Racing season is beginning!

[Eldrack]

So I know we've had some warmup races (literally given that they're in Australia/Oman/Qatar and the south of Europe) but the real racing calender kicks off with the Omloop yesterday (1.HC) for the classic races and Paris Nice on the 6th for the stage races. So now we can all stop talking about doping and start talking about actual cycling!

So, who do you think has good form for the start of the main cycling calender? Which team is the strongest for the classics? Can Thor Hushovd finally win P-R?

Which race are you most looking forward to watching? For me it's definitely Paris Roubaix, such a tough race and is always interesting to watch.

 

[Scotttri]

Oh so Australias ( PROTOUR ) race is just a warm up race, ok now I get it. Tell that to the hundreds of thousands who turn up to watch it.

Now thats out of my system, it is good that the raceing calender is kicking off and would be good if there was more talk on raceing instead of dopeing. I'm looking forward to The three tours this year, and Hope the Tour de France is more than a 2 horse race.

 

[Andrija]

Originally Posted by Scotttri .

Oh so Australias ( PROTOUR ) race is just a warm up race, ok now I get it. Tell that to the hundreds of thousands who turn up to watch it.

Now thats out of my system, it is good that the raceing calender is kicking off and would be good if there was more talk on raceing instead of dopeing. I'm looking forward to The three tours this year, and Hope the Tour de France is more than a 2 horse race.

Well, it's ridden in the heat, so riders get wormed.

I'm looking forward to cobbled classics.
If Contador gets to the Tour, it could end like a 3 horse race. Basso looks very determined.

 

[steve]

Originally Posted by Scotttri .

Oh so Australias ( PROTOUR ) race is just a warm up race, ok now I get it. Tell that to the hundreds of thousands who turn up to watch it.

I guess if you're looking for a healthy sport - this one gets more spectators in a week than AFL gets in the same city over several years.

I think it's an important early season race, look at how well riders like Cam Meyer, Matt Goss and Chris Sutton are going heading into March /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif
obviously heading into April things will be very different /img/vbsmilies/smilies/duck.gif

 

[steve]

Originally Posted by Eldrack .

Can Thor Hushovd finally win P-R?

No /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif

Hopefully we see a battle between Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonan.

 

[slovakguy]

holding off on forecasting things like the p-r or the race to the sun. like i said elsewhere, i have to like the way liqui have come out of the gate. strong showings by their riders so far. my dark horse for stirring things up in the spring classics has to vino. he may just turn everything over to end his career with some quality palmares.

 

[limerickman]

Liquigas has put their foot on the gas (excuse the pun) this season, An impressive opening couple of race results for them.

 

[steve]

Originally Posted by slovakguy .

holding off on forecasting things like the p-r or the race to the sun. like i said elsewhere, i have to like the way liqui have come out of the gate. strong showings by their riders so far. my dark horse for stirring things up in the spring classics has to vino. he may just turn everything over to end his career with some quality palmares.

I like vino's style, he's one of the most aggressive riders going around.

 

[tonyzackery]

No intentions of raining on anyone's parade in this thread, but with the current state of pro cycling I'm much more interested in my own racing season which should begin this weekend - weather permitting. An 85k, basically flat circuit race. Last year there was snow, rain, sleet - needless to say, I didn't participate in the festivities.

I pay passing interest to pro cycling as it is an interesting spectacle to which I can relate, even at my lowly cat. 3 level, but following particular riders and such - no way. Just a set-up for a disappointment, IMO. To each his/her own, of course...

 

[swampy1970]

No intentions of raining on anyone's parade in this thread, but with the current state of pro cycling I'm much more interested in my own racing season which should begin this weekend - weather permitting. An 85k, basically flat circuit race. Last year there was snow, rain, sleet - needless to say, I didn't participate in the festivities.
I pay passing interest to pro cycling as it is an interesting spectacle to which I can relate, even at my lowly cat. 3 level, but following particular riders and such - no way. Just a set-up for a disappointment, IMO. To each his/her own, of course...

Don't worry you didn't rain on anyones parade and in this thread we don't care about anything other than those who put out the big watts in the crappy weather out on the bad roads of Northern Europe. The current state of Pro cycling - oh, you mean the exact same state that it's been in for the last decade or two? Lets forget what the fashionable cycling rag of the moment has to hype but at the same time lets not forget that riders were being thrown out of Six day track events in the 1890s for doping and out of the Tour for the same thing prior to 1910. The current state? It's not an insult to say that the TDU and Oman are warm up races but the Het Volk (or Omloop van Somethingthatsoundslikepuking or whatever it's called now that the Het Volk newspaper folded) IS the real season opener for the guys who have to perform in similar weather on similar roads over the next 6 to 8 weeks. I can totally relate as to why riders love going to Aus and Oman but long hard races in the sh1t and rain they ain't and at this time of year that's what it's all about.

 

[tonyzackery]

^^^LOL!...only too predictable, and so true to form...no interest, sorry.

 

[swampy1970]

Lets cut to the chase here big guy.


1. The Het Volk is the recognised start of the European racing calendar. It uses many of the same roads as the Tour of Flanders (there's some history behind that but I won't bore you with it as you're so stuck in your own little world) and is a good predictor of who's going to have the legs in a few weeks to start winning some bigger races and who ain't. It's classic early season Flanders racing at it's best - with added cold, wind and rain/snow. Fantastic. A time for the true hard men to smash the dreams of those who really don't have the legs.

2. This aint a thread about anything other that the Pro racing season starting in Europe. It ain't a post for a dog to go p1ss on about their own racing.

3. Your posting etiquette is ****. ^ = one post above, ^^ = two posts above etc etc. Get a clue after several years, it aint freaking rocket science.

 

[baker3]

Pro cycling isn't that bad Tony. The spring classics will be the highlight of the year IMO. Our only hope of a decent Tour de France, is if El Pistolero is booted out before it starts.

 

[Ozgur.Nevres]

Yes, Liquigas' start is impressive. Last season was perfect too, 2 grand tour wins and lots of stage wins.

 

[tonyzackery]

Originally Posted by swampy1970 .

Lets cut to the chase here big guy.


1. The Het Volk is the recognised start of the European racing calendar. It uses many of the same roads as the Tour of Flanders (there's some history behind that but I won't bore you with it as you're so stuck in your own little world) and is a good predictor of who's going to have the legs in a few weeks to start winning some bigger races and who ain't. It's classic early season Flanders racing at it's best - with added cold, wind and rain/snow. Fantastic. A time for the true hard men to smash the dreams of those who really don't have the legs.

2. This aint a thread about anything other that the Pro racing season starting in Europe. It ain't a post for a dog to go p1ss on about their own racing.

3. Your posting etiquette is ****. ^ = one post above, ^^ = two posts above etc etc. Get a clue after several years, it aint freaking rocket science.

LOL! Apparently your narrow a$$ is still sore from the bootin' I'd been givin' you for the last couple years. People that have been on this forum for awhile can easily see you've got issues - you wear your emotions on your forehead. Nonetheless, I no longer get amusement from thumpin' you - you make it too damn easy, homey.
And obviously you're not a racer, so I can further understand why you feel I'm personally steppin' on your toes. I'm done. You're not worth any further time...carry on.

 

[swampy1970]

Given the season it's not the sand that's getting in your bits. Maybe you need some of this:



Booting? Bwahahahahaaaaa.

You're right - I'm not a racer. Only Cat4. Another 3 categories to go before I can call myself a racer again. Yes, I did spend several weekends wasting time going around in circles doing what I hate the most - ie riding around in town centers and business parks, something, too me at least, is the opposite of what cycling is really about.

Back somewhat on topic though...

Baker, Pro cycling if you manage to weed through the endless headlines of rehashed stories about doping, is not doing too bad. Hopefully the weather adds a bit of spectacle in the big classics races and turns them into a semi wars of attrition rather than something that's cold and calculated.

 

[Esspweb]

I completely agree with tonyzackery.

 

[Scotttri]

Why do all these threads turn to shite...... sorry on my behalf for my post, I should have put an lol or lmao at the end of the Aussie comment as it was meant to be light hearted, although sometimes people do need to realise that cycling is bigger then just europe with other coutries doing quite well and ranking higher then some of the european contries, I do understand that traditionaly Europe is and will always be the heart and home of cycling.. Cant we just get back to talkin cycling.............profesional raceing at that.

 

[steve]

Originally Posted by Scotttri .

Why do all these threads turn to shite...... sorry on my behalf for my post, I should have put an lol or lmao at the end of the Aussie comment as it was meant to be light hearted, although sometimes people do need to realise that cycling is bigger then just europe with other coutries doing quite well and ranking higher then some of the european contries, I do understand that traditionaly Europe is and will always be the heart and home of cycling.. Cant we just get back to talkin cycling.............profesional raceing at that.

Paris-Nice starts this weekend /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif It'll hopefully be dominated by yanks, pom's and aussies.

 

[steve]

2001

Dario Frigo (ITA) Fassa Bortolo 2002

Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ) Team Telekom 2003

Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ) Team Telekom 2004

Jörg Jaksche (GER) Team CSC 2005

Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC 2006

Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak 2007

Alberto Contador (ESP) Discovery Channel 2008

Davide Rebellin (ITA) Gerolsteiner 2009

Luis León Sánchez (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne 2010

Alberto Contador (ESP) Astana
Interesting list of past winners, I'd hate to be the guy who's job it is to find sponsors.