E3 Prijs Vlaanderen - *Spoilers*

Macaloon

145km - We're onto the cobbled section of Paddestraat as the first rain drops start to come down. This will make it interesting. The six leaders have 1:15 over the peloton.

They are: Eloy Teruel (Movistar), Anders Lund (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff), Ruslan Tleubayev (Astana), Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil-DCM), Koen Barbe (Crelan) and Stefan van Dijk (Accent Jobs).

Lifted from http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/cycling/livematch/561193.html

Delayed coverage on Eurosport from 4pm. Hope the Sporza streams (from 1:20 UK) are better than during Dwars.

ddraver

As AtC and I have discussed it is flipping windy in the BeNeLux today...

frenchfighter

http://88.80.5.80/w00t/20130321/vv514b2 ... 46731.html

Blocked for me but apparently live at 1.20 GMT

Macaloon

Well, let's hope Tommeke has wrapped-up warm -

Turfle

Belgium live:
http://sports-livez.com/channel/ch-3.php

Watch now, or avoid until later?

frenchfighter

Macaloon wrote:

Well, let's hope Tommeke has wrapped-up warm -

Yeah interesting one that...!

FoldingJoe

Apparently he isn't wearing it for the actual race.

frenchfighter

The 2011 race still is one of my favourites. Cancellara in splendid form looking super stylish in his Leopard kit.

Short highlight reminder here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysB5R_qrQl8

blazing_saddles

E 3 live here:
http://sports-livez.com/channel/ch-5.php
Good Sporza feed, talk at the moment.

Should be live in 10-15 minutes.
Eurosport in English:
http://88.80.5.80/w00t/20130321/vv514b2 ... 46731.html
(though not in UK. Obviously some have their priorities sorted. Working for me, FF)

LeicesterLad

Predictions then?

I'll say Sagan. Is Geraint riding?

graeme_s-2

frenchfighter wrote:

The 2011 race still is one of my favourites. Cancellara in splendid form looking super stylish in his Leopard kit.

Short highlight reminder here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysB5R_qrQl8

Thanks for that. Particularly enjoyed the bit 55 seconds in where the Rabo rider appears to break himself trying to hold FC's wheel!

above_the_cows

Wind from the east meaning mostly head or tail wind but it could lead to some interesting riding in the few cross wind sections.

Turfle

LeicesterLad wrote:

Predictions then?

I'll say Sagan. Is Geraint riding?

Cancellara to dominate.

Thomas is riding.

startlist:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/03/ ... ist_278550

Macaloon

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Eurosport in English:
http://88.80.5.80/w00t/20130321/vv514b2 ... 46731.html
(though not in UK. Obviously some have their priorities sorted. Working for me, FF)

Likewise. Thanks for link

Turfle

English, for those who like that sort of thing

http://88.80.15.211/b00ha/20130129/vv51 ... 93131.html

Dan Lloyd and Rob Hatch.

LeicesterLad

Turfle wrote:

LeicesterLad wrote:

Predictions then?

I'll say Sagan. Is Geraint riding?

Cancellara to dominate.

Thomas is riding.

startlist:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/03/ ... ist_278550

Ta muchly!

ddraver

Commentary Radio is a nice way to pass the afternoon. Was a bad bad boy last night given that it was a school night

Hockey Girls again this weekend though

RonB

83km to go and that lead group of 6 has 1:35 on the peloton.

Macaloon

Good helicopter shots of narrow roads stretching peloton: 200m+ from back to front.

Crozza

frenchfighter wrote:

The 2011 race still is one of my favourites. Cancellara in splendid form looking super stylish in his Leopard kit.

Short highlight reminder here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysB5R_qrQl8

was great to watch, but didn't it result in him being completely marked out of Flanders and PR?

frenchfighter

oude Steenweg 98km
La Houppe 118km
Berg Stene 130km
Boigneberg 135km
Eikenberg 141km
Stationsberg 145km
Taaienberg 149km
Berg ten Houste 152km
Kanarieberg 157km
Kapelberg 168km
Paterberg 172km
Kwaremont 175km
Knokteberg 184km
Tiegemberg 196km

-

Reporter: Is the “Machine” working again?
Chavanel: I’ll tell you later on. Nah, I’m ready.
Reporter: What’s the QuickStep tactic?
Chavanel: To win the race.
Reporter: Does being world number one change much?
Chavanel: Nah, that doesn’t change much. I’ve got a race to do today, I’m thinking about that.

-

Hayman:
I’m not too bad. We’ll have to wait and see how I’ve recovered from Wednesday. We’ve strengthened the team here today with Edvald and Bernie so hopefully we’re in for a good one.
Traditionally it’s been a bit of a precursor to Flanders and everybody’s out to test themselves, test the opposition, test equipment but we saw last year that it still came down to a fairly big group and in a sprint like that, Bernie was third last year and I think there’s a few guys who have got some better form than that so anything short of the podium and we’d be disappointed.

Van Avermaet:
I’m good. I have a little bit of a sore throat from San Remo for the other things my legs are still good and I have a good feeling so hopefully I can be good in the final today.
It would be nice if we could get a guy on the podium and even nicer to get the win because we have a strong team and guys in good form. We’re just missing the win in the classics and we’ve had a good start to the season with the team and hopefully we can do the same in the classics now... asIt would be good to go into Flanders with a victory.
We just try to do our best... the win will come we don’t have to be worried about it. If everybody’s performing well, the victory will come.
I think it’s a bit different today; last year was a bit strange. Today there’s a lot of wind and cold so there won’t be a bunch sprint.

Keukeleire :
The big boys are going to wait for the real final – the Kwaremont and I hope smaller groups are going to go in front of that section and I hope me or Sebastian will be in there. If we survive that final section in the first group, anything can happen I think.

Lefevere:
Boonen is ready. The results he put down last year were a once in a lifetime run. We're not so stupid in thinking that we can repeat this but what's important is that Tom is ready in the head.
Chavanel has a free role. He's the leader in the WorldTour and we'll look to defend that.

Roger De Vlaeminck:
I expect Cancellara, Sagan and Boonen for the podium on Friday and Sunday. For Boonen to win I think that the E3-Harelbeke and - Gent-Wevelgem are coming too soon. He’ll need more races. It would be good if he did the Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde. He’ll be ready for Roubaix. It’s the moment for men like Van Avermaet and Roelandts to get a breakthrough win.

Peter Sagan:
I feel very good. I’m going the way I wanted to go. I’m in good condition and we’ll see how the races go in Belgium. I don’t know if it will be a sprint, we’ll see how it goes. QuickStep and Sky will be the favourites but there are other strong teams here too.

Pozzato:
Will it be a bunch sprint again? Well, I think Harelbeke is a hard race, very difficult and a small group can finish in front. So let’s hope I’m up there. The two favourites are definitely Cancellara and Sagan. They’re the two strongest and they showed at San Remo that they had a bit more than the rest. Then, there are riders like Boonen and Paolini – a lot of rivals.

Turfle

Devolder off the back again.

not his fault this time though.

frenchfighter

Crozza wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

The 2011 race still is one of my favourites. Cancellara in splendid form looking super stylish in his Leopard kit.

Short highlight reminder here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysB5R_qrQl8

was great to watch, but didn't it result in him being completely marked out of Flanders and PR?

Unfortunately yes!

DeadCalm

Enjoying Dan Lloyd's commentary.

RonB

Few digs going in now to test folks OPQS with a good show at the front of the peloton. Degenkolb and GT up there too.

edit - Thor off the back.

above_the_cows

Ooo nice betonweg section.

It seems Hushovd has been dropped.

These little narrow roads and hills are making me home sick for North Hampshire.

frenchfighter

Hushovd no legs.

Terpstra off the back but was as a result of a bike change.

above_the_cows

This is a cross wind section, explains people trying to put the hurt on up front.

Macaloon

DeadCalm wrote:

Enjoying Dan Lloyd's commentary.

They're a good pair. Plenty of insight freely offered by Dan.

RonB

Saw that - unlucky for Terpstra. Like that Dutch national kit btw.

Boonen attacks!

above_the_cows

Boonen not looking too explosive.

But seems to have got a good gap with Cancellara, EBH, Oss, Stybar, Vanmarcke, Hayman...