Romandie Prologue: Rabon Steals the Show
by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 28, 2009 2:23 PM EDT
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Depressing day for the locals as Fabian Cancellara, riding some sort of new contraption, finished 11th in today's 3.1km dash, five seconds behind winner Frantisek Rabon of Columbia. Results coming soon... are in!
- Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia – High Road, 3.1km in 3.45
- Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux, 0.02
- Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne, 0.03
- Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Slipstream, 0.04
- Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas, s.t.
- Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana, s.t.
- Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux, s.t.
- Jeróme Coppel (Fra) Française Des Jeux, 0.05
- Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas, s.t.
- Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank, s.t.
Rabon certainly justified his Czech Chrono Champ's status, as a win over Cancellara on the latter's home turf is a real coup. The win also sets up one of my favorite races within the race, the TTT, where Columbia and fellow American squad Garmin will be among the favorites (along with Saxo and a couple others). Both American teams will get a boost of confidence from today's results, while the Saxo guys are kicking the tires on those new Specializeds.
Alejandro Valverde was a curious third, behind Sandy Casar, and just in front of a newly-healed Tyler Farrar (yay!). Valverde is impossible to decipher right now, but a fast prologue for a guy like him suggests he's motivated this week. Maybe someone explained to him that he might be on vacation for a while after Geneva.
Oh, and one small rant. Switzerland is known for about three things: beautiful mountain vistas, bank tellers who don't ask uncomfortable questions, and language diversity. So why the hell is the TdR website only available in French? Maybe the regional language differences are more tolerated (or, you know, not) than celebrated. Maybe the international banking crisis has forced the TdR to tighten its belt, and they started by cutting the German, Italian, Romansch and English websites. I can muddle through in French... just seemed very odd after a month of reading Belgian sites in English, Dutch and French.
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"Romandie" is the French-speaking part of Switzerland, non?
"Listen", he said, "to-morrow my nose is so tight on the handlebars that the only thing that touches those boils is a lovely breeze." (Hemingway)
by GreylockGrinder on Apr 28, 2009 2:29 PM EDT reply actions
Sure
But to the exclusion of the other languages?
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 28, 2009 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions
The language I can deal with
not getting into the site was a much bigger problem.
You need to do this race two or three times before you can win, despite what Cunego showed us last year: winning in his first try--Frank Schleck, on Amstel Gold
Languages
Good point. Wouldn’t it be nice if, for instance, the Tour of California’s web site used Spanish/German/French?
I noticed the Tour of Switzerland site is only french and german
no Italian or Romansch (or english)
formerly known as cyclingchallenge
Meh, a bit of a coup maybe, but I’m not making too big a deal over this. Lack of fitness and form, plus that odd looking new contraption to get used to (this was after all it’s first proper shakedown) mean I’m not going to start thinking Fab’s lost it all TT wise just yet :) So disappointed more than anything
But I’ve got serious doubts over that bike, though that may be just because I thought the Cervelo one was so pretty (as well as darn fast with Fabian at the controls)
That's true...
…up to a point. But a change in equipment does take a llittle bit of getting used to etc. And someone is not right about everything :)
That same someone
also engaged in the pursuit of the ultimate chrono bike, to no real end.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 28, 2009 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Eh...he had time to shake it down at the Tour of California where he romped that prologue.
He probably just back into tip-top shape…
I just think that those Specialized bikes look dorky. I wish Fabian had a agreement in his contract so that he could use Cervelo for the rest of his career. He just looked…smoooth…on that P3 oh so many times.
by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 28, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions
I think the bike used at Cali was a different one (if I was them I’d check they hadn’t thrown it out just in case :) )
And yeah, I wish he still had the P3 too – they should do what some of the Columbia guys have done – ride something that isn’t what the label says it is
No its not yet the TT ride...
The P4 has not been used in a race yet. When they do use it it will probably only be available to Sastre, Hushovd(maybe?), and one or 2 others.
by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 28, 2009 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Much too expensive to hand out to all of the riders...
It would be around 14,000+ U.S. with everything included and I think they are waiting for the Tour or a long time trial so that they can employ the use of the built in water bottle. They would probably not want to use it any short time trial because the P3 could handle the job.
The frameset alone cost 4,800$ which is 1,500 more than the P3. It’ll be out either in the Giro or the Tour.
by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 28, 2009 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions
different bike than at ToC
He rode a different bike at ToC than he did today.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2009/probikes/?id=fabian_cancellara_specialized_transition09
vs.
Well I think Specialized just decided to copy and paste
from other top bikes so they didn’t have to wind tunnel test. The front end on that thing is bulky. It looks like the back of Darth Vader’s helmet is above the front wheel.
by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 28, 2009 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions
and ...
…it’s put on by a french company. An ecnglish sister site would have been nice though. As would have one that didn’t crash.
Wierd top 10
(from Cyclingnews)
1 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia – High Road 3.45
2 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux 0.02
3 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 0.03
4 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Slipstream 0.04
5 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
6 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana
7 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux
8 Jeróme Coppel (Fra) Française Des Jeux 0.05
9 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas
10 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
Not much these guys have in common, except that I wouldn’t have picked any of them except perhaps Valverde to go well in this prologue.
Ooh VDS points for Sandy Casar right?
THose would be his first points if so.
Just spinning the pedals in the hills of Western Maryland
a few
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 28, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Rabon is Czech TT champion
so I’d expect him to do well in at least one prologue this year.
Yeah I am a bit suprised...
Though I can’t complain about Kreuziger being top 5 over just 3.1k….
by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 28, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
May 11 can't come soon enough.
You need to do this race two or three times before you can win, despite what Cunego showed us last year: winning in his first try--Frank Schleck, on Amstel Gold
Reparations should be in order for all of the points that he has stolen this year.
by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 28, 2009 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions
For his transgressions
in 2004?
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Apr 28, 2009 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Sounds like a lot of excuse making for Cance
He didn’t have it, that’s racing. Rabon seems to be coming into his own since the Tour of Ireland last year. I think this is his 2nd victory of the year so far, great. It’s good to see a rider finally hitting the big time. Congrats to him on a job well done. As far as Cance, seems like he’s still working on his form a bit.
If I just had one more gear, I...
Wow. This was not what I expected to see when I woke up...
Bjarne- for the love of god get Tony some counseling, or a puppy, or whatever the f*** will help him sort his head out!
‘Cause I don’t think that the problem is in the legs.
It was a funny TT
not just very short, but with some nasty corners and switchbacks. It was easy to lose a few seconds here or there while still seeming to be motoring well. And equally easy to just fluke it round some of those corners by not attacking too hard.
A diet?
for the love of god get Tony some counseling, or a puppy
Is his butt looking big for a pro cyclist? He was messing a little with seat height just before the stage.
formerly known as cyclingchallenge
Diet?...
I wouldn’t be making the call based on the size of his arse. It has always been in a different timezone to the rest of his body, LOL. Team-mates of his have been awed by it’s epic proportions, and commented on it.
A recent pic of his face would be a better indication, I’d say. (But by all means, bring on the arse-pics. I ain’t complaining!)
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