Paris Roubaix picks

TheDarkLord

You sound very much like the Lance apologists.

Wayne666

Is there any reason to think the peloton specifically accellerated because of Hincapie, or after the Arenburg because Pozatto and Flecha were in trouble?

TheDarkLord

I didn't watch the race until the very end (was limited by Eurosport coverage); so I don't know the answer to your question. But from the live text of velonews, it seemed like the front accelerated after Hincapie's problems, and the gap between him and the front increased steadily after that. Of course the latter could be due to Hincapie not being up to the task because of him being cleaner or whatever.

whiteboytrash

Ballan using a Garmin;

I noticed Alessandro Ballan was using a Garmin with GPS. Why would he use this...? surely he knew where he was going ? They are quite bulky so not he'd be using it for the speed and heart rate functions.... can someone enlighten ?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2..._0026128_1_full

whiteboytrash

VeloNews !!!!!

Fark me you might as well been taking a feed from the paceline.com ! VeloNews would report that the peleton takes drugs because they are so scred of Hincapie's talents....... phooey !

Come sign my petition at: hincapieisshit.com

classic1

Because he's a dork. Word is he's riding the Scheldeprijs and Amstel this week with a helmet mirror and SPD pedals and sandals.

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Collingwood - 2008 AFL Premiers

classic1 is on the bandwagon early this year

whiteboytrash

Will he also have one of those orange flags on the back of his bike ? perhaps a basket on the front ?

classic1

No. Orange flags are cooler than Garmins, hence dork-boy won't use one.

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Collingwood - 2008 AFL Premiers

classic1 is on the bandwagon early this year

TheDarkLord

SPD pedals and sandals??? LOL!

earth_dweller

Flecha & Pozzatto had been chasing for quite awhile before Hincapie's wheel problems. I would say that yes once Hincapie was fixing his wheel, and trying to bridge back - seemingly without team mates - that the field accelerated.

From what I could see (yes I watched it), High Road was at front, hammering when it happened. As soon as the High Road boys found, they disappeared from the font, and CSC went at it, accelerating to lose Hincapie and others.

limerickman

Good points.

As others have said, the leading three riders (Boonen, Ballan, Cancellara) all had the traditional aluminium wheels.
If Hincapie used carbon - this seems crazy.

Preparation for a race like PR is half the battle - Cancellara 2 years ago went out with the CSC squad and rode the course (Cycle Sport did an excellent piece on it).
He knew every single nook and cranny of the route.

For any rider who has serious ambitions to win PR - they need to have the right bikeset up and the need to know the course.........and they need luck.

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.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

strummer_fan

In order to win at Flanders and Roubaix, it is not enough to have strong physical conditioning.

You need:

• A strong team
• Excellent Tactics (see Devolder and O'Grady working for Boonen and Cancellara)
• Ability to read a race
• Excellent Form
• The right equipment (and a bit of luck)

I know that Quick-Step have been fond of using Ambrosio Rims, even when they have badged them as Roval (for their sponsors sake.)

I had thought that CSC were still running some sort of rims by Zipp, but a close look at CSC's own image gallery also shows Ambrosio rims to be in evidence during the team's Recon Ride on the Cobbles (see the logo printed across the first rider's rim).

see: http://www.riis-cycling.com/gallery/gal_3920.jpg

As far as tires go, Boonen won on hand-made FMB Paris Roubaix tires. A bit pricey for my weekend club rides at more than 120 Euros each:

scroll down to see the tires in question:

http://www.fm-boyaux.fr/route.htm

Ballan rode Vittoria Pave Tubulars, Cancellara's look similar, but I can't quite make out what they are.

Suffice to say, I think there is a lesson here on equipment preparation. Teams have the ability to influence their own chances, based on how they face the challenges of the Pave.

Wayne666

That's not what happened. High Road was driving it, CSC's Lungkvist (sp?) attacked on the pave which was covered by High Road including Hincapie, who was right near the front. This split the bunch somewhat, then you had more accelerations on the smooth roads, this is when Langeveld crashed going with an attack by Vansummeran, and then shots of Hincapie going slowing behind with some dropped riders. I assume he broke his wheel on the pave section they had just covered.

Hincapie got a wheel and was back in the cars, then the bunch hit the next section of pave and Vansummeran attacked again, Devolder, Boonen & Cacellara went after him and a few more crossed. This resulted in the 8 riders who contested the finale, no one else ever got across. There was never a team riding on the front keeping Hincapie off the back, he was simply unfortunate, when he got back to the bunch the 8 escapees were already away.

thoughtforfood

Yep, that is what happened, and it was crap luck. Regardless, he would most likely have gone with the Devolder attack and been sucked back up by Hoste et al. At any rate, with the legs the top 3 showed, it is VERY doubtful he would have been able to drop them. I don't care who arrived at the velodrome with Boonen yesterday, they were sprinting for 2nd. He was too strong, and there wasn't anyone else in the race capable of dropping he or Cancellara. It ended how it would have ended in any "what if" IMO.

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