Flanders *spoiler*

frenchfighter

Exactly what he says. This is definitely what I like for all races.

‘I’M NOT A REVOLUTIONARY OF ANY SORT, BUT ON THE BIKE, I’VE ALWAYS REFUSED TO COME OUT OF A MOULD. IT ASTONISHES ME THAT MOST RIDERS ARE FOLLOWERS, EVEN SHEEP. A LOT OF THEM, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEY’RE IN THE TOUR ARE THEIR DIRECTEURS SPORTIFS. I COULDN’T DO THE JOB LIKE THAT. THEY FINISH THE TOUR WITHOUT HAVING ATTACKED ONCE, MAYBE THE WHOLE OF THE SEASON, EVEN THE WHOLE OF THEIR CAREER. I’D RATHER FINISH SHATTERED AND LAST HAVING ATTACKED A HUNDRED TIMES THAN FINISH 25TH WITHOUT HAVING TRIED.’

JACKY DURAND

-From Big Ring Riding.

disgruntledgoat

Difference being FF, Nuyens didn't come 25th. He played the race better than everyone else and won.

Just on my way back from a weekend in Bruges. The Belgian passion for cycling is something to behold, I rode the sportive of the full route yesterday (ice still got numb spots on my hands) and,there were fans everywhere for that! The bar I watched the race in today was mental when Nuyens won and the square for the start this morning had 10000 in it! Incredible!

I met Joe Parkin in the crowd too, he couldn't have been nicer.

deejay

frenchfighter wrote:

Exactly what he says. This is definitely what I like for all races.

‘I’M NOT A REVOLUTIONARY OF ANY SORT, BUT ON THE BIKE, I’VE ALWAYS REFUSED TO COME OUT OF A MOULD. IT ASTONISHES ME THAT MOST RIDERS ARE FOLLOWERS, EVEN SHEEP. A LOT OF THEM, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEY’RE IN THE TOUR ARE THEIR DIRECTEURS SPORTIFS. I COULDN’T DO THE JOB LIKE THAT. THEY FINISH THE TOUR WITHOUT HAVING ATTACKED ONCE, MAYBE THE WHOLE OF THE SEASON, EVEN THE WHOLE OF THEIR CAREER. I’D RATHER FINISH SHATTERED AND LAST HAVING ATTACKED A HUNDRED TIMES THAN FINISH 25TH WITHOUT HAVING TRIED.’

JACKY DURAND

.

Well I knew that feeling in my young days and why I still hate wheel suckers as their stickiness was far too good for me.
So an occasional success for me.
I loved Claudio Chiappucci also.


I don't think the Flandrian won today by wheel sucking.

iainf72

frenchfighter wrote:

JACKY DURAND

-From Big Ring Riding.

Remind me how Durand won Flanders? Wheel sucked to glory, maybe?

frenchfighter

iainf72 wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

JACKY DURAND

-From Big Ring Riding.

Remind me how Durand won Flanders? Wheel sucked to glory, maybe?

217km epic break, just him and Wegmüller. Then solo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ6-ybCTJ4M

And:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacky_Durand#Lone_breaks

And now you are going to tell me he did very little work for the part of the 217km before he went solo :roll:

frenchfighter

2010 numbers Cancellara:

http://adrianfitch.wordpress.com/2010/1 ... ower-data/

AndyD2574

Faban robbed today. What a rider.

Does all teh work and then someone who sits on his wheel sneaks past and gets teh glory.

Bummer!

greasedscotsman

Think Museeuw gets it right here...

Johan Museeuw wrote:

He was the smartest rider. He has to ride this way because he's not as strong as some of the others. He can't attack from 30 kilometres out. He has to play poker with his strength.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/museeuw ... rs-tactics

andyp

frenchfighter wrote:

217km epic break, just him and Wegmüller. Then solo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ6-ybCTJ4M

And:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacky_Durand#Lone_breaks

And now you are going to tell me he did very little work for the part of the 217km before he went solo :roll:

He was part of a four man break, not two, so get your facts straight first, before you start arguing about it, otherwise you'll look like an idiot.

Oh.

cogidubnus

frenchfighter wrote:

Getty


Great photos here:
http://www.steephill.tv/2011/tour-of-fl ... s/page-02/

Some cool photo's on there FF

greasedscotsman

so FDJ have a bit of paper taped to the stem/top tube



Whereas over at Omega Pharma Lotto...

FransJacques

Leave Nuyens alone, he won in a tough sprint and worked in the last 10kms.

You could also argue that Goss didn't take a pull or sit on the front in 5 hours of Milan San Remo - except the last 5 seconds of course - but no one took any digs at Goss.

Both are very similar wins: single rider with no team mates stays near the front out of the wind, makes the final selection, and takes the multi-rider sprint.

inkyfingers

Frenchie, if the strongest rider should always win then why don't we just dispense with the 6 hours of dicking about and just have them all do a ten minute test on a wattbike to see who is developing the most power..bingo, the strongest rider will always win.

I thought that was a great race yesterday. At 25k to go I wasn't hopeful but seeing them catch Cancellara on the Muur was incredible. Nuyens raced smart but I think Chavanel would have won that sprint if Cancellara hadn't swung across and blocked his sprint. Think we saw some sour grapes there from Cancellara after Chavanel wouldn't do any work when they were away together.

frenchfighter

FransJacques wrote:

but no one took any digs at Goss.

Have a look at the spoiler thread again.

At the end of the day, whoever crosses the line first in a race like Flanders deserves credit. It takes huge strength just to follow some of these wheels. I don't dislike Nuyens for it but don't look on it as a memorable or amazing etc win, just a win.

Also imagine if the 'strong' riders, the 'exciting' riders just rode wheels and did nothing exciting. It will lead to a totally shit race for the fans; totally and utterly. It is thanks to the crazy attackers and go-getters that make the race fun to watch; at least for me.

frenchfighter

andyp wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

217km epic break, just him and Wegmüller. Then solo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ6-ybCTJ4M

And:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacky_Durand#Lone_breaks

And now you are going to tell me he did very little work for the part of the 217km before he went solo :roll:

He was part of a four man break, not two, so get your facts straight first, before you start arguing about it, otherwise you'll look like an idiot.

Oh.

Being so much older than me, maybe you can explain who he sucked wheels to victory, instead of trying to abuse me (which is a total waste of time as it just makes you and anyone else look un-intelligent. Those who are unable to use words resort to violence and aggression. Those that resort to attack are losing).

I asn't around then so cannot go firsthand. I just know from what I have read that he was out there in an epic break, did a decent amount solo (as per the video), was known for long breaks (as per wiki), and had an attitude that fits (as per the quote).

frenchfighter

greasedscotsman wrote:

Whereas over at Omega Pharma Lotto...

That looks so cool.

frenchfighter

Here's 30mins worth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buaUpLCr ... r_embedded

And Vaughter's:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-j ... 0&ns_fee=0

iainf72

frenchfighter wrote:

I asn't around then so cannot go firsthand. I just know from what I have read that he was out there in an epic break, did a decent amount solo (as per the video), was known for long breaks (as per wiki), and had an attitude that fits (as per the quote).

My memory isn't what it used to be, but as I recall, before he went solo he suckered Wegmuller into doing a lot of the work before he legged it on his own.

andyp

frenchfighter wrote:

Being so much older than me, maybe you can explain who he sucked wheels to victory, instead of trying to abuse me (which is a total waste of time as it just makes you and anyone else look un-intelligent. Those who are unable to use words resort to violence and aggression. Those that resort to attack are losing).

I asn't around then so cannot go firsthand. I just know from what I have read that he was out there in an epic break, did a decent amount solo (as per the video), was known for long breaks (as per wiki), and had an attitude that fits (as per the quote).

As I've already said previously, the current issue of Cycle Sport has a very good article on the 1992 race so a 5 min read will give you most of the details of the break.

Durand rode well, but he was fortunate to a) be in a break with a rider like Wegmuller who was well known for doing far more than his fair share of work in breaks like this (he was second in the 1988 Paris-Roubaix in near identical circumstances) and b) be the beneficiary of rivalry between Panasonic and Bucker which saw them leave the chase until it was too late.

Durand went solo from the Bosberg to the finish, so about 13 kms, which is decent but not exactly an epic solo break.

Here's an idea; why don't you spend less time trolling on here and devote that effort to learning a bit about the history of the sport? You're clearly passionate about it and you might find it enjoyable.

rick_chasey

C'mon guys. Nuyens made it to the final group 16 or whatever it was, and from that he made it into the winning break of 3 (where he did take turns!) and of that three he won in the sprint!

What more do you need?

Pfft.

I'm surprised you guys can stand watching most stage race stages if you think that's not worthy!

Yellow Peril

There are so many "what ifs" and that's what makes a good race.

Thomas did a lot of chasing towards the end of the race. If I'm not mistaken he bridged the breakaway that set Cancellara and Nuyens up for the last break and then seemed to be doing big turns on the front to chase them down. What if he had been on Fab's back wheel as he made that final jump? Could it have been a Thomas victory? would people be slagging him for taking the win at the end or would it have been a tactical masterpiece? Thomas must be close to a big win in the near future.

I don't think Fab is too bothered about people hitching a ride, it just shows how much stronger he is. In some respects it is a man against boys. After last year he must have expected every trick in the book to leg him up. It is Pro racing after all.

iainf72

Rick Chasey wrote:

C'mon guys. Nuyens made it to the final group 16 or whatever it was, and from that he made it into the winning break of 3 (where he did take turns!) and of that three he won in the sprint!

The dude has won Het Volk and KBK, as well as top 10 rides in Flanders before. He's a worthy winner and did an excellent ride. Anyone who can't see that is an eejit.

blazing_saddles

We have been blessed with two great, opening monuments, this season. No one can claim that either M-SR or Flanders have been anything other than top notch editions.

As to Nuyens, he rode a tactically flawless race, winning the race the only way he could.
He's not even a wheel follower by nature. I seem to recall those semi wins (HV certainly) came from a big, early attack.

He won the Dwars 10 days ago, from being last man standing in a 4-man break, having done by far the most work in the process.

Spring races are and should remain, the master class in tactical racing. Being tactically smart doesn't necessarily sit well with being stylish.
Obsessing over the latter would effect ones appreciation of the former.

Tom Butcher

frenchfighter wrote:

FransJacques wrote:

but no one took any digs at Goss.

Have a look at the spoiler thread again.

At the end of the day, whoever crosses the line first in a race like Flanders deserves credit. It takes huge strength just to follow some of these wheels. I don't dislike Nuyens for it but don't look on it as a memorable or amazing etc win, just a win.

Also imagine if the 'strong' riders, the 'exciting' riders just rode wheels and did nothing exciting. It will lead to a totally shoot race for the fans; totally and utterly. It is thanks to the crazy attackers and go-getters that make the race fun to watch; at least for me.

I take your point FF - for me it was an amazing race rather than an amazing win - but I'd take that over something like last year which was one of the most impressive rides ever but for me not an enjoyable spectacle.

It would perhaps have been a more fitting way to end if say Chavanel or Cancellara had been rewarded for their adventure or Boonen had proven that Cancellara's rise hadn't rendered him yesterdays man, or if Gilbert had won and confirmed his status as potentially one of the great one day racers.

But that said I'll take a race like yesterday's all day long and it's the unpredictability of cycling that makes it so much better to watch than some other sports. The favourites have to do more to win because they are marked - that's the great leveller in this sport - that's why those who last week were asking how could Cancellara possibly be beaten should really have been asking how could he possibly win. Look at football - you can probably predict at least 3 of the top 4 for next year right now, probably the year or two after as well - if the strongest man always wins I think it'd be terribly predictable and much less fun. [/i]

frenchfighter

Horses mouth:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/04/ ... s-back-at-“an-amazing-race”_166866

stfc1

Yellow Peril wrote:

Thomas must be close to a big win in the near future.

It is really starting to look that way.

Oh, and Flanders was a great race. Some people were only ever going to be satisfied with another Cancellara win, but the fact such a big favourite can lay it all out there and still be beaten is what makes our sport so beautiful. Seeing him reaching for bottles from the crowd was an indicator that he was struggling, but the fact he launched two more efforts (including the one that made the winning group) after being caught was as compelling as last year's display of power. Throw in Gilbert having a go on the Bosberg and it was thrilling. Hats off to Gilbert, sometimes he is the strongest rider in the race, and sometimes he isn't, but he never crosses the line without finding out.

mrushton

Nuyens did fantastically well. If wheelsucking means bridging across and keeping up with the people in that final group well good for him. That attack by Gilbert on the Bosberg should have been the winning move but no, the tension kept on building. if Cancellara had just ridden off the complaints on here would have been of boring, racing for 2nd etc. Hichapie - 6th? Some clever riding there. On the day the smartest man won and we were kept guessing until the last 1km who would be in the first 3

smithy21

I've gained more respect for the guts Cancellara showed yesterday than I did watching him destroy the field last year. The way he kept going and trying to make breaks was a mark of class and desire.

Thought it was poor form that he was getting boo'ed on Bosberg.

rick_chasey

smithy21 wrote:

Thought it was poor form that he was getting boo'ed on Bosberg.

Chase a Belgian in Belgium and it doesn't go down well....

frenchfighter

“When the gap was a minute I looked at my computer and saw that we were doing 60kph so I thought that up front it would be impossible to maintain such a high rhythm,” Gilbert said. “It was either going to go out to three minutes like it did last year, or else they were going to be brought back.”