Omloop Het Nieuwsblad *SPOILER*
No_Ta_Doctor
Posts: 13,326
Weather: mild, sunny, light to moderate breeze from NW.
So a fairly gentle introduction to the cobbles this year.
So a fairly gentle introduction to the cobbles this year.
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You beat me by seconds. How do I delete my thread?
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Sounds like a group of seven up the road already. Got to love Sporza live ticker auto translation:
"David Boucher - A useful strength up front is certainly the Boucher. The maniac has argued since this year the colors of FDJ-BigMat and is not averse to a long escape. Those fighting the Frenchman did not yet expect oily fish."0 -
I think Wouter Weylandt's widow was the official starter for the race in Gent this morning'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'0
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Break at around 9 minutes now***** Pro Tour Pundit Champion 2020, 2018, 2017 & 2011 *****0
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Go get them Boonen.
“I start tomorrow full of confidence in any case,” he told Sporza on the eve of the race.
"I have enough experience to not make me crazy in the race. It is important that the weather will be good, so the transition from the heat of the Middle East is not too abrupt. With these conditions, it may take a long time for the race to break open."
Despite never having made the top step of the podium in the Omloop, Boonen has stood on both of the others; finishing second in 2005, and third in 2007 [which, with his Kuurne victory the following day, is as close as anyone has come to taking the double of both races - ed].
While he is a three-time winner of Paris Roubaix, and a two-time winner of both the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Gent-Wevelgem, the peculiarities of the Omloop do not seem to suit a rider of his physical characteristics, he thinks.
"In the Omloop it’s difficult for the big men to hit the front," Boonen goes on. "The decision is often made there, which makes it tricky."
His four wins of the season so far, with those in Qatar coming after the powerful Omega Pharma-Quick Step team put the peloton to the sword in the crosswinds, leave him confident of a good performance this weekend.
"I also had a good last week behind me. I think I'm ready to ride a good Openingsweekend," he said. "It would be nice if my team could benefit from the favourites watching me. The team is more ready than ever. We have a number of candidates for the win that can survive the battles."
The last time Boonen won the Tour of Qatar he went on to take his third Paris-Roubaix victory; while it is a bit much to predict a similar outcome this early, it certainly shows that the 30-year-old is back to somewhere near his best form.
"Or am I more eager than other years? More especially I’m better,” he said. “Then it's easier to be eager. It is now time to begin; it's time to reap the rewards."
Omega Pharma-Quick Step has had a fantastic start to 2012, especially when compared to the same time last year, with domination of San Luis and Qatar, as well as Andy Fenn’s two victories in Mallorca, and Gerard Ciolek and Peter Velits taking stages in the Volta ao Algarve and the Tour of Oman. The team is currently ranked number one this year, but as the most important part of the Belgian season approaches, team manager Patrick Lefevere is keeping his feet well and truly on the ground.
“But beware,” he said to Sporza. “The coming weeks and months will reveal what all those victories were worth.
“We have successfully completed the first period,” he explained, “but now the second period begins where a new balance sheet is drawn up every week. It is true that we are in a positive spiral; everything works right now.”
Lefevere is confident about the form of his captain, but is keen to concentrate on the job in hand.
"Boonen seems ready too, but the race still has to be ridden” he said. “The art is to take control of the race right after the last climb."Contador is the Greatest0 -
Break at around 11 mins...
David Boucher (Fra)
Arnaud van Groen (Ned)
Marco Haller (Oos)
Davide Ricci Bitti (Ita)
Florian Vachon (Fra)
Sven Vandousselaere (Bel)
Lieuwe Westra (Ned)0 -
FYI, My Flanders Classics App has just told me that their Mascot is on Waterratstraat in Eke - If you want to go and find it I think you win a prize...
one vote for Boonen, One for Breshcel from the Sporza pundits, lots of the Belgian fans saying Boonen, one hot girl says Gilbert...
edit - SPORZA COVERAGE HAS STARTED!We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Crash tastic at the moment
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Yeh plenty of crashes!0
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The feed I'm watching is very blurred, looks like the Sky boys have covers on their lids, can anyone see exactly if they have?0
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Right, ok. Cheers for that, wasn't sure if it was my feed
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WHOA!!0
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BOOM!!0
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Poor old Lars Boom, He just ate it..0
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looks like that could be the winning break that just happened..0
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Yeh very much so, man it's chrashorama!! Oh mate that idiot fan wt...0
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Good job it ain't raining... it'd be carnage otherwise. Oh, hang on, it's carnage anyway.0
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My PTP pick getting the slowest wheel change ever :roll:0
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afx237vi wrote:ddraver wrote:FYI, My Flanders Classics App has just told me that their Mascot is on Waterratstraat in Eke - If you want to go and find it I think you win a prize...
Do it before he gets murdered by the Belgian version of Pinkie Brown... :!:
Excellent Brighton Rock reference, made my day!Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
No tA Doctor wrote:afx237vi wrote:ddraver wrote:FYI, My Flanders Classics App has just told me that their Mascot is on Waterratstraat in Eke - If you want to go and find it I think you win a prize...
Do it before he gets murdered by the Belgian version of Pinkie Brown... :!:
Excellent Brighton Rock reference, made my day!
It made my day that someone understood it 0 -
What about that Front wheel change for Gilbert ??? FFS nearly 40-50 secs to get a front wheel in ...no wonder he grabbed to skewer himself.0
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Could someone tell me who the riders are in G1 please. I'm watching it on a bit of a dodgy stream and can't have the sound on at work.0
