E3 Harelbeke - NOW (SPOILERS)

[MattTuck]

Warming up for the RvV...

streams should be coming up over the next hour. Projected finish at 12:14 eastern time.

Cancellara is out after a crash (huge bummer, I have to say. He adds so much to these races), according to cycling news live ticker, he said his spring campaign was over as he got into the team car. He's definitely out for GW on Sunday. Hopefully its turns out to be less serious and he can make it back for RvV or PR.

Voeckler is out. break away 8+ minutes up the road.

[SpeedyChix]

Have you found an English feed (and country to be from)?

[MattTuck]

I'm watching this dutch feed. (http://www.bvls2013.com/ss21.php)

Decent quality video. Eurosport should be picking it up soon, some Snooker tournament looks to have just ended.

[MattTuck]

English language feed, but as usual, probably Russian origin, so make sure your computer is protected. (http://www.fixalen.tv/20140726/vv-856731--53d3b3fc0148e6.42589826.html)

[SpeedyChix]

Thanks! By waiting for all the junk to resolve, the nice thing is when I go full screen I avoid having to click on anything that I may not be blocked for.

[MattTuck]

Seeing reports that Cancellara fractured his spine and will be out for the remainder of the spring.

HUGELY disappointing.

[rnhood]

He did not look right when he got back on the bike. I figured he will watch the remainder of the season on the side line with his friend Tom Boonen. '

Seems like these riders, at their levels, would try and avoid crashes early in the race. But I'm sure its a lot easier said than done.

[LJohnny]

they just flashed some footage of the crash on Universal and also some shots of Cancellara entering the hospital.

A lot the other guys that also went down look pretty hurt and slow to get up. Those cobble stones and the ditch seemed pretty harsh.

Bummer on Fabian..

[thwart]

That's too bad.

Spring cobble classics sans Boonen and Cancellara...

[weisan]

Sky vs Quickstep
2:1

[weisan]

Cobblestone vs Spartacus
1:0

[MattTuck]

Yep, Sky has had a pretty impressive start to the classics season. We'll see if that continues for the two big races in the coming weeks.

Greg Van Avermaet took a nasty crash in the last 20km (hopefully he is able to ride well in the coming weeks), Cancellara out, Boonen out.

Sagan unable to close down the gap to stybar and thomas.... Oleg must be having a fit. I'd say that this is the year for Sagan to win RvV if he can... since the two favorites are out, but his ability to do that is now suspect, I'd say. It may have been just a bad day for him today, but doesn't bode well.

[JStonebarger]

Great to see some results for Stybar. Not that I'm glad to see Boonen sidelined, exactly, but...

[Elefantino]

Sagan's epic bonk means that Tinkov is going to suspend someone else?

[weisan]

Sagan's epic bonk means that Tinkov is going to suspend someone else?

Yes, Contador.

[MattTuck]

Oh, this will be fun to see how the betting lines change for Paris-Roubaix.

Wiggins is seeming like a more interesting contender given the absence of big names and how well Sky seems to be doing.

[nooneline]

Great to see some results for Stybar. Not that I'm glad to see Boonen sidelined, exactly, but...

No, I hear ya - it's definitely more interesting to wonder a bit about EQS's tactics and see riders like Stybar get a lot more leash. and since EQS has so many riders that are fun to see (Terpstra, Keisse, Vandenbergh, Lampaert, etc), well - yeah, the team's more fun without Boonen as a ceremonial centerpiece.

I mean, if Boonen were in that chase group today, Thomas would have pulled, Sagan would have sort of pulled, and Stybar would barely have pulled and then it would have all come back together in a turgid way.

[Shortsocks]

Sagan's epic bonk means that Tinkov is going to suspend someone else?

I love that. Epic Bonk. Thats a 4 million dollar Bonk. :eek:

[carlineng]

Surprised Lotto-Soudal, Katusha and Giant-Alpecin didn't take up the chase along with BMC to try and reel back the trio up front... An effect of lack of race radios? Or maybe they're just unwilling to burn matches for a "minor" classic?

[fatallightning]

They had radios in for e3.