The Hell of the North

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Comments

  • Way ahead of you ;)

    As always... :(
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    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!

    Interesting you say that - has been reported Boonen's been faffing about with his bar tape all season. (says Michel Wuyts).
  • Interesting you say that - has been reported Boonen's been faffing about with his bar tape all season. (says Michel Wuyts).

    Oops, maybe I should have been clearer, it wasn't his bar tape I squeezed, can't remember who's bike it was now, but it wasn't Boonen's. I didn't feel like I should. I mean, is it the done thing to squeeze the bar tape of World Champion?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Interesting you say that - has been reported Boonen's been faffing about with his bar tape all season. (says Michel Wuyts).

    Oops, maybe I should have been clearer, it wasn't his bar tape I squeezed, can't remember who's bike it was now, but it wasn't Boonen's. I didn't feel like I should. I mean, is it the done thing to squeeze the bar tape of World Champion?

    If that's what you Scots call it...
  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    looks like Greipel is out?
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • Gazzetta67
    Gazzetta67 Posts: 1,890
    What`s the chances of Eurosport going off air just as the riders approach the Arenberg Forest to show that crowd puller " Indoor Tractor Racing" ????? and then come back 2kms from the velodrome at Roubaix :evil:
  • British Eurosport starts a hour after the rest of their network, at 1pm. Internet feeds start at 12ish UK time.
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,587
    rubertoe 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! :D

    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. :wink:

    Whereas for this emboldened selection... No pics please, we believe it happened.
  • symo
    symo Posts: 1,743
    Gazzetta67 wrote:
    What`s the chances of Eurosport going off air just as the riders approach the Arenberg Forest to show that crowd puller " Indoor Tractor Racing" ????? and then come back 2kms from the velodrome at Roubaix :evil:
    This will happen, or an ad break for Suzuki.
    +++++++++++++++++++++
    we are the proud, the few, Descendents.

    Panama - finally putting a nail in the economic theory of the trickle down effect.
  • PostieJohn
    PostieJohn Posts: 1,105
    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.:lol:

    Oh he's now 20-1, with Sky.
    Sh*tting myself.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    PostieJohn wrote:
    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.:lol:

    Oh he's now 20-1, with Sky.
    Sh*tting myself.


    How many places are considered 'Each Way'?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • PostieJohn
    PostieJohn Posts: 1,105
    PostieJohn wrote:
    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.:lol:

    Oh he's now 20-1, with Sky.
    Sh*tting myself.


    How many places are considered 'Each Way'?
    First and second and third and nothing else.

    Cycling One Day Classics Paris-Roubaix 2012 Race Winner 08/04/2012 09:00 Juan Antonio Flecha @ 1680/1 (Each Way: 1/4 for first 3 places.)
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Oh, so you were really close then? I did nt realise it was each way. Bad Luck! :(
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • PostieJohn
    PostieJohn Posts: 1,105
    To be honest I'm still reeling.

    I bet I'm currently more tired than Flecha :lol:
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,651
    PostieJohn wrote:
    To be honest I'm still reeling.

    I bet I'm currently more tired than Flecha :lol:

    Unlucky. Hope you laid him as well :-)
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Awesome! Had a fantastic day, can still taste the dust from the first sector of the race. *Cough* Great ride from Boonen, epic stuff! Although not really sure what happened. Hopefully the Sky Plus will have worked and then I can contritbute to the spoiler thread.

    And check this out. 1:50 in, on the left hand side, wearing a black jacket with a spotty Craft beanie, next to a yellow LCL sign, it's ME!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOMrfkzC ... ure=relmfu
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Awesome! Had a fantastic day, can still taste the dust from the first sector of the race. *Cough* Great ride from Boonen, epic stuff! Although not really sure what happened. Hopefully the Sky Plus will have worked and then I can contritbute to the spoiler thread.

    And check this out. 1:50 in, on the left hand side, wearing a black jacket with a spotty Craft beanie, next to a yellow LCL sign, it's ME!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOMrfkzC ... ure=relmfu

    Excellent spectator etiquette ;).
  • I was just giving Tom some encouragement and a couple of pave top tips. He was looking a bit tired...

    :D
  • I've always liked your postings, greased, and now I like your spectating style, chapeau
  • Moomaloid
    Moomaloid Posts: 2,040
    Fantastic ride from Boonen today... so impressive!
  • PostieJohn
    PostieJohn Posts: 1,105
    PostieJohn wrote:
    PostieJohn wrote:
    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.:lol:

    Oh he's now 20-1, with Sky.
    Sh*tting myself.


    How many places are considered 'Each Way'?
    First and second and third and nothing else.

    Cycling One Day Classics Paris-Roubaix 2012 Race Winner 08/04/2012 09:00 Juan Antonio Flecha @ 1680/1 (Each Way: 1/4 for first 3 places.)
    I kicked off a bit of a bun fight on my first t'internet home, so I mailed Skybet, here's the reply:-

    The all important sentence from Maria on The Customer Care Team.

    odds were incorrectly put up as 1680/1 and would not have been settled on this price. However as stated in our general rules of Bet acceptance, we would have settled this on the correct price.


    Luckily I'm a pessimistic chap, and hadn't spent my 'winnings', as something to good to be true, usually is.

    Hey ho it was fun while it lasted, and certainly added to my viewing pleasure.
  • Loaded up a few of my Roubaix videos to You Tube, think this is the best one so far...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTa75Y9xsjY