Paris Roubaix 2013 pre race warm up

Vino'sGhost

Am i wrong hoping for bad weather for the first time in years?

not on the appocalypse scale but full mud and some rain

pat1cp

When was the last real "mud bath", 2001 ?

Yellow Peril

I think Tom Boonen will be hoping for a bit of wet weather just to dispell any growing misplaced belief that he can't race in bad weather.

It will be interesting to see if Stannard can hang on to TB's and Fab's coat-tails this year. You'd think so after MSR but those two take riding the cobbles to a whole new dimension. Remember Boonen riding away from Stan and A.N. Other?

Vino'sGhost

I think Paris roubaix is a totally different kettle of fish from MSR

greasedscotsman

pat1cp wrote:

When was the last real "mud bath", 2001 ?

I would have said 2002.

takethehighroad

Yeah 2002 was pretty bad, but it had cleared up by the time the riders got to the finish so people forget

Yellow Peril

Wet or dry there is plenty of suffering and considering how flat it is some reasonably spectacular get offs. Hushovd's de-mount in 2009 looked painful.

Pross

I reckon as a rider it is worse when dry and dusty. I'd hate to be breathing hard in those dust clouds they produce!

greasedscotsman

Pross wrote:

I reckon as a rider it is worse when dry and dusty. I'd hate to be breathing hard in those dust clouds they produce!

Time for Greased's 2nd favourite video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlGMQ--_wUM

Imagine riding in this!

gsvbagpuss

Yellow Peril wrote:

It will be interesting to see if Stannard can hang on to TB's and Fab's coat-tails this year. You'd think so after MSR but those two take riding the cobbles to a whole new dimension. Remember Boonen riding away from Stan and A.N. Other?

I think the A.N.Other was EBH, both working for Flecha - memory fails me though.

My question would be will he get the chance; ie has his MSR performance done enough to get team leadership (shared or individual) or is he just super domestique for Geraint Thomas?

Richmond Racer

GSVBagpuss wrote:

Yellow Peril wrote:

It will be interesting to see if Stannard can hang on to TB's and Fab's coat-tails this year. You'd think so after MSR but those two take riding the cobbles to a whole new dimension. Remember Boonen riding away from Stan and A.N. Other?

I think the A.N.Other was EBH, both working for Flecha - memory fails me though.

My question would be will he get the chance; ie has his MSR performance done enough to get team leadership (shared or individual) or is he just super domestique for Geraint Thomas?

It was Stannard and Hayman doing the turns. At the time the thinking was to try to save Flecha as their leader, and EBH in case they pulled back Boonen and it came to a sprint.

Stannard's view as per his interview in the current Rouleur, is all 4 of them should have worked and he reckons they'd have pulled back Boonen for sure. But they were carrying a few passengers so who knows what the end result would have been.

Yellow Peril

Boonen was immense that day. I love P-R.

danlikesbikes

Yellow Peril wrote:

Boonen was immense that day. I love P-R.

Never was a big fan of his. However I watched last years race and was massively impressed & went to Belgium to watch RVV and was even more impressed with him.

Can't wait now till we see who can take this years on.