We rode the Pavé of Roubaix in the dry, and any comforting feelings we might have been carrying about with us that suggested we had somehow prepared for them were summarily vaporized as we hit the first secteur. Riding together in a group, unable to reach for the brakes or the shifters, we all were hit with the same realization: these aren’t like the stones we have at home. Not if you live anywhere other than along the cobbled roads of Northern France. Not if you live in England. Not if you live in the Netherlands. Not even if you live in Belgium. And we won’t even talk about the rest of the world.
The Trouée of Arenberg is a sacred place. Arriving there, you feel the need to pray out of respect. Riding there, you feel the need to pray out of a sense of self preservation. There is no smooth path through these particularly rough cobbles. That was in the dry; if the race is wet as predicted by the weathermen (whom I assume are as bad at being right as they are in the States), then there isn’t a bag big enough to hold all the prayers the riders are going to need to get through these. And the Trouée is not the hardest or roughest secteur, by a considerable margin; that honor goes to Mons-en-Pévéle or Carrfoure de l’Arbre.
Keep an eye on the weather report as the race comes nearer, as wet roads will turn this race into one of attrition. Cancellara has broken his collarbone; Boonen, Pozzato, and Ballan are on form. But this is a long race, and details such as those matter little when a race contains over fifty kilometers of cobbles. Is it another year for the breakaway, or will the favorites close it down as they approach the finale? I don’t know, but watch the countdown timer and get your picks in by Sunday morning at 5am Pacific. Winner of this VSP event will earn the right to comment all year with the pavé commenting badge. We will also forgo the usual Symbol Pack prize awarded to a Monument and award the winner a copy of the local newspaper the day after the race.
Bon chance.
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Oh, and just noticed Turgot had inline brakes. First ever dude on the podium with those on his bike?
Either way, to come from that far back for 2nd required some serious V-effort.
@Ron
I think he was riding a cyclocross bike, hence the brakes.
Whilst Mr Vlaeminck was an incredible rider, the second coming and all the rest of it, I find his mealy mouthed scant praise is rather undignified. Surely there is more dignity in simply congratulating Boonen on a great achievment and leave it at that.Roger De Vlaeminck on Boonen
Perfect! I love the outside contributions, all showing their support and validating further the breadth and depth of the experience - the Velominati Keepers Tour Experience, that is! I'm struggling to get over a serious case of Belgium-withdrawal! Uff...
snoov - Oh yeah, I know he was on a cross bike. But, not all cross bikes have those inline brakes.
And I'd just like to say that the time has come for everyone to put the hackneyed jokes about Boonen & cocaine to rest. They're not funny & really never were. The guy had a few nights of fun, let it go. There are athletes and people in general who drink or pill pop an entire LIFE away. The guy had some fun, strayed a bit, and now has returned with a laser focus.
I find it pretty silly that cyclists, a group who have and continue to ingest all sorts of wacky things to up performance, are so outraged & shocked by a dude taking a (mostly) natural substance on a weekend off. So what! The guy was having some fun.
Anyway, I was tired a few years ago of coke jokes. Now they're just old & lame. I think what really bothers me about it is that behind the jokes are fear-mongering & judgments based on a lingering "war on drugs" attitude. Many Americans walk around like zombies, hopped up on legal drugs like pills and booze. And the hard-drinking, hard-partying athletes are seen as cool. But someone does a drug not deemed okay and everyone can't shut up about it.
Living like a monk, working like a dog. Party how you want to party when you do it once a year.
Let it go already.
@paolo
He made the same type of comments earlier this year over Niels Albert not being a worthy Belgian CX champion or something to that effect. I think RDV's statements tend to say more about him than whomever he's criticizing. I respect RDV as a rider and his accomplishments speak for themselves, but he should leave it at that because he just sounds like a dick.
@Ron
Ditto. Well said. TB is maturing s a rider and a person. I think the next couple of years should be worth watching as I get a sense of greater contentment with his lot and having won what he's won, it's all gravy from here. To win PR #5 would be magical.
Solo wins appear to be the in thing at the moment. Voeckler is at it as well.
@Chris
Saw that. I wonder how he will fair over the week in the Ardennes? Going to be some tough VSP picks for those three races.