Tommy loves the Taaienberg foto:Sporza.be
The real Velominati VSP will not begin until La Primavera. Het Volk will be a one-off warm up for the big show, no points, just some bragging rights and a V-musette. All that time wasted watching “racing” in Qatar and Oman (sorry @ChrisO) will not be in vain. Every contender for Het Volk can still find some middle eastern wind driven sand in his shoes and all the riders who want to win the Ronde will be in Gent. Those who get shelled off the hellingen too soon will know they have their work cut out for them to make the Ronde start.
This race starts and ends in Ghent; 198 km of cold, wind, rain, climbs and cobbles. The weather may not suck for this Saturday but that’s OK, the wind and rain is being banked for Paris-Roubaix. A start list is here.
With equal doses of cobbles and climbs, Het Volk is the opening of the season for us who love the Spring Classics. Up until ten years ago, Belgians won this race, almost exclusively. Ten years ago no one was racing in Dubai as preparation. The Belgians were out there, in Belgium, armed with embrocation and the big ring, killing themselves all winter to come out strong when the bell was rung. The bell will be rung on Saturday, round one.
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Outnumbered and with the added pressure as defending champ, Yogi was just too good. He's talked in the past about wanting to be the 1st Brit to win Paris Roubaix so I suspect Wiggins will be congratulating him thru gritted teeth.
Well I bet the Schlecks were having a good laugh.
No longer the worst choke in recent memory.
How fucking simple was it - let Stijnbergh and Terpstra work him over and let Boonen - you know, the former world champion and green jersey winner - sit on Stannard's wheel and go for the sprint.
What's Belgian for 'Duh'?
@ChrisO
Yep, Schleck's LBL bungle was not as dumb as this. Brilliant win by Stannard. I'm glad he could defend so well. I bet Wiggins would not have done the job if he was up there.
What a ride by the machine that is Ian Stannard! That's how to deliver a tripel custard pie into the face of Etixx Quickstep!
Just watched the last 10km, what a ride! Match the attacks and then break the opposition down with one of your own from 3km out.
Cycling has to be one of the only sorts in which 2nd, 3rd and 4th places signifies abject failure.
@Al__S takes a narrow win; what a ride by Stannard and Boonen looks to be back to his old form as well!
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Ooh, that patriotic punt on a double did me good! Doubt I can hold that lead!
Wow chapeau Mr Stannard, brilliant tactics all the way, make em work to hold off the chasers, then just lay down more V than your opponents, love to see some telemetry from that last 10km, how he kept his cool in the final, outstanding!
Zero Points, .....crash and burn!
OK, I overstated to say that finish was as lame as the Schlecks at LBL. Tommy did try a run at 5 km and Stijn was ruined by the end and Terpstra obviously has no sprint.
Brothers Schleck just rode Gilbert to the finish at LBL then pulled off and let Phil Gil win. That was still much more lame than this finish. Stannard has some serious strength right now. He should have a good spring.