality so he can win the SPOTY award

teagar

I'm enjoying the love for Boonen.

Picking up a second world title wouldn't go amis either.

blazing_saddles

Moray Gub to become a sheep. :P

All the up and coming Tour riders to fulfill their potential and clean sweep the top 10.
Wet weather for Roubaix.
The Tour of Cali to get their tv coverage sorted.
Twitter to be struck down by a mysterious virus.
Contador to take LBL.
No more race cancellations.
Ricco to to take vow of silence, in order to raise, "Silence is Golden" awareness.

An exciting racing season, with plenty of the unexpected!

frenchfighter

Some of these are excellent!

Valverde to win the Tour Down Under.

No wins or top 20 GT placings for the whack shack.

Wiggins to forget the Tour and try and win the Vuelta.

EBH to continue his greatness, taking a couple of classics, several stage wins in any GT he enters, a top 10 GT placing and a whole host of minor victories.

Contador and Andy/Frank to lose 5mins on the cobbles.

Contador and Andy or Frank Schleck to finish 10+mins over everyone else in the Tour after attacking eachother to oblivion in the mountains.

Contador to participate in one of the Ardennes Classics.

Bruyneel to leave the sport in disgrace.

Cav to struggle to win anything for the first 6 months then to come back fighting.

Bennati to get his form back.

Cunego, Sastre, Gesink or Moncoutie to take the KOM jerseys.

More Voeckler breakaways.

Pocket Rocket

Cav to win green and rainbow in 2010, its definitely achievable

moray_gub

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Moray Gub to become a sheep. :P


Contador to take LBL.

Thats about as likely as me becoming a sheep

pb21

Paris Roubaix and all the big guns in a survival of the fittest, war of attrition, mud fest.

Contador to not totally decimate the TdF.

I have another one but it’s too controversial!

blazing_saddles

pb21 wrote:

I have another one but it’s too controversial!

So, are you keeping it between you and Santa?

Moray Gub wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Moray Gub to become a sheep. :P

Contador to take LBL.

Thats about as likely as me becoming a sheep

A man can dream.......especially on here! 8)

moray_gub

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Thats about as likely as me becoming a sheep

A man can dream.......especially on here! 8)

Well i never...........who would have thought that me becoming a sheep was so important to you

maltiv

I really hope someone will actually challenge Cavendish in the flat sprints next year, it's getting quite boring to watch.