Paris Roubaix 2017 -*SPOILERS*

RichN95.

Mavic neutral service's booty for the day. (Explains where my bet on Naesen went)

inseine

Hayman beats Boonen, again

bobmcstuff

Cruff wrote:

bobmcstuff wrote:

Also when Struyven and Moscow came back was great. I was counting my pennies for a GVA win (had him each way - a lazy bet but I'm not complaining). Audible gasp in the room.

Also also - definitely recommend Rapha, since they were giving out free beer!!!!

My missus was at Rapha in Manchester watching it - didn't say anything to me about free beer up there... But she's up the duff, so maybe didn't think to mention it. We got toasted on kronenbourg in the sunshine. Was baking hot for April.

Bah, she could have got me a second one! That's where I was, they were giving you the first beer free.

onyourright

RichN95 wrote:

Mavic neutral service's booty for the day.

Lot of Continental there. Again.

sagefly

11th from Hayman, not such a bad defence. But GvA deserved winner.

No_Ta_Doctor

sagefly wrote:

11th from Hayman, not such a bad defence. But GvA deserved winner.

Hayman rode a canny race. Kept himself up with the leaders with minimal fuss or exertion.

thegibdog

Disappointing race after what we've seen so far this season. I was waiting for some fireworks that never really came. In particular it would've been good if Langeveld had a go rather tham settle for 3rd.

I'll never understand people being annoyed at riders for sitting on though. Surely you should be annoyed at the others for doing the work for the 'wheelsucker'?

bobmcstuff

thegibdog wrote:

Disappointing race after what we've seen so far this season. I was waiting for some fireworks that never really came. In particular it would've been good if Langeveld had a go rather tham settle for 3rd.

I'll never understand people being annoyed at riders for sitting on though. Surely you should be annoyed at the others for doing the work for the 'wheelsucker'?

I had no issue with him sitting on while there was a chance Boonen might come back,only to be expected really. I suppose it's legitimate not to want to work with GVA though as he is a very fast finisher, but he was increasing the chances of Moscon and Stuyven getting back on and knocking him off the podium.

onyourright

Stybar was wrecked having worked plenty in the early parts of the race.

Complaining about ‘wheel-sucking’ in cycling is silly. It’s what the sport is made of.

rick_chasey

Yeah Greg & BMC rode that more or less perfectly.

Guy only stuck his nose in the wind after a mechanical and after sector 5.

Owes Oss a nice fancy watch.

Boonen I don't think had the legs today. Those efforts he put in between 90-50km to go would have, in past years, made the selection. They didn't this year.

Still maintain GvA suits RVV better (and he still does too) but ja, if you ride so well individually and as a team tactically, and you've got the form, you'll do well. Let's face it, that group was 2 second row riders (Stybar & Langeveld) and one A lister.

Stybar had a decent chance to box in GvA too but went too early on and didn't take the chance to box.

Race really changed a lot because of the crash of Terpstra.

But yeah, GvA and BMC rode it perfectly.

rick_chasey

TailWindHome wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Only one podium in 2015 and no team apart from Oss.

Yeah - come on one would have put money on a Stybar, GvA Langvels final 3, let alone Moscon in the top 5.

Wasn't the most attritional race - more tactical than most.

Shadowrider

Some times I forget how much of a loser Vaughters is, on twitter talking as if Langeveld has won PR, the tour and the world cup. But in reality he came 3rd.

Sad little man.


Suits loser Sep well this team.

rick_chasey

I stand by my reasoning - he's not a 5 star or even 4 star favourite on the start line with BMC, and he still agrees RVV suits him better.

rick_chasey

Rick Chasey wrote:

dish_dash wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

dish_dash wrote:

Rick, think you're underestimating Kristoff... agree not Boonen level but I'd have him on 2 stars.

And given you think he'll do better at PR than the Ronde, how many stars for DvB?

One possibly zero.

I'll take a bet with you Kristoff doesn't make top 5...

yeah, sure, a beer after Easter... I don't put hard cash on the table

Done.

Win some you lose some.

blazing_saddles

Rick Chasey wrote:

Boonen I don't think had the legs today. Those efforts he put in between 90-50km to go would have, in past years, made the selection. They didn't this year.

Still maintain GvA suits RVV better (and he still does too) but ja, if you ride so well individually and as a team tactically, and you've got the form, you'll do well. Let's face it, that group was 2 second row riders (Stybar & Langeveld) and one A lister.

By what logic does 6th, 5th, 2nd and 2nd in 5 outings make a second tier P-R rider?

rick_chasey

Hahaa fair.

Second row behind Boonen & Terpstra though.

As is Langeveld to Sep.

rick_chasey

Boonen complaining of cross-head wind in the important cobbled sections, which would explain how it worked out.

Also said, without malice, that he could tell a lot of the riders were pretty stoked to be in his group, so was tough.

inseine

OnYourRight wrote:

Stybar was wrecked having worked plenty in the early parts of the race.

Complaining about ‘wheel-sucking’ in cycling is silly. It’s what the sport is made of.

Hardly. If everyone was a wheel sucker there'd be no racing

Mad_Malx

Happy enough with GvA, but didn't find it very exciting. Kept hoping for the gap to come down below 30sec for a bit of drama.

smithy21

Meh.

Mad_Malx

^the race or my comment?

Vino'sGhost

thegibdog wrote:

Disappointing race after what we've seen so far this season. I was waiting for some fireworks that never really came. In particular it would've been good if Langeveld had a go rather tham settle for 3rd.

I'll never understand people being annoyed at riders for sitting on though. Surely you should be annoyed at the others for doing the work for the 'wheelsucker'?

I thought it started well carnage all over but the finish was a bit of an anti climax.. Perhaps watching six hours of it had dulled my senses......

DeVlaeminck

Glad a big name won it - I reckon GvA has a couple more monuments in him as he seems to handle the distance so well and sill finish fast. Bad luck to Sagan though. Boonen clearly slightly over the hill don't think he could win in the style he has in the past and not sure he'd be able to go under the radar so probably timed his retirement right.

m.r.m.

inseine wrote:

GvA having the season Sagan should be.

thestrand

Shadowrider wrote:

Some times I forget how much of a loser Vaughters is, on twitter talking as if Langeveld has won PR, the tour and the world cup. But in reality he came 3rd.

Sad little man.


Suits loser Sep well this team.

The bee has really got in your bonnet after that race. Of course Vaughters is going to put a positive spin on a podium finish in a monument, after the pretty woeful results Cannondale had last year and the start of this year.

I don't think the race was as bad as you're making it out to be. Not sure about the hate for GvA either...

thegibdog

inseine wrote:

If everyone was a wheel sucker there'd be no racing

Conversely, if nobody was a 'wheel sucker', then we'd just have time trialling.

RichN95.

Without so-called wheel sucking there's none of the tactical poker playing. Van Avermaet used Oss as an excuse not work, Stybar had Boonen behind, Stuyven had Degenkolb. It's about betting the right amount of effort at the right time. They're teams holding an ace, but who has the best kicker?

And in that sense, it was terrific race - rather than someone bullying everyone else with a big pot and a pair of aces.

smithy21

Mad_Malx wrote:

^the race or my comment?

The race. Agree with your comment.

rick_chasey

Never really blew apart.

phreak

Was probably defined as much by mechanicals as by actual attacks so not a classic edition, but enjoyable enough. A worthy winner imo.