Are the classic's less exciting these days...................

"Charles Hizark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A few weeks ago there was a report that some of the race
sponsors were having problems getting some sponsors.

Well after watching some of the classics I think I know
one of the reasons why....!!! The classic's seem like they
are missing something with so many of the big stars
missing. No Lance, no Jan, No Simoni...... Eddy Merckx
said a few years ago that cycling is a spectacle and needs
Panache...ie excitement. Now I can certainly understand
why the Lance and others would avoid Paris Roubaix. I am
glad too see that the cobbled sections has been re-
introduced into the TDF. Hopefully the UCI's council on
professional cycling has changed things for the better.

Hoste, Hincappie, Vandenbrooke, Van Petegem and three dozen
other musclebound strongmen don't have enough "panache" for
you? So instead you want some guy who couldn't sprint his
way out of a three legged race, a fat man who goes fast in
one race a year and an Italian whose greatest claim to fame
is that he wins a Giro when there's no one else in shape?

In article <[email hidden]>, Tom

Kunich said:

"Charles Hizark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A few weeks ago there was a report that some of the race
sponsors were having problems getting some sponsors.

Well after watching some of the classics I think I know
one of the reasons why....!!! The classic's seem like
they are missing something with so many of the big stars
missing. No Lance, no Jan, No Simoni...... Eddy Merckx
said a few years ago that cycling is a spectacle and
needs Panache...ie excitement. Now I can certainly
understand why the Lance and others would avoid Paris
Roubaix. I am glad too see that the cobbled sections has
been re-introduced into the TDF. Hopefully the UCI's
council on professional cycling has changed things for
the better.

Hoste, Hincappie, Vandenbrooke, Van Petegem and three
dozen other musclebound strongmen don't have enough
"panache" for you? So instead you want some guy who
couldn't sprint his way out of a three legged race, a fat
man who goes fast in one race a year and an Italian whose
greatest claim to fame is that he wins a Giro when there's
no one else in shape?

Tom, Charles is speaking from the "everyman" point of view
that doesn't follow pro bike racing close enough to know
about anyone other than a few big names. Eventually he may
learn why there are so many contenders in the Classics who
are not the same guys who will contend in the grand tours.

Rebellin?! Show of hands...Who picked him to win from that
group of 6 riders?

-WG

Quoted message said:

A few weeks ago there was a report that some of the race
sponsors

were

Quoted message said:

having problems getting some sponsors.

Well after watching some of the classics I think I know
one of the reasons why....!!! The classic's seem like they
are missing

something

Quoted message said:

with so many of the big stars missing. No Lance, no Jan,
No Simoni...... Eddy Merckx said a few years ago that
cycling is a spectacle and needs Panache...ie excitement.
Now I can certainly understand why the Lance and others
would avoid Paris Roubaix. I am glad too see that the
cobbled sections has been re-introduced into

the

Quoted message said:

TDF. Hopefully the UCI's council on professional cycling
has changed things for the better.

I think the lack of excitement this year also has to do with
the good weather. With bad weather, like rain in P-R, hard
winds etc., it's much more spectacular to watch and it
doesn't make much difference who's riding. Maybe we can
blame global warming for the lack of the typical spring and
fall storms and rain what makes the classics more
interesting.

"Charles Hizark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A few weeks ago there was a report that some of the race
sponsors

were

Quoted message said:

having problems getting some sponsors.

Well after watching some of the classics I think I know
one of the reasons why....!!! The classic's seem like they
are missing

something

Quoted message said:

with so many of the big stars missing. No Lance, no Jan,
No Simoni...... Eddy Merckx said a few years ago that
cycling is a spectacle and needs Panache...ie excitement.
Now I can certainly understand why the Lance and others
would avoid Paris Roubaix. I am glad too see that the
cobbled sections has been re-introduced into

the

Quoted message said:

TDF. Hopefully the UCI's council on professional cycling
has changed things for the better.

"Ronald" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A few weeks ago there was a report that some of the race
sponsors

were

Quoted message said:

having problems getting some sponsors.

Well after watching some of the classics I think I know
one of the reasons why....!!! The classic's seem like
they are missing

something

Quoted message said:

with so many of the big stars missing. No Lance, no Jan,
No Simoni...... Eddy Merckx said a few years ago that
cycling is a spectacle and needs Panache...ie
excitement. Now I can certainly understand why the Lance
and others would avoid Paris Roubaix. I am glad too see
that the cobbled sections has been re-introduced into

the

Quoted message said:

TDF. Hopefully the UCI's council on professional cycling
has changed things for the better.

I think the lack of excitement this year also has to do
with the good weather. With bad weather, like rain in P-R,
hard winds etc., it's much more spectacular to watch and
it doesn't make much difference who's riding. Maybe we can
blame global warming for the lack of the typical spring
and fall storms and rain what makes the classics more
interesting.

Lack of excitement? Milan-San Remo once again had the sprinting-
climbers attack and try and get away. They didn't and it
came down to a double world champion, a 4-time MSR winner
and the worlds best sprinter in a showdown. Yes, very
boring. From where I was standing on the Paterberg and
Bosberg, it was extremely windy all day during the RVV (and
wet and cold at the beginning). Hincapie just said on
PezCycling that all the favorites were blown by the end
because the race was so hard. All the favorites reached the
Muur together, the best cobbled classics guy who had yet to
win a classic at that time, jumps clear. Bettini went clear
of his group over the top of the Bosberg but couldn't catch
the break. Weseman was an immensely deserving winner. Going
back through 1992 at least, there were no RVVs run in very
wet conditions. Paris-Roubaix was run in dry conditions, not
as dramatic on TV, but the winner of 3 of cycling's 5
Monuments (Tafi) prefers it that way. Who are we to argue?
In the last 25 km, we had Bonnen and Hincapie clear and
getting caught. On the Carrefour de L'Arbre, Museeuw led
Weseman at the front of the race with PVP in solo pursuit.
Boring? Amstel Gold had 5 stars in a final break of 6
(Kessler ain't so bad either). Boring. I think this year
proves, once again, why April is the greatest month of the
year. -Mike

[email hidden] (Charles Hizark) schreibt
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

A few weeks ago there was a report that some of the race
sponsors were having problems getting some sponsors.

Well after watching some of the classics I think I know
one of the reasons why....!!!

Maybe it's the economy. Maybe it's the war. Maybe it's the
doping scandals. Maybe it's really nothing at all, just a
lull, as things go in cycles (no pun intended.)

I find the classics riveting. I can't watch them live, I
can't even get OLN because my lousy local cable cabal have
conspired against the village I live in. I do manage to
follow the live updates on CN and enjoy those quite a bit. I
wish I had the vacation time and a few bucks to rub together
to go see a few of these in person. Maybe next year.

Quoted message said:

Rebellin?! Show of hands...Who picked him to win from that
group of 6 riders?

more so who would have picked him for a back to back?

"Mike Owens" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Lack of excitement? Milan-San Remo once again had the sprinting-
climbers attack and try and get away. They didn't and it
came down to a double world champion, a 4-time MSR winner
and the worlds best sprinter in a showdown. Yes, very
boring. From where I was standing on the Paterberg and
Bosberg, it was extremely windy all day during the RVV
(and wet and cold at the beginning). Hincapie just said on
PezCycling that all the favorites were blown by the end
because the race was so hard. All the favorites reached
the Muur together, the best cobbled classics guy who had
yet to win a classic at that time, jumps clear. Bettini
went clear of his group over the top of the Bosberg but
couldn't catch the break. Weseman was an immensely
deserving winner. Going back through 1992 at least, there
were no RVVs run in very wet conditions. Paris-Roubaix was
run in dry conditions, not as dramatic on TV, but the
winner of 3 of cycling's 5 Monuments (Tafi) prefers it
that way. Who are we to argue? In the last 25 km, we had
Bonnen and Hincapie clear and getting caught. On the
Carrefour de L'Arbre, Museeuw led Weseman at the front of
the race with PVP in solo pursuit. Boring? Amstel Gold had
5 stars in a final break of 6 (Kessler ain't so bad
either). Boring. I think this year proves, once again, why
April is the greatest month of the year.

The classics are really the only thing about April I do
like... everything else, like the last month of classes, the
allergies, the unpredictable weather, the taxes, I can take
or leave. The Arenberg Forest alone redeemed that,
somewhat... what beautiful, fairy-tale scenery, and what
dreadful, frightening racing.

-Sonarrat.