Bruyneel to ride in car for P-R

[bobke]

Further amplifying my comments regarding Demol's role in the tactics of DC in Vlanderen and the "surprise attack" by Hoste on team leader Hincapie and the questionable tactics and results...DC reveals Johan Bruyneel will ride in the team car for Paris Roubaix. This is a first and I am sure comes at the request of Lance and Hincapie. Demol sez he actually called Bruyneel to make sure Hoste staying away was OK by cell phone, but what could Bruyneel say if he wasnt there and couldnt see what was going on. Looks like this is corrective action and well needed.

Here is the info:

Discovery Pro Cycling Team Sports Managers Johan Bruyneel and Dirk Demol have one thing in common as they direct side-by-side from the team car at the "Hell of the North": they plan to win at Paris-Roubaix. "We're not going for anything less than a victory," Bruyneel said from northen Spain where he is currently directing the 6-stage País Vasco race. He will fly out Saturday evening to join Demol as the high-powered DC roster will face off Sunday against the likes of Quick Step's Tom Boonen and several other key riders. "We've come very close here, our team is very good - it's now or never time."

 

[moviekindoflife]

i hope johan has better advice than "george sit on tom's wheel and then pass him at the end" it would be nice to see him win straight up

 

[TrekDedicated]

i hope johan has better advice than "george sit on tom's wheel and then pass him at the end" it would be nice to see him win straight up

With the way Boonen has been riding, holding onto his wheel is basically winning 'straight up'. (Of course, he has to pass him, just like stage 15 in TdF)

I'm sure Hincapie won't make the same mistake as last year!

Go GH!

 

[El Loto]

To be brutally honest I have to say that Hoste is in marginally better form than George.

 

[whiteboytrash]

To be brutally honest I have to say that Hoste is in marginally better form than George.

Boonen is a long way better than Hoste and Hincapie combined !

 

[El Loto]

Boonen is a long way better than Hoste and Hincapie combined !

Oh for sure. I just don't understand why people won't look past George. Hoste isn't a TT specialist but he owned at De Panne, whereas George, a noted TT winner didn't.

 

[bobke]

Oh for sure. I just don't understand why people won't look past George. Hoste isn't a TT specialist but he owned at De Panne, whereas George, a noted TT winner didn't.

George let off the gas at the end to give him the victory.
A true gentleman.

 

[El Loto]

Did George let off the gas when Hoste attacked at RVV? As long as Boonen is anywhere near him, George won't win Roubaix.

 

[bobke]

Did George let off the gas when Hoste attacked at RVV? As long as Boonen is anywhere near him, George won't win Roubaix.

No, George was boxed in, please watch the tapes you'll see I'm right, and George said the surprise attack caught him off guard. Thats no way to race.

Lance has reamed everyonem Bruyneel will be there.
If there is any decision about tactics, and there may not be, it will be like Mapei at P-R in 1994 and the DS and team owner Squinzi dictating what happens at the finish.

Wont matter, George can take anyone in the srpint except Boonen and he may get Boonen if the day is right, say George and Boonen are alone and George sits on for 5-10 km WHICH HE SHOULD. That would be fun to watch...like Boogerd sitting on Lance for 25 km in Amstel 99 and coming around him on the line by a cm.

 

[musette]

"Demol sez he actually called Bruyneel to make sure Hoste staying away was OK by cell phone, but what could Bruyneel say if he wasnt there and couldnt see what was going on. Looks like this is corrective action and well needed."

Read more carefully thepaceline. Demol says he contacted Bruyneel after the race re: Demol's decision to let Hoste stay away.

I agree Bruyneel is more astute strategically, so the "corrective action" is needed, though.

 

[bobke]

"Demol sez he actually called Bruyneel to make sure Hoste staying away was OK by cell phone, but what could Bruyneel say if he wasnt there and couldnt see what was going on. Looks like this is corrective action and well needed."

Read more carefully thepaceline. Demol says he contacted Bruyneel after the race re: Demol's decision to let Hoste stay away.

I agree Bruyneel is more astute strategically, so the "corrective action" is needed, though.

Good pick-up. Guess I misread it.
Demol was worried enough to call and worried enough to put it out there in the press to avoid appearing in disarray. But paceline must have gotten wind of the uproar since there were lots if indications that folks were upset about Hoste working with Boonen against George.

 

[DiabloScott]

No, George was boxed in, please watch the tapes you'll see I'm right, and George said the surprise attack caught him off guard. Thats no way to race.

I rewatched that bit of the interview last night - George said (emphasis his) "I wasn't expecting the attack on THAT hill." That confirmed to me that there was a plan for Hoste and Hincapie to attack later (probably de Muur) either together or in a one-two punch. Also explains why George was boxed in - he figured the attack was coming later and he got a little sloppy.

 

[micron]

Just like last year - Hincapie expects the move to come on the Muur and then gets caught out/is completely surprised that the move comes elsewhere.

Another example of Disco's totally inability to react flexibly and win. I remember in last year's RvV a lot of panicked jabbering into jerseys because Boonen had attacked andn what were they supposed to do now and it wasn't what we expected and....oh, he's won...

But Bruyneel's another one who has a set plan and sticks rigidly to it - it's just that the formula works better over 3 weeks.

 

[cyclingheroes]

Just like last year - Hincapie expects the move to come on the Muur and then gets caught out/is completely surprised that the move comes elsewhere.

Another example of Disco's totally inability to react flexibly and win. I remember in last year's RvV a lot of panicked jabbering into jerseys because Boonen had attacked andn what were they supposed to do now and it wasn't what we expected and....oh, he's won...

But Bruyneel's another one who has a set plan and sticks rigidly to it - it's just that the formula works better over 3 weeks.

Yes plans like that will never work at one day races

 

[bobke]

Yes plans like that will never work at one day races

George commented in an interview this week how cool Bruyneel is, never panics, even when completely weird unexpected **** is flying at the Tour. Of course you can be that way when you have someone like Lance who can cyclocross across a cornfield while avoiding a fatal crash, lose a minute and a hlaf to the worlds best TTist and not panic, let Ullrich attack him in the mountains, c rash and come back and go solo to a victory.

George is too scared as a rider, at least up till now. If he had Lance's cojones he would have won a lot more.

 

[wolfix]

Just like last year - Hincapie expects the move to come on the Muur and then gets caught out/is completely surprised that the move comes elsewhere.

Of course he is surprised..... the attack came from a teammate. Not from Boonen nor any other rival..... I think a rider would expect a teammate to follow the teams gameplan......
It's obvious that Hoste was riding for no one but himself. Demol was not about to tell a fellow Belgian to back off in the Tour de Flanders....
And Hincapie was boxed in as Hoste slid up the side to attack ....

 

[wolfix]

Of course he is surprised..... the attack came from a teammate. Not from Boonen nor any other rival..... I think a rider would expect a teammate to follow the teams gameplan......
It's obvious that Hoste was riding for no one but himself. Demol was not about to tell a fellow Belgian to back off in the Tour de Flanders....
And Hincapie was boxed in as Hoste slid up the side to attack ....

And this crazy talk of George not being able to bridge over to them .... Boonen and Hoste were not that strong , they dangled out there for a long time right off the front..... They would have been absorbed quickly if George would have tried to bridge and bring the group with him ...... What kind of rider would George have been bringing a group of riders to his attacking teammate? All he would have needed was just a few strong riders....The big gap that Hoste and Boonen had was during the time the motors were involved and George/QS was blocking.
And this talk of Hoste being stronger??? Hincapie rode up the cobbled hill, Hoste walked.

 

[barnstorm]

George commented in an interview this week how cool Bruyneel is, never panics, even when completely weird unexpected **** is flying at the Tour. Of course you can be that way when you have someone like Lance who can cyclocross across a cornfield while avoiding a fatal crash, lose a minute and a hlaf to the worlds best TTist and not panic, let Ullrich attack him in the mountains, c rash and come back and go solo to a victory.

George is too scared as a rider, at least up till now. If he had Lance's cojones he would have won a lot more.

Bob
That would be cojone, not cojones
surely you didn't forget that your main man is a uniballer

 

[bobke]

Bob
That would be cojone, not cojones
surely you didn't forget that your main man is a uniballer

oooh, good call, bad slip on my part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[wolfix]

Bob
That would be cojone, not cojones
surely you didn't forget that your main man is a uniballer

I would think all TDF competitors would be shamed to be defeated 7 times by a man with one cojone......Wonder what it would be like if he had 2????