Cav and Tour de San Luis

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Comments

  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    I will always have to defer to the Rick-ster in matters relating to the mighty Belgies' tactics

    I don't know why I bother. :cry:
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    I will always have to defer to the Rick-ster in matters relating to the mighty Belgies' tactics

    I don't know why I bother. :cry:


    Erm...I meant to type '..as well as Greased...' :wink:

    I'll just go and edit...

    Me, I know toot about the Belgies tactics
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Erm...I meant to type '..as well as Greased...' :wink:

    I know toot about the Belgies tactics

    To be fair, I will defer to him on Boonen factual facts. I have no idea what Tom has for breakfast. :D
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,929
    Good answer Rick, you offer great tactical insight and knowledge and are a real asset to the forum.

    We'd be lost without you :wink:



    For Boonen to win he needs to be in the break group with a gap coming of the Poggio and not have Sagan on his wheel.

    I think it's in OPQS interest to prioritise Cavendish from the get go and ride with a bunch finish in mind. It do give them the same problem as Team GB in the Olympics were they'll get no help and the pace needed to keep it together will blow Cav out the back...

    God I'm exshited....
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    All this talk's making me ponder a leetle trip over for the weekend to watch the finish. anyone here made the trip before to watch the race?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,585
    Boonen won't be let up the road when it's flat and can't get up the road to follow the Nibalis, Gerrans and Gilberts of this world when it points upwards.
    _
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Boonen won't be let up the road when it's flat and can't get up the road to follow the Nibalis, Gerrans and Gilberts of this world when it points upwards.

    He seems to do OK on the Koppenberg/Kwaremont/Paterberg. It's not like the Poggio is La Redoute. Has he ever tried to get into a break? No, because he's usually waiting for the sprint, which without Cavendish would be OPQS's best chance of winning.

    It always amazes me how little attacking there is in Milan San Remo. If I'm DS of any team, I would be telling my riders to go for it!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,585
    He always loses about 10-15 places on the way up the Poggio. Doesn't strike me as someone who can leave the peloton up it.
    _
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    He always loses about 10-15 places on the way up the Poggio. Doesn't strike me as someone who can leave the peloton up it.

    Alright, attack before they get there.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,585
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    He always loses about 10-15 places on the way up the Poggio. Doesn't strike me as someone who can leave the peloton up it.

    Alright, attack before they get there.

    No-one would let him. That's the point.
    _
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    No-one would let him. That's the point.

    Has he ever tried to attack in Milan San Remo? Point is, if he can get away in a break, who's going to want to bring him back and bring Cavendish back into the race (if he's there).
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,585
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    No-one would let him. That's the point.

    Has he ever tried to attack in Milan San Remo? Point is, if he can get away in a break, who's going to want to bring him back and bring Cavendish back into the race (if he's there).

    Who in their right mind would let Boonen go, and who in their right mind would ride with him?

    Cancellara I get, but Boonen?
    _
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Who in their right mind would let Boonen go, and who in their right mind would ride with him?

    Cancellara I get, but Boonen?

    Ballan and Pozatto did at Flanders last year. They both obviously thought they could beat him.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    And didn't Sep Vanmarcke and Juan Antonio Flecha work with Boonen at Het Nieuwsblad as well?
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,385
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    No-one would let him. That's the point.

    Has he ever tried to attack in Milan San Remo? Point is, if he can get away in a break, who's going to want to bring him back and bring Cavendish back into the race (if he's there).

    Who in their right mind would let Boonen go, and who in their right mind would ride with him?

    Cancellara I get, but Boonen?

    Everyone, this time last year

    ('cept me... #boast)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    It always amazes me how little attacking there is in Milan San Remo. If I'm DS of any team, I would be telling my riders to go for it!

    No egg sucking intended, but you know it's pretty much 300KM right? They are all hanging out of their arses, that's why there's no attacking :wink:
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,585
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Who in their right mind would let Boonen go, and who in their right mind would ride with him?

    Cancellara I get, but Boonen?

    Ballan and Pozatto did at Flanders last year. They both obviously thought they could beat him.

    that was natural course selection.

    More or less no-one else could follow.

    Lots of people can and will in M- SR.
    _
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    No egg sucking intended, but you know it's pretty much 300KM right? They are all hanging out of their arses, that's why there's no attacking :wink:

    Sure, it's a tough race. But all pro races are. They all don't end up as bunch finishes, do they?
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,929
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    No egg sucking intended, but you know it's pretty much 300KM right? They are all hanging out of their arses, that's why there's no attacking :wink:

    Sure, it's a tough race. But all pro races are. They all don't end up as bunch finishes, do they?




    300km? That's too far for i]insert as appropriate[/i
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Sure, it's a tough race. But all pro races are. They all don't end up as bunch finishes, do they?

    There's tough and there's tough. It's relative though I suppose.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    that was natural course selection.

    More or less no-one else could follow.

    Lots of people can and will in M- SR.

    Sure, but that wasn't really the point I was making. You suggested nobody would work with Boonen in a break and I've given you two examples of riders working with him and then you quite rightly suggested Cancellara as well.

    Anyway, the way I see it is Boonen can't win a bunch sprint, not if Sagan is there. Therfore OPQS's best chance is to get Cavendish to the finish as he can beat Sagan. So have the team work for Cavendish. I don't believe one rider is enough help to get him to the bottom of the Poggio at the front of the race, I reckon you'll need more. But I still don't see why Boonen can't try and attack. So what if he fails! OK, I'll have him work for Cavendish then, if he's there!

    Mind you, if I was OPQS's DS, I wouldn't select Cavendish to ride. I'd pack him off to a kermesse somewhere! :D
  • Nick Fitt
    Nick Fitt Posts: 381
    MSR is always known as a sprinters race. Aside from the distance, once onto the coast, the prevailing wind is into the riders faces. Any break would need some seriously powerful riders to stay away as the sprint teams chase them. I agree with Rick, no team would let Boonen go or get too much time. It would be something else to see him try though and lets be honest, without OPQS chasing, the other sprinters teams would be burning their legs to get him back which would ultimately play into Cavs arms. All of course assuming he got away in the first instance. He is an awesome rider.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Bah, your all to soft to manage a Pro team! I'm off to DS for Europcar. Tommy V will attack when I tell him to! :wink:
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,585
    Cav's biggest problem is getting to the Poggio in contact with the front. Even on the race he did win there was dawdling post Poggio which allowed Hincape to bring Cav back into the group.

    He needs both of those to happen. In the editions since there's always been enough of a threat up the road post Poggio to force the remaining peloton to chase hard.
    _
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    I think also the other teams are wise enough to know not to take Cavendish to the finish. Make the race hard enough early enough that he's not there at the finish to be a problem.
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    I think also the other teams are wise enough to know not to take Cavendish to the finish. Make the race hard enough early enough that he's not there at the finish to be a problem.

    They have to make it hard over the climbs, they won't drop him on the flat. The year that Goss won was because he got into a decent break, which is probably the best chance any non-Cav rider has for winning. The break composition and distance to the finish will determine whether it's allowed to get away as always.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Has Cavendish ever been in the front group (or chase group) at the bottom of the Poggio other than the year he won?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,585
    Nope.
    _
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Uphill finish in a Belgian race.

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    Contador is the Greatest

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