Omloop Het Nieuwsblad *spoiler*

RichN95.

I've just come in from a heavy drinking session, so I can't read all of your posts properly. But I assume many of you are very disappointed that a British team has had a decent win.

All I have to say is well done Team Sky an JAFlecha. Superb win.

When I sober up tomorrow, I take on the nay sayers.

pb21

RichN95 wrote:

I've just come in from a heavy drinking session, so I can't read all of your posts properly. But I assume many of you are very disappointed that a British team has had a decent win.

All I have to say is well done Team Sky an JAFlecha. Superb win.

When I sober up tomorrow, I take on the nay sayers.

QFT

FransJacques

PauloBets wrote:

calvjones wrote:

PauloBets wrote:

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

PauloBets wrote:

Sky have benefited a lot from the precision Dave Brailford and company brought over from track racing and sky signed on for pro tour racing because of Dave Brailsford and his track team's performances over the years. Down with the naysayers and negative people on these crazy internet forums. Sky is worth supporting.

In reality though Sky are just another Pro team. One British DS, it's more or less as British as Barloworld but has the resources of the British Cycling team at its disposal. It'l be interesting to see how the track team go as word has it that there are a few unhappy people seeing a bunch of foreigners getting mega salaries out of their results on the track.

Good luck to them though.

6 or 7 of 11 management are Brits, one is DS, 8 riders of 26 are Brits, registered in the UK. They are a UK team and will support UK races like the Tour of Britain and they will give the riders a fairer crack of the whip than foreign teams would and up coming Brits in years to come will have a fair chance of a team place now sky is here. It is an English speaking team, US and Aussies too. It is worth great support and the British public may even pay attention with the theme of a British team to interest them.

I'm confused. Why should a British team give riders a better crack of the whip than 'foreigners'?

Without foreigners there would be precisely zero pro road cycling to watch so a little humility wouldn't go amiss.

because they have a sense patriotism and want to grow the sport in this country by supporting British riders. You negative people don't care about that obviously

I'm sorry but Wiggo has a sense of the dollar bill, mod father hair and little else. Put down the John Bull hooka you're smoking, it's Pro cycling not a Six Natioans tourny so your thinking is off. No sense looking for something that's not there unless you're supporting the actual GB road team who do do races like the Tour of Normandy etc. No pro teams are strictly along national lines - Astana's best rider is Spanish. You could also consider Rabo, who was quite Dutch in the mid- late-90s, but who's best GC rider is Russian. Sky's first win is with a Aussie DS and a Spaniard on the pedals. EBH will be the second Sky rider to win a Euro race this season and is Norwegian.

For KBK, why not get out the flag for Cervelo, they have 2 BG riders who are a lot more proven in the pro ranks than Stannard or Downing. For Het Nieuwsblad - Cervelo also had Daniel Lloyd making them 150% more British than Sky who only had the same two. We all support the Sky team here, just for the right reasons.

FransJacques

frenchfighter wrote:

I also like seeing Downing up there. He is clearly capable of being a good domestique and having a punt now and a again.

I think it is worth noting that a rider wins a race like this not a team. You can have the bset team but wont win if you are not a quality rider. Sure the team is there to help and some teams are better at helping that others, but at the end of the day it is all about the legs...and being lucky.

Good point, this is strong man's stuff, with a bit of luck. It's not a sprint finish where you can practice the leadout. That's why they had Scott S in the car. He knows this stuff.

I've been following pro cycling since the 80's and I don't remember so many flats. Did the race route go via the Yorkshire dales or wherever those inbreds spread tacks across the road to protest road closures? Not sure who QS use for their tire sponsor but Chavanel, Boonen and Devolder all hit multiple times. Bizarre. Maybe 12 bar is better than 5 or 6?

DaveyL

I think I read before the race that they were expecting lots of flats due to all the exceptionally bad weather and road gritting recently. I'm sure someone on here mentioned some unlucky team which had had a ridiculous number of flats during training rides in the days before the race.

ridgerider

A list of which teams use which tyres, and which had the most flats will put an end to the endless "which tyres best for winter" threads in the Buying Advice forum.

Beatmaker

word has it that there are a few unhappy people seeing a bunch of foreigners getting mega salaries out of their results on the track.

Please reveal your sources. :roll:

gsk82

frenchfighter wrote:

he needs to get out of the way, hes hindering the response to a potential medical emergency

calvjones

frenchfighter wrote:

Why isn't anyone going against Flecha's 'bow and arrow' or Bettini's 'rifle' but are really happy to go against Contador's 'pistol'?!

As for Flecha
1. His name means Arrow so fairly justified. Contador should really mime some double entry bookkeeping as he crosses the line.
2. AFAIK he doesn't fire arrows at people from the podium (?)

As for Bettini
1. It was a one off because of the WC furore
2. Yes, it makes him look like an @rse too.

Rodrego Hernandez

Beatmaker wrote:

word has it that there are a few unhappy people seeing a bunch of foreigners getting mega salaries out of their results on the track.

Please reveal your sources. :roll:

Why??

blazing_saddles

"Word has it". Who's word? Source required, otherwise folks assume it's made up.
Anyhow.....GP Insurbria
Nocentini's crash from Rai.
http://www.youtube.com/user/worldcyclin ... 3ik-gPxFmA
Race finish from Team Sky.
http://www.teamskyfans.com/videohighlights2010.html

Rodrego Hernandez

This isn't a court!

Believe what you like, tell you what, just read all the press releases and take them as gospel and keep away from forums where you might actually learn a bit of reality.

Le Commentateur

gsk82 wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

he needs to get out of the way, hes hindering the response to a potential medical emergency

Is that Peter Van Petegem riding in the car?

piet_eastsea

Yep, that's "de zwarte van Brakel".

mroli

frenchfighter wrote:

I think it is worth noting that a rider wins a race like this not a team. You can have the bset team but wont win if you are not a quality rider. Sure the team is there to help and some teams are better at helping that others, but at the end of the day it is all about the legs...and being lucky.

Agreed - though caveated by the fact that if Hayman hadn't given Flecha his wheel, he'd have been sunk.

On the fanboy stuff - I don't know who it was, but someone said you might as well have supported Barloworld as Sky. I have a Barloworld shirt. :oops:

But, loved the racing before Sky - will love it after Sky...

bobbymeister

'The foreigners' are not getting their 'mega salaries' because of what the GB track team have achieved.
EBH and co would be making the same kind of money wherever they chose to ride.
Frankly, if some of the trackies are moaning to mates who are then indiscreet enough to plaster it all over internet forums, they need to get on their road bikes and get where the money is, eh?
I think it's also worth bearing in mind that Sky is a long term project as far as developing homegrown talent is concerned.
There is, inevitably, a 'foreign' base at the moment simply because there are not 25 British pro tour riders.
Let's reconvene in four years, when Stannard, P Kennaugh, Swift and Thomas have developed a bit more and T Kennaugh, Rowsell, Rowe and co have pushed through as well.
Then will be the time to judge.

greeny12

bobbymeister wrote:

'The foreigners' are not getting their 'mega salaries' because of what the GB track team have achieved.
EBH and co would be making the same kind of money wherever they chose to ride.
Frankly, if some of the trackies are moaning to mates who are then indiscreet enough to plaster it all over internet forums, they need to get on their road bikes and get where the money is, eh?
I think it's also worth bearing in mind that Sky is a long term project as far as developing homegrown talent is concerned.
There is, inevitably, a 'foreign' base at the moment simply because there are not 25 British pro tour riders.
Let's reconvene in four years, when Stannard, P Kennaugh, Swift and Thomas have developed a bit more and T Kennaugh, Rowsell, Rowe and co have pushed through as well.
Then will be the time to judge.

Hear hear!

pedro118118

Personally, I don't see Sky as being a 'British' team, more an international ProTour team with a significant British influence.

But then again, I don't really follow/support a cycling team per se, I follow riders - be it Wiggo, Cav, Hammond, Millar (from a British perspective) or the likes of Bertie, Gilbert, Cancellara, Sanchez etc (from the perspective of liking their style on the bike).

I think this is the same for most people in reality - I really don't understand why Sky are polarizing opinion to such an extent?

Personally, I find Garmin to be the most irritating outfit in the pro-peleton by some margin.

moray_gub

Blazing Saddles wrote:

"Word has it". Who's word? Source required, otherwise folks assume it's made up.
Anyhow.....GP Insurbria
Nocentini's crash from Rai.
http://www.youtube.com/user/worldcyclin ... 3ik-gPxFmA
Race finish from Team Sky.
http://www.teamskyfans.com/videohighlights2010.html

Cant make out a word but every time i hear that commentator i think he sounds great.

frenchfighter

If anyone has a front facing photo of Gilbert attacking Flecha with blood running down his left leg then I would appreciate it if you could post it up. Thanks.

takethehighroad

http://photos.grahamwatson.com/RaceUpdates/0227-Omloop-Het-Nieuwsblad/11363607_Rkg4D#798302153_j53wq

There's some good ones that I think you're after on here

frenchfighter

Thanks a lot.