The Muur is back to farewell Tommeke
Some things come, some things go. On Sunday in Flanders, there will be a mix of joy and melancholy as an old favourite returns, and another bids farewell. The famed Muur de Geraardsbergen aka the Kapelmuur finally reappears where it belongs, albeit not with the important role it once played. But at least it’s there. And riding up it for the last time will be another legend of the race, also possibly not playing as important a hand, Tom Boonen. It might be fitting to see him lead the peloton past the iconic cross and chapel one last time.
It may be a bridge too far for Tommeke to take a fourth Flanders, and something tells me he’s keeping his powder dry to have a real tilt at a fifth cobblestone next week after coming oh-so-close in 2016. Contending with the rampaging Greg van Avermaert and Peter Sagan up the bergs might take the sting out of ageing, tired legs, and probably most younger ones too. Who can stop these two right now? Probably not QuickStep, who seem more concerned with working out how not to win than actually using any of their many weapons to try to win. Giblets looks to be on song though, and a win in Oudenaarde in the Tricolor jersey is a sight we’ll never tire of.
This promises to be a race for the ages, and picking the winner might not be a flip of the coin situation at all. Best put the thinking casquettes on, study the start list and settle in with a fine Tripel and enjoy the show!
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Coo - I might just have won that with a First and Second. Might have peaked early (like last year!).
Ok, I' not opening up he helmet debate, but I can't believe Sagan finished today. Watch his crash with GvA and Naesen. Sagan's head thwacks the cobbles hard! No helmet = concussion, no doubt about it. And on the subject of headgear, what's up with PhilGil going capless on the podium? EQS are usually very diligent about diong the proper (not baseball-style) cap. Terpstra did it right, but I can't remember I saw a rider sans head gear on the podium.
@wiscotAshleigh
Weird, huh. I bet he simply wasn't handed one and in the excitement didn't notice it.
Felt bad for Sagan. Would have perhaps been a closer run thing if not for that stack. Did he run into a spectator's jacket, or did he take out the spectators jacket on his way to the deck? Unlucky too for Boonen to have a mechanical with his replacement bike. Gonna be some hungry front runners out there next week.
That was a griping watch! This spring has just been producing ride after ride of power - yes I remember the Kelly's and Hinault's and of course Eddy laying down serious hurt but it seems these guys - those winning this year are in a league of their own and it's not like the bunch is full of wimps. Do @all think they are different from the past? Phils display today, Van Avermaet, Sags, Cancelarara and Boonen the past few years are they the same as Kelly, Hinault and the Great one?
@Rob
Does Howdy Doody have wooden balls ? Heck ya they're different from perspective of physical preparation, training and being stronger. Couple that with top flight advances in equipment. No different than any sport I have to believe. My opinion. Maybe not different in terms of having the mental killer attitude about wanting to crush souls and going however deep is necessary to do so. But for sure, physically ? Absolutely.
@Rob
@Randy C
It's hard to measure across eras of course, but there is some evidence that modern cyclists aren't any better than older ones (excluding the effects of blood doping).
Eg, Coppi did Alpe d'Huez in 45:22 in 1952 (on dirt roads without modern gears!), Luis Herrera did 41:50 in 1987 (which was probably before EPO) and Pinot did a 42:18 in 2015.
The crazy EPO era was completely different though (eg, 37:35/27:36 for Pantani/Armstrong in 1997)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpe_d%27Huez#Ascent_times
@stooge
I hear ya, but that's that soigneurs are for - taking care of the post race clothing.
"Evil Lady Luck was in the gutter Sunday. Always ride the crown." I remember somewhere.
@Randy C Wait whaaaat, No Howdy did not have wooden balls? But that aside you confirm what I feel about these guys - they just look so frikin tuned!
@The Grande Fondue then you throw facts into the mix and it also confirms how I feel -
really they are the same athletes (totally ignoring the doping days) just with better food, training regimes and feed back to sharpen the instrument.
@stooge can not wait for next weekend!! The best race bar none and aren't we long over due for a wet one??
@wiscot
Yeah, precisely. The soigneur forgot that detail and by the time anyone noticed it was too late. Doubt we'll see it again from any team this season, as all teams would have made a note of it.