Spoiler: Paris-Roubaix

[thwart]

Solo move from 50 K out, and he just rides away from everyone.

Spartacus... or Superman?

I mean, you really start to think of Merckx in his prime. Amazing.

[rcnute]

And I thought '02 was impressive...

[MattTuck]

Yep. Was watching it live. I think the commentators (sean Kelly included) were totally floored that he went that early.

Unbelievable show of strength, he must really be on some amazing form.


Of course, there is the alternate explanation that the riders in chase groups are less willing to work together lately (for whatever reason). Personally, I think that may be a SMALL part of it... I think it is mostly that Fabian is just an incredible rider.

I'd love to pick up one of those swiss champion saxo jerseys.

As usual GH was no where to be seen. I'm sure he was "on good form".


I do have to admit that when he went, I was thinking he might be setting something up for Matti Breschel. So that maybe the idea was for Breschel to launch an attack when they caught Fabian OR to bridge up to Fabian, get a draft and then keep going.

[jlwdm]

Pretty amazing ride, but you are right - no one seems to want to work together to chase anymore.

Jeff

[Avispa]

Solo move from 50 K out, and he just rides away from everyone....

Great ride indeed! But I smell some bacon in the works if the guy keeps kicking arse like that.

..A..

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . that these days it only raises suspicion if "he just rides away from everyone...."

BBD

[goldyjackson]

Great ride indeed! But I smell some bacon in the works if the guy keeps kicking arse like that.

..A..

While I do understand this, he's a 3x world tt champion riding away from people on the course where power counts above everything else. I smell a much stronger bacon oder when a climber wins the tt at the tour. Just sayin...

[jhcakilmer]

While I do understand this, he's a 3x world tt champion riding away from people on the course where power counts above everything else. I smell a much stronger bacon oder when a climber wins the tt at the tour. Just sayin...

+1....when ever you have a little climber beating the likes of Cancellara at a TT....that's definitely suspect, IMO.


Plus, what was Boonen thinking? Why would he attack several times, and than got to the back of a group with of all people, Cancellara, at the front. If anything Boonen should just cover any moves that develop. He has no reason to attack, he'd be able to out-sprint anyone left....Thor would be the only rider to challenge him at the line...if he was even still there.

Seemed like poor tactics on his part.

[MattTuck]

Plus, what was Boonen thinking? Why would he attack several times, and than got to the back of a group with of all people, Cancellara, at the front. If anything Boonen should just cover any moves that develop. He has no reason to attack, he'd be able to out-sprint anyone left....Thor would be the only rider to challenge him at the line...if he was even still there.

Seemed like poor tactics on his part.


I don't disagree. But at the same time, Boonen was probably psychologically scarred from last week and didn't have a lot of confidence in covering Cancellara's moves. He probably felt that his only real chance was to make a move of his own.

[jhcakilmer]

I don't disagree. But at the same time, Boonen was probably psychologically scarred from last week and didn't have a lot of confidence in covering Cancellara's moves. He probably felt that his only real chance was to make a move of his own.

I only have a little racing experience, but if you don't have the form to cover someone else, than is it really logical to try on your own from 50k out, into a head/cross wind?

Heck, he probably toasted half of the guys in the group with his initial attacks.....setting up a perfect opportunity for Cancellara.

[handsomerob]

I don't think the best tactics in the world could have beat Fabian today or last week. He is in ridiculous form.

[Marcusaurelius]

The strongest rider won the race.

[RADaines]

My guess is that Cancellara could have accelerated away from Boonen any time he wanted to. If you give him the chance to turn the race into a TT, there are few riders that will be able to stick with him. I doubt that Boonen could have maintained that sort of pace for such a distance.

It was nice to see that Versus actually showed more of the race than they usually do. Three hours of coverage seemed just about right.

[paczki]

The strongest rider won the race.

True, but also the smartest. He was the strongest at the World Championship and he seems to have learned a lot from not winning there.
I felt for Boonen. A little organization in the chase would have gone a long way. Boonen was very strong as well, could obviously take Spartacus in a sprint, and it must have been maddening to have no one willing to chase.

[paczki]

My guess is that Cancellara could have accelerated away from Boonen any time he wanted to.

I don't think so. Boonen would have just sucked his wheel. That's a big wind shield to cosy behind! He picked the one moment that Boonen was napping because he couldn't just accelerate away. The cross winds helped as well! Once he had a gap they could have caught him if they had organized before it got above 1:20. But the other riders with the exception of maybe Thor probably thought it would either be second to Cancellara or second to Boonen (if they chased) so why bother.

[jpw]

Solo move from 50 K out, and he just rides away from everyone.

Spartacus... or Superman?

I mean, you really start to think of Merckx in his prime. Amazing.

What will his recovery schedule be today, tomorrow.....? How will his body be feeling after the cobbles?

[thwart]

"Cancellara, who is nicknamed “Spartacus” and now has done everything in the spring classics except free the slaves."

Good quote from the NYT today.

[bking]

I was commenting to my daughter as Cancellara broke that he was probably going to bridge up to the front three and work with them, hold a gap, perhaps work together to push it out if possilbe. When he blew past them, the game was on.
Seems in watching Boonen's reaction he may have figured the same. Seemed real panic set in when FC played his card by blowing the last man off his wheel: a 50 km TT to the finish.

[Ray]

I was commenting to my daughter as Cancellara broke that he was probably going to bridge up to the front three and work with them, hold a gap, perhaps work together to push it out if possilbe. When he blew past them, the game was on.
Seems in watching Boonen's reaction he may have figured the same. Seemed real panic set in when FC played his card by blowing the last man off his wheel: a 50 km TT to the finish.
Seems clear from the last couple of weeks that when he's at his best, he can outrun (solo) almost any group as long as he can get clear of them and not tow them along. I think he KNEW that. I think Boonen was pretty sure too, which is what was so puzzling about Boonen dropping to the back of the group to talk to the team car. Then again, FC may have been playing some head games with him, letting Boonen get some gaps when he was attacking shortly before FCs ultimate move. Maybe he lulled Boonen into thinking he was actually stronger yesterday? In any case, when he went and Boonen chased like hell only to find the lead going UP, Boonen's frustrated expression reminded me of Ullrich's on Le Alpe in 2001 when Armstrong left him in his dust. Oh crap, not AGAIN!

If Boonen had stuck in FC's draft and worked with him, he probably could have taken the race to Roubaix and won in a sprint. Then again, Fabian might have been able to get a small gap at some point on the cobbles and that would have been all he'd have needed. The guy really is something to see. But it does kind of remind me of Lance's Tour wins when he was at his strongest. It was just a matter of when, not if, not how. And ultimately, after that initial explosive moment, the racing actually got pretty boring.

-Ray

[Karin Kirk]

Wow, that was fun to watch! Especially after Flanders last weekend, we were in suspense to see if Cancellara could pull off the double. Since he was untouchable in Flanders, I suspected he would do the same thing again. But wow, to go it alone with such a long race left, that was impressive. And the way he just kept upping his gap, he looked totally fresh, composed and perfectly strong. He just looked so much better than everyone else and the clock simply confirmed that.

Poor Boonen, but Cancellara played it perfectly. A cat-mouse finish between the two would have been a hoot to watch, but Cancellara was too smart and/or strong to let it come down to that.

MattTuck, I want one of those Swiss jerseys too. Let me know if you come across them.

[fourflys]

MattTuck, I want one of those Swiss jerseys too. Let me know if you come across them.

I bet if you have a Specialized shop close by, they will be able to get one...

[jpw]

Or one of these;

http://www.assos.com/en/19/singleProduct.aspx?cat=6,19,58,66&prod=328


...and a pair of these;

http://www.assos.com/en/19/singleProduct.aspx?prod=191

[topper]

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7xjsPqHg3o

[MattTuck]

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7xjsPqHg3o

Sweet video, thanks!

Watching it again, I wonder if Boonen thought it wasn't going to stick.
Not really sure.

In other news, do they not have a translation for "we have a problem?!"

[ospreybike]

So, how will he do in the tour this year?

[1centaur]

Watching it again, I wonder if Boonen thought it wasn't going to stick. Not really sure.

I believe they call that, "doing a Hincapie."

[Ray]

So, how will he do in the tour this year?
He'll be an incredibly strong domestique like he's been the past couple of years. Will probably win a TT or two, will do yeomen's work on the flat and rolling stages and will bury himself on the early climbs on the mountain stages. But if you're asking whether he'll finish in the top 3 or top 5 or top 10, nope, not a chance. That's not his job.

-Ray

[gone]

True, but also the smartest. He was the strongest at the World Championship and he seems to have learned a lot from not winning there.
I felt for Boonen. A little organization in the chase would have gone a long way. Boonen was very strong as well, could obviously take Spartacus in a sprint, and it must have been maddening to have no one willing to chase.

Boonen sure had lots to say about people being unwilling to chase after the race ("it was frustrating that everyone gave up and was racing for second"). Having said that though, I can see their point of view. Cancellara was strong as hell, they'd have to turn themselves inside out to catch him and they'd end up giving Boonen a tow to the front where he'd beat them in the sprint.

[pdmtong]

Boonen sure had lots to say about people being unwilling to chase after the race ("it was frustrating that everyone gave up and was racing for second"). Having said that though, I can see their point of view. Cancellara was strong as hell, they'd have to turn themselves inside out to catch him and they'd end up giving Boonen a tow to the front where he'd beat them in the sprint.

lack of attention for 30 seconds cost him. he ought to know there is no incentive for anyone to tow him; so it all boils down to him failing to mark the only guy he cared about.

I think it actually says more about FC's confidence than it says about TB's "error". To think/know you can fly away form the group and your main rival at 48k tells you a lot about hi state of mind and form

[johnnymossville]

Not just in riding, but tactically Fabian was brilliant as well.

The chase group was racing for second place as soon as nobody wanted to help Boonen. If they work with Boonen to catch Fabian, Boonen wins. I guess everyone was guessing one or more riders would sacrifice themselves and help Boonen chase down Fabian. I think they could have caught him with an all out effort, but they never tried one.

Boonen alone, or anyone else could not have caught Cancellara without blowing themselves up once he got a gap. He's just freakin amazing right now. Total dominance.