The Keepers and Rigid rolled into a region in France called Flandres which, without doing any further research into the matter, we assume is the coloquial French term for this region of the world. If its anything like the other regions in Europe, these places have roots that extend way past any modern country’s border and situate themselves in a history long past.
They do, however, speak French with all the stubbornness that we have come to love from the French. None of us in the group speak French very well, and no one we’ve found in Lille speaks English very well. Which means we’re all communicating with arms and legs more so than with words. We’re on our way to Kemmel, which means we’ll be able to speak a bit of Flemish again.
With Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics 2012 about to begin in earnest, we’re busy organizing ourselves and making final preparations, so we’ll have to forgo the usual insightful, hard-hitting, race insight we usually produce for the VSPs. What’s that you say? We’re usually full of shit? Ah, right. You’ll have to forgive us the usual shit, then, and take today’s flavor.
Watch the countdown timer, get your VSP picks in by Sunday morning at 5am Pacific. Winner of this VSP event will earn the right to comment all year with the Leeuw van Vlaanderen 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.
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View Comments
@The Oracle
Awesome!! I hope someone here recorded the race in HD and can get a screen cap and post it here.
As for myself, I got my ass up at 5:15 am to watch, but none of the English feeds were working on steephill. So I watched the flemish feed and wound up falling asleep for about 40 kms towards the end.
I am totally underwhelmed by watching cycling on my computer. Between the grainy free feeds, and the non-english commentary I can't follow, it makes watching sort of frustrating.
Has anyone used Cycling TV? I'd be totally willing to pay to watch races in English, in decent resolution - you know, so I can actually make out faces stuff.
Please, puuuhhlleeease tell me that this was not Pere Fronk:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/langeveld-crashes-after-hitting-spectator-in-tour-of-flanders
@Buck Rogers
Ugh, I saw that - can't people just stand still when the riders come by? If he didn't try and run across the path they wouldn't have nailed his leg.
Totally bummed about Faboo
@mcsqueak
It's hard I guess to look round, see a rider (or skateboarder) bearing down on you and not have some sort of fight or flight reaction. It's true that standing still is the best policy (the rider doesn't want to hit you and will be planning on going round you) but I think instincts kick in. Just an accident out of anyone's control. It's a pity Langeveld didn't escape without injury though, and Cancellara too. Cav had a crash due to a thrown bidon the other week but he was luckier.
@Buck Rogers
Nope, wasn't Frank. That spectator obviously didn't realize how fast they were coming at him and tried to cross at the last second. For what it's worth, the spectator flew up into the air almost as high as Langeveld did.
@mcsqueak
I've been watching races on Eurosport, it's £3.99 per month but I'm not sure if you'll be able to subscribe in the US. If you can, do.
@mcsqueak
I've got it on my DVR (with NBC Sports channel), but I have no idea how to get a screen capture. I thought I saw it on the second time up, but wasn't sure, so the last time they went up the Kwaremont I made sure to watch closely (no easy task with three little hoodlums running about vying for my attention!)
@The Oracle
LoFi solution get a picture of you tv screen with your phone and post up asap
@The Oracle
Yeah I'd just pause it and take a photo with your phone, it might turn out OK!