The classics thread

greasedscotsman

For what it's worth, just looking though my photos from last year, 2nd group at Gruson.



Terpstra, Boonen, Wiggins, Thomas, Langeveld and Degenkolb.

takethehighroad

And not ONE of them on the cobbles. Cheats!

Yellow Peril

Talius wrote:

Someone called it earlier on this thread, or on the GW one ( sorry can't remember who).

Sagan has been playing games the past few races. He's lulling everyone into thinking he's cooked and not on form on the last stages of the long races. He sees Spartacus and Boonen are out and knows this is his best chance for RVV. He just needs everyone else to not work together when he goes. And if they think he's not on form they're more likely to leave it enough for him.

That's a reasonable call, he 's spent the last few years with a target on his back so why not try and show yourself as a non-contender? He's been the danger man for so long he needed the heat taking off him and if that's his plan it may have worked.

Paolini was given too much slack in G-W, it seemed like everyone had overlooked or not even considered how well he rode in MSR because he is now just Kristoff's super-dom

Pross

I don't buy that Sagan is doing some kind of 'rope a dope' tactic. He's been up there but not competitive, if he wanted people to forget him he wouldn't be trying to get in moves. Add to that the pressure Tinkoff has been putting on the team to win races and I don't think they'd be giving up chances to do so. Finally, he just looks out of shape and over-weight. I really hope he doesn't prove me wrong though - if he does it's more likely to be P-R than RVV I'd say.

Yellow Peril

Pross wrote:

I don't buy that Sagan is doing some kind of 'rope a dope' tactic. He's been up there but not competitive, if he wanted people to forget him he wouldn't be trying to get in moves. Add to that the pressure Tinkoff has been putting on the team to win races and I don't think they'd be giving up chances to do so. Finally, he just looks out of shape and over-weight. I really hope he doesn't prove me wrong though - if he does it's more likely to be P-R than RVV I'd say.

Perhaps he's the Peter Davenport of cycling*

*there are better analogies but I bet Peter Davenport doesn't get mentioned much anywhere these days

LeePaton

Certainly seems heavier this year in that picture compared with below. The issue to me seems to be a overall fitness one, he can roll with the punches for so long then pop out he goes.

Macaloon

RichN95.

This is good:

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/stories/ ... onument+US

frenchfighter

Along with his teammates, Boonen will check the Paris-Roubaix cobbles next week before making a decision on a possible participation. According to the team, the chance is very small, only 1%.

frenchfighter

“QuickStep are like a different team without Tom,” Wiggins told Cyclingnews at the start of Gent-Wevelgem. “They’re like rabbits in the headlights and they all think that they can win or have a chance. He was the gel that kept it all together. He’s not there now and Fabian has gone too, so someone like Thomas is probably the favourite for Flanders. Everyone is going to be looking at us and the emphasis falls on us. That could play into our hands because we’re used to doing that.”

rick_chasey

frenchfighter wrote:

Along with his teammates, Boonen will check the Paris-Roubaix cobbles next week before making a decision on a possible participation. According to the team, the chance is very small, only 1%.

Pointless.

graeme_s-2

Rick Chasey wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Along with his teammates, Boonen will check the Paris-Roubaix cobbles next week before making a decision on a possible participation. According to the team, the chance is very small, only 1%.

Pointless.

Bit of attention for the sponsors and keeps the press from hassling the rest of the riders too much in the run up to Flanders and PR?

okgo

Rick Chasey wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Along with his teammates, Boonen will check the Paris-Roubaix cobbles next week before making a decision on a possible participation. According to the team, the chance is very small, only 1%.

Pointless.

Yep, he wasn't even really a feature when fit for me, let alone now.

No_Ta_Doctor

Graeme_S wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Along with his teammates, Boonen will check the Paris-Roubaix cobbles next week before making a decision on a possible participation. According to the team, the chance is very small, only 1%.

Pointless.

Bit of attention for the sponsors and keeps the press from hassling the rest of the riders too much in the run up to Flanders and PR?

I was tempted to pass it off as an April fools joke.

frenchfighter

inseine wrote:

SKY provisional start list for Flanders;
Eisel, Fenn, Knees, Puccio, Rowe, Stannard, Thomas,Wiggins, Pate, Sutton, Viviani
Obviously that's 11 but it'll be interesting to see who starts.

Fenn. Not sure he need to be racing.

MSR: DNF
E3: DNF
GW: DNF
3Days: +5mins

Not much different to Eisel though. So maybe he is just learning the ropes from the old slacker.

okgo

Amazed Sky drop people like Edmonson yet keep people like Fenn on the books.

Anonymous

frenchfighter wrote:

inseine wrote:

SKY provisional start list for Flanders;
Eisel, Fenn, Knees, Puccio, Rowe, Stannard, Thomas,Wiggins, Pate, Sutton, Viviani
Obviously that's 11 but it'll be interesting to see who starts.

Fenn. Not sure he need to be racing.

MSR: DNF
E3: DNF
GW: DNF
3Days: +5mins

Not much different to Eisel though. So maybe he is just learning the ropes from the old slacker.

Or learning from one of the men widely regarded as a world class road captain. You've went full gas early this year, must be Berts poor form.

andyp

okgo wrote:

Amazed Sky drop people like Edmonson yet keep people like Fenn on the books.

He only joined the team this season.

We are not party to Sky tactics, but Fenn's role in these races could have been to do the leg work in the first 150 kms then climb off. Obviously true champions never do this, but it's remarkably commonplace amongst mere mortals.

tailwindhome

iain_forfar @iain_forfar
· Mar 27
I'm pretty sure Sagan would rinse the rest of the classics if he popped into a barbers and said "2 all over please"

Pross

frenchfighter wrote:

inseine wrote:

SKY provisional start list for Flanders;
Eisel, Fenn, Knees, Puccio, Rowe, Stannard, Thomas,Wiggins, Pate, Sutton, Viviani
Obviously that's 11 but it'll be interesting to see who starts.

Fenn. Not sure he need to be racing.

MSR: DNF
E3: DNF
GW: DNF
3Days: +5mins

Not much different to Eisel though. So maybe he is just learning the ropes from the old slacker.

Fenn crashed heavily on the descent whilst driving on the front in MSR. I suspect his role is to tear himself apart as required in the earlier part of the race. Once he's done that there's little point riding to the finish. The exception being De Panne where he is needed the next day so rolls in with those riders doing the same role in their respective team and loses a few minutes. It's hardly a role that's unique to Fenn or Sky!

Anonymous

I imagine the nasty crash took it out of him as well.

above_the_cows

Eisel: "We were riding people off the road (at Gent-Wevelgem) and I’m desperately sorry for Boasson Hagen and Velits who both broke their collarbones. Is that what people want to see? I don’t think that’s the right direction to take the sport and I can’t think of another sport that would go out there with 100 kilometre winds. We do it and if we complain then we’re ‘soft’ or ‘never won a race’. In any other sport there wouldn’t even be a discussion about it. Someone would have made a decision beforehand but the riders can’t be put into that risk.”

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/eisel-calls-for-rider-unity-in-cases-of-extreme-weather

Frenchie, stop What'sApping Bernie.

frenchfighter

Lol.

Btw, according to Cosmo, Puccio crashed not Fenn.

frenchfighter

frenchfighter wrote:

inseine wrote:

SKY provisional start list for Flanders;
Eisel, Fenn, Knees, Puccio, Rowe, Stannard, Thomas,Wiggins, Pate, Sutton, Viviani
Obviously that's 11 but it'll be interesting to see who starts.

Fenn. Not sure he need to be racing.

MSR: DNF
E3: DNF
GW: DNF
3Days: +5mins

Not much different to Eisel though. So maybe he is just learning the ropes from the old slacker.

3Days St2: +5mins

frenchfighter

Photos of Boonen on the QS recce:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/04/ ... rse_365193

inseine

frenchfighter wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

inseine wrote:

SKY provisional start list for Flanders;
Eisel, Fenn, Knees, Puccio, Rowe, Stannard, Thomas,Wiggins, Pate, Sutton, Viviani
Obviously that's 11 but it'll be interesting to see who starts.

Fenn. Not sure he need to be racing.

MSR: DNF
E3: DNF
GW: DNF
3Days: +5mins

Not much different to Eisel though. So maybe he is just learning the ropes from the old slacker.

3Days St2: +5mins

Looks like it's the first 8 on the list, as expected, so no Pate, Sutton or Viviani.
Even for a neutral that looks like a strong team.

ddraver

frenchfighter wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

inseine wrote:

SKY provisional start list for Flanders;
Eisel, Fenn, Knees, Puccio, Rowe, Stannard, Thomas,Wiggins, Pate, Sutton, Viviani
Obviously that's 11 but it'll be interesting to see who starts.

Fenn. Not sure he need to be racing.

MSR: DNF
E3: DNF
GW: DNF
3Days: +5mins

Not much different to Eisel though. So maybe he is just learning the ropes from the old slacker.

3Days St2: +5mins

At least watch races before offering your "opinion"...

frenchfighter

“Wiggins will win Paris-Roubaix this year,” Ghent-Wevelgem winner Luca Paolini told Cycling Weekly.

“He has class. When he puts a goal in his head, it’s almost impossible that he makes an error on his way to it. He has Olympic gold medals, the Tour de France… Now he wants the Roubaix cobble trophy.”

“Maybe last year it was a surprise for many, and maybe for Wiggins, too. He saw that day that he could return to win it.”

“It’s been months that he’s been working for this, working on equipment with Pinarello in December. His physical condition is perfect, he’s ready to win Roubaix,” Paolini said.

inseine wrote:

Looks like it's the first 8 on the list, as expected, so no Pate, Sutton or Viviani.
Even for a neutral that looks like a strong team.

Leaving out Viviani is an odd move. Sutton and Pate are not doing very well of late; if they ever did.

ddraver wrote:

At least watch races before offering your "opinion"...

I watched them all. Maybe you could explain how you know whether I watched them or not. Or you could quit making stupid comments all day for one day.

ddraver

Feeling a bit angry today then?

I can tell you did nt watch becasue Eisel worked hard on the front for Sky doing the Tony Martin(using the HTC model) role for Viviani, before handing off to Wiggins (Hincpie role). If Eisel could pull off and then sit in the bunch he would not have ridden anywhere near hard enough and then you could level your slacker "opinion" at him

#Snap

DeVlaeminck

Yes Eisel has been on the front more than just about anyone in De Panne.

As far as his comments on Gent Wevelgem go though - yes Bernie unfortunately for you riders that kind of carnage IS what people want to watch - not every race of course but if occasionally the weather is epic then many (can't speak for everyone) do want to watch you racing in it. I can see his point but ultimately if you cancel a race in those winds you may as well take out the worst sections of cobbles in Paris Roubaix, descents to the finish in the grand tours etc