Qatar Tour 2015 *Spoilers*

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  • Brilliant save by a Lampre rider, who, had he gone down would have done so right in front of
    the race leader, Terpstra and a mass pile up would have ensued.

    Bein commentators are even more inept at spotting riders than all the Eurosport commentators combined.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    RichN95 wrote:
    You do realise this isn't the Cycling News forum, don't you?

    Now you mention it, there's a striking similarity in the reception given to 'unorthodox' views. Whevs. Good win for your man Kristoff.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Macaloon wrote:
    Good win for your man Kristoff.
    He's not my man. He's actually a rider I don't like - and I have absolutely no idea why.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Macaloon wrote:
    Survivor Rowe speaks well.
    You can respect Ettixx-OPQS as a team but you can’t give them too much respect. They’re human. As a team they might be a bit stronger than we are but as individuals, they’re not. For sure, if we get a chance to take them on we’ll do everything we can.
    I think it’s about taking the initiative. So if there’s a chance to split it, don’t wait for someone else to do it. We need to do it ourselves. If we can try and catch them off-guard and stick it in the gutter when they’re not there, we’ll be looking to do that.
    If only they had a world class TT rider on the team that could lend these boys a helping hand.

    I forgot world class TT riders are famous for splitting races in cross winds. That is why they are tt riders after all.
  • tumblr_njkvzdzkZm1r4o0yso1_1280.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    RichN95 wrote:
    Anyone seen Kittel this season? (Excluding a criterium)
    Today, 97th on GC @ 12mins 45secs. :!:
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • Milton50 wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Could Sky finally put a good innings in on the pave this year? To give wiggo some credit he's on a par with fabu which isn't that bad.

    Stannard looks more impressive. Really strong TT and managing to survive at the front of the race.

    I think Stannard would have surprised quite a few people in Flanders and Roubaix last year before he got injured and had to pull out. He won the Omloop let's not forget.


    Nbody has ever won Omloop and Flanders/Roubaix in the same year, fact fans.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Nbody has ever won Omloop and Flanders/Roubaix in the same year, fact fans.
    That is such a great fact that I felt it couldn't possibly be true as surely I would have heard it before. So I had to check it for myself.

    And it's not quite true - Merckx and Musseuw went on the win Roubaix in 1973 and 2000. I would have thought it would be more though.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95 wrote:
    Nbody has ever won Omloop and Flanders/Roubaix in the same year, fact fans.
    That is such a great fact that I felt it couldn't possibly be true as surely I would have heard it before. So I had to check it for myself.

    And it's not quite true - Merckx and Musseuw went on the win Roubaix in 1973 and 2000. I would have thought it would be more though.


    I overplayed my hand. I knew it was true for Flanders, I couldn't think of any for Roubaix off the top of my head, so I took a punt.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    You would have got away with it if it wasn't for that pesky RichN95 and his pesky love of fact based arguments.

    I believed you, for a start.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    andyp wrote:
    You would have got away with it if it wasn't for that pesky RichN95 and his pesky love of fact based arguments.

    I believed you, for a start.
    I wanted to believe. I really did. The Het Volk-Flanders link is still a good one though.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    deejay wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Anyone seen Kittel this season? (Excluding a criterium)
    Today, 97th on GC @ 12mins 45secs. :!:

    He's past it, must be fat.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Still a pretty decent
    RichN95 wrote:
    Nbody has ever won Omloop and Flanders/Roubaix in the same year, fact fans.
    That is such a great fact that I felt it couldn't possibly be true as surely I would have heard it before. So I had to check it for myself.

    And it's not quite true - Merckx and Musseuw went on the win Roubaix in 1973 and 2000. I would have thought it would be more though.

    That's some pretty serious points on the geekometer. Do you keep your own cycling database or just google it?

    The Omloop-Flanders stat is still pretty good though. It's hard to believe that the likes of Merckx, De Vlaeminck, Musseuw, van Petegem didn't win them both in the same year.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Milton50 wrote:
    Still a pretty decent
    RichN95 wrote:
    Nbody has ever won Omloop and Flanders/Roubaix in the same year, fact fans.
    That is such a great fact that I felt it couldn't possibly be true as surely I would have heard it before. So I had to check it for myself.

    And it's not quite true - Merckx and Musseuw went on the win Roubaix in 1973 and 2000. I would have thought it would be more though.

    That's some pretty serious points on the geekometer. Do you keep your own cycling database or just google it?
    I just opened the relevant pages on Wikipedia and put them side by side in different windows.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    inseine wrote:
    Good work by Blythe in 7th.

    and again, 4th this time. The internal second in, er, 2nd.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    edited February 2015
    RichN95 wrote:
    Milton50 wrote:
    Still a pretty decent
    RichN95 wrote:
    Nbody has ever won Omloop and Flanders/Roubaix in the same year, fact fans.
    That is such a great fact that I felt it couldn't possibly be true as surely I would have heard it before. So I had to check it for myself.

    And it's not quite true - Merckx and Musseuw went on the win Roubaix in 1973 and 2000. I would have thought it would be more though.

    That's some pretty serious points on the geekometer. Do you keep your own cycling database or just google it?
    I just opened the relevant pages on Wikipedia and put them side by side in different windows.

    this post is the equivalent of those 90s TV shows where a masked musician magician gave away the tricks of the trade :(.

    edit: magician, not musician :rolleyes: @ self
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    RichN95 wrote:
    I just opened the relevant pages on Wikipedia and put them side by side in different windows.

    Oh. That makes more sense.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    It's also a fact that gets spat out every single season around February.
  • It's also a fact that gets spat out every single season around February.

    I have 5 fact filled calendars side by side and I don't see a correlation of that fact every February :D
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    Looks like there's been some good racing. Quick Step are always so well-drilled at this race. Terpstra is cementing his position as the team's new Chavanel, so far as the Classics go.

    Good to see Stannard back to good form and, just beneath the radar, Jasper Stuyven has been racing very consistently - another good lieutenant for Fabu, in addition to Devolder.

    Roll on the Omloop and everything after!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    EKIMIKE wrote:
    Looks like there's been some good racing. Quick Step are always so well-drilled at this race. Terpstra is cementing his position as the team's new Chavanel, so far as the Classics go.
    Terpstra's looking more like Boonen's replacement to me.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • It's also a fact that gets spat out every single season around February.

    Evidence please! I got that off a guy in a bar. And not a good bar!
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • chrisday
    chrisday Posts: 300
    Evidence please! I got that off a guy in a bar. And not a good bar!

    't Velootje? ;)
    @shraap | My Men 2016: G, Yogi, Cav, Boonen, Degenkolb, Martin, J-Rod, Kudus, Chaves
  • chrisday wrote:
    Evidence please! I got that off a guy in a bar. And not a good bar!

    't Velootje? ;)


    You may be surprised to learn the fire department shut him down recently...
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • chrisday
    chrisday Posts: 300
    You may be surprised to learn the fire department shut him down recently...

    Awwww. Not a surprise, but a shame - that place was properly idiosyncratic, and something of a standout memory of that day. Tho to be fair, memories become a lot less distinct later on...
    @shraap | My Men 2016: G, Yogi, Cav, Boonen, Degenkolb, Martin, J-Rod, Kudus, Chaves
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    RichN95 wrote:
    EKIMIKE wrote:
    Looks like there's been some good racing. Quick Step are always so well-drilled at this race. Terpstra is cementing his position as the team's new Chavanel, so far as the Classics go.
    Terpstra's looking more like Boonen's replacement to me.

    hmmmm

    Terpstra is the new Canc

    If the Cycling Pod are to be believed I reckon EQS may be pushing Degenkolb to be the new Boonen
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    It's also a fact that gets spat out every single season around February.

    Evidence please! I got that off a guy in a bar. And not a good bar!

    Was in last month's procycling.
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    RichN95 wrote:
    EKIMIKE wrote:
    Looks like there's been some good racing. Quick Step are always so well-drilled at this race. Terpstra is cementing his position as the team's new Chavanel, so far as the Classics go.
    Terpstra's looking more like Boonen's replacement to me.


    I'll stick to observations rather than predictions. For now Quick-Step will - barring injury - back Boonen with Terpstra as the foil, a la Chavanel.

    A lot could happen between now and Boonen's retirement. As ddraver suggests, Degenkolb is definitely in the Boonen mould.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Stijn Vandenbergh & Terpstra were both more successful than Boonen last year.
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    That's one view. The other is that Boonen won Kuurne. Vandenbergh won nothing. Doesn't mean much either way.

    Boonen is still Lefevre's man. For good reason. Terpstra has always ridden and won as an oppotunist. He's a good foil.

    Anyway, more crosswinds and echelons please! Could make for some interesting moves with the small gaps on GC.