No more cobbles in 2012.

rick_chasey

Well, they were good while they lasted.

VERY kind to Boonen.

Quality of the racing on the cobbles this year?

I'd say average overall.

(all ratings are set by the high standards expected of one day cobbled races)

Het Volk was a standard (ergo good) affair. 7/10

E3? Interesting, mainly because of Cancellara's fall bringing it all back, but ultimately not the out-and-out smash 'em to pieces we were hoping for. 6/10

G-W was about as interesting as that race can get (not much) 5/10


Ronde? New route made it feel less of an occasion - was still the obligatory whacky race crashes that you only get in the hyper environment that is the Ronde. Ultimately the new course meant everyone reined it in untill the course made them knackered. Final run in was bleak but a reasonably interesting 3some. Missed Cancellara in the final. Took the shine off the finale as a result. 6/10.

Scheldeprijs? Standard crashes. Nothing to report. 2/10

Paris Roubaix - A classic for what was a superb athletic achivement, and one we didn't expect (at least, not in that way). The opposition was very poor though. 7/10.


Overall? We were missing too many big riders. Canc took himself out when it mattered, and wasn't fussed about the rest.BMC were w&nk, Haussler failed again, sky were rubbish. Pozzato and possibly Ballan were the saving grace.

As much credit as Boonen deserves for a unique 4 in a row - he didn't have much competition.

Squaggles

The big miss was Cancellara today , not the same without him

Tom BB

Yup, average at best this year. Hushovd was the biggest let down for me.

Le Commentateur

Not to mention the weather.

finchy

"As much credit as Boonen deserves for a unique 4 in a row - he didn't have much competition."

I'd say that Boonen made them look ordinary. Look at Paris-Roubaix, for example. Even when riders like Ballan and Boom had been sitting in a Sky-led break for 30km while Boonen went out on his own, they still couldn't make an impression on his lead.

Same with Paris-Roubaix - Ballan and Pozatto are high quality opposition (let's not forget that the only reason Pozatto doesn't have a Flanders and P-R win is because he was up against Boonen), but if one man is so much stronger then what can you do?

Even if Cancellara had been there, I still imagine it would have been 4 in a row.

blim

I'd largely agree with Rick's ratings, though for me Het Nieuwsblad & E3 were the most entertaining races. A decent cobbled season. Boonen was outstanding, and we've watched cycling history be written over the last few weeks. But the performances of Sagan and Van Marcke etc show the next few years will be interesting as the old guard are overtaken by the new.

I expect everyone in Flanders is now tipping Boonen to win the Tour green jersey again. Can't see it myself.

rick_chasey

blim wrote:

I'd largely agree with Rick's ratings, though for me Het Nieuwsblad & E3 were the most entertaining races. A decent cobbled season. Boonen was outstanding, and we've watched cycling history be written over the last few weeks. But the performances of Sagan and Van Marcke etc show the next few years will be interesting as the old guard are overtaken by the new.

I expect everyone in Flanders is now tipping Boonen to win the Tour green jersey again. Can't see it myself.

Sod that.

Olympic gold.

pottssteve

Maastricht market square is cobbled

afx237vi

I doubt he gives a crap, but it's a shame Boonen messed up his sprint in the Omloop! Would have made the perfect Spring even perfecter!

Moomaloid

Have to say overall they were ok races... Happy to see Boonen back to his very best after many wrote him off. But again we seem to have been robbed of the real battles. Fabian's collarbone, Thor and Pip's complete lack of form, Sky being good, just not good enough... nobody to really challenge Boonen. But let that not take anything away from his wins. He has been immense this Spring.

ridgerider

Come on Rick, it's not like they actually ride on the cobbles any more, they mostly use the drainage channels and grass verges.

Not like when I was young and cobbles meant cobbles and mud was mud. None of this new Strade version.

kozzo

Rick Chasey wrote:

Well, they were good while they lasted.

VERY kind to Boonen.

Quality of the racing on the cobbles this year?

I'd say average overall.

(all ratings are set by the high standards expected of one day cobbled races)

Het Volk was a standard (ergo good) affair. 7/10

E3? Interesting, mainly because of Cancellara's fall bringing it all back, but ultimately not the out-and-out smash 'em to pieces we were hoping for. 6/10

G-W was about as interesting as that race can get (not much) 5/10


Ronde? New route made it feel less of an occasion - was still the obligatory whacky race crashes that you only get in the hyper environment that is the Ronde. Ultimately the new course meant everyone reined it in untill the course made them knackered. Final run in was bleak but a reasonably interesting 3some. Missed Cancellara in the final. Took the shine off the finale as a result. 6/10.

Scheldeprijs? Standard crashes. Nothing to report. 2/10

Paris Roubaix - A classic for what was a superb athletic achivement, and one we didn't expect (at least, not in that way). The opposition was very poor though. 7/10.


Overall? We were missing too many big riders. Canc took himself out when it mattered, and wasn't fussed about the rest.BMC were w&nk, Haussler failed again, sky were rubbish. Pozzato and possibly Ballan were the saving grace.

As much credit as Boonen deserves for a unique 4 in a row - he didn't have much competition.

It is enough to beat him!
But to do this you have to work hard not to talk...
BMC, Sky, Farnese... at the moment nothing but lot of words and very few results.
French attitude is going to be more and more popular...