Boonen vs. Petacchi

I don't really care about Boonen's sprinting. He gets a lot of wins that way, sure, but he has become so much more than a sprinter. Can anyone imagine Petacchi winning P-R or Flanders.

Not being able to watch Qatar doesn't help matters for me.

Bro Deal said:

Can anyone imagine Petacchi winning P-R or Flanders.

Hey, you never know. Remember when everyone said that Petacchi could never win the Milano San Remo because of the Poggio? With more experience and a strong team, things might change...

Bro Deal said:

Can anyone imagine Petacchi winning P-R or Flanders.

These two races are only two which Boonen can win (and is winning) and Petacchi cann't (for now). Everything else, including stages in GTs, is about them and their teams. Or at least we're expecting to be.
And yes, he has become much more than a sprinter, but he still wins only in sprints, bunch or small group... At the end it's sprint where he takes a victory.

Andrija said:

These two races are only two which Boonen can win (and is winning) and Petacchi cann't (for now).

Those two are pretty big races. Boonen can win a one day race of attrition. Not to diss Petacchi or anything, but I just don't see him ever being able to do that. I guess I am not much of a fan of super organized train assisted sprinting.

yeah i think it's silly when people act like boonen's whole season revolves around bunch sprints. to me a few classics is a much better season than a bunch of flat stages.

1:0

Bro Deal said:

Those two are pretty big races.

Not just "pretty big", the biggest in my opinion. But that's not the point, the point is all season clash between these two, two strongest on the line. We missed that last year 'cause of Petacchi's injuries. As Powerful Pete noted, no one could see Petacchi winning Primavera and he did it. Cobbles sure aren't his cup of tea, but you never know.

Bro Deal said:

I guess I am not much of a fan of super organized train assisted sprinting.

Whether you like it or not, Boonen is applying the same strategy last two seasons and QS is picking and signing the riders in order to make the strongest possible lead out train.

Andrija said:

Not just "pretty big", the biggest in my opinion.

Deliberate understatement, like calling the TdF a pretty big race.

I'll believe Petacchi can win on the cobbles when I see it.

Andrija said:

but he still wins only in sprints, bunch or small group... At the end it's sprint where he takes a victory.

Soloed to victory in Flanders 2005. The way he dumped Hoste last year could hardly be called a sprint either.

As to Peta, has he even finished a race with cobbles in it?

DiabloScott said:

As to Peta, has he even finished a race with cobbles in it?

he has a hard time gesticulating and riding on cobbles at the same time.

SaintAndrew said:

he has a hard time gesticulating and riding on cobbles at the same time.

I wonder if Bob Roll is available to show him how it's done.

1-0 Boonen, but Peta will have his revenge today🙂

RHW said:

1-0 Boonen, but Peta will have his revenge today🙂

don't forget Brownie, the most dangerous guy in the peloton since the Tashkent terrorist.

He'll manage to take someone out again.

RHW said:

1-0 Boonen, but Peta will have his revenge today🙂

No, he won't - 2:0.
Tomorrow maybe.

woot kick his greasy dago ass boonie!

Andrija said:

No, he won't - 2:0.
Tomorrow maybe.

The interesting thing is that Quick-Step did this with a breakaway that split the field early. Boonen won the sprint against a field that did NOT include Petacchi. Petacchi came in 5:05 down, and will not be able to threaten the GC at all. (As if Petacchi or the sponsros at Milram are cursing another missed opportunity for the GC in the tour of Qatar.)

It was also interesting that T-Mobile now has the steady legs of former Quick-Step / Farm Frites rider Servais Knaven. Servais, former Dutch Champion, and 2001 winner of Paris Roubaix tried to shake up the QS boys in the final kilometers, but they know him too well, and he didn't quite have the juice to split things up.

Today just might have been an attempt by the Belgian Squad to try their hand at an early break-away strategy that they can use to reduce the sprinter's field in places like Milan - San Remo or Gent - Wevelgem.

All that adds up to a fairly interesting day, considering it was basically a flat, straight 140k ride through the desert. Boonen has the 3rd Stage win, Leader's Jersey, and Points Jersey - and Quick Step moved up to take both the Team Classification and now has 3 of the top 5 riders.