Tour of Flanders - build up

13

Comments

  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Gilbert not riding (via @TourDeJose).
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    inkyfingers wrote:
    Gilbert not riding (via @TourDeJose).


    Nor Phinney

    Gilbert citing minor cold and wanting to be tip top for the Ardennes. Phinney - knee pain from G-W.
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    That's a very long time to have a cold, and if he was ill then why did he bother riding the semi-classics? Not suggesting any sort of conspiracy, just think him skipping this might be more about the fact that he's got no form and is off for some emergency hard training.

    EDIT: I've since read the article and see that Gilbert admits he's out of form and is off to Pais Vasco to sort himself out.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Oh really, he has no form...well that explains his lacklustre performances so far this year. No fire in his heart or tactique lactique in his legs. I hope he pulls himself together and does the WC jersey proud.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,941
    483346_10151390252888691_750494116_n.jpg
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    I. Love. De. Ronde. (woop)

    25 km/h north-easterly so the last 10km will be into a headwind. Means Cancellara will need to isolate Sagan so could be quite frisky with 40ks to go. I've got a good feeling about this.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,738
    Belgian president (i think) will be one of the guys on the back of the motorbike who stands there with a whistle and a yellow arrow on Sunday.
    _
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Belgian president (i think) will be one of the guys on the back of the motorbike who stands there with a whistle and a yellow arrow on Sunday.
    The king? That'd be cool 8) . Guess it'll be the prime minister. Or just the Flemish PM
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    FJS wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Belgian president (i think) will be one of the guys on the back of the motorbike who stands there with a whistle and a yellow arrow on Sunday.
    The king? That'd be cool 8) . Guess it'll be the prime minister. Or just the Flemish PM
    tumblr_mf69t6s9Jl1qewv1lo1_1280.jpg
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,738
    FJS wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Belgian president (i think) will be one of the guys on the back of the motorbike who stands there with a whistle and a yellow arrow on Sunday.
    The king? That'd be cool 8) . Guess it'll be the prime minister. Or just the Flemish PM

    Kept refering to him as Meneer Presideng hence my confusion.
    _
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    Went for a short ride today and powered over the cobbles in the Carrefour de La Haye* - Interestingly I was imagining I was Ian Stannard today for the first time! Usually I'm either Canc or Tommeke

    Make of that what you will!

    (*yes I'm the person who calls it that,most people call it Malieveld which is a crap name!!)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Who else? Chava has an outside chance as rver. Stijn Vandeburgh for top 5.
    What about Avermaet, now he’s free of Gilbert? Or Häussler? Or Flecha because everyone expects him to go for P-R, not Flanders?
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,941
    OPQS really need a win on Sunday to save their classics season.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    Paris Roubaix was known as "la course du Pac" (The Easter Race) and was derided by the church for daring to be run on the holiest of holy days.

    Everything seems a week early, but that's generally only because Easter's a week early and PR is traditionally run on Easter Sunday. MSR was run on Easter Saturday a couple years back (2008 IIRC, as that was the year they switched from the Via Roma to maximise on the Easter sales)
    Easter was even earlier in 2008 - 23rd March; MSR was on Saturday 22nd. Easter can vary from 22nd March - 25th April as it's determined by the first full moon after the equinox - but this is definitely nothing to do with paganism. :D
    FJS wrote:
    DeadCalm wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    He was good in 2011 unsurprisingly.
    4th best individual season ever?

    http://www.procyclingstats.com/statisti ... op-seasons
    That list is weird. How can Roche's 1987 season be behind Tony Martin winning Paris Nice and a couple of chippers? Roche should be above Wiggins 2012 too.
    On second thoughts, I think it just massively over-credits Worlds an Olympics TT titles...
    Yeah, but Roche just won the Giro, Tour and World Champs - what was he doing the rest of the year? :D
    https://gibworth.mypixieset.com
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,114
    Not much, he won the Tour of Valencia, was, if memory serves, third at Paris-Nice (after being done over by Kelly on the final road stage), second at L-B-L (when he should of won). I think he won Romandie too.

    Crap year.

    That list is daft - how does Kelly's 1984 season not make the top 20? He won Paris-Nice, the Criterium International (including all three stages), the Tour of the Basque Country, Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, was second at Milan-San Remo and Flanders and finished 5th at the Tour.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    andyp wrote:
    That list is daft - how does Kelly's 1984 season not make the top 20?
    I’m not impressed with the list either.
    What immediately stood out to me is that there is no Fignon (e.g. ‘84 or ‘89) and only two of Hinault’s years are in the list, while there are riders above him who have never stood on the podium in a stage race, nevermind won one. Probably one of Moser’s years ’77-’79 warrants inclusion and Indurain’s ’92 or ’93 too.
    FJS wrote:
    I think it just massively over-credits Worlds and Olympics TT titles...
    And stage wins in the tours, especially those in the non-GT tours.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    In general that list seems to reward quantity rather than quality.
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Today I will mostly be doing housework, buying beer, cooking Vlaamse Stoverij and annoying my wife by communicating in patchy dutch.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    Ja das is geel good...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Three work deadlines met in one week.
    One suitcase full of bitterballen, cheese and mustard through Schiphol.
    One early morning trip to Currys to get a cable to link the laptop to the TV.
    One Belgian VPN.
    One sack of potatoes.
    One chip pan.
    One discussion already about the new(ish) route.
    And one family ready for a Flanders Sporza Special Easter Sunday.

    Lekker! :D
    Correlation is not causation.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    Need to find some Vlaamse Stew somewhere in the Netherlands....
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Great photos from the past editions:
    http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/2013/03/t ... n-history/

    Look at those dream crushers :shock:
    TourOfFlandersMomentsCyclingTips-4.jpg
    59bc4345-38b7-49f7-96f1-60f3fe8052a2_zps1da9e822.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    tumblr_mk8rydnzdb1qdw1kro1_500.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Vatikus. Patternberg.
    tumblr_m1wtigQa9l1qij5cxo1_500.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Anyone know if they did this this year?
    tumblr_m0ldx2iOac1qhme37o1_500.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Check out Museeuw’s arms!
    tumblr_mkbu3vE1zt1rqdq48o1_1280.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • nevman
    nevman Posts: 1,611
    Beer has been well covered so here is the food.

    http://www.visitflanders.us/discover/fl ... mish-stew/

    Note-add fries
    Whats the solution? Just pedal faster you baby.

    Summer B,man Team Carbon LE#222
    Winter Alan Top Cross
    All rounder Spec. Allez.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Screenshot_2013-03-29-23-34-05.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    StueyOG STUART O'GRADY. It's not everyday you get to do recon of Tour of Flanders with your Dad and son in the team car

    BGhqR_uCcAA8VUE.jpg:large
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Women:
    http://www.podiumcafe.com/2013/3/29/415 ... uick-facts

    http://prowomenscycling.com/2013/03/28/ ... eren-2013/
    Contador is the Greatest

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