Tour of Flanders: Pick your Pony

[coldplay610]

Well everyone, one of the biggest classics is coming up tomorrow and I would like to hear some opinions on who you think will win the Tour of Flanders. Since this is a race for cycling's badasses, with the cobbles and all, I would like to lay down my pick. Peter Van Petegem is long overdue for a huge win and I believe he has the legs this year to prove that he is a force in the classics peleton. Who are your picks?

 

[BelgianDude]

Well everyone, one of the biggest classics is coming up tomorrow and I would like to hear some opinions on who you think will win the Tour of Flanders. Since this is a race for cycling's badasses, with the cobbles and all, I would like to lay down my pick. Peter Van Petegem is long overdue for a huge win and I believe he has the legs this year to prove that he is a force in the classics peleton. Who are your picks?

timewarp????????????????????????

 

[coldplay610]

timewarp????????????????????????

Sorry mate, thought the race was tomorrow. Just checked the results myself. Boonen is astounding!

 

[Catabolic_Jones]

Well, Boonen is going to win. Unless he crashes.

 

[limerickman]

Sorry mate, thought the race was tomorrow. Just checked the results myself. Boonen is astounding!

Tour of Flanders is next weekend : VanPetegem always targets this race (and P-R) - their his objectives for the season.
Can he win it?
Possibly.

I think with the way Boonen and Dekker are going, they're having a great season.
But someone like VanPetegem can get a result there.
Personally I'd love to see him win it.

 

[MJtje]

Boonen..........I watched today the E3 prijs and although van petegem was the strongest of the second group he was nowhere compared to boonen!

Tour of Flanders is next weekend : VanPetegem always targets this race (and P-R) - their his objectives for the season.
Can he win it?
Possibly.

I think with the way Boonen and Dekker are going, they're having a great season.
But someone like VanPetegem can get a result there.
Personally I'd love to see him win it.

 

[DiabloScott]

Boonen..........I watched today the E3 prijs and although van petegem was the strongest of the second group he was nowhere compared to boonen!

Boonen
De Waele
Flecha

 

[limerickman]

It's hard to see past Tom Boonen for Flanders but a puncture in the wrong place might be about the only way I can see him being beaten.


Would love to see PVP do it though.

 

[YMCA]

Boonen will win from a two-man move with a Discovery rider (Hammond, Hincapie, Devolder, Eki, doesn't matter, they won't beat Boonen, but will be the most aggressive team next to the Quickies).

3rd will go to Bettini a he covers every move and then sprints for the podium.

Limerick, what do I win if this scenario plays out? My fridge is already stocked with Guinness from a preme I won, so how about some Belgie brew (Hoegaarden is fine).

 

[limerickman]

Boonen will win from a two-man move with a Discovery rider (Hammond, Hincapie, Devolder, Eki, doesn't matter, they won't beat Boonen, but will be the most aggressive team next to the Quickies).

3rd will go to Bettini a he covers every move and then sprints for the podium.

Limerick, what do I win if this scenario plays out? My fridge is already stocked with Guinness from a preme I won, so how about some Belgie brew (Hoegaarden is fine).

How about some Belgian chocolate!

 

[lazysegall]

Boonen will win from a two-man move with a Discovery rider (Hammond, Hincapie, Devolder, Eki, doesn't matter, they won't beat Boonen, but will be the most aggressive team next to the Quickies).

3rd will go to Bettini a he covers every move and then sprints for the podium.

Limerick, what do I win if this scenario plays out? My fridge is already stocked with Guinness from a preme I won, so how about some Belgie brew (Hoegaarden is fine).

Bettini won't cover every move, just some of them...Remeber that QS still has pozzatto (winner of MSR and HEW), Nyguens (KBK winner and former winner of het volk), and Knaven (Former PR winner) to cover moves...not to mention trenti or tossato...Welcome to the wonderful world of QS...Bettini might ride well of course, but we don't know how he rides cobbles.

 

[doctorSpoc]

i think the favourites are Van Petegem, Boonen and Ballan... Quickstep is so strong though.. any of the top 5 guys at Quickstep could win. van petegem hasn't really shown us anything yet this year but he's healthy and hyped to prove his detractors wrong... this guy is a huge talent who's had nothing but bad luck in the past two years (badly placed flats, saddle sore that needed to be sugically removed...) Boonen acendance has benefited from Van Petgems bad luck... If Zabel wants to be there this year, he's going to have to do it on his own.. Milram can't help him like T-Mobile did... in any case Ballan will be there at the end unless he has some bad luck... this guy is on fire.

 

[strummer_fan]

i think the favourites are Van Petegem, Boonen and Ballan... Quickstep is so strong though.. any of the top 5 guys at Quickstep could win. van petegem hasn't really shown us anything yet this year but he's healthy and hyped to prove his detractors wrong... this guy is a huge talent who's had nothing but bad luck in the past two years (badly placed flats, saddle sore that needed to be sugically removed...) Boonen acendance has benefited from Van Petgems bad luck... If Zabel wants to be there this year, he's going to have to do it on his own.. Milram can't help him like T-Mobile did... in any case Ballan will be there at the end unless he has some bad luck... this guy is on fire.

Everyone will be marking Boonen (World Champ, Last year's winner, 10 victories this season), just as they once marked Museeuw. Quick.Step will respond with some strong dominating tactics: marking every attack, driving the pace, keeping a strong presence at the front, like when Mapei used to storm the Classics and occasionally take 1-2-3 on the podium. Victory could easily go to one of Boonen's teammates like Pozzato or Knaven. Pozzato took MSR this year and Knaven took Paris-Roubaix when riding for Domo-Farm Frites in 2001.

It will be a great race, no matter what. Ballan is looking good, Hoste is riding high on his win in De Panne, and Flecha, Cancellara, and Zabel always ride well on the cobbles.

It's too competitive to tip my hat to a favorite, but I can't wait for this race! Go Quick.Step!

 

[YMCA]

Bettini won't cover every move, just some of them...Remeber that QS still has pozzatto (winner of MSR and HEW), Nyguens (KBK winner and former winner of het volk), and Knaven (Former PR winner) to cover moves...not to mention trenti or tossato...Welcome to the wonderful world of QS...Bettini might ride well of course, but we don't know how he rides cobbles.

I only meant that Bettini will be there in the final 20k covering moves as Boonen and a Disco rider go up the road. Bettini will find himself in a group of 5-10 riders and sprint for 3rd out of that. The other QSI riders will be setting it all up in the last 100k. And BTW - I am a Quick-Step wannabee and realize the power of the ultimate Classics team. Long live the one-dayers!

 

[when eddy ruled]

nick nuyens he'll get into a late break away a la pozzato while everyone else is watching tom

 

[strummer_fan]

nick nuyens he'll get into a late break away a la pozzato while everyone else is watching tom

cyclingnews.com posted the startlist for Quick.Step and Servais Knaven is not on it. I hope they are just keeping him ready for Paris Roubaix. Servais is an excellent rider, and he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

 

[KennyCartman]

In my opinion[size=-1] Bettini can surprise everybody and win too. I know he only have 58 KG and he never make a good result in cobbletones but Tour of Flandres its not only for [/size][size=-1]cobbletones riders because its very hilly (9 hills and only 2 sectors [/size][size=-1]cobbletones in last[/size][size=-1] 50 km) and he already said he want win in Flandres this year!
[/size]

 

[bikeguy]

Boonen. Barring some injury or accident or very off day.

-Bikeguy

 

[Dave__1]

Peter Van Petegem will score the win at ToF

 

[teetopkram]

I predict Boonen will win a sprint against Hoste from Discovery, after a two-mak break from about 30K out...Hincapie will finish third.