Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Roubaix
Let us pray for rain.
The Sunday after Ronde Van Vlaanderen brings us to Paris-Roubaix. The Holiest of Holies. There are no bergs to ride over, instead, accelerate to maximum speed to be in the top 20 to start each cobbled section, bring power up to flank to float over broken treacherous farm path crown, gutter or ditch or all three at the same time as required. Recover once back on the tarmac. Repeat 26 more times.
This Sunday’s edition of Paris-Roubaix will have Velominati moaning, staring through half empty bottles of Chimay, burning candles to Saint Ludo of Dierckxsens (the patron saint of Flemish V), begging for a sign. The winner won’t be a first timer to this race, he needs experience on these stones, he will also require equally experienced teammates who can hang tough close to Roubaix. He must be massively fit. He must be tough as nails. Andy Schleck will not be out here on Sunday, not because he is not tough (OK, he is not tough enough for this) but racing on such terrible cobbled farm tracks is a skill only a certain subset of professionals develop. All around tough bastard Bernard Hinault, aka The Badger, thought it was an insane lottery, unworthy of his attention but he did ride it twice and won in 1981. In 2011 you could do worse than roll up to the start on your 1980 steel Merckx ride as today’s bikes, used just for this one race, have a lot of old-school about them: 27mm profile tires, huge inner chain rings, 3-cross laced wheels, longer rake front forks, longer chainstays. These bikes go back into storage when this race is over. Insane bikes, riders, fans and of course, throw in some bad weather and we have a real race.
Finally Fabian Cancellara has shown himself to be human, a really strong human. Tomeke Boonen is showing signs of past greatness. Garmin-Cervelo has been hammered from all quarters, they are under pressure and Thor has always said this is the race he wants to win. Gilbert is fit, ready and Belgian (news flash, he may be ready but not to race P-R, coward). Chavanel is fit, ready and French. Could Ballan be the new Moser? No. Not ever. Team Sky, with nary a Belgian still has a shot with a Spaniard, an Englishman and a Welshman.
The spinning wheels of Fortuna could play havoc on the best laid bets like it did in 2001. Dutchmen Servais Knaven won it all. Knaven, with teammate Johan Museeuw was part of a select group closing in on Roubaix. Being the dutiful domestique he attacked to force Museeuw’s adversaries to chase but no one could. He was a tough guy and rode away with a beautiful victory.
Let us pray for rain.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3whyot73JRA[/youtube]
Chavanel gone… Greipel still there.
Quick Step totally hosed, jeebus.
quick step are more like quick fall today
CANCELLARA GONE! Seriously, who is going to win now?
Correction: Cancellara NOT gone.
More crashes on the road than the cobbles! Rainbows looking good. Blownen out
@harminator
The NOS thinks that might be because of the good weather, allowing ‘lesser’ riders to come back to the bunch only to make mistakes later.
Hushovd going in attack.
Thor lookin’ good. BMC not giving up either. Fuckin’ brill so far
attack by cancellara, Flecha and Hushovd responding.
Ballan trying to get to Cancellara. I’m seriously enjoying this.
Leading group = My picks – Boonen
The Hushovd/Cancellara accelerations threw a hand grenade into that group. Awesome. I love cycling so much!
And how tough is Chav?
The big boys might have left this a bit late. Gap’s gone out again…
Cancellara gone again, Hushovd again following.
Love this race! So geeked up right now.
What the fuck is going on?!!
Fabian is finding out what happens when you talk too much smack before the race….
@blaireau
Contraire, he’s telling everybody else to HTFU
@blaireau
Or what happens when you have two guys with you who have guys in the break ahead! He cannot bitch at all if he does not have anyone in the break ahead. Maybe he wants to speak with the race organizer and neutralize the race? :)
Radio Tour keeps calling Tjallingi Boom. Tjallingi is in the leading groep, not Boom.
@Netraam
Would be pretty cool to see Boom get it. And he’s back in the lead group…
The Flemish guys keep referring to Motorcus as the Moped. Class.
By the way, PISSED that our class act Hushovd isn’t willing to work with Faboo. Gotta take initiative if’n you’re gonna win.
@frank
True that. I feel inclined to use the word pusillanimous again.
@G’phant
I don’t think so, Boom is too far in the back with Hushovd and Cancellara. Tjallingi might be able to do it, even though he has been in the attack for the entire day.
Tjallingi – Van Summeren. I love it when a plan comes together.
hold on now!
@Netraam
Anyone reckon JV is now issuing another ‘don’t ride’ message?
Van Summeren is pedalling squares.
KM ticker in the upper left wasn’t moving, and the Flemish guys, with their man off the front finally holler out, “Please, take something off that km ticker!! These km’s are long enough as they are!”
Did I tap VanAvermaet? I meant Van Summeren, who, Frank, you will be glad to know is the tallest man in the peleton.
He really looks like he’s riding Frank’s bike.
@Nate
He’s just about to grow a other few inches.
this race only confirms my dis like for Thor
@G’phant
He’ll need to if he wants to out-seatpost Frank.
I believe that frame might be bigger than mine. Never seen that before.
What are Van Summerens wheels?
Another great quote (sorry, I’m in love): “Break those teeth off!!”
Yellow decals would suggest Mavic
Cancellara going for my point…
Ballan 6… If he was 1 place better I would have had 2 points instead of one.
speachless
@frank
I think there is some horizontal compression on the video feed which makes everything look taller.
I’m so over Hushovd. Some Viking.
Best Roubaix since 2007’s O’Grady win. CLASS ACT. And a tall dude, at that.
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He has been hyped up for winning worlds. but even that was cause he sucked wheel all the way.
@Marko
Never ever would have thought that. Magnificent.
Next year Langeveld, Boom and Tjallingii going. Only 365 days to go.
Both Hayman and Flecha in top 10. Team tactics could have had one of them in top 5, imo.
@Marko
I think they’re the super-secret new Mavic wheels for P-R.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/pro-bike-thor-hushovds-garmin-cervelo-cervelo-r3-paris-roubaix
WOAH. G’Phant. Look what happened to your cog!