Het Volk thread

tcklyde said:

The Omloop Het Volk will be held on Feb. 25 this year. This race feels like the beginning of the season to me, so what are people thinking??

Last year Quick.Step took #1 and #2, with Nuyens soloing for the win and Boonen winning the sprint for second.

The race has a number of cobbled sections including some steep and short cobbled climbs. Oh, and it will probably be bitterly cold.

I've got a bunch of Bel. riders on my fantasy cycling team for this one, so I'll be pulling for them. Boonen, Eeckhout, Devolder, and then Aussie O'Grady.

I am thinking what a drag it is to watch the live text coverage from cyclingnews on my computer that morning. Any other ideas you have tcklyde out in Portland? Where do you live by the way?

barnstorm said:

I am thinking what a drag it is to watch the live text coverage from cyclingnews on my computer that morning. Any other ideas you have tcklyde out in Portland? Where do you live by the way?

Hi Barnstorm. I'll be watching on www.cycling.tv .... the picture is small but the quality is pretty good. They'll also be showing Kurne Brussels Kurne on the 26th. I think both will be free.

I watched both races on cycling.tv last year and it wasn't bad (though hardly like a big television screen, but hey, gotta take what you can get!).

By the way, I live in NW Portland, though hopefully I'll be moving over to SE sometime soon. Do you live in PDX?

A couple years ago they cancelled Het Volk because of the snow - what's the weather like this year?

Don't forget De Jonge - He's been lead out man for Boonen so far this year but he can win races and he loves the cold.

tcklyde said:

Hi Barnstorm. I'll be watching on www.cycling.tv .... the picture is small but the quality is pretty good. They'll also be showing Kurne Brussels Kurne on the 26th. I think both will be free.

I watched both races on cycling.tv last year and it wasn't bad (though hardly like a big television screen, but hey, gotta take what you can get!).

By the way, I live in NW Portland, though hopefully I'll be moving over to SE sometime soon. Do you live in PDX?

Harry

I have cycling.tv tuned up at home and work. That is totally manageable and my kids get a huge kick out of it. I live in SE Portland. Ladd's Addition. I imagine you get your hills in living in NW? One day I am going to make it up NW 53rd without crying for my mommy.

DS : Euorpe is cold at the moment (temp is around 0-5 celsius in Western Europe).

Tcklyde : Het Volk I consider to be the opener for the European Season.
It's a good race and it's a good indicator of who is going well.

Looking at the course, a guy like Voigt might be in with a shout.
But he may not race it - as it's very early in the season.
Leon VanBon of Rabo is another guy, as is Erik Dekker.
If Mr Boonen does enter, he's got to be up there one would think.

Van Petegem did well there a few years back.
And Paolo Bettini finished 3rd there in 2003.

limerickman said:

DS : Euorpe is cold at the moment (temp is around 0-5 celsius in Western Europe).

Tcklyde : Het Volk I consider to be the opener for the European Season.
It's a good race and it's a good indicator of who is going well.

Looking at the course, a guy like Voigt might be in with a shout.
But he may not race it - as it's very early in the season.
Leon VanBon of Rabo is another guy, as is Erik Dekker.
If Mr Boonen does enter, he's got to be up there one would think.

Van Petegem did well there a few years back.
And Paolo Bettini finished 3rd there in 2003.

Well I think Discovery is aching for a classics win and although this isnt a real classic...
Stij Devolder was flying last year but has said he wants to peak later...he was already fried by the time the biggest races in late March and April were on.
So, maybe Roger Hammond?
Also 2 new belgians Jurgen van Guelen and van de Brock or are they Belgian?
Hincapie...too early
van Heeswijck?
Leif Hoste!!!!!!!!!
Gusev!!

Disco is gonna do great this year

tcklyde said:

The Omloop Het Volk will be held on Feb. 25 this year.

If Boonen's wins per start ratio continues as it is so far for '06, should we talking about who could get second place?

bobke, you're a very naughty boy and definitely not the messiah.

patch70 said:

If Boonen's wins per start ratio continues as it is so far for '06, should we talking about who could get second place?

bobke, you're a very naughty boy and definitely not the messiah.

Boonen could win everything he wants but I think based on what he has said that he is gonna take it a bit easy and try to peak for MSR, Flanders, and LBL which means late March to late April.

Given the shape he appears to be in he could still prbably stay in the lead group in any race and finish in the lead group or sprint for the win, just hard to know if he will intentionally hold back a bit to keep the engines from overheating. But he was strong in Kuurne last year and only lost because Devolder and Hoste kept attcking him over and over. A rare tine Disco had the team strength to play it tactically.

limerickman said:

DS : Euorpe is cold at the moment (temp is around 0-5 celsius in Western Europe).

Tcklyde : Het Volk I consider to be the opener for the European Season.
It's a good race and it's a good indicator of who is going well.

Looking at the course, a guy like Voigt might be in with a shout.
But he may not race it - as it's very early in the season.
Leon VanBon of Rabo is another guy, as is Erik Dekker.
If Mr Boonen does enter, he's got to be up there one would think.

Van Petegem did well there a few years back.
And Paolo Bettini finished 3rd there in 2003.

Jens Voigt crashed today (Mallorca Challenge) and won't start tomorrow. I don't know yet how bad the injury is.

Leon van Bon isn't riding for Rabobank, he is with Davitamon-Lotto (last season he was already at Davitamon).

And yes Tom Boonen will start at "De Omloop van het Volk". I think he will win, but Van Petegem, De Jongh, Eeckhout, Klier and Wesemann are other candidates....

Ofcourse there is always the Vandenbroucke faction (in Belgium) who are all dreaming of a comeback and i have to say i was suprised that he managed to ride the Besseges complete. VDB will start at the Ruta Del Sol as a preparation for de Omloop....

cyclingheroes said:

Jens Voigt crashed today (Mallorca Challenge) and won't start tomorrow. I don't know yet how bad the injury is.

Leon van Bon isn't riding for Rabobank, he is with Davitamon-Lotto (last season he was already at Davitamon).

And yes Tom Boonen will start at "De Omloop van het Volk". I think he will win, but Van Petegem, De Jongh, Eeckhout, Klier and Wesemann are other candidates....

Ofcourse there is always the Vandenbroucke faction (in Belgium) who are all dreaming of a comeback and i have to say i was suprised that he managed to ride the Besseges complete. VDB will start at the Ruta Del Sol as a preparation for de Omloop....

I haven't been keeping up with VanBon, obviously!

VDB : what a really great talent - pity it all went sideways for him.
I thought that VDB was the next Merckx : he was that good.

limerickman said:

I haven't been keeping up with VanBon, obviously!

VDB : what a really great talent - pity it all went sideways for him.
I thought that VDB was the next Merckx : he was that good.

Yeah i thought so too, saw him last year at the GP de Wallonie, the way he rides is still amazig, looks like everything falls into place, it looks so easy. Like i said in my last post i was suprised how he came out of the winter, looks better as the last few years.

Hincapie won't be doing Het Volk/K-B-K, from what I read on velo-club.net. Hardly a surprise there.

I'm hoping Philippe Gilbert will show some form, but that's probably a bit optimistic 😄

bobke said:

Hincapie...too early
van Heeswijck?
Leif Hoste!!!!!!!!!
Gusev!!
Disco is gonna do great this year

Hincapie will be at the Tour of California, which will be at the same time as Het Volk. I think DC will do well, but not because of Hincapie.

Bruyneel wants to go for at least a stage win, and possibly the overall, in TdCA. He is bringing Rubiera, Danielson, Savoldelli, Hincapie, Trent Lowe, etc.

musette said:

Hincapie will be at the Tour of California, which will be at the same time as Het Volk. I think DC will do well, but not because of Hincapie.

Bruyneel wants to go for at least a stage win, and possibly the overall, in TdCA. He is bringing Rubiera, Danielson, Savoldelli, Hincapie, Trent Lowe, etc.

Stijn Devolder will stat for DC at the Omloop, i expect him to do well, he was pretty strong last year at the Belgium races....

Stijn may not be as strong for Het Volk as last year. He peaked too early last year, in Bruyneel's mind, and he is now trying to delay his build-up by a month so he has a better chance at Flanders, Roubaix, etc.

limerickman said:

I haven't been keeping up with VanBon, obviously!

VDB : what a really great talent - pity it all went sideways for him.
I thought that VDB was the next Merckx : he was that good.

VDB did a great attack at stage 4 of the Ruta Del Sol (Vuelta Andalucia) today, he was caught about a kilometer by a chasing bunch (Milram!) before the finishline, i think that VDB wanted to go a little bit in the red zone in order to be ready for the Omloop. He is in a great shape (at least compared to the last few years...).

From what I can gather on the internet, looks like cloudy skies and just above 0 degrees C / 32 F for Saturday in Ghent. Anyone hear anything else?

tcklyde said:

From what I can gather on the internet, looks like cloudy skies and just above 0 degrees C / 32 F for Saturday in Ghent. Anyone hear anything else?

No it's correct. I have read in sportwereld.be that lots of riders where training on the route of the Omloop yesterday and that it was dry.

Forecast is cold but dry over here in Europe for the weekend.

Looking forward to HV : roll on Saturday.