So, when are the Flemisch regulars ...

"Jenko" <[email hidden]> schreef

Quoted message said:

2. Move to Mr. Bookmaker

completely denied by Demeulenaere, but very plausible. and good for VDB's
health.

Jenko said:

... going to comment on the latest VdB news?

1. Kermesse win

Meaningless, since kermesse victories are almost always fixed

He should sign his contract this evening...

"Bart Van Hoorebeeck" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Jenko" <[email hidden]> schreef

Quoted message said:

2. Move to Mr. Bookmaker

completely denied by Demeulenaere, but very plausible. and good for VDB's
health.

"Davide Tosi" <[email hidden]> schreef >

Quoted message said:

Meaningless, since kermesse victories are almost always fixed

This seems very untrue. There might be fixing among the leaders, true, but
it cannot be arranged like all those showcase crits. For a 'fixed' crit win
you have to be in the final split in the first place. Then there can be
business with the others. But ehm... it's not like a (bought) win is an
investment the way a semi-classic can be.
Kermesses are generally hard fought races, where a power struggle/balance
between the strongest teams/ other alliances will determine which break
succeeds.

But in this case it is possible of course VDB has bought/been granted some
well-being.

"Bart Van Hoorebeeck" <[email hidden]> schreef > This seems very untrue. There
might be fixing among the leaders, true, but

Quoted message said:

For a 'fixed' crit win

here I meant fixed kermesse, of course.

"Bart Van Hoorebeeck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Davide Tosi" <[email hidden]> schreef >

Quoted message said:

Meaningless, since kermesse victories are almost always fixed

This seems very untrue. There might be fixing among the leaders, true, but
it cannot be arranged like all those showcase crits. For a 'fixed' crit

win

Quoted message said:

you have to be in the final split in the first place. Then there can be
business with the others. But ehm... it's not like a (bought) win is an
investment the way a semi-classic can be.
Kermesses are generally hard fought races, where a power struggle/balance
between the strongest teams/ other alliances will determine which break
succeeds.

But in this case it is possible of course VDB has bought/been granted some
well-being.

I think Bart is, erm, on the money here. The victories are nearly always
bought and sold, but getting into the position where you're able to do the
buying/selling takes a bit of doing. The lead group was eight strong
(normal) and four(!) of them were Jong Vlaanderen 2016 riders. Also Goncaras
(3rd) was there, and he races for money, not necessarily victories. De
Meester (4th) is good too, although he's been retired from the pro ranks for
a couple of years. He wins a few amateur races.

It's hard to tell what happened without seeing the race, but the evidence
points to VDB buying himself a gift.

Jeff

Bart Van Hoorebeeck said:

"Bart Van Hoorebeeck" <[email hidden]> schreef > This seems very untrue. There
might be fixing among the leaders, true, but

Quoted message said:

For a 'fixed' crit win

here I meant fixed kermesse, of course.

And I meant Flemish, of course.

Can we expect now some late season signs of brilliance from him? Any chance at
World's?

Jenko

Jenko schreef:

Quoted message said:

Can we expect now some late season signs of brilliance from him? Any chance at
World's?

when replying yesterday I wasn't aware his signing for MrBookmaker was kind of
going on, over the weekend it was still in denial.

VDB just wants to have some decent races in the build-up to next season. He's not
ready for something like Worlds, and he'd better avoid the attention that would
bring too.

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

Quoted message said:

Bart Van Hoorebeeck said:

"Bart Van Hoorebeeck" <[email hidden]> schreef > This seems very untrue. There
might be fixing among the leaders, true, but

Quoted message said:

For a 'fixed' crit win

here I meant fixed kermesse, of course.

And I meant Flemish, of course.

Can we expect now some late season signs of brilliance from him? Any chance at
World's?

Jenko

Maybe something in the Franco-Belge or Putte-Kapelle, but the worlds
are out of the question.
But he says he feels good. He and Sara are in a LAT-relation now.
Seems to work fine. And aren't we all happy when VDB climbs out of a
manic period.

MrBookmaker will not be a pro-Tour team, but can they still start in
let's say the flemish classics with some kind of wildcard from the
organizer?

Kenny schreef:

Quoted message said:

MrBookmaker will not be a pro-Tour team, but can they still start in
let's say the flemish classics with some kind of wildcard from the
organizer?

No. That's the whole point of the ProTour. Guys named Gutierrez, Silloniz etc. will be
forced to navigate up the Kwaremont and get an identity crisis.

VDB will likely aim for races like Het Volk, Harelbeke, later on Tour of Belgium,....
But that lower profile/lower pressure situation is a good thing for all involved.

"Van Hoorebeeck Bart" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Kenny schreef:

Quoted message said:

MrBookmaker will not be a pro-Tour team, but can they still start in
let's say the flemish classics with some kind of wildcard from the
organizer?

No. That's the whole point of the ProTour. Guys named Gutierrez, Silloniz etc. will be
forced to navigate up the Kwaremont and get an identity crisis.

Fortunately, this is wrong. The Silloniz brothers will still struggle to
get to Meerbeke, but there will be for sure 5 to 7 wildcards, up to 25
teams, in non-GT races. This is not different to the current WC system.
MrBookmaker, Chocolade Jacques and Landbouwkrediet will be there.

BTW, Saiz is apparently trying to build a decent classics roster at
Liberty,
he's said to have contacted young guys like Koen de Koort for the
cobbles.
Over time, Spanish teams will need to adapt. The change of mentality
towards
single day racing is already evident within Spanish riders (more WC wins
this
year than in the previous 15) and is starting to permeate into teams.

Jenko

--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Jenko schreef:

Quoted message said:

Fortunately, this is wrong. The Silloniz brothers will still struggle to
get to Meerbeke, but there will be for sure 5 to 7 wildcards, up to 25
teams, in non-GT races.

I hadn't understood that from the communication about the ProTour, and I admit I haven't
been looking for details yet.
Is there information on the definite list of races and the points system yet? Last time I
saw that it was strongly anti-sprinters.

On 09/14/2004 12:33 AM, in article
[email hidden], "Kenny"

Quoted message said:

And aren't we all happy when VDB climbs out of a
manic period.

Actually, we prefer him in a manic (i.e. "up" & "productive"😉 period ...
It's the depressive episodes that kill the love ...

What would be better would be somewhere in the middle ...

--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
veloworks at worldnet dot ay tea tee dot net
bellum pax est libertas servitus est ignoratio vis est
ess ay ell tea ell ay kay ee sea eye tee why you ti ay aitch
aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash

Van Hoorebeeck Bart <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Kenny schreef:

Quoted message said:

MrBookmaker will not be a pro-Tour team, but can they still start in
let's say the flemish classics with some kind of wildcard from the
organizer?

No. That's the whole point of the ProTour. Guys named Gutierrez, Silloniz etc. will be
forced to navigate up the Kwaremont and get an identity crisis.

I wonder if the protour (the selection of scared teams/riders) will
have an influence in the race development. Normally the smaller teams
like MrBookmaker, Bankgiro Loterij, Vlaanderen, Landbouwkrediet who
are used to racing in the north, always have a few decent riders who
perform well at their level and are able to keep up with the main
group. Now their place is taken by Illes Balears, Liberty Seguros,
Phonak, Euskaltel. Teams who have no experience and no riders who can
perform in the spring classics. Is it possible the peloton only
counts about 50-60 riders after the Koppenberg when there's a little
rain and wind? With still 70km to go and 11 climbs.
Maybe the protour has become the main obstacle for riders
participating in Flanders an Paris-Roubaix, instead of the climbs and
the cobblestones.

Kenny