VDB stage 3 Tour of Murcia (ITT):cyclingheroes said:
18º 92 VANDENBROUCKE, Frank BEL UNIBET.COM a 01:05
19º 31 VALVERDE, Alejandro ESP C.D'EPARGNE-I.BALEAR a 01:06
20º 61 MENCHOV, Denis RUS RABOBANK a 01:07
Is VDB coming back?
- Thread starter cyclingheroes
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18º 92 VANDENBROUCKE, Frank BEL UNIBET.COM a 01:05
19º 31 VALVERDE, Alejandro ESP C.D'EPARGNE-I.BALEAR a 01:06
20º 61 MENCHOV, Denis RUS RABOBANK a 01:07
I caught that result today, CH.
If nothing else - it's great to see VDB back on a bike - even just for his own sake.
If nothing else - it's great to see VDB back on a bike - even just for his own sake.
It seems as he is really seriuos about it this year, after the second stage of the Three days of De Pannde he trained another 100 kilometers, he did that after Dwars door Vlaanderen last week as well. I requested an interview with Frank for peloton.tv (we will try to do that on April 12), i have a lot of questions.limerickman said:
cyclingheroes said:
That is very encouraging to read, CH.
We all know the problems that he has had - and I'm not about to condemn him.
He has acknowledged his problems and by getting out on the bike again has to be good even only for his own wellbeing.
As a cyclist, i always rated Frank - he was pure class.
I wish him well and I hope that he's cycling clean.
I saw that. Very impressive. Obviously his engine is strong. I hope he is able to crack the top ten at either Flanders or Roubaix.cyclingheroes said:
I think Frank VDB is quite a tough chap. I admire him for persevering rather than letting his life totally spin out of control a la Marco Pantani. I note Frank said he came into the 3 days of de Panne tired (I assume he's been training like hell). If anyone knows the roads and how to handle such a classic, its Frankie. I note Frank's performance at the 3 days of de panne 03 was poor and DNF amd he bounced back to finish 2nd in the Tour of Flanders. Here's hoping Frankie does it again!
Bailei said:
Yeah Bailei
Sadly true. I admire the guy for keeping at it when he has a palmares he'll never be able to live up to , partly, or more than partly, cause he's taken a decision to ride clean. His relationship troubles, his mental health problems and , rumoured substance problems, somehow make him more interesting than the others in the peleton. 2 years ago he came very very close to a 6 month custodial sentence for the doping, so my guess is that he's the least likely to reoffend and he does look fairly human to me now. Finishing every race and top 10 in the TT at de Panne. Even Frankie says we'll never see him return to 1999 level, so that answers it for me. Just good to see him racing again.
I liked most the way VDB named the climb where he'd attack to win the 1999 Liege Bastogne Liege and go at the exact spot he'd said he would. All his wins in the 90s stand for me as IMO most and probably all had to guarantee their training and talents weren't being wasted, so blood doping was the norm, i think.
Even though Frankie's past his best, I still reckon he's had a great career with what he's done. One could dine out on a palmares like his for many years eh