Paris-Roubaix

Fastlad

Boonen has a greater chance in the Roubaix because the course is pretty flat. I can't see cancellara, or anyone for that matter, dropping him.

greasedscotsman

I would think that every man and his dog will be sitting on Cancellara's wheel this Sunday. Think he might be marked out like he was at Flanders in '07. Think Boonen is far from being beaten, he said he cramped on the Muur when Cancellara attacked. Think that's probably true as he looked like he was trying to bluff him by taking the lead. Maybe it will come down to who has the best team, QS or SB?

Or maybe someone else will sneal off the front. Maybe it will really be Hincapie's year?

Weather looks good for the weekend, sunny and max 13 deg. Can't wait, it's gonna be great

Fastlad

The PR reminds me of the Grand National, loads of hurdles and requires a lot of luck. It should be more interesting if the weather holds out. 8)

Squaggles

Excuse my ignorance but how do you prounounce Roubaix ?

Splottboy wrote:

I love the way they pronounce it ROO-BAY.

takethehighroad

Squaggles wrote:

Excuse my ignorance but how do you prounounce Roubaix ?

Splottboy wrote:

I love the way they pronounce it ROO-BAY.

PAREEEEEEEE ROUBAYYYYYYY

Squaggles

So it is pretty much 'Roo-Bay' then ?

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

Squaggles wrote:

Excuse my ignorance but how do you prounounce Roubaix ?

Splottboy wrote:

I love the way they pronounce it ROO-BAY.

PAREEEEEEEE ROUBAYYYYYYY

Paul 8v

Not sure how else you'd pronounce it?

cal_stewart

has anyone got a link to the cse profile as would like a look before my ptp pick

cheers

takethehighroad

Cal_Stewart wrote:

has anyone got a link to the cse profile as would like a look before my ptp pick

cheers

http://www.letour.fr/2010/PRX/COURSE/fr/le_parcours.html different tabs to click there

rick_chasey

Cal_Stewart wrote:

has anyone got a link to the cse profile as would like a look before my ptp pick

cheers

Out of interest, how would that affect your pick?

cal_stewart

tried there only last 1km.

mididoctors

Cal_Stewart wrote:

tried there only last 1km.

its effectively flat

the difficulty is the infamous pave

google fu the race on youtube or someit

cal_stewart

Rick Chasey wrote:

Cal_Stewart wrote:

has anyone got a link to the cse profile as would like a look before my ptp pick

cheers

Out of interest, how would that affect your pick?

Its going to be harder for Can to drop Tom without a climb, also thinking farrar if Can and Tom mark each other out and there are more than the two of them left at the end.

afx237vi

Cal_Stewart wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Cal_Stewart wrote:

has anyone got a link to the cse profile as would like a look before my ptp pick

cheers

Out of interest, how would that affect your pick?

Its going to be harder for Can to drop Tom without a climb, also thinking farrar if Can and Tom mark each other out and there are more than the two of them left at the end.

The lack of hills in this race don't really matter. The pavé sections are every bit as selective as, say, the hills in the Tour of Flanders. Maybe even more so.

If there are more than two left at the end on Sunday, I will be surprised. Very surprised. Since I've been into cycling, the most I've seen arrive at the finish together is 4, the year Backstedt won.

Tom Butcher

What is Farrar like on cobbles - he's always seemed a bit of a bottler and/or relatively poor bike handler in bunch sprints - doesn't get as many victories as his sheer speed should bring him.

cal_stewart

afx237vi wrote:

Cal_Stewart wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Cal_Stewart wrote:

has anyone got a link to the cse profile as would like a look before my ptp pick

cheers

Out of interest, how would that affect your pick?

Its going to be harder for Can to drop Tom without a climb, also thinking farrar if Can and Tom mark each other out and there are more than the two of them left at the end.

The lack of hills in this race don't really matter. The pavé sections are every bit as selective as, say, the hills in the Tour of Flanders. Maybe even more so.

If there are more than two left at the end on Sunday, I will be surprised. Very surprised. Since I've been into cycling, the most I've seen arrive at the finish together is 4, the year Backstedt won.

I understand about the pave. Its more to be with if Can is able to drop Tom as easily without the hills.

RichN95.

Here's the course profile for you:

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greeny12

RichN95 wrote:

Here's the course profile for you:

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Tee hee!

rick_chasey

Tom Butcher wrote:

What is Farrar like on cobbles - he's always seemed a bit of a bottler and/or relatively poor bike handler in bunch sprints - doesn't get as many victories as his sheer speed should bring him.

Won Scheldeprijs on Wednesday, 5th in de Ronde.

Then again, there are cobbles, and then there's Paris-Roubais pavé

rick_chasey

afx237vi wrote:

Cal_Stewart wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Cal_Stewart wrote:

has anyone got a link to the cse profile as would like a look before my ptp pick

cheers

Out of interest, how would that affect your pick?

Its going to be harder for Can to drop Tom without a climb, also thinking farrar if Can and Tom mark each other out and there are more than the two of them left at the end.

The lack of hills in this race don't really matter. The pavé sections are every bit as selective as, say, the hills in the Tour of Flanders. Maybe even more so.

If there are more than two left at the end on Sunday, I will be surprised. Very surprised. Since I've been into cycling, the most I've seen arrive at the finish together is 4, the year Backstedt won.

Roubaix is hard enough that usually a natural selection is made.

The O'Grady victory being the massive exception, but that was an odd race.

mididoctors

Cal_Stewart wrote:

I understand about the pave. Its more to be with if Can is able to drop Tom as easily without the hills.

no.... i don't think you do...

people let the wheels go on the pave

cancellara could have dropped tom boonen on the flat at flanders...

in fact he did drop boonen on the flat at E3 a week earlier


BUT that doesnt mean anything at Roubaix if his form is goiing

if it was a two man race on sunday with last weeks form, cancellara barring crashes and punctures would win...

it isnt

mididoctors

Rick Chasey wrote:

Roubaix is hard enough that usually a natural selection is made.

The O'Grady victory being the massive exception, but that was an odd race.

true enough I guess..

still did a ride when he realised the win was on...Lars Michaelson missed out with that crash...it was odd how it all became neutralised behind because it wasn't the case of a dominant single tam al la QS


similar race to the year wilfred peeters was off the front but in that instance couldn't make it stick..

this year I think saxo are going to try and "stuey" Matti Breschel

Ballerini (edit) and tafi have been similarly "gifted" though in their case they were probably the (one of)strongest there

moray_gub

mididoctors wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Roubaix is hard enough that usually a natural selection is made.

The O'Grady victory being the massive exception, but that was an odd race.

true enough I guess..

still did a ride when he realised the win was on...Lars Michaelson missed out with that crash...it was odd how it all became neutralised behind because it wasn't the case of a dominant single tam al la QS


similar race to the year wilfred peeters was off the front but in that instance couldn't make it stick..

this year I think saxo are going to try and "stuey" Matti Breschel

Ballan and tafi have been similarly "gifted" though in their case they were probably the (one of)strongest there

Unless i have picked you up wrong Ballan didn't win Rouxbaix it was Flanders .

takethehighroad

afx237vi wrote:

Since I've been into cycling, the most I've seen arrive at the finish together is 4, the year Backstedt won.

True. It was before my time but the finish to the 1990 version is interesting to watch on YouTube, absolutely fascinating.

mididoctors

Moray Gub wrote:

mididoctors wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Roubaix is hard enough that usually a natural selection is made.

The O'Grady victory being the massive exception, but that was an odd race.

true enough I guess..

still did a ride when he realised the win was on...Lars Michaelson missed out with that crash...it was odd how it all became neutralised behind because it wasn't the case of a dominant single tam al la QS


similar race to the year wilfred peeters was off the front but in that instance couldn't make it stick..

this year I think saxo are going to try and "stuey" Matti Breschel

Ballan and tafi have been similarly "gifted" though in their case they were probably the (one of)strongest there

Unless i have picked you up wrong Ballan didn't win Rouxbaix it was Flanders .

my stupid I meant Ballerini

blazing_saddles

The usual suspects in the usual places.
First group selection will be at the D'Arenberg forest.
Podium decided at the Carrefour de l'Arbre.

Spartacus can drop Boonan, there, or vise versa.

Farrar on cobbles? 2nd at Het Nieuwsblad/Volk.

rick_chasey

For the past 3 years Boonen's form has improved between Flanders and Roubaix, and Roubaix also lies better for Boonen than Flanders, so I wouldn't write him off as the bridesmade to Canc just yet.

andyp

Cyclingnews rate the contenders;

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/par ... -the-crown

As an aside, why do they perpetuate this 'Flecha can't sprint for toffee' myth? He used to be quite a handy sprinter, and won the Giro del Lazio in 2004 in a sprint from a bunch of 40 or so riders. It's not his sprinting that's seen him miss out on a monument win, that's been due to a lack of aggression, i.e. he waits too long before attacking and ends up racing for a minor placing.

iainf72

Anyone who knows anything about cycling knows Edval... I mean Peter Sagan is going to win.

billysan

Can anyone recomend a website that will stream British Eurosport for free so I can watch this please?

Im still stuck in the dark ages unfortunately and only have 4 (yes not even Ch5) channels!!

Thanks