Flanders spoiler

coylifut · #1 04-08-2007, 10:17 AM

Hoste, the Belgian George Hincape.

BarryG · #2 04-08-2007, 10:25 AM

Ballan, the Italian un-Hincapie: did most of the work AND won.

saab2000 · #3 04-08-2007, 10:38 AM

Boring race. Quality winner who deserved to win. But a boring race.

SponsorsWanted · #4 04-08-2007, 10:54 AM

Tafi's replacement?

BarryG · #5 04-08-2007, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saab2000

Boring race.

I must be easy to please, esp. after watching yesterday's US Open

jhcakilmer · #6 04-08-2007, 12:50 PM

Were we watching the same race?

When any rider, especially as young, and unexperienced as Ballan can drop riders like Boonen, or Bettini like they were taking a nap......that exciting!

I've definitely seen more dramatic Flanders, but this edition was definitely entertaining!

Also, like to thanks cycling.tv for 4 hours of coverage, with minimal interuptions....awsome!!

GoJavs · #7 04-08-2007, 01:46 PM

Ballan's move reminded me of Bartoli's winning move in the '96 Flanders - except on that occasion Bartoli took off alone.

Ballan was a deserving winner in the end. He made the move. He pulled his share. Shame for Hoste, but that's cycling.

Great race.

saab2000 · #8 04-08-2007, 04:12 PM

There are many exciting races. I stand by this opinion that it was boring. That is not to say that the best man did not win. He did for sure! But there was no drama. Boonen, Bettini et al were simply outgunned and tired at the end of the day. A huge pack reaching the Mur de Grammont together does not a dramatic race make.

At least Ballan was the strongest rider and for sure took the initiative. Deserving winner for sure.

Ray · #9 04-08-2007, 07:28 PM

Made the decisive move, did most of the work to stay clear, and came up with the sprint even after it looked like he might have been tactically beaten. Not an epic by any means, but would we feel the same way if it had been Boonen in the same position that Ballan was in today? Or, heaven forfend, if it had been George?

-Ray

AgilisMerlin · #10 04-08-2007, 08:31 PM

boonen did not win, cause' he was riding aluminium !

Elefantino · #11 04-09-2007, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgilisMerlin

boonen did not win, cause' he was riding aluminium !

Boonen did not win because he went brainless on the Muur.

Hey, Tom, no need to grind. Your bike has � GEARS! There is no shame in spinning and staying in the race. Oops.

As for Hoste, do you think that Bruyneel teaches his guys how to lose in the classics?

Ray · #12 04-09-2007, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elefantino

Boonen did not win because he went brainless on the Muur.

Hey, Tom, no need to grind. Your bike has � GEARS! There is no shame in spinning and staying in the race. Oops.

As for Hoste, do you think that Bruyneel teaches his guys how to lose in the classics?

Boonen appeared to be spinning at a reasonably high cadence on the lower slopes when he was leading. When it got steeper, I think he stayed in the gear he thought he needed to stay at the front, but just couldn't turn 'em yesterday. He may well have shifted once he lost contact just to get up the hill, but we didn't see that part. Bottom line, he just didn't have the legs - I guess that's pretty much always the bottom line, excepting egregious tactical goofs. I didn't see the early coverage on Cycling TV (just watched the hour long VS coverage) so I didn't see his crash. But he pretty much said he never really got it going after he went over the bars.

-Ray

Elefantino · #13 04-09-2007, 06:36 AM

Yeah ... like I'm going to tell Tom Boonen how to climb a hill.

Hey, Tom: Get a compact or a triple, grind in the spinning gear and say "I suck today" a lot. When you hit the top, say, "At least I didn't have to walk it" to no one in particular, because all your riding buddies are so far down the road.

It helps if you are passed by a recumbent or two, too.

Ray · #14 04-09-2007, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elefantino

Hey, Tom: Get a compact or a triple, grind in the spinning gear and say "I suck today" a lot. When you hit the top, say, "At least I didn't have to walk it" to no one in particular, because all your riding buddies are so far down the road.

Sounds like we climb a lot alike. Although if you're in Jacksonville, I climb a lot more. And I have real doubts about whether I could even WALK some of the cobbled steeps in Flanders. At least in cycling shoes hauling a bike. I'm pretty sure I couldn't ride some of them without a mountain bike.

Yeah, Boonen has a lot to learn

-Ray

dbrk · #15 04-09-2007, 08:03 AM

I sorta' count on the spring Classics to keep me interested in pro bike racing. The way things have gone in general over the last 20 years makes it far less captivating to me---still there have been some great days. Yesterday at Flanders was not one of them. 'Not because Boonen or Bettini didn't win but because this---the hardest of all the Classics---didn't cause the fractious, heartrending destruction (like the Koppenberg usually does) that separates the greats from the almosts. I'm not saying, of course, that this race isn't incredibly hard beyond mortal imagination but rather that the day, the course, the riders, the culture of contemporary racing didn't reveal much to interest me. I watched, bored as Saab was, un-thrilled with the whole, happier by far to see the new Sopranos. Heck, I have zero interest in golf and found the Masters (the last 40 minutes) more interesting. I was happy to see that fellow Johnson win. This sounds grumpy. I need some Belgian weather, not this March of the Penguins stuff.

dbrk