2002 Ghent-Wevelgem

[Spicoli]

So I threw on my copy of this race in hopes it would inspire me to get on the trainer! Yeah that did not work? But what did happen is I enjoyed the crap out of watching that race! I also realized that you start to think of guy's like Cipo, Pettachi and Mcewen as just one dimensional sprinters but man they can honk along faster than 99% of the field. It made me wonder, that if they did not save it all for the finale what could they do to a race by just winding it up at certain points in a race? I would bet that with any one of them giving a good effort, they could cause splits at will? If you get the chance to pick up the combo of 02 Ghent and Het volk by all means do it. Het Volk is another great race, with Van Petegem just twisting legs off everytime he gets to section of pave! This is good stuff and you can pick up so much just by watching closely.

Oh yeah, my point is that "mental cycling" is better for me than getting on a cruddy trainer. I may be rationalizing but I bet watching that helped me more as a bike racer than trying to do the hamster exercise wheel. How bout you?

[Grant McLean]

I haven't watched that one is a while.

Which race did Chipo do the solo bridge of the gap to the breakaway?


g

[saab2000]

Pro racers of that level are never one dimensional.

When you hear someone in Virginia Beach talk about being a good climber because they can get over the bridges faster than the others you realise that some perspectives are skewed.

Don't forget that Cipo finished the Giro a bunch of times and the Giro mountains are not small. Nor is the pace of even the gruppetto slow.

These guys are all studs and even a pure climber like Pantani could probably have taken most of the Tuesday Night World Championship "Sprinters". And a sprinter like McEwen or Petacchi could outclimb most of the local "climbers" we hear blowing hot air at these local World Championships fought out every week.

The king of hot air has spoken!! :D

[weisan]

And I was watching the 1996 edition Giro di Lombardia last night. only got through halfway though cos' Manet was pestering me on some stupid light-weight kickstand worthy of R2D2...anyway, Jalabert is the man to watch, that chap can sprint, or climb, or time-trial, truly an all-rounder. He didn't win that year but the next, Andrea Tafi did.

Two nights ago was watching Sunday in Hell....Merckx, Moser, De Vlaeminck, Maertens. Eddy-yo, stop muckin' around with your seatpost or stem!!! :D

[Spicoli]

Saab, I am in total agreement! freak of nature comes to mind! I have a theory that most locals see about 10-20% of whats going on in a race and that ratio goes up as you get toward domestic pro. topping out at 75-80%. These others "freaks" see it all 100% and have the answers for it!

Grant, yep the one with the Cipo solo bridge! Another insane thing is how big he looks compared to other cyclists and not the bad big, the muscle head type.

[Fat Robert]

pro racing is about specialization. everyone has a big VO2, everyone can climb. Robbie saves it for the sprint because he has the best 200m jump in the world, not because he has no VO2....

We've been here before, but the gap between good amateur and pro is huge. Crusty Corbett came out of Columbia when I was there -- he would come back with the 7Up guys. A bunch of low-level US pros would tear up some pretty good 1s and 2s (a couple of future masters national champs, and two oly trials qualifiers). It made you think...what about a good US pro...what about a good Euro Pro...?

every guy at that level is a super stud.

[saab2000]

every guy at that level is a super stud.

Word.

And the biggest compliment I have probably ever received was when one of the Swiss ones told me I was hard to drop. :banana:

Nowadays I would get dropped like a hot rock. :D

[theprep]

Spicoli

My last 2 rides were only 1 hour. Can I borrow that video tonight for some much needed motivation?

I will trade you (1) Lance Super 7 and (1) 1980 Milan San Remo

thanks,
Joe

[Spicoli]

I'll take San Remo, keep the Lance.