BOONEN TAKES IT!

Quoted message said:

Not clear if he came fromt he field or was in the final lead group, but
he blasted everyone. What happened to the U.S. team? Only Raisin
seemed to be active today. Where was Fast Freddy?

Have to love the shot Boogerd, Vino, and Bettini gave it to finish
ahead of the sprint. Fantastic job by Boonen to get himself into a spot
to go when it did come back together. Smart, patient race and he
clearly deserved the win.
Bill C

<[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Not clear if he came fromt he field or was in the final lead group, but
he blasted everyone. What happened to the U.S. team? Only Raisin
seemed to be active today. Where was Fast Freddy?

He was in the second group with Valverde (behind Bettini and Vino et al) but
ahead of the main peloton. They caught the lead group just after the final
turn. I think Guido Trenti was again the top placed rider for the US team
(25 if I read it correctly when it scrolled by)

Quoted message said:

Not clear if he came fromt he field or was in the final lead group, but
he blasted everyone. What happened to the U.S. team? Only Raisin
seemed to be active today. Where was Fast Freddy?

It looked like the field cracked in the last few K with only about 20
or 30 guys left. Pettachi and McEwen missed it.

Nice result. You know, I admire but am indifferent to Pettachi.
McEwen I admire but dislike. But Boonen is so cool.

JT

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"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message
de news: [email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I thought it was Nazon from France in the sprint but it was Tony
Geslin. Nice ride but him -- I think he's really young.

JT

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Jakob Piil was impressive today. He was the main force behind the serious
breakaway with 2 or 3 laps to go, and still had enough after getting caught
to sprint to 6th.

Look for him to do well in GP Swiss and why not Paris Tour again.

I thought it was Nazon from France in the sprint but it was Tony
Geslin. Nice ride but him -- I think he's really young.

JT

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Hat's off to Guido, a true American he is!

Quoted message said:

Not clear if he came fromt he field or was in the final lead group, but
he blasted everyone. What happened to the U.S. team? Only Raisin
seemed to be active today. Where was Fast Freddy?

Strongest men in the final:
1. Bettini
2. Moerenhout
3. Vinokurov
Honorable mention for Piil, incredible work in last 2 laps, just missed
the final break, still finished 6th.

Strongest team: Belgium. Two man in the super-coup of Spain with Valverde,
Martin Perdigeiro and Pereiro. Two man in front in the last lap. Then Van
Petegem who brought the first chase group of 20 back to the 6 leaders.

Very exciting last 2, 3 laps. Too bad the classics specialists, the group
of 6 with Bettini / Boogerd / Vino, couldn't make it stick. On the other
hand, who's a classics specialist if not Boonen.

--
E. Dronkert

Mark Uytterhoeve, tv commentator, always good for fine quotes: "If there's
one good thing about Tom if not his legs, it's his head."

--
E. Dronkert

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

I thought it was Nazon from France in the sprint but it was Tony
Geslin. Nice ride but him -- I think he's really young.

The podium is all very young, as it turns out. Geslin is 25, Valverde
is 25, and Boonen is 24.

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Mark Uytterhoeve, tv commentator, always good for fine quotes: "If there's
one good thing about Tom if not his legs, it's his head."

--
E. Dronkert

Have to agree. He has shown time and again that tactically he is much
older than his 25 years. Some of it may have to do with the radios, but
he still seems to get himself in the righht spot while a lot of others
don't.
Cycling really needs some serious new stars, he's got it on the road
and hopefully he learns to handle the fame better and embrace it. He
could very well dominate the Classics for the next 10 years if he stays
healthy and motivated and that would be a great thing IMO.
Bill C

I said:

Strongest men in the final:
1. Bettini
2. Moerenhout
3. Vinokurov / Boogerd
Honorable mention for Piil, incredible work in last 2 laps, just missed
the final break, still finished 6th.

Strongest team: Belgium.

Most disappointed team: Netherlands. Weening initiated the Spanish
superbreak, Moerenhout brought them back, Kroon initiated the final break,
Moerenhout and Boogerd were there and strong but _just_ not enough.

Strongest lead-out man: Henk Vogels. Rode his whole team off his wheel.

Most disappointed Team RBR competitor: Lieswyn. Didn't see him one second,
I think he would have liked to do better.

Good job by Funky Fruit, too bad Rodriguez wasn't in the group of 20.

--
E. Dronkert

Freakiest podium photo in years:
http://us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050925/i/r2149141617.jpg

--
E. Dronkert

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

I thought it was Nazon from France in the sprint but it was Tony
Geslin. Nice ride but him -- I think he's really young.

Make up your mind. Is Geslin french, or did he finish 3rd? It is well
known RBR fact that it can't be both. Good results and being french are
mutually exclusive conditions. I know it because I read it on RBR a
couple hundred times.

"Tim Lines" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

I thought it was Nazon from France in the sprint but it was Tony
Geslin. Nice ride but him -- I think he's really young.

Make up your mind. Is Geslin french, or did he finish 3rd? It is well
known RBR fact that it can't be both. Good results and being french are
mutually exclusive conditions. I know it because I read it on RBR a
couple hundred times.

It's a little more complicated than that.

French, Good results, Not doped. Pick any two.

POTM

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Freakiest podium photo in years:
http://us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050925/i/r2149141617.jpg

That was a geat finale to watch. Thanks to whoever uploaded that to
multimedia.sport .

Sure didn't bother with any graphics, did they? No K to go, no course
graphics...

And no Vino win. He pulled a Horner in the last corner with Bettini on
his wheel, didn't he.

Now I'm really glad I didn't read the coverage past the super-coup.

Ewoud Dronkert schreef:

Quoted message said:

Strongest team: Belgium. Two man in the super-coup of Spain with Valverde,
Martin Perdigeiro and Pereiro. Two man in front in the last lap. Then Van
Petegem who brought the first chase group of 20 back to the 6 leaders.

Boonen was brought back by a strong Van Petegem, but also by Aerts,
Nuyens, Leukemans.
Trenti offered himself for a leadout but Boonen chose to stick on
Valverde.

McEwen, Petacchi and Zabel (marking Peta) were all dropped when the
Belgians regrouped and did that timely manoeuvre.

Bettini is [censored] because he wasn't informed on time Peta wasn't good.
Otherwise he could have done more with the moves he was in.

Ewoud Dronkert schreef:

Quoted message said:

Strongest team: Belgium. Two man in the super-coup of Spain with Valverde,
Martin Perdigeiro and Pereiro. Two man in front in the last lap. Then Van
Petegem who brought the first chase group of 20 back to the 6 leaders.

Boonen was brought back by a strong Van Petegem, but also by Aerts,
Nuyens, Leukemans.
Trenti offered himself for a leadout but Boonen chose to stick on
Valverde.

McEwen, Petacchi and Zabel (marking Peta) were all dropped when the
Belgians regrouped and did that timely manoeuvre.

Bettini is [censored] because he wasn't informed on time Peta wasn't good.
Otherwise he could have done more with the moves he was in.

Ewoud Dronkert said:

I said:

Strongest men in the final:
1. Bettini
2. Moerenhout
3. Vinokurov / Boogerd
Honorable mention for Piil, incredible work in last 2 laps, just missed
the final break, still finished 6th.

Strongest team: Belgium.

Most disappointed team: Netherlands. Weening initiated the Spanish
superbreak, Moerenhout brought them back, Kroon initiated the final break,
Moerenhout and Boogerd were there and strong but _just_ not enough.

Quoted message said:

E. Dronkert

Most disappointing team: Italy (Bettini was a team on his own, man he
was impressive)

Valverde has to be in the top3 of strongest men in the final. First in
the big breakaway, then still capable of sprinting for 2nd

Kenny