The Hell of the North
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The most accurate weather site for the region - http://www.buienradar.nl/
Seriously, on the day it will be accurate to minutes!We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
I know the Beeb isn't the best, but this does look pleasing at the moment:
Proper classics weather. That's more like it!
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Cycling fans - classics fans at any rate - are proper evil bastards.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0
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please please please, its not very much to ask for, there is a drought on. All we ask for is a little rain on Sunday in and around Lille, its been a dry year, so if you can answer this prayer then i promise i wont wish for or buy anything blingy at least until Monday
yours
rubertoe
:twisted: :twisted:"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills0 -
Le Commentateur wrote:
"Mud - makes even Hincapie look well 'ard"'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'0 -
Was I the only one to see this, a couple of weeks ago.
Whilst rummaging around skybet, pre Flanders, I had a look over @ the Roubaix odds.
In doing so, I had a £2 ew bet on Flecha at:-
1680-1
I assumed he'd just had a leg amputated hence only a £4 bet.
Oh he's now 20-1, with Sky.0 -
PostieJohn wrote:Was I the only one to see this, a couple of weeks ago.
Whilst rummaging around skybet, pre Flanders, I had a look over @ the Roubaix odds.
In doing so, I had a £2 ew bet on Flecha at:-
1680-1
I assumed he'd just had a leg amputated hence only a £4 bet.
Oh he's now 20-1, with Sky.
Tell us now :roll:0 -
I genuinely haven't given it much thought, normally I would have spent my 'winnings' by now.LeicesterLad wrote:Tell us now :roll:
At first I thought it was a wind up.
Then I just assumed he wasn't racing.
It's only when the Roubaix betting was mentioned on my first 'home', the Brighton & Hove Albion forum, that I remembered.
I had a look @ my account and there it is Flecha 1680-1 £2 ew.0 -
patchy wrote:A Sunday in Hell for more viewing pleasure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4IDCkcn ... re=related
As to who could win... I ain't got a decking clue. Boonen is the favourite with no Canc, but I've got a feeling it's going to be someone relatively unexpected.
Actually, looking at the BMC team, it's pretty solid with Phinney, Ballan, Van Avermaet, Hincapie and Hushovd... just questions over form. Still, them and OPQS to be strongest in the race, with Sky and Garmin in the next rank down. Still can't see a clear favourite other than Tommeke though.
Thanks for that patchy, I've been meaning to watch that for ages. Fantastic.
I may have just fallen slightly in love (in a manly way, you understand) with Francesco Moser though. Beautiful.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Poor Alfred Achermann...cobbles in the face, handlebars in the nuts
As "Podium Cafe" have so succinctly put it - "It wouldn't be Holy Week without a day in Hell"'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'0 -
Get on Betfair pronto and lay him - lock in that profitPostieJohn wrote:
I genuinely haven't given it much thought, normally I would have spent my 'winnings' by now.LeicesterLad wrote:Tell us now :roll:
At first I thought it was a wind up.
Then I just assumed he wasn't racing.
It's only when the Roubaix betting was mentioned on my first 'home', the Brighton & Hove Albion forum, that I remembered.
I had a look @ my account and there it is Flecha 1680-1 £2 ew.
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He'd broken his hand, and a couple of weeks ago he'd not raced since. The odds would have had a fair weighting for the chances of a DNS, especially considering that P-R isn't the best of races to have a dodgy hand on.PostieJohn wrote:At first I thought it was a wind up.
Then I just assumed he wasn't racing.
It's only when the Roubaix betting was mentioned on my first 'home', the Brighton & Hove Albion forum, that I remembered.
I had a look @ my account and there it is Flecha 1680-1 £2 ew.
He did OK at RVV, so the odds plummeted.0 -
Well, it's raining here in Valenciennes at the moment. No heavy, but the roads are very wet. Think it will have all dried up by tomorrow though.
Had an good ride yesterday, rode out to Arenberg to see some of the teams on their recce rides. Stood by the QS team bus which was parked up near Arenberg for over an hour waiting for Boonen, only to find out he wasn't there. Then almost got wiped out by the Vacansoleil team car who didn't want anyone riding behind his riders. Missed Team Sky riding through the forest as I stood behind a tree "answering the call of nature". Then rode with Rabobank for a bit until they dropped me on a flat bit of road! Well, not quite, they just don't stop for junctions. And finally got very lost trying to find my way back to the hotel. All good stuff!
Interesting comments from Boonen about the recon ride here, makes you wonder why he does it. Seems pretty relaxed, but then with what he's won so far this year and also throughout his career, he can be!Earlier on Friday, the team rode a reconnaissance ride on the final 80-90km of the Paris-Roubaix course. When asked about his thoughts on that recon Boonen said it didn't do much for him. "I didn’t see much of the cobbles as there were too many motorbikes. It was quite a useless reconnaissance ride. It was the 28th time I rode over those cobbles, so I think I know them," Boonen said. "It's a one-day race, so it can go either way. Just like at the Tour of Flanders you need some luck."
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen- ... aix-double0 -
greasedscotsman wrote:Well, it's raining here in Valenciennes at the moment. No heavy, but the roads are very wet. Think it will have all dried up by tomorrow though.
Had an good ride yesterday, rode out to Arenberg to see some of the teams on their recce rides. Stood by the QS team bus which was parked up near Arenberg for over an hour waiting for Boonen, only to find out he wasn't there. Then almost got wiped out by the Vacansoleil team car who didn't want anyone riding behind his riders. Missed Team Sky riding through the forest as I stood behind a tree "answering the call of nature". Then rode with Rabobank for a bit until they dropped me on a flat bit of road! Well, not quite, they just don't stop for junctions. And finally got very lost trying to find my way back to the hotel. All good stuff!
Interesting comments from Boonen about the recon ride here, makes you wonder why he does it. Seems pretty relaxed, but then with what he's won so far this year and also throughout his career, he can be!Earlier on Friday, the team rode a reconnaissance ride on the final 80-90km of the Paris-Roubaix course. When asked about his thoughts on that recon Boonen said it didn't do much for him. "I didn’t see much of the cobbles as there were too many motorbikes. It was quite a useless reconnaissance ride. It was the 28th time I rode over those cobbles, so I think I know them," Boonen said. "It's a one-day race, so it can go either way. Just like at the Tour of Flanders you need some luck."
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen- ... aix-double
pics or it didn't happen.
"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills0 -
Weather reports seem conflicted.
Some say there will be rain in the afternoon, others don't.
Either way, a good deluge today or overnight will make the sides of the road appropriately treacherous. Also, that moister is likely hang around in the Arenberg.
WIll remove most of the dust though.
Doesn't seem like there is too much wind to blow all the moisture off too - then again, they're so exposed that will happen anyway.0 -
Wind will be blowing S-SW so a bit of tailwind for most of it, mixed up with a bit of cross wind.
Better for the break...0 -
Lefevre on Pozzato:You can put a glass of water on his back and even on the cobbles he won't spill a drop.0
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Dave - you were talking about Boonen's position on the bike after E3 - well here:This season Boonen debuted some significant changes to his personal position for this season after a fit session with Specialized SBCU director Scott Holz. His saddle height is now up a full centimeter, and they decreased his bar width from 46cm to 44cm, and finally they made tweaks to his shoe insoles, which have, supposedly, improved his pedal stroke
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tom ... oubaix-sl40 -
Rick Chasey wrote:Lefevre on Pozzato:You can put a glass of water on his back and even on the cobbles he won't spill a drop.
Yes, but it seems a shame to use a rider like that as a water carrier.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Doug Ellis reports it's already raining a little in Chantilly.
Sweet.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
LangerDan wrote:Poor Alfred Achermann...cobbles in the face, handlebars in the nuts
Fabulous.
Wasn't that an old music hall favourite in the War...?
Achermann was known as "Lucky" to his mates.0 -
Quick timing question for tomorrow - am I right thinking they'll be due to hit the Arenberg section at about 1.30pm our time?0
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GingerMagician wrote:Quick timing question for tomorrow - am I right thinking they'll be due to hit the Arenberg section at about 1.30pm our time?
Around...
They've been starting especially quickly this year.
Average speed for the first hour or two has been more or less 50kph for all of the Flanders races.0 -
iainf72 wrote:Doug Ellis reports it's already raining a little in Chantilly.
Sweet.
Not raining in Valenciennes...0 -
rubertoe wrote:pics or it didn't happen.
I do have a photo, of sorts. Just don't have the cable with me. I'll have to post it when I get home...0 -
greasedscotsman wrote:rubertoe wrote:pics or it didn't happen.
I do have a photo, of sorts. Just don't have the cable with me. I'll have to post it when I get home...
Seen the course? Anything to note?0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:GingerMagician wrote:Quick timing question for tomorrow - am I right thinking they'll be due to hit the Arenberg section at about 1.30pm our time?
Around...
They've been starting especially quickly this year.
Average speed for the first hour or two has been more or less 50kph for all of the Flanders races.
Also the wind direction can have an effect, looks like from the South West this year, so could be a fast race!0 -
greasedscotsman wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:GingerMagician wrote:Quick timing question for tomorrow - am I right thinking they'll be due to hit the Arenberg section at about 1.30pm our time?
Around...
They've been starting especially quickly this year.
Average speed for the first hour or two has been more or less 50kph for all of the Flanders races.
Also the wind direction can have an effect, looks like from the South West this year, so could be a fast race!Rick Chasey wrote:Wind will be blowing S-SW so a bit of tailwind for most of it, mixed up with a bit of cross wind.
Better for the break...
Way ahead of you 0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:Seen the course? Anything to note?
Not too much of it this time. It was very wet this morning, so didn't ride today. Yes, I know that makes me a bit of a lightweight! But of the bits I rode yesterday, nothing really struck me as that different or interesting. But then it's not changed from last year.
Did have a close up view of the new Spesh Roubaix SL4 that QS are using. Some big tubes on that bike! Surprised how little padding there was with the bar tape. And Boonen's bike wasn't very clean, the top tube was filthy!0
