Sean Kelly on Tom Boonen's Roubaix win

kozzo

"Boonen did say it was a pity to lose Cancellara but if I was in Boonen's shoes last week I would be happy. I know it's hard to say it, but I think deep down there was some little bit of happiness there that Cancellara went out because today Boonen certainly wouldn't have had it as easy as he had. But that's racing: one man's bad luck is another man's good luck."

Dear Sean,
Not everybody is like you.
Why people think that the others are just like themselves...
Or maybe it is just the dirty way to justify pre-race misjudgement on Boonen...

afx237vi

Sounds reasonable to me. Maybe "happiness" is not the right word, but I can't think of a better one to describe what Kelly's getting at. When your biggest rival makes himself unavailable for your biggest goal of the entire season, you wouldn't be a little pleased? I think it's human nature.

edhornby

I would say it's a mixture of relief and a confidence boost

finchy

There's 1 thought that I can't get out of my head - Boonen was strong enough to stick with Cancellara in this year's race, so if Spartacus had been at Paris-Roubaix it would have been a 2 man breakaway followed by a Boonen sprint victory - like 2008 except without Ballan.

So in a way, it might have been an advantage having him in the race.

rick_chasey

johnfinch wrote:

There's 1 thought that I can't get out of my head - Boonen was strong enough to stick with Cancellara in this year's race, so if Spartacus had been at Paris-Roubaix it would have been a 2 man breakaway followed by a Boonen sprint victory - like 2008 except without Ballan.

So in a way, it might have been an advantage having him in the race.

It'd be a TOTALLY different race.

Canc tends to keep things together, rather than blow them up (he's happy to tow people along).

And there's no way Boonen would have gone solo anywhere.

finchy

Rick Chasey wrote:

It'd be a TOTALLY different race.

Canc tends to keep things together, rather than blow them up (he's happy to tow people along).

What I mean is that I imagine Cancellara going with Boonen, rather than sticking with the group.

And how do you define blowing things up? If my memory serves me correctly, he has won every single one of his classics by attacking a leading group.

rick_chasey

johnfinch wrote:

And how do you define blowing things up? If my memory serves me correctly, he has won every single one of his classics by attacking a leading group.

You're right, I'm talking rubbish.

I'll get my coat...!

nferrar

I think during the race Boonen was happy Spartacus wasn't there but after the he rode with hindsight I guess he wishes he had have been. I can't see the race having gone much different if he had been riding, it would just have been a 50km 2-up and Boonen would have had a lead-out. Given how strong Boonen was on the day I doubt Spartacus would have been able to drop him in the last 50km (and I'm a much bigger Spartacus fan than I am a Boonen fan).

BillyMansell

kozzo wrote:

"Boonen did say it was a pity to lose Cancellara but if I was in Boonen's shoes last week I would be happy. I know it's hard to say it, but I think deep down there was some little bit of happiness there that Cancellara went out because today Boonen certainly wouldn't have had it as easy as he had. But that's racing: one man's bad luck is another man's good luck."

Dear Sean,
Not everybody is like you.
Why people think that the others are just like themselves...
Or maybe it is just the dirty way to justify pre-race misjudgement on Boonen...

Blimey, with working in mental health this place is like a busman's holiday some times.

So, you've taken a paragraph out of context (and not provided a reference for verification and to aid understanding) and then even within that paragraph sort to take out of context what was said. Once you get to the point of criticising the minutiae of what was meant by individual words it's time to call the nurse but suffice to say, as has been said already, most people would understand what was meant.

I would suggest that if you have a gripe with what Sean Kelly actually said, and not what you think he meant, then take it up with Sean Kelly rather than playing games of character assassination on a forum I doubt he reads.

DF33

'Opens the bag of Butterkist.....'

mroli

I think Boonen would be happy that Cancellera wasn't there because it meant that he could pull off a famous 50k+ solo victory.

If Cancellara had been riding, Boonen would have been comfortable in the sprint, but the win wouldn't have been so spectacular.

shockedsoshocked

Think it's a bit disparaging to rule out some of the other riders.

finchy

Rick Chasey wrote:

johnfinch wrote:

And how do you define blowing things up? If my memory serves me correctly, he has won every single one of his classics by attacking a leading group.

You're right, I'm talking rubbish.

I'll get my coat...!

Somebody admits to being wrong on the Internet.. :shock:

ddraver

I don't see how it's any different to beating a team in the final who knocked out the favourite in the semi-final with a stunning, albeit unlikely, victory (Wales/Ireland and Australia in the recent RWC perhaps?). Tom can hardly be blamed for Fabian's bad luck.

dougzz

I'm sure when the record book is updated they'll be * next to Boonen with the remark *Cancellara crashed out.
I bet Boonen was ecstatic that Canc wasn't there. To be the best you have to beat the best, nope total crap, to be the best you just have to win.

Gazzetta67

kozzo wrote:

"Boonen did say it was a pity to lose Cancellara but if I was in Boonen's shoes last week I would be happy. I know it's hard to say it, but I think deep down there was some little bit of happiness there that Cancellara went out because today Boonen certainly wouldn't have had it as easy as he had. But that's racing: one man's bad luck is another man's good luck."

Dear Sean,
Not everybody is like you.
Why people think that the others are just like themselves...
Or maybe it is just the dirty way to justify pre-race misjudgement on Boonen...

Shock Horror classics king Sean kelly asked to give an opinion that others dont agree with.....mmmmm let me see who will i listen to - a rider who`s just about won every race going or yours !!! How many Paris Roubaix`s have you ridden again ?????.

pottssteve

Whenever I hear Sean Kelly on Eurosport I'm always struck by how pragmatic he is. He's a no nonesense kind of guy, and I think this is what made him very successful as a rider. He reads the situation very well because he's been there and done it, unlike most of us. So when he says Boonen may have been a little happy that Cancellara wasn't there it makes sense to me as it makes the race a little easier for Boonen. Makes perfect sense. Also, Boonen can only ride against people who turn up. That he did it so well is a testament to his form at the moment.

Yellow Peril

If I was Boonen I would have been ecstatic that Cancellara was not riding. it must have been a hell of a confidence boost (probably enough to make him consider a 50km individual jolly) and also a relief to know that there would be no repeat of 2010.

Would the situation have been different if Canc had been there? Absolutely, Boonen would not have taken the initiative, he would have waited for Canc to go.

In a nutshell Kelly is right. He may not have expressed it very well but then again I doubt that Kelly, as one of the greatest classics riders of the last 25 years, will lose too much sleep over that.

jonny limelight

what if's are all bollocks. what if merckx was riding in his pomp, what if De Vlaeminck was riding in his pomp. boonen won and congratulations to him on a great win.

zippypablo

jonny limelight wrote:

what if's are all bollocks. what if merckx was riding in his pomp, what if De Vlaeminck was riding in his pomp. boonen won and congratulations to him on a great win.

Agreed.

knedlicky

From the interviews with Cancellara I’ve read, although he has won some races and titles more than once, he seems more interested in winning as many different big races as possible rather than repeating victories in those he’s won.
So in that sense, although I’m sure he would have given his best, and Boonen may be happy he wasn’t there, Cancellara probably wasn’t as a big a threat to Boonen as some make out.

This year, I’d guess Cancellara’s main goal is probably the Olympics road race - he’s been speaking of it off and on for 3 years and since he hasn’t managed a World RR Championship yet, and the Olympics RR is similar but comes around less frequently …

Yellow Peril

An interesting theory but P-R is P-R as in too big a race on the pro calender not to be a big goal for someone like cancellara. I'd like to think if he'd ridden it he would have smashed it to bits on the cobbles but as it was Boonen did a pretty good job of that in his absence.

rick_chasey

knedlicky wrote:

From the interviews with Cancellara I’ve read, although he has won some races and titles more than once, he seems more interested in winning as many different big races as possible rather than repeating victories in those he’s won.

This is true.

However, his team need the points, and he knows that.

After 2010 he said he'd go for the hilly races. When he joined leopard, he changed his mind 'for the team'.

Moomaloid

think Sean has it bang on there myself...

RichN95.

Rick Chasey wrote:

knedlicky wrote:

From the interviews with Cancellara I’ve read, although he has won some races and titles more than once, he seems more interested in winning as many different big races as possible rather than repeating victories in those he’s won.

This is true.

However, his team need the points, and he knows that.

After 2010 he said he'd go for the hilly races. When he joined leopard, he changed his mind 'for the team'.

Yep. He's being paid 1.5 million Euros (or whatever it is) to do a job that he's good at - not to 'follow his dreams'.

He can either get paid a Cancellara wage for doing a Cancellara job or he can have a crack at some other races on whatever wage they were paying Oliver Zaugg last year.