Paris Roubaix picks

For the moment ill say Greg Van Avermaet

Unless I cancellater... Camcellara. I think his biorhythms are peaking in the middle of the months.

Boonen, Cancellara, Hincapie my top 3...
They survive the cobbles, Cance tries to TT in the end, but gets caught by the elit group. Boonen wins the sprint. GH right on the heels, might even get second.

And as I said it, it will not happen......
Gilbert/Nuyens

Is Gilbert riding this year?

Flecha is worth a look; Rabo looked strong at Flanders.

I will say Gilbert because I like to watch him ride and love his aggressive style, but he still seems more suited to the 200km races. I hope I am wrong.

I also like Flecha but I don't think he will ever win P-R or Flanders. I am no genius, but to me he often seems tactically unsound. The strongest riders might be able to overcome that but he doesn't have a sprint to fall back on.

Fine, I will go with Boonen. Not really feeling this one, but hey, gotta pick someone.

Powerful Pete said:

Fine, I will go with Boonen. Not really feeling this one, but hey, gotta pick someone.

if astana got an invite, I will go Goussev

Hammond or Hincapie would be good for me. Most likely result seems to be Boonen though.

Boonen, but I'll be hoping for Hincapie.

I don't know. Do you guys think that Hincapie can do it? I just don't see him delivering a win in a monument (maybe it is subconscious dislike from his Discovery days on my part).

If anything, I would not underestimate Cancellara. That man likes the P-R and has shown this year that he can deliver the goods...

Powerful Pete said:

I don't know. Do you guys think that Hincapie can do it? I just don't see him delivering a win in a monument (maybe it is subconscious dislike from his Discovery days on my part).

If anything, I would not underestimate Cancellara. That man likes the P-R and has shown this year that he can deliver the goods...

has Hincapie ever attacked?

This should be the question. Evans is a GC rider. But Hincapie has followed more wheels than Evans.

Hincapie gotta take the race by the scruff of the neck and attack the beeyitch.

fscyclist said:

Any picks for this weekends race before we see GV unfold? I'm going with Boonen. He and his team looked great. I think Hincapie has a chance, but his team looked poor in RVV, which can really hurt him. Of course, it may be easier to predict after GV, and I may change my mind after that race.

Boonen would seem to be the only clear favorite at this point. Then probably 10 or 15 guys that should also be in the mix but none clearly superior to the others. If nothing else we've seen this year that the group has no fire power at the end to bring back escapees because so few support riders are able to be there in the finale and if they are, they're spent.

I doubt Boonen will be so patient in Roubaix and we will likely see him on the attack relatively early unless Devolder can once again "trap" him in the group. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see him contribute to a move going forward even if it means catching up to Devolder's group.

Wayne666 said:

Boonen would seem to be the only clear favorite at this point. Then probably 10 or 15 guys that should also be in the mix but none clearly superior to the others. If nothing else we've seen this year that the group has no fire power at the end to bring back escapees because so few support riders are able to be there in the finale and if they are, they're spent.

I doubt Boonen will be so patient in Roubaix and we will likely see him on the attack relatively early unless Devolder can once again "trap" him in the group. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see him contribute to a move going forward even if it means catching up to Devolder's group.

Agree with you, he needs to do something big in the P-R given that he will be against an entirely different crowd for the L-B-L.

High Road had three people, Hincapie, Eisel and Klier in the 20 man group that finished just behind the 3 podium riders. Then they had Hammon in the group behind that. So the team was pretty strong, I think the only reason we didn't see too much of them is because Hincapie was in that five man break that lasted for quite a while. Either that or none of them were strong enough to do anything but sit in......

Anyway, I think Hincapie, Hammond and Eisel are all better suited to Roubaix than Flanders so we can always hope they'll be challenging Quick Step for the position of strongest team.

Eldrack, you are correct, but somehow I do not see one of those guys stepping it up for the win...

Bro Deal said:

Boonen, but I'll be hoping for Hincapie.

Ditto for me.

Eldrack said:

High Road had three people, Hincapie, Eisel and Klier in the 20 man group that finished just behind the 3 podium riders. Then they had Hammon in the group behind that. So the team was pretty strong, I think the only reason we didn't see too much of them is because Hincapie was in that five man break that lasted for quite a while. Either that or none of them were strong enough to do anything but sit in......

Anyway, I think Hincapie, Hammond and Eisel are all better suited to Roubaix than Flanders so we can always hope they'll be challenging Quick Step for the position of strongest team.

When Hincapie's group was caught, High Road needed to cover the counter's, but they were nowhere to be found. P-R is a different race though, and I think team input is less important. Due to the inevetable crashes and mechanicals, you never know who will be around in the last 40K. If Boonen is in the final group, he will win, but I hope Hincapie can get away prior to the velodrome.

thunder said:

has Hincapie ever attacked?

This should be the question. Evans is a GC rider. But Hincapie has followed more wheels than Evans.

Hincapie gotta take the race by the scruff of the neck and attack the beeyitch.

Yes, Hincapie has attacked, and unlike Evans he has the balls to show up at the classics. Must've been too cold for Evans last Sunday. Where's Evans now? Touring in sunny Spain while real men hammer it out on the cobbles.
I only remember one major Hincapie wheel sucking incident and that was the mtn stage win at the tour.

Overall, I will agree Hincapie isn't especially agressive and he waits too long for things to happen around him and I think it's cost him races he had the physical ability to win. He's a very talented rider - just not always the best tactically.

fscyclist said:

Yes, Hincapie has attacked, and unlike Evans he has the balls to show up at the classics. Must've been too cold for Evans last Sunday. Where's Evans now? Touring in sunny Spain while real men hammer it out on the cobbles.
I only remember one major Hincapie wheel sucking incident and that was the mtn stage win at the tour.

Overall, I will agree Hincapie isn't especially agressive and he waits too long for things to happen around him and I think it's cost him races he had the physical ability to win. He's a very talented rider - just not always the best tactically.

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Ardennes

google :p