I think Thor would’ve had Roubaix three years ago if he didn’t overcook that corner 10k from the finish when he was away with Cancellara. I’m rooting for him…
As much as it would be amazing to see, I don’t see any freaking way Gilbert can win Roubaix. He’s got the power-to-weight to win on the Huy or the col St Nicolas, but hasn’t got the flat-out watts to win at Flanders or Roubaix.
Would have been a really interesting finish on the boards had Thor not lost it on that corner. Fabian has way more sprint that people give him credit for but not sure he’d be able to take Thor on a 2-up.
Gilbert has said he’s not going to ride Roubaix, which is not really his course. But if he did, just his presence would alter how other teams have to approach the race. He’s def got the watts – he goes on some long flyers and is also the Belgian TT champ - but riding the cobbles is a different race than what he’s really good at.
Gilbert has said he’s not going to ride Roubaix,
ahh, so then it should be all in for Thor
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I just got through my second time round watching all the 2011 classics on DVD while riding my trainer… given its only Feb 21st, I might have to start back at the beginning and watch them through again…
I don’t see anyone beating Boonen and Cancellara in the monuments or the classics they race to win. And call me crazy, but I see Wiggins sneaking onto the podium in Roubaix.
I know, La Primavera is still 3+ weeks away. It’s like being 4 hours into a 5 hour ride and thinking about a burrito.
Boonen looks to be a force this year and Fabian has a fire in his belly–apparently it has been going around that team since '10. You might be right: Goss didn’t take him by much at M-SR. BUT, Shack-Nissan-Leopard-Trek-Frandy is very one-dimensional. I mean, is anyone that worried about Rast or Zaugg if Fabian is isolated?
I know, La Primavera is still 3+ weeks away. It’s like being 4 hours into a 5 hour ride and thinking about a burrito.
I can’t wait
http://www.txbra.org/db/events/2012LaPrimavera.pdf
(i make joke)
CBSSports will be broadcasting at least a few of the classics live, and cyclingtorrents.nl usually has some pretty high quality captures after the fact. I’m usually at work, so I don’t have the chance to watch very many live.
John
Does it just make no sense for Fab at some point to maybe slim down and see if he can get some mountain goat in his legs? I realize that is probably a decision made by Johan, but man it would be fun to see if he could…or maybe he loses what makes him so nasty in doing that I dunno. When I watch that beast I’m just in total awe. I realize their are ‘horses for courses’, but just wonder what would happen if he ever trained to be a podium guy in a grand tour. Has he ever done that in his career or is that just nonsense for his skill sets?
Does it just make no sense for Fab at some point to maybe slim down and see if he can get some mountain goat in his legs? When I watch that beast I’m just in total awe. I realize their are ‘horses for courses’, but just wonder what would happen if he ever trained to be a podium guy in a grand tour. Has he ever done that in his career or is that just nonsense for his skill sets?
could be, but he has to put being awesome in jeopardy to try it, and it might not work.
I think we’re going to see that with Tony Martin. Cancellara, I think, has let that dream go.
During the year Fabian just blew everyone away in the Classics (2010), I believe Eddy Merckx went on record saying he should slim down and have a go at the TdF. If I recall correctly, Canc said that before he even thought about that he wanted to win all of the monuments.
Canc said that before he even thought about that he wanted to win all of the monuments.
Respect
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In addition to already showing the Tour Down Under and tour of Qatar, NBC Sports Network will have the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta, plus Calfornia & USpro challenge, plus Paris-Tours, Roubaix, Fleche Wallone, L-B-L, Milan-San Remo, Tirreno Adriatico, Tour of Basquw Country and then Worlds…
line-up is here: http://advertise.nbcsports.com/on-air/cycling/
I watched the recap on Qatar this weekend and was loving it in full HD - none of this fuzzy crap that universal sports has had in years past.
I can’t find yet where Flanders will be shown, not sure how they missed that one…
Well he would have to slim down to get L-B-L and Lombardie
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Abdujaparov , He had one bad ass way to secure the green.
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That seems to be a media-hyped story to me. Wiggo tried the same thing and got close, but how many other wins he’s given up in the process? Who remembers him for winning two Olympic gold medals on the track instead of falling short in GTs?
I’d think that Fabian would have to give up on the classics for at least a year to get down to weight. Maybe he’ll get bored and go that route, but bagging a few more monuments and world championships seems more reasonable.
I can’t find yet where Flanders will be shown, not sure how they missed that one…
**Tour of Flanders: April 1 at 8:30 a.m. **
The Tour of Flanders is a Flanders Classics road cycling race held in Belgium every spring, a week before the Paris-Roubaix road race. It is part of the UCI ProTour and one of the so-called monuments of the European professional calendar, and contributes to the UCI World Ranking points. It is the most important cycling race in Belgium and, along with Paris-Roubaix, the world’s most important cycling race held on a single day.
Great, thanks
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