Flèche Wallonne *spoiler*

peterst6906

Some PTP love for me.

Nice ride by J Rod and what a good year Albasini is having.

Good to see Gilbert working his way back into good form. Should be a threat for LBL.

frenchfighter

Martin and Heano up there, good good.

1 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team 4:45:41
2 Michael Albasini (Swi) GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:00:04
3 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
4 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
5 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Astana Pro Team 0:00:07
6 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Barracuda 0:00:09
7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
8 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
9 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
10 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:00:11
11 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team
12 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
13 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
14 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling
15 Wout Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team

bigmat

Rick Chasey wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Looks like Valvarde was there too.

Jeez, shows how much I know.

Nope, he wasn't!

46th - I was backing J-Rod to the hilt, by the way, just mentioned Valverde as a possible wild card!

richard wants a baum

BigMat wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Looks like Valvarde was there too.

Jeez, shows how much I know.

Nope, he wasn't!

46th - I was backing J-Rod to the hilt, by the way, just mentioned Valverde as a possible wild card!

Unfortunately i did the complete opposite :roll:

blazing_saddles

Thought the new route an improvement.
Purito's power punch, once again.
Gilbert still can't find his kick, so he's short of top form.
Albasini free and reveling at GreenEdge.
Vandenert's had his go. VDB will be LBL leader.
Nibali died in the final 50, but is back on the up.
TGBM Rabo's only number one at the moment.

Star studded RSNT's fail season continues

rick_chasey

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Star studded BMC's fail season continues

FTFY

frenchfighter

Getty

Pooley riding for Team AA Drink Leontien

frenchfighter

3rd is excellent from Gilbert.


Last km 2011:
http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozon ... /1.1007284

frenchfighter

Lastkm
http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozon ... /1.1277135

Out front for a minute. Class.

iainf72

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290, ... 62,00.html?

When you finish 53'rd, you didn't come close.

frenchfighter

Anton only 11secs back. Good.

frenchfighter

“This is the most beautiful of all my victories, the most incredible and most desired,” said Rodríguez at the finish. “I am a lover of the classics; I got so many beautiful places without ever winning.

“Today is the happiest day of my life.”

thegibdog

iainf72 wrote:

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,25120_7683162,00.html?

When you finish 53'rd, you didn't come close.

There could have been a massive pile up in the peleton.

Then he would've come 2nd.

Abdoujaparov

thegibdog wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,25120_7683162,00.html?

When you finish 53'rd, you didn't come close.

There could have been a massive pile up in the peloton.

Then he would've come 2nd.

Reckon the boy done good - having a great season (from basically nowhere).

RichN95.

iainf72 wrote:

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,25120_7683162,00.html?

When you finish 53'rd, you didn't come close.

I would argue that being in a break which gets caught within the last kilo (even if it's as hard as Huy) is 'closer' than being 10th and never really being anywhere near the front. Just like Stannard at Wevelgem last year. He was only 200m from victory but ended up 30 something. I'd argue he was close.

RichN95.

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Thought the new route an improvement.

Definite improvement to my mind. A reasonable amount of action in the last 30km. It may well improve again next year when riders are more used to the new layout and see earlier passes of Huy as an opportunity.

inkyfingers

Nice to see J Rod finally win here, clearly the strongest. Reminded me of Evans' win...timing is so important I think it often takes a couple of attempts to get it right.

Gilbert looks ominous, think he's a serious contender for LBL now.

Good result for Albasini as well, to be honest I didn't think he was a contender for the podium, even though he has had a top 10 before I think...Greenedge not currently conforming to the new team failure stereotype!

afx237vi

Nordhaug's season has been pretty good, which is surprising. I thought he only got a contract to make sure Eddy eats his greens and doesn't forget to brush his teeth every night.

mroli

Well - on Eddy's form so far this year....

frenchfighter

inkyfingers wrote:

Reminded me of Evans' win...timing is so important I think it often takes a couple of attempts to get it right.

Really? Timing is certainly crucial here but both Gilbert and J-Rod went from quite far out this year and last and were out front circa a minute. They were simply just on superb crushing form. Evans on the other hand only came through very late.

LeicesterLad

Quote of the day goes to Andy Schleck. "Why does nobody attack?" said Andy Schleck. "Why does everyone ride for second place, eh?''

Pot kettle black.

iainf72

LeicesterLad wrote:

Quote of the day goes to Andy Schleck. "Why does nobody attack?" said Andy Schleck. "Why does everyone ride for second place, eh?''

Pot kettle black.

Is that the same Andy Schleck who attacked?

LeicesterLad

iainf72 wrote:

LeicesterLad wrote:

Quote of the day goes to Andy Schleck. "Why does nobody attack?" said Andy Schleck. "Why does everyone ride for second place, eh?''

Pot kettle black.

Is that the same Andy Schleck who attacked?

He attacks last year in the tour for the first time ever, and again puts in a bit of a meaningless attack at Fleche and all of a sudden he is qualified to moan at the whole Peloton for their lack of aggressive riding?

Going on previous record (oh but he rode away in the tour I hear you say - yes and it shocked everyone because it was so out of character) and as for riding for second - I'd say thats probably what his TT performance was in last years tour. If theres something Andy is not famed for it's aggressive riding - He cannot descend, he moans about steep downhills on a regular basis, and he only really puts the hammer down if Frank is with him, more likely to slow down if Frank isn't with hand-holding distance.

iainf72

Never saw his LBL win then?

Or Amstel Gold last year?

rick_chasey

Can't think of a 'protected' climber who is more happy to stick his nose in the wind.

LeicesterLad

iainf72 wrote:

Never saw his LBL win then?

Or Amstel Gold last year?

Alright alright, i'm not saying he can't attack or indeed doesn't, but I certainly wouldn't refer to him as an 'attacking rider' or an 'aggressive rider' and give him licence to moan at others for spending a little too much time looking around at the other main players when thats generally been his downfall in the Tour, period.

frenchfighter

Credit where its due he does attack more than many GT candidates but they are often unsuccesful and you can't base your year around a handful of attacks and appalling performance most of the rest of the year. Some may say those peaks of form (he is very inconsistent) is an indicator of doping (I dont think he is fyi).

inkyfingers

frenchfighter wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

Reminded me of Evans' win...timing is so important I think it often takes a couple of attempts to get it right.

Really? Timing is certainly crucial here but both Gilbert and J-Rod went from quite far out this year and last and were out front circa a minute. They were simply just on superb crushing form. Evans on the other hand only came through very late.

I wasn't really referring to the style in which Evans won, more the way he got it wrong a few times before getting it absolutely right. J Rod and Gilbert are very different riders, they can put in big accelerations to get everybody off their wheels, whereas Evans ground his way up the Mur, ignoring the attacks of others knowing that he was more likely to last the distance that way. Different styles, equally effective!

rick_chasey

Evans was more exciting because it was unexpected at the time.

He had barely won anything of note before that.

It was the beginning of the new Evans.

J-Rod and Gilbert were favourite.

It's basically Ghent Wevelgem for puncheurs.

inkyfingers

On the subject of Andy Schleck, he is an attacking rider when he wants to be but I think what grates is that he only ever shows it for one week in April and for three weeks in July. He just doesn't seem to give a monkey's about any other races, even the more prestigious ones. If you compare him against the other TDF contenders for this year (Evans, Menchov, Wiggins etc) they have all won other "big" stage races as well, whereas Andy has never really tried to win any of them (with the exception of the 2007 Giro). He can only live off that fantastic LBL win for so long.