I immediately thought the same thing: “O sh*t, that guys could be dead.” I googled is later in the evening and, nothing. I’m hoping it was one of those accidents that looked a whole lot worse than it actually was. Who knows, maybe the guy (looked like he was from Astana) just walked away with a scraped nose.
Ummm… Well, I had to leave shortly after the ride on Saturday so I could fly to Armenia on Sunday… Drats! I would have loved to stand along the Muur!
I did manage to get one picture of myself on the cobbles… It’s at:
http://www.firstfotofactory.com/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi
I was number 2822.
As a guy who loves Belgian Cycling, I have to say that I think the course for Flanders is more interesting than Roubaix. On the other hand, the cobbles are so much worse at Roubaix that it’s tough for me to conceive of the pounding (the cobbles in Flanders were leaving me with numb fingertips).
The nice thing about Roubaix is that it introduces some “chance” into the mix which can help decrease the QuickStep stranglehold and keep the outcome more open.
There was an astana guy walking across the finish line about 6 minutes back who I hoped was the guy who crashed. He looked a bit pissed off but fine. I hope Thor Hushovd will be ready to ride soon, a broken wrist is a real bummer. He needs a carbon fiber Cervelo cast and to HTFU! 
I hope Thor Hushovd will be ready to ride soon, a broken wrist is a real bummer. He needs a carbon fiber Cervelo cast and to HTFU!
I heard from the Cervelo PR folks today that Hushovd did not break his wrist as it was originally reported. He’s in good shape and was back on the bike today. Now looking ahead to Paris Roubaix. Apparently the Cervelo Test Team is really going to go for it at PR, and so they should - Cervelo bikes have won or placed well in in 4 out of the last 5 years of the race! 
Thanks for the update on Thor! I am jacked for PR!
Cervelo is absolutely going for the win at Roubaix and have many options to play including Hammond and Lloyd in addition to Haussler and Hushovd.
Thanks for the head’s up on the photos. I was number 20791 and they got a good shot of me out of the saddle on a bend in a cobbled climb, maybe the Muur itself.
How does an S3 handle on cobbles?
I think Columbia and Quickstep might have something to say about the ST love for Cervelo. I like the personalities from all these teams. There is also a Swiss Olympic Medalist from Saxo who hopefully will not break his SRAM Red Chain this week 
The S3 handled GREAT on the cobbles. Truth be told, the pro team was riding S2s, except for Thor who was on an S3.
The pro team truly is about product testing and they’re intentionally riding aero tubed road bikes over the cobbles to test the products under fire.
Particularly on the Bosberg, which is wider so there was less weaving around others, I really got to hammer the shit out of the bike. It was more than up to the task.
Oh, we we’re talking about that in Flanders. They had just switched to SRAM and that chain break was a major f*ck up!
Did they ever find Hammond’s bike?
I didn’t know it was missing.
Maybe that was why my luggage was overweight?
There is also a Swiss Olympic Medalist from Saxo who hopefully will not break his SRAM Red Chain this week
Don’t worry he wont break any more SRAM chains for now, because Saxo Bank mechanics switched the chains on team bikes from SRAM to Shimano Dura-Ace CN-7900 the Monday after Cancellara’s unfortunate mishap on the Koppenberg.
Fabian Cancellara’s Saxo Bank Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL2 http://cyclingnews.com/...pecialized_s-works09
Saxo Bank started out the year on Shimano Dura-Ace components but recently made a switch to SRAM’s top-end Red package including their quick-action DoubleTap shift/brake levers, ceramic bearing-equipped rear derailleur, ultralight PowerDome cassette and PC-1090 chain. Cancellara apparently prefers the front derailleur from the second-tier Force group for its stiffer steel cage, however, and after that unfortunate - and very public - mishap on the Koppenberg, Saxo Bank mechanics were seen swapping the team bikes to Dura-Ace 7900 chains the following Monday.
Saxo Bank mechanics switched the chains on team bikes from SRAM to Shimano Dura-Ace the Monday after Cancellara’s unfortunate mishap on the Koppenberg.
Photo ©: James Huang/Cyclingnews.com
I really have to believe that Fabian’s broken chain had nothing to do with the quality of SRAM chains and everything to do with “user installation” error. Unless the chain is ancient, this is really the only reason for a quality chain blowing apart mid climb
I really have to believe that Fabian’s broken chain had nothing to do with the quality of SRAM chains and everything to do with “user installation” error. Unless the chain is ancient, this is really the only reason for a quality chain blowing apart mid climb
“Quality chain” and “SRAM” has not been seen in the same sentence very often since they made their first road group.
It is well know that SRAM has had a number of problems with their chains and many SRAM sponsored teams have refused to ride SRAM chains and isntead buy Shimano chains. Teams do not go out and buy third party chains if they are satisfied with the chains offered fro free from their sponsor.
SRAM recently claimed they have now solved the problems and SRAM sponsored teams now seems to have switched to SRAM chains again (excepet for Saxo who has now switched back to Shimano after only one week on SRAM). Maybe the durability issues with the SRAM chains have not been completely solved as SRAM claims. Especially when someone as heavy and powerful as Cancellara is mashing in a big gear (to avoid the rear wheel skidding) up at the Koppenberg muur.
What works fine for “Joe the triathlete” might not work fine for one of the pro peoloton’s most powerful riders up a cobllestone covered 20% climb. Cancellara has a history of breaking a lot of equipment because of his big weight (for a por rider) and huge power output.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/...res/toc_new_gears_09
The new SRAM PC-1090R chains are said to have stronger pins
SRAM had taken a PR hit over the past couple of years – mostly from us – as many of their sponsored riders and teams had actually been subbing in other companies’ chains, cassettes and chainrings instead of the official Red pieces for any number of reasons. However, that seems to have changed for the 2009 season as there were virtually no mismatched drivetrains to be found (and believe us, we looked).
Criticisms surrounding the existing PC-1090R chain were mostly limited to insufficient strength and excessive noise but both have been addressed with the latest version whose improvements were iteratively tested by teams last year and have already been put into production. A new pin material and revised riveting process improves pull strength while an increase grease fill during manufacture quiets things down and retains lubrication longer from frequent washings.
Stronger riders were also having some issues with Red’s outer chainrings during peak efforts but SRAM has addressed that as well with a new ‘SPR’ variant that is milled less aggressively than the stock version for reduced flex, gaining 25-30g as a result. Though the SPR ring clearly won’t appeal to the weight weenies, SRAM road sports team and athlete liaison Alex Wassmann insists that it will be “overkill for most of us turning the pedals in search of bliss rather than anger and salary.” Perhaps, but even less serious riders are likely to benefit from the improved front shifting that the new ring would provide.
And what about the Red PowerDome cassettes? There were actually no changes made that we could see and none that the team mechanics we spoke to were aware of any but the bikes we viewed were appropriately fitted nevertheless.
It’s understandable that Saxo Bank switches back to the tried and true Drua-Ace chains again, at least until they figure out why Cancellara’s chain broke. Cancellara wnet back and picked up the chain so the team mecahins have probably looked at the chain and maybe some SRAM engineers have had a look too.
I never understood why Saxo Bank took such a gamle and switched to a new groupset sponsor right before the two most important classics of the whole year, RvV and P-R, and for the equipment it’s even also the most demaing races. Jens Voigt won Criterium International on Dura-Ace because he waited to switch to SRAM until after the race as opposed to the spirng classics part of the team who never get to use SRAM in races before the spring classics began.