What do Voigt and Hincapie have in common?

[sunman]

Other than me screaming at my TV for these guys to go balls to the line sooner…
Why would 2 superior time trialists in peak form choose to go head to head with 2 superior sprinters in essentially 2 standing start sprints each with the victory of their respective careers in reach? Why did Jens give Vino that inside line around that last corner in LBL?

 

[James Felstead]

Other than me screaming at my TV for these guys to go balls to the line sooner…
Why would 2 superior time trialists in peak form choose to go head to head with 2 superior sprinters in essentially 2 standing start sprints each with the victory of their respective careers in reach? Why did Jens give Vino that inside line around that last corner in LBL?

yeah gott afeel sorry for Jens - what with his amazing effort earlier in the week. I guess when you're on your limit it's not possible to push it any harder.

to be honest I thought Vino looked more likely to drop Jens than the other way around.

Great race though!

 

[Eden]

Other than me screaming at my TV for these guys to go balls to the line sooner…
Why would 2 superior time trialists in peak form choose to go head to head with 2 superior sprinters in essentially 2 standing start sprints each with the victory of their respective careers in reach? Why did Jens give Vino that inside line around that last corner in LBL?

It may have just been the coverage that I was watching, but it seemed that Voigt did more of the work in that breakaway (I was rooting for him big time, but I could see inevitable end coming. I thought it looked like a Hincapie moment too). It seemed like if Voigt didn't pull as hard as he did Vino might have let the chasers catch him - like in (I think it was) either Paris - Nice or Milan - San Remo, he and the other guy in the break played a stupid little who's going to do the work game until the pack caught them. If that happened he (Voigt) probabably wouldn't have had a chance at even placing, so given the choice of trying to go head to head with Vino or being caught he decided to work harder and not get caught. At the line Vino was fresher and as you say a superior sprinter. At least that's how it looked to me.

In general Vinokurov has looked a little tentative to me in the races I've seen him in this year. He doesn't seem to have the same self confindence as the year before last or early last year before he hurt himself and had to sit out the Tour.

 

[bikeguy]

From the live report on cyclingnews.com it looked like Voight did more work. I must say I'm starting to like Jens' riding quite a bit, although it might have something to do with the fact we have the same first name. Go Voight!

 

[Catabolic Jones]

LOL...it's easy for us to sit in our la-z-boys and give our analyses. I think Hincapie and Voigt were redlining it to stay with both Boonen and Vino; essentially you have two guys who are pure rouleurs without much of a finishing kick against two guys who can hold their wheels until the final sprint. I think the reason Hincapie and Voigt didn't 'go sooner' is because they couldn't.

No shame in coming 2nd to Boonen or Vino...

 

[Laggard]

There was no way Hincapie was going to drop Boonen. No way. It simply would not happen. Hincapie could have attacked until the cows came home but Boonen would have just stuck to him.

At Liege, Vino looked to be the more rested of the two. It seemed to me that Voigt simply didn't have the gas to drop someone as talented as Vino.

 

[tcklyde]

At Liege, Vino looked to be the more rested of the two. It seemed to me that Voigt simply didn't have the gas to drop someone as talented as Vino.

It helps when you suck wheel for most of the break.

But really, everyone is right. There was probably absolutely nothing Hincapie could do against Boonen and Voigt, too. Both guys road great races and 2nd in P-R and L-B-L is pretty cool stuff.

 

[wilmar13]

I think the reason Hincapie and Voigt didn't 'go sooner' is because they couldn't.

No shame in coming 2nd to Boonen or Vino...

That is the way it looked to me from my Lazy boy as well.

 

[sunman]

There was no way Hincapie was going to drop Boonen. No way. It simply would not happen. Hincapie could have attacked until the cows came home but Boonen would have just stuck to him.

At Liege, Vino looked to be the more rested of the two. It seemed to me that Voigt simply didn't have the gas to drop someone as talented as Vino.

I agree with you, I don't believe Hincapie could have dropped Boonen (or Flecha) at Paris Roubaix, but I think his chances were even worse going up against him in a track sprint - he did have a placing to lose, he could have ended up third if he had blown up on a flyer, but maybe he could sleep better if he could have taken the chance and gave it a go (hindsight). But I am still perplexed by Voigt's decision and giving him that inside line was a mistake - 3 pedal strokes by Vino on the shorter line and he had a bike length. Anyway, it was great entertainment and the reps of all 5 men I mentioned in this post are at their peak.

 

[davidbod]

I think the point is if you don't try you get 2nd. So what if they were on the ropes. I would rather have seen Hincapie try and blow up and get 3rd or even 4th than come into the velodrome like he did. It was a shame to see Jens lose yesterday too. When Vino attacked and Jens covered it, he should have immediatly counter attcked at least to see how Vino was fairing.

Ah yes back to my Lazy-Boy.

 

[OCRoadie]

I think the point is if you don't try you get 2nd. So what if they were on the ropes. I would rather have seen Hincapie try and blow up and get 3rd or even 4th than come into the velodrome like he did. It was a shame to see Jens lose yesterday too. When Vino attacked and Jens covered it, he should have immediatly counter attcked at least to see how Vino was fairing.

Ah yes back to my Lazy-Boy.

That was great when Jens covered Vino's attack on the final climb. I thought Jens was going to counter and get away, oh well it was a great race and terrific break away. I was hoping to see Jens win it after doing the majority of the work. I think the chase group could've caught both of them if they didn't waste so much time waiting to see who was going to set the pace.

 

[Powerful Pete]

I think the point is if you don't try you get 2nd. So what if they were on the ropes. I would rather have seen Hincapie try and blow up and get 3rd or even 4th than come into the velodrome like he did. It was a shame to see Jens lose yesterday too. When Vino attacked and Jens covered it, he should have immediatly counter attcked at least to see how Vino was fairing.

Ah yes back to my Lazy-Boy.

I think that is it. Easy for all of us to analyse this stuff in front of the TV (what is a Lazy Boy please?). Remember, second in LBL or PR is another couple of years contracts, at least, which means feeding the family and being PAID TO RIDE.

I think in those cases you find yourself in a break with a big boy, you go for it and hope things work out in the end. Worst case is second in a monument classic. And you don't risk a futile attack which will not win you anything, blowing up and being caught by the chasers and ending up 16th instead of second.

The goodwill of spectators will not result in contract renewals by team managers...

But a decent amount of pro tour points...

 

[oely]

Other than me screaming at my TV for these guys to go balls to the line sooner…
Why would 2 superior time trialists in peak form choose to go head to head with 2 superior sprinters in essentially 2 standing start sprints each with the victory of their respective careers in reach? Why did Jens give Vino that inside line around that last corner in LBL?

Actually Voigt is a better sprinter but he had done a ton of work, arguably more than Vino and i think that last climb especially took the sting out of his finish.

On Hincapie, I thought he had nothing left to attack Boonen with, that and the fact i think he was happy and settled with 2nd. Great cyclist but still overrated. Dont think you can give as much as he does in the Tours for Lance and then win classics consistantly.

 

[lazysegall]

Other than me screaming at my TV for these guys to go balls to the line sooner…
Why would 2 superior time trialists in peak form choose to go head to head with 2 superior sprinters in essentially 2 standing start sprints each with the victory of their respective careers in reach? Why did Jens give Vino that inside line around that last corner in LBL?

Vino is not a top sprinter. Better than Voight though. I don't think either guy really had a chance, but oh well. I think hincapie was looking to counter if Flecha attack, but I think that Flecha was thinking the same thing.