Is VDB coming back?

All the best to him and his load of talent. VDB can flat out ride a bike and should never be overlooked when he toes the line at any of his objectives. UNIBET will get tons of exposure from him regardless of his results, so all the best to them as well.

YMCA said:

All the best to him and his load of talent. VDB can flat out ride a bike and should never be overlooked when he toes the line at any of his objectives. UNIBET will get tons of exposure from him regardless of his results, so all the best to them as well.

Never a big fan of Frank and his diabetic dog.
But I hope his head problems clear up so he doesnt do a Pantani. I mean all the best in that regard because I understood he had substance abuse issues (not only PEDS) and real psych issues.

hombredesubaru said:

Never a big fan of Frank and his diabetic dog.
But I hope his head problems clear up so he doesnt do a Pantani. I mean all the best in that regard because I understood he had substance abuse issues (not only PEDS) and real psych issues.

Yeas he had big psychological problems, it looks like he is doing better now...

cyclingheroes said:

Unibet.com (team of Frank Vandenbroucke, VDB) is having a training camp in Calpe, Spain. Here is some news about VDB from the VDB website:

The squad of Hilaire Van der Schueren trained 150 km yesterday. Van der Schueren: ,,VDB astonish everyone. On the col the rat he gave the tone to '', said the team leader.

Lucien Van Impe said that VDB is in a very good condition and that he will be his captain for "Omloop Van het Volk", the opener of the Belgium classic season. If he rides well there, he will be their captain for the Tour of Flanders as well.

Anyway VDB said in an interview that he won`t comeback to his 1999 level, BUT it should be enough for a top 5 spot in the Tour de France. Unibet.com hopes that they might get a wildcard since AG2R is a protour team now.
Yeah it`s still VDB...

Lucien Van Impe: I am proud of Vandenbroucke

[font=Arial][font=Verdana]The two most striking Belgian cyclists in the Unibet.com team are definitely Frank Vandenbroucke and Dave Bruylandts. I am really proud of Frank, said Sports Director Van Impe.

We are back on the right track with Vandenbroucke. The team management believes he can finally reach a high level again. Frank is feeling fine and he's completely focussed on the job.?[/font]

Bruylandts can make his return to competition on April 1st after an 18-month ban.

Dave kept on training and he is ready to compete, told Van Impe. On April 2nd he will already take part in the Tour of Flanders. [/font]

Ok, let us begin taking bets on when VDB craps out. While no one disputes his raw talent, he just does not have the mindset to ride at a pro level anymore. 😠

If Ferretti gave up on him a few years back...

The ghost of Banquo (Shakespeare).

VBD was/is a super super talent.
Think Tom Boonen now - that was VDB back in the mid-1990's.
The man literally had the world at his feet.

I hope he does make a comeback - guys like Frank are far too good to be allowed to fade away.

This makes Het Volk more and more interesting.

limerickman said:

The ghost of Banquo (Shakespeare).

VBD was/is a super super talent.
Think Tom Boonen now - that was VDB back in the mid-1990's.
The man literally had the world at his feet.

I hope he does make a comeback - guys like Frank are far too good to be allowed to fade away.

This makes Het Volk more and more interesting.

VDB is looking pretty good, it's another VDB as in 2005. Look at the picture Graham Watson made of VDB during today's third stage of the Rutal Del Sol (Vuelta Andalucia):

grahamwatson.com744972eed972310f8625711500663299Open ↗

imagine VDB won a classic this year, there would be uproar!
although it would show that he is back training hard

velodrome.co.nr said:

imagine VDB won a classic this year, there would be uproar!
although it would show that he is back training hard

Unibet.com (team VDB) has wildcards for Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix so VDB will ride "his" classics again. They probebly will start at Liège-Bastogne-Liège as well.

cyclingheroes said:

Unibet.com (team of Frank Vandenbroucke, VDB) is having a training camp in Calpe, Spain. Here is some news about VDB from the VDB website:

The squad of Hilaire Van der Schueren trained 150 km yesterday. Van der Schueren: ,,VDB astonish everyone. On the col the rat he gave the tone to '', said the team leader.

Lucien Van Impe said that VDB is in a very good condition and that he will be his captain for "Omloop Van het Volk", the opener of the Belgium classic season. If he rides well there, he will be their captain for the Tour of Flanders as well.

Anyway VDB said in an interview that he won`t comeback to his 1999 level, BUT it should be enough for a top 5 spot in the Tour de France. Unibet.com hopes that they might get a wildcard since AG2R is a protour team now.
Yeah it`s still VDB...

VDB has won the appeal against his second verdict today. This means he doesn't have to pay the fine of €250.000. The court ruled that somebody can't be punished twice for the same crime.

cyclingheroes said:

Unibet.com (team of Frank Vandenbroucke, VDB) is having a training camp in Calpe, Spain. Here is some news about VDB from the VDB website:

The squad of Hilaire Van der Schueren trained 150 km yesterday. Van der Schueren: ,,VDB astonish everyone. On the col the rat he gave the tone to '', said the team leader.

Lucien Van Impe said that VDB is in a very good condition and that he will be his captain for "Omloop Van het Volk", the opener of the Belgium classic season. If he rides well there, he will be their captain for the Tour of Flanders as well.

Anyway VDB said in an interview that he won`t comeback to his 1999 level, BUT it should be enough for a top 5 spot in the Tour de France. Unibet.com hopes that they might get a wildcard since AG2R is a protour team now.
Yeah it`s still VDB...

Unibet.com Website:

Quesada still leading, VDB shows form!
15.02.2006

Italian Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) has won the fourth stage in the Ruta Del Sol. Petacchi beat Tom Boonen and Graeme Brown in a bunch sprint and won his second stage in a row. Carlos Garcia Quesada (Unibet.com) remains leader in the general classification.

The fourth stage in this Ruta Del Sol was animated by a breakaway of four riders, among them Belgian Frank Vandenbroucke (Unibet.com). The peloton was four minutes down, but the Milram-cyclists started to chase the lead group. With only 14 kilometres left to go, Vandenbroucke attacked on the last climb. The Belgian Unibet-rider kept on fighting but was caught by a raging peloton at 500 metres from the finish. Alessandro Petacchi won the bunch sprint before Tom Boonen and Graeme Brown.

Leader Carlos Garcia Quesada (Unibet.com) took 10 seconds advantage to his biggest rival Rodrigo Garcia. Quesada is now looking comfortable to win the overall classification of this Ruta Del Sol. Team Unibet.com is also strongly in charge of the team classification. The Ruta Del Sol ends tomorrow with a 173 kilometres’ stage.

so the predictions could be right, VDB could win big again

wait a sec... a good break at the Ruta del Sol is one thing. Winning a MSR or Ronde is something else...

Powerful Pete said:

wait a sec... a good break at the Ruta del Sol is one thing. Winning a MSR or Ronde is something else...

Yes you are right, but he is defenetly much stronger as last year....

yeah, we shall see how he progresses

looks like he certainly has be training hard though so.......

velodrome.co.nr said:

yeah, we shall see how he progresses

looks like he certainly has be training hard though so.......

VDB won't start at the Omloop and Kuurne - Brussels - Kuurne this weekend. Unibet.com published a pressrelease that frank is ill. He will start at 3 days of West-Vlaanderen or the Vuelta Murcia next week (wait and see.....).

cyclingheroes said:

VDB won't start at the Omloop and Kuurne - Brussels - Kuurne this weekend. Unibet.com published a pressrelease that frank is ill. He will start at 3 days of West-Vlaanderen or the Vuelta Murcia next week (wait and see.....).

I'd give anything to see this man back on the bike - if only to see him riding along.
VDB needs to be back in the sport - for his own sake.

limerickman said:

I'd give anything to see this man back on the bike - if only to see him riding along.
VDB needs to be back in the sport - for his own sake.

VDB will start at the Vuelta Murcia tomorrow. He arrived in Murcia this afternoon and team manager Lucien van Impe said that VDB looked very good...

cyclingheroes said:

VDB will start at the Vuelta Murcia tomorrow. He arrived in Murcia this afternoon and team manager Lucien van Impe said that VDB looked very good...

VDB finished as number 84 today (stage 2 Vuelta Murcia), he was in a group of 21 riders with his Unibet captain for the race (Baden Cooke).

Valverde won the stage.