Paris - Roubaix

I hope it rains....lots 😄

Dead Star said:

I hope it rains....lots 😄

Hushovd was very close to hanging with the last group last year.
Too bad Backstedt is out.

The final group, barring crashes, is bound to be Boonen, Hincapie and pick you list.

I thought it odd that Pozzato said he was targetting this race.

Hoste is on form adn as a big guy will do even better at P-R theoretically.

Cancellara could show up and do well.

But in the rain, I think it strongly favors Boonen (recall when Boonen rode for George and George crashed and Boonen went on and got third in the mud), not that he wasnt the fave anyway, and other Belgians who ride on the cobbles a lot, and then the guys with a lot of experince...Hincapie...too bad Eki is not as strong as usual...and Disco team is weak via crashes.

I cant wait!!!!!!!

Leif Hoste is Discovery's best hope. If big George were to do what he does best, riding in service of an appointed leader (Hoste), Discovery might just put Quickstep under pressure.

cyclingheroes said:

The "Ronde" is over and Sunday is Paris-Roubaix. Another Boonen show?

The startlist is here:
cyclingstartlists.com12PR.htmOpen ↗

i am pretty curious how Heinrich Haussler will do. He already had some good results this year and i know he is focusing on P-R. Not that i think he will win it, but maybe a top ten spot. Another rider to watch is David Kopp... Other riders who are focusing on P-R are Hushovd, Zabel, Flecha, Backstedt, Cancellara, Wesemann (if he is recovered enough...), Van Petegem, Hoste (yes he said last week his main goal is not the Ronde, but P-R), Hincapie and a guy called Boonen.

The start of Wesemann is very uncertain, T-Mobile will start with 7 riders at today's Gent-Wevelgem because Wesemann still didn't recover enough from the flu. His start is 50/50 for P-R (source T-Mobile).

hombredesubaru said:

Hushovd was very close to hanging with the last group last year.
Too bad Backstedt is out.

The final group, barring crashes, is bound to be Boonen, Hincapie and pick you list.

I thought it odd that Pozzato said he was targetting this race.

Hoste is on form adn as a big guy will do even better at P-R theoretically.

Cancellara could show up and do well.

But in the rain, I think it strongly favors Boonen (recall when Boonen rode for George and George crashed and Boonen went on and got third in the mud), not that he wasnt the fave anyway, and other Belgians who ride on the cobbles a lot, and then the guys with a lot of experince...Hincapie...too bad Eki is not as strong as usual...and Disco team is weak via crashes.

I cant wait!!!!!!!

I predict that the editors of L'Equipe will conspire with [censored] Pound, Dirk Demol, Patrick Lefevere, Lief Hoste, and Tom Boonen to make Hincapie crash and then get dragged across the muddy cobbles by a motorbike that is also illegally motorpacing Boonen and Hoste. While all this is happening, a covert squad of Belgian and French reporters will secretly inject every American rider on Discovery with massive doses of EPO. UCI will immediately test them all get positive results. As Hoste and Boonen cross the line at the same time, L'Equipe will anounce the positives. All the Americans will get two year bans. Then [censored] Pound will find Tyler Hamilton and kick him in the gut a few times while shredding the proof that Tyler was framed by a mysterious Belgian who hates Labrador Retrievers.

But, hey, that's just a guess.

hombredesubaru said:

But in the rain, I think it strongly favors Boonen (recall when Boonen rode for George and George crashed and Boonen went on and got third in the mud), not that he wasnt the fave anyway, and other Belgians who ride on the cobbles a lot, and then the guys with a lot of experince...Hincapie...too bad Eki is not as strong as usual...and Disco team is weak via crashes.

I cant wait!!!!!!!

yeah, we haven't had rain for that race since 2002. It just adds to the greatness of the race to see them all suffer with all that cow [censored]/mud covered on them 😄

tcklyde said:

I predict that the editors of L'Equipe will conspire with [censored] Pound, Dirk Demol, Patrick Lefevere, Lief Hoste, and Tom Boonen to make Hincapie crash and then get dragged across the muddy cobbles by a motorbike that is also illegally motorpacing Boonen and Hoste. While all this is happening, a covert squad of Belgian and French reporters will secretly inject every American rider on Discovery with massive doses of EPO. UCI will immediately test them all get positive results. As Hoste and Boonen cross the line at the same time, L'Equipe will anounce the positives. All the Americans will get two year bans. Then [censored] Pound will find Tyler Hamilton and kick him in the gut a few times while shredding the proof that Tyler was framed by a mysterious Belgian who hates Labrador Retrievers.

But, hey, that's just a guess.

LOL
I hate labradors too

Does anyone have the detailed information of this years pave sections (beside length)? I found the grades of last years pave sections at cyclingnews.com 2005 preview, but its only grades.

This year they reinserted Trouée d'Arenberg section, is this the touchest one? What are other important sections? Any links to view pics?

It would be very difficult for any not-Quickstep rider to win. They are so strong. Today Boonen saved his jus for Sunday.
I wouldn't bet anything on Hincapie. He' s always there but always missing out. He will need a lot of luck to win. That means to be at the end alone or with less-experienced riders and most of the times in Roubaix it's not the case.
As about the weather it will be cloudy but with no rain (today's prediction which can be changed though)

Endym said:

Does anyone have the detailed information of this years pave sections (beside length)? I found the grades of last years pave sections at cyclingnews.com 2005 preview, but its only grades.

This year they reinserted Trouée d'Arenberg section, is this the touchest one? What are other important sections? Any links to view pics?

Here's some information, pretty weak though. Jean-François Pescheux rates Trouée d’Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and Le Carrefour de l’Arbre as 5-stars.

letour.frcommunique.htmlOpen ↗

Dimos said:

It would be very difficult for any not-Quickstep rider to win. They are so strong. Today Boonen saved his jus for Sunday.
I wouldn't bet anything on Hincapie. He' s always there but always missing out. He will need a lot of luck to win. That means to be at the end alone or with less-experienced riders and most of the times in Roubaix it's not the case.
As about the weather it will be cloudy but with no rain (today's prediction which can be changed though)

I'm sure Boonen saved it but other observers thought hew looked very tired on the climbs. I am sure he'll be there for the race.
Graham Watson observed that Hincapie came in 5th without breaking a sweat in Gent-W.

I think Hushovd, Cancellara, Hincapie, Boonen will decide the race. If others are luckt to stay along we'll see.

You cant win on luck but you can lose on luck.

A friend in Q-S said to Graham Watson that Disco has the strongest P-R team, interesting thought.

Current form would suggest Boonen for P-R but you need luck, skill and to be riding at the best of your ability on the day.

I wouldn't write off George Hincapie's chances - George has a very very good pedigree in this race and I wouldn't be surprised if he won it.

Roubaix is a very difficult one to call : Pozatto, Rebellin, Van Bon, Flecha, Van Petegem, Mattan, Michaelsen (top 10 2005), Cancellara, Knaven, Hoste.

Hammond (although he crashed at RVV) is determined to start on Sunday.
Marc Wauters is another man I wouldn't write off either.

A friend in Q-S said to Graham Watson that Disco has the strongest P-R team, interesting thought.[/QUOTE]
I can see this as an out of context quote. A guy from quick step when asked about the strongest team would probably think he was being asked the strongest team besides QS. Ask anyone in the world who is the strongest classics team and they will say QS. Clearly everyone in QS knows they are the strongest so it would be a waste of breath for him to state the obvious. Strongest team besides QS??? I would go twith Disco on that for talent... classics teamwork and strategy.. hardly... talent, definitely. They can field a team where more than half have a fighting chance.. George, Hammond, Gusev, Devolder, Hoste. All of those guys have to be considered contenders. Favorites? No, but that has been discussed. Name another team where five guys realistically could win PR?

Lim, I am with you in hoping Hammond is fit to fight on Sunday. I have read interviews with him and he seems like a real classy guy

Here's the quote from Graham Watson who has been in the business for thirty years, knows all the riders and teams and has probably the best inside sources anyone could have. Why? Because they all want him to feature them in his pictures.

Here's the quote, which you cant accept because it favors DC:
check out the entire quote at paceline.com

"Hincapie and Boonen took turns to wind the pace up in those crosswinds, and it did look like Boonen was having a tougher time staying near the front...

A friend in the Quick-Step team has told me they think Discovery has the strongest team for Paris-Roubaix, and I suppose when you line Gusev up with other strong men like Ekimov, Hoste, Noval, Devolder, Joachim and perhaps Mikhailov, you can see why Quick-Step has made this observation, and why Hincapie might bring back at least some of his smile during dinner this evening - Graham"

tcklyde said:

I predict that the editors of L'Equipe will conspire with [censored] Pound, Dirk Demol, Patrick Lefevere, Lief Hoste, and Tom Boonen to make Hincapie crash and then get dragged across the muddy cobbles by a motorbike that is also illegally motorpacing Boonen and Hoste. While all this is happening, a covert squad of Belgian and French reporters will secretly inject every American rider on Discovery with massive doses of EPO. UCI will immediately test them all get positive results. As Hoste and Boonen cross the line at the same time, L'Equipe will anounce the positives. All the Americans will get two year bans. Then [censored] Pound will find Tyler Hamilton and kick him in the gut a few times while shredding the proof that Tyler was framed by a mysterious Belgian who hates Labrador Retrievers.

But, hey, that's just a guess.

Historically the races in Belgium has always gave Belgian riders favored treatment. There was a TDF start where the Dutch/British Ti-Raleigh won the prolouge but a collusion of other teams lead by Flandria denied the Yellow Jersey to Ti-Raleigh. After the prologue the Belgium teams wanted the prologue to not count towards the overall classification denying the jersey to Raas. Bernard Thevenet refused to wear the jersey though Belgium that day which was his right being the Tour winner from the previous year.....

wolfix said:

Historically the races in Belgium has always gave Belgian riders favored treatment. There was a TDF start where the Dutch/British Ti-Raleigh won the prolouge but a collusion of other teams lead by Flandria denied the Yellow Jersey to Ti-Raleigh. After the prologue the Belgium teams wanted the prologue to not count towards the overall classification denying the jersey to Raas. Bernard Thevenet refused to wear the jersey though Belgium that day which was his right being the Tour winner from the previous year.....

News from Belgium indicate that Boonen was completely blown after G-W and next year will not do the race. He isnt even going to train exceot a light spin and a photo op on the cobbles Friday. He'll probably recover but still..for Tom to come out and say the eighteen races this year are catching up with him...

Is this the "Lance bluff." I dont think so.
This favors the others and especially George, who having ridden like nie or ten Tours de France has the capacity to recover day to day.

Hincapie will win!!!!!!!!
Plus I spoke to Chris Carmichaep last night at a talk and he thinks this is George's year.

hombredesubaru said:

News from Belgium indicate that Boonen was completely blown after G-W and next year will not do the race. He isnt even going to train exceot a light spin and a photo op on the cobbles Friday. He'll probably recover but still..for Tom to come out and say the eighteen races this year are catching up with him...

Is this the "Lance bluff." I dont think so.
This favors the others and especially George, who having ridden like nie or ten Tours de France has the capacity to recover day to day.

Hincapie will win!!!!!!!!
Plus I spoke to Chris Carmichaep last night at a talk and he thinks this is George's year.

Boonen named P-R as an objective for 2006 : remember merckx is the only rider to be world champion, P-R and RVV winner in the same season.
I reckon Boonen was using G-W as a training ride, given his stated objective of a P-R and RVV dual title.

P-R by it's very nature is hard to predict.

DC are aiming for a win at P-R and a win for Hincapie at that.
I wouldn't bet against GH - nor would I beat against TB.
But the race is too open to call.

hombredesubaru said:

Hincapie will win!!!!!!!!
Plus I spoke to Chris Carmichaep last night at a talk and he thinks this is George's year.

Big George could physically be the best athlete by 60% (no pun intended) in the field and still lose because of tactics. He is just stupid and his team is stupid.

Boonen, Boonen, Boonen. Repeat to fade.

....also remember everyone was saying Boonen was sick before Flanders and he ended up winning by a country mile !

This is just noise from Bonnen…. he knows his body.

limerickman said:

Boonen named P-R as an objective for 2006 : remember merckx is the only rider to be world champion, P-R and RVV winner in the same season.
I reckon Boonen was using G-W as a training ride, given his stated objective of a P-R and RVV dual title.

P-R by it's very nature is hard to predict.

DC are aiming for a win at P-R and a win for Hincapie at that.
I wouldn't bet against GH - nor would I beat against TB.
But the race is too open to call.