RVV, some thoughts

[Kurgan Gringion]

How many beers will legendary partier Van Petegem drink tonite? Or will he try to save something for
Paris-Roubaix?

O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.

Guesdon seemed like he was doing some forcing. The French may actually have someone to cheer
for at P-R.

Ekimov. Riding well for a Masters-Fattie-eligible racer.

At this time last year, Ekimov was sitting on the couch in frozen Russia. Vandenbroucke Doggy
Dogg was doing god knows what. In Ekimov's case it shows how experience and talent can overcome
circumstances while in Vandenbroucke's case it shows how experience and talent can overcome
lack of focus.

Celestino finished last out of the 9 man chase group. In the group behind, he had 3 teamates in a
group of 6. Was he working? Was the DS feeding him the correct race situation? It actually matters
in this case due to World Cup points (he got 2nd in M-SR). If he had finished higher in his group,
he could be in the WC jersey.

 

[Baldini]

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Guesdon seemed like he was doing some forcing. The French may actually
have
> someone to cheer for at P-R.

Just like 1997.

 

[Robert Chung]

"Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.

Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF so he has some qualities.

> Guesdon seemed like he was doing some forcing. The French may actually
have
> someone to cheer for at P-R.

It's pretty amusing listening to the announcers. Whether the best-placed Frenchmann is sixth,
sixteenth, or sixtieth they describe him as the future of French cycling.

> Celestino finished last out of the 9 man chase group. In the group behind, he had 3 teamates in a
> group of 6. Was he working? Was the DS feeding him the correct race situation? It actually matters
> in this case due to World Cup points (he got 2nd in M-SR). If he had finished higher in his group,
he
> could be in the WC jersey.

They didn't show a huge amount of the chase group after the Muur, but if Celestino wasn't working he
hid it well. There were nine teams represented in the nine-man chase group, and there was a
two-minute gap back to the third group. I don't know what kind of sprint Celestino has but I got the
impression O'Grady was working as minimally as possible in the chase.

 

[Kurgan Gringion]

"Robert Chung" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> > O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.
>
> Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF so he has some qualities.
>
> > Guesdon seemed like he was doing some forcing. The French may actually
> have
> > someone to cheer for at P-R.
>
> It's pretty amusing listening to the announcers. Whether the best-placed Frenchmann is sixth,
> sixteenth, or sixtieth they describe him as the
future
> of French cycling.

They are very nationalistic, host the world's biggest bike race and have no racer to hang
their hat on.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

[Kurgan Gringion]

"Robert Chung" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> > O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.
>
> Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF so he has some qualities.

Sprinters have finished well here before (notably Zabel), but this year was a selective race. There
weren't 40 guys there at the end. Notice where all the other sprinters ended up. Mr. O'Grady, the
Classics man?

 

[Jonathan V.D. S]

Robert Chung <[email protected]> schreef in berichtnieuws
[email protected]...
>
> "Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> > O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.
>
> Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF so he has some qualities.
>
> > Guesdon seemed like he was doing some forcing. The French may actually
> have
> > someone to cheer for at P-R.
>
> It's pretty amusing listening to the announcers. Whether the best-placed Frenchmann is sixth,
> sixteenth, or sixtieth they describe him as the
future
> of French cycling.

Fair enough. The future of French cycling does not necessarily have to look good.

 

[Christopher A M]

On Mon, 7 Apr 2003, Kurgan Gringioni wrote:

>
> "Robert Chung" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> > > O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.
> >
> > Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF so he has some qualities.
>
>
>
>
> Sprinters have finished well here before (notably Zabel), but this year was a selective race.
> There weren't 40 guys there at the end. Notice where all the other sprinters ended up. Mr.
> O'Grady, the Classics man?

But as rider 'types' are concerned, O'Grady isn't purely a sprinter, especially as he is getting
further into his career.

The Ronde seems to be a good race for this kind of rider - a sprinter who isn't quite 'pure,' if you
will. Baldato has a very good record at the race, and then of course there is Museeuw.

-CM

 

[Tom Schulenburg]

"christopher a moyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
>
> On Mon, 7 Apr 2003, Kurgan Gringioni wrote:
>
> >
> > "Robert Chung" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > >
> > > "Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> > > > O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.
> > >
> > > Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF
so he
> > > has some qualities.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Sprinters have finished well here before (notably Zabel), but this year
was
> > a selective race. There weren't 40 guys there at the end. Notice where
all
> > the other sprinters ended up. Mr. O'Grady, the Classics man?
>
>
> But as rider 'types' are concerned, O'Grady isn't purely a sprinter, especially as he is getting
> further into his career.
>

Agreed. I thought O'Grady showed some effort in the last mountain stage of the TDF last year,
getting into break and poaching some sprint points.

-T

 

[Garry Allen]

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> "Robert Chung" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> > > O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.
> >
> > Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF so he has some qualities.
>
>
>
>
> Sprinters have finished well here before (notably Zabel), but this year was a selective race.
> There weren't 40 guys there at the end. Notice where all the other sprinters ended up. Mr.
> O'Grady, the Classics man?
I have to sya that I was surprised to read the live report on Cyclingnews on Monday morning. He has
had a pretty good season so far this year. He won the Australian championship in a 3 way sprint
against Allan Davis and Patrick Jonker after they formed a breakaway with 2 laps to go
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2003/jan03/auschamps03/?id=menRR#start He has also shown in the
past that he can survive over the smaller climbs (upto about 600m) and win shorter stage races such
as the Prudential Tour and the Tour Downunder and he was part of that 14 man breakaway a couple of
years ago in the Tour where everyone including LAAAAAANCE should have been disqualified for
finishing outside the time limit. I am not sure but I am wondering if he is the first Australian to
finish on the podium of a world cup race? Phil Anderson finished second in the RVV but that was a
few years before the creation of the World Cup Garry Allen Australian Champions Jersey = top year
of results?

 

[John Forrest To]

"Garry Allen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> time limit. I am not sure but I am wondering if he is the first Australian to finish on the podium
> of a world cup race? Phil
Anderson
> finished second in the RVV but that was a few years before the creation of the World Cup

Also, Anderson won the Amstel Gold Race before it became part of the World Cup and made the podium
of Liege-Bastogne-Liege at least once.

JT

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[Peter Vesel]

I think Henk Vogels ran third at Paris Tours a few years back as well.

Peter

"Jonathan v.d. Sluis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Robert Chung <[email protected]> schreef in berichtnieuws
> [email protected]...
> >
> > "Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> > > O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.
> >
> > Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF so
he
> > has some qualities.
> >
> > > Guesdon seemed like he was doing some forcing. The French may actually
> > have
> > > someone to cheer for at P-R.
> >
> > It's pretty amusing listening to the announcers. Whether the best-placed Frenchmann is sixth,
> > sixteenth, or sixtieth they describe him as the
> future
> > of French cycling.
>
> Fair enough. The future of French cycling does not necessarily have to
look
> good.

 

[Robert Chung]

"Jonathan v.d. Sluis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Robert Chung <[email protected]> schreef
> >
> > > Guesdon seemed like he was doing some forcing. The French may actually have someone to cheer
> > > for at P-R.
> >
> > It's pretty amusing listening to the announcers. Whether the best-placed Frenchmann is sixth,
> > sixteenth, or sixtieth they describe him as the
> > future of French cycling.
>
> Fair enough. The future of French cycling does not necessarily have to look good.

Yeah, that's absolutely correct. Looks like a bleak period for the French. However, Guesdon already
won P-R (and was the last Frenchman to do so).

 

[Peter Vesel]

Vogels 3rd at Tours in 1997. Anderson 2nd in 1990 this would have been World Cup too

"Peter Vesel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I think Henk Vogels ran third at Paris Tours a few years back as well.
>
> Peter
>
>
> "Jonathan v.d. Sluis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Robert Chung <[email protected]> schreef in berichtnieuws
> > [email protected]...
> > >
> > > "Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> > > > O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.
> > >
> > > Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF
so
> he
> > > has some qualities.
> > >
> > > > Guesdon seemed like he was doing some forcing. The French may
actually
> > > have
> > > > someone to cheer for at P-R.
> > >
> > > It's pretty amusing listening to the announcers. Whether the
best-placed
> > > Frenchmann is sixth, sixteenth, or sixtieth they describe him as the
> > future
> > > of French cycling.
> >
> > Fair enough. The future of French cycling does not necessarily have to
> look
> > good.
> >
>

 

[Kurgan Gringion]

"christopher a moyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
>
> On Mon, 7 Apr 2003, Kurgan Gringioni wrote:
>
> >
> > "Robert Chung" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > >
> > > "Kurgan Gringioni" wrote:
> > > > O'Grady getting third. Would not have predicted that.
> > >
> > > Surprised me too, but he nearly won the green jersey at the 2001 TdF
so he
> > > has some qualities.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Sprinters have finished well here before (notably Zabel), but this year
was
> > a selective race. There weren't 40 guys there at the end. Notice where
all
> > the other sprinters ended up. Mr. O'Grady, the Classics man?
>
>
> But as rider 'types' are concerned, O'Grady isn't purely a sprinter, especially as he is getting
> further into his career.
>
> The Ronde seems to be a good race for this kind of rider - a sprinter who isn't quite 'pure,' if
> you will. Baldato has a very good record at the race, and then of course there is Museeuw.

This is the first time O'Grady has shown it.

from: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/apr03/apr10news2

O'Grady gears up for Roubaix

Enjoying a few days off for some redecorating in his Toulouse, France home, Australian Stuart
O'Grady (Crédit Agricole) is looking forward to Sunday's Paris-Roubaix. O'Grady took advantage of
his excellent condition last weekend in the Tour of Flanders, where he won the bunch sprint for
third place behind Peter Van Petegem and Frank Vandenbroucke.

"I've had a couple of days to recover from Flanders," O'Grady explained, "and I've needed it because
I had to dig so deep on Sunday that it's buckled me for the last couple of days."

His first ever podium place in a World Cup classic has provided an enormous boost to his confidence,
and a bit of a shock. "I sat back and realised what I'd done and it's given me a whole new outlook
on races that I, realistically, didn't ever consider I could get a result in."

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