Ronde van Vlaanderen Post Mortem: Raise the Stijn!

by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 6, 2008 11:14 AM EDT in News

What a win by Devolder. Excellent game of poker by Quick Step. As for the rest, this is a reminder that sometimes you have to put your head down and go.

Oh, and this is a VDS-friendly thread. Not that I want to talk about it...

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CSC?

Remember the CSC strategy? Flood the field with numbers? Wear out the other teams with so many attacking riders? Not today- though you can't be perfect every day.

by ursula on Apr 6, 2008 11:19 AM EDT reply actions

We'll you're right ursula

can't win them all. Maybe Tony has peaked for the spring, maybe he's gonna bring the hurt next week.

VDS - wise... Van Der Flecha netted me something like 275 points. Thats all I got.

America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt

by ELVISGOAT on Apr 6, 2008 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Oi.

I'm still waiting for the second ten to be announced to see if I got any VDS points!

by ursula on Apr 6, 2008 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Fleche for me too

and maybe a minor placing from boonen.

by d rod on Apr 6, 2008 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Yep

they were too busy tilling the fields. With their bikes.

by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 6, 2008 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

CTv

would never say it since Zipp's a sponsor--but CSC's control problems on a wet technical course--could it be related to wet weather, carbon rims, and carbon specific brake pads??

by R Mc on Apr 6, 2008 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I have Flecha too

Podium Cafe commentary was outstanding today, it was almost as good as watching the race live. (Almost being the operative word.)

EG and Kevin thanks for the screengrabs, they really add to the thread.

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

by bethie on Apr 6, 2008 11:33 AM EDT reply actions

flecha!

I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw Langeveld going for 2nd and Flecha joining him.

Boonen was the strongest today and he decided to enjoy Stijn's victory instead of sprinting for 4th. I hope he wins GW or Roubaix because he's costing me a lot of points.

by King of Doping on Apr 6, 2008 11:38 AM EDT reply actions

Devolder was a monster out there today

CSC had some bad luck, but they still disapointed. Rabo was the strongest team today IMO, QS had the mighty Devo and Boonen, but Rabo had men in almost every brakes, and fought hard 'till the end...
CSC was for me the biggest surprise of today, I had thought they'd be much, much more active in the race. QS and Rabo were the winner teams,
HR, Cofidis and Astana had a solid day too.
CSC, being the best team in the world- disapointed.

by Bruce on Apr 6, 2008 11:42 AM EDT reply actions

Devo

Interesting. Up until today Devolder's MO was great engine with no brain attached. In his races he would habitually set off on a suicidal attack that was both very impressive in that we all knew that very few other riders could ever match it, and very dumb because he would always attack too soon and get caught. But today he came up with the winning move, attacking at the right time, and naturally, nobody could catch him in time.

So, projecting into the future, if Devo is able to attack sensibly we should expect to see him attacking regularly earlier than what most other riders, including his teammates, would like. On the cobbles, very very few riders can hang with him. In the Ardennes?

But back to Flanders, QS now has this serious one-two punch that CSC doesn't have, what with Devo in the long attack and if caught Boonen at the end.

At least that's how I read it. You?

by ursula on Apr 6, 2008 11:43 AM EDT reply actions

Before this year, he was riding for a team

that had never won a major classic.

This year, when he went on an attack, the favorites knew that chasing him was playing into the hands of the world's best classics sprinter.

Ballan and Flecha both went after him at different times, but in the back of everyone's mind was the question: "am I just doing Boonen's work for him?"

This is how riding for a top classics team rewards top riders. W/ Quickstep, Stijn isn't the top captain, but he gets better chances to win. Nuyens, Pozzato, and Paolini have all seen how chances to win are at least as good riding for Boonen/Bettini as they are riding for yourself on another team.

by Koppenberg on Apr 6, 2008 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Good point

That Devo is finally on a Classics team. That's big.

by ursula on Apr 6, 2008 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Yep. 100% in agreement with you.

Without Boner in the group behind, and unwilling to to work to catch his mate, this wouldn't have worked.

Everyone wanted someone else to do the work and/or didn't want to sprint with Tomeke in the end.

Stijn has found a perfect home in QS.

thevirtualmusette.com

by The Team Chef on Apr 6, 2008 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Perfect guy to attack

You have to think the rival DSs were thinking... Devolder? I don't really have to chase him, do I?

by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 6, 2008 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions

top 30

1     Devolder Stijn     QST     6u24'02"
2     Nuyens Nick     COF     15"
3     Flecha Juan Antonio     RAB
4     Ballan Alessandro     LAM     21"
5     Hincapie George     THR
6     Pozzato Filippo     LIQ
7     Arvesen Kurt-Asle     CSC
8     Van Avermaet Greg     SIL
9     Spilak Simon     LAM
10     Labbe Arnaud     BTL
11     Eisel Bernhard     THR
12     Maaskant Martijn     TSL
13     Rast Grégory     AST
14     Terpstra Niki     MRM
15     Gilbert Philippe     FDJ
16     Muravyev Dmitriy     AST
17     Boonen Tom     QST
18     Langeveld Sebastian     RAB
19     Hoste Leif     SIL
20     Klier Andreas     THR
21     Tjallingii Maarten     SIL
22     Elmiger Martin     ALM
23     Cancellara Fabian     CSC
24     Barredo Carlos     QST
25     Tombak Janek     MIT     25"
26     Guesdon Frédéric     FDJ     43"
27     Hushovd Thor     C.A     3'18"
28     Hovelynck Kurt     TSV
29     Horrillo Pedro     RAB
30     Chavanel Sylvain     COF

by King of Doping on Apr 6, 2008 11:51 AM EDT reply actions

As I told you...

Barredo really loves this race.

Big surprise by Langeveld, Spilak and ¿Labbe? Maaskjant was also good for slipstream

by King of Doping on Apr 6, 2008 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions

According

to Bweeg's own site Labbe abandoned and their only finisher was Pichot in 94th place. And spare a thought for poor Erki Putsep who gave up everything to bring a pair of gloves to Antony Geslin. Have Bweeg never seen snow before?

by Monty. on Apr 6, 2008 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions

checking around...

pretty much everyone (VN, CN, sporza) except Bweeg have Labbe in 10th still, but you have to assume his team knows whether he finished or not.

by guidemd on Apr 6, 2008 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree Ursula!

Even though I thought that Devo's attack today was again one of his suicide ones, he was able to pull it off. If he can wait until 20/30K's to go, he can win pretty much any race he wants, he has the engine that has been obvious for many years now, he just never had the patience before.

Now he is a marked man, not a kamikaze anymore, so he's attacks are being paid much more attention than so far...
QS seems to be very hard to beat in the classics, even CSC with a very strong team looked powerless today..

by Bruce on Apr 6, 2008 11:56 AM EDT reply actions

Yep, and I said as much during the race

As someone said earlier, the guy's got big stones....

by Cyclingrush on Apr 6, 2008 8:48 PM EDT up reply actions

\19/

============= Daniel

by crashdan on Apr 6, 2008 12:46 PM EDT reply actions

My thoughts:

Devolder was the strongest rider today. Boonen probably could've won, but there's a reason Devolder was able to hold off several groups chasing: He was better than them. I think Boonen is really holding his cards.

Hincapie in 5th - Flanders isn't his race, Roubaix is. Good or bad sign for next week? I'm thinking good, honestly. He showed some serious strength, and I think he's got good support from Klier and Eisel, who are both possible winners, too.

Maaksant in 12th - Epic ride by a good, young rider on Slipstream. Good sign for helping Maggie next week, or not? Flanders and the Ardennes are Maaksant's type of race (he won a lot of U23 classics, mostly hilly/climbing races), because they're hilly. Not racing Gent-Wevelgem will also seriously help Slipstream for next week. Pate, Farrar, and Maggie are much bigger factors on the flats of Roubaix, as is most of the team they brought.

CSC vs. Quick-Step:
CSC certainly doesn't compete as well a week from now. Who the hell is going to chase down Quick-Step when they send up someone who is good on the flats (that being said... both teams are, on paper, a lot more dominant in Flanders because they have guys who can hammer up the hills and do more damage)
Cance can hammer away, but can Boonen or Devolder be beaten? Both can hammer away pretty well, too.

Everyone else - Can they ride a tactically smart race in what is looking to be some bad weather again for next week? And who will get hurt on the Kemmelberg.

The Thunder God, Allan Davis (are they racing next week?), Guesdon, and Freire are going to be big factors next week, I think, and certainly can help their teams. Chavanel and Nuyens are done with this.

Roubaix is looking to be mostly between CSC, High Road, Quick Step, and maybe Rabo. I'm not sure who else will factor in, but good money would put the winner on one of those teams... and maybe Slipstream if the weather is right for big Maggie.

by BDBrian on Apr 6, 2008 2:21 PM EDT reply actions

Good points

I'd say Hink's form is ascendant. He came from nowhere to the front of the Flanders peloton, so nothing but good signs for next week. Now if he could get a little luck??

Same with Boonen, who was ready today, it seemed. Nobody bothered him on any of the climbs, and nobody got away from him except when his teammate was off the front.

by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 6, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Slipstream updates -

From an email earlier this week I wasn't expecting to see Meatball upfront (next week I hope to see a lot of him!) but here's an update on the gang -

http://www.velonews.com/article/74285/school-of-hard-knocks-ups-and-downs-mark-slipstream-s-ronde

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2008/04/06/flanders-pics-and-quotes/

Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. -Randy Pausch

by nikki on Apr 6, 2008 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions

my thougts exactly, or at least mostly

I can't freakin' wait. The wife took her first bike ride today since she was a teenager, and she LOVED it - she has the fever now too, which means I get a kitchen pass to watch PR, and she might even join me!!!!

Ale x 2!!!

by Cyclingrush on Apr 6, 2008 8:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Fun to read the thread here afterward..

Watched on Eurosport here in Bratislava. Amazingly, they covered the last 140 km today. You have to know the racers to follow, because the local Czech announcer doesn't know anyone but the big names and hardly tries. Every race he interviews Pavol Padrnos...today in the middle of the Muur. They aren't even talking about the race. Near the top of the climb he decides to try to identify a few guys:

Announcer: Rabobank....Freire, Lampre...Ballan, Milram....Zabel, Cofidis...Chavanel, Quick Step...Boonen....Astana...uh, Pavol...is that Vaitkus?

Pavol: No, I think it's someone from Astana.

Announcer: Ivanov?

Pavol: mmmm....no idea. It's somebody.

And so it goes. Great to get back here and actually get the answer to who the Milram guy was, among other crucila metaphysical questions. Extraordinary race.

by Mr 60 Percent on Apr 6, 2008 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

And what did happen to Vaitkus?

He was 3rd over Kwaremont then he just disappeared. Gusev I saw went out in the crash with DeJongh.

Also, where were Stuart O'Grady and Geert Steegmans? Never saw them all day.

Final thought: Devolder would have won today if he were still with Discovery/USP or with a third team. Tactics only count for not so very much. He was just better than everyone today, all day long, for the first time ever. I'm a fan of any Flanders specialist who can compete in the high mountains in the summer.

by Mr 60 Percent on Apr 6, 2008 3:35 PM EDT reply actions

was it Vaitkus?

I'm not good enough to tell who's who with the Astana riders (other than the main guys) - read elsewhere someone complaining about how Anthony on c.tv kept referring to Vaitkus when "we all knew it wasn't Vaitkus, it was Rast" ...

by guidemd on Apr 6, 2008 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions

no idea!

I thought it was Rene the bodybag who crashed with Steven, but not sure.
Vaitkus vanished somewhere in the end of the race...
Rast was the best rider for the team, which Anthony kept on calling vaitkus, very annoying...

by Bruce on Apr 6, 2008 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions

As much as I would like to

extend the legend of the bantam rooster, Rene Haselbacher, it was Gusev. He's on the race injury list. Haselbacher finished the race.

It was Vaitkus on Kwaremont but Rast was the first Astana on the Koppenberg. Saw Vaitkus a little further down the peloton, then poof.

by Mr 60 Percent on Apr 6, 2008 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Devolder disagrees:

""Everybody's scared of him," Devolder said. "So when I attacked it was perfect for Tom, because it was easier for him in the group behind."

If Devolder's on a different team, Tommeke rides. If Tommeke rides, Devolder loses.
qed

by R Mc on Apr 6, 2008 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions

ok, but

He's supposed to say that. A guy on Tom Boonen's team isn't going to say: "I won because I am the best and the strongest."

But Devolder was just clearly better than every one else today -- which he never was in previous classics. If Cancellara, Pozzato, and the other 30+ guys who hit the Muur together could have brought back 17 seconds in 15 kilometers, they would have. They wouldn't have worried about Boonen, who was dropped by the tiny chase groups at several points and constantly had to reintegrate.

by Mr 60 Percent on Apr 6, 2008 7:05 PM EDT up reply actions

According to the Saunier Duval website

Angel Gomez fractured his right arm in that horrible crash and will be out for a few weeks. Or as the Belgian site Sportwereld so graphically puts it Angel Gomez Gomez maakt doodsmak. Flemish is a language I am learning to love. I'm never going to crash again, doodsmak is where it's at.

by Monty. on Apr 6, 2008 4:13 PM EDT reply actions

Indeed!

That dude made quite a smack!

by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 6, 2008 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks!

That crash looked awful!

Hopefully he'll get on the bike asap.

by Bruce on Apr 6, 2008 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions

seriously

there are painful slide-across-the-tarmac crashes, but those are at least (nominally) anticipated. But head on all out into a planter? I actually think he's pretty lucky with the broken arm.

by Sui Juris on Apr 6, 2008 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Three inches to the right

and he would have hit the motorcycle parked there and broken his neck. Ironic to say he was "lucky", but that dood was seriously lucky...

by Jimbo... on Apr 7, 2008 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Belgian traffic engineering

at its finest.

Hmmmm, something is not quite right with that road. Ah yes, we need some knee high concrete planters sticking out perpendicularly into the road. Ah, perfect.

-K-

by KevinK on Apr 6, 2008 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Eh

seems entirely reasonable to me, but I grew up driving on the wrong side of the road, so . . .

by Sui Juris on Apr 6, 2008 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Here's the moment

-K-

by KevinK on Apr 6, 2008 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions

omg!!!!!

that was horrendous... flashbacks of my February dog encounter. Avoid crashing at all cost.

America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt

by ELVISGOAT on Apr 6, 2008 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions

oh...

and WTF was that cop doing? Shouldn't he be out there near the point of impact waving that flag... another public safety tragedy.

America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt

by ELVISGOAT on Apr 6, 2008 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions

he was

watched it again on Versus, and he really did all he could. Really.

by Sui Juris on Apr 6, 2008 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm late to the VDS talk,

But I got 1st, 3rd, 5th, 11th, and 20th!!!!!

Huge points for me today!!

by Cyclingrush on Apr 6, 2008 8:45 PM EDT reply actions

Bugger

off

by Sui Juris on Apr 6, 2008 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions

VDS Points. Bah!

Bah and Blah! I worked so hard on my Nutella and Beef Jerky team and I'm 108th!

I thought I was so smart to choose Boonen. Between needing top 3 placings in Grand Tour stages to get any VDS points and Boonen being the top sprinter that rides more classics and has better results than the rest, he was just clearly necessary to any good VDS team. Bah! And the worst thing is that I never root for him and still don't really want to, so he isn't fun to have on my team. Whereas I adore Cancellara, but decided I couldn't risk putting him on my team because he spent too much of the first half of last year being lazy - Dave Z was climbing like crazy in the Giro and Tony was sipping grappa in the gruppetto. And was he still going to be on fire after the winter? Sigh.

And it seems that all of my leftovers - everybody that I really wanted on my team, but couldn't afford with my better [sic] picks that I therefore put on my husband's Or Thereabouts team - are riding like crazy. I'm in 108th place, but my husband is in 13th. Bah!

And what is up with Sam San? I picked him over Sastre because he rides races in the spring with good results, so I figured he might pull in more points over the whole season. So, of course, he decides this year that he's not going to ride anything. How can he not be riding at least Pais Vasco? Blah!

And I was worried that I didn't have enough Giro riders represented on my team, so I made room for Andy Schleck. AND NOW HE SAYS HE'S NOT RIDING IT. And I chose him over Ricardo Ricco whom I decided would be better on my daughter's GoGo Popo team, which is 51st to my 108th, btw.

And all those placings are before today's results when Boonen's 17th place got me a whopping 30 points. My husband got 50 points and my daughter 150, of course.

Even the self-deprecated Team Unibrow is beating me.

Ok, rant over. Maybe things will turn around in the Ardennes. Or in July. Or when the ASO and UCI kiss and make up.

a turn of the crank is all that you need to start a revolution -scarlett parker, bicycle haiku

by Kirsten on Apr 6, 2008 10:06 PM EDT reply actions