Vlaamse Wielerweek Phase 1: Dwars door Vlaanderen
by Chris Fontecchio on Mar 23, 2010 6:12 PM EDT
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PrintI used to do long, comprehensive previews of these races, but after a few years during which very little has changed while the PdC Analysis Dustbin continues to overflow, I think we're all best served by a slimmed-down preview, cutting to the chase.
The Course: See immediately below. Flemish Ardennes, no doubt about it.
The Finish: From the crayonograph it looks a bit twisty but flat.
The Startlist: Here. Boonen has Chavanel, Devolder and Weylandt at his side (sorta). Van Avermaet has sounded a bit frisky, could be a good one for him. Hoste is there with Roelandts et al. Rabo has their main squad out: Boom, Langeveld and Nuyens. Saxo could use a win, and have Cancellara and Breschel, with O'Grady. Former winners in attendance, apart from Boonen and Chav, include Robbie McEwen (main guy for Katusha) and Nico Eeckhoudt, who has made a living on this race. Others to watch include Jens Keukeleire, Juan Antonio Flecha, Yahueni Hutarovich, Niki Terpstra, Luca Paolini, Bobby Traksel, and I'm sure I am missing a few more.
Official Website: Here. In Angelsachian to boot.
Weather Report: Moderately crapola. Which is fun for people who are watching at home, as opposed to riding, or cashing in a lifetime supply of marital chits to fly there.
Live Video: Yep. Cycling.TV has the race, which is good news not only for their customers. It means there's a feed, which you'll probably find in numerous places.
Prediction: Quick Step would probably like to start flexing their muscles, though Boonen's lieutenants will be let off the leash at the first whiff of glory. I really, really hope they focus on more familiar guys and let Jens Keukeleire hang around to the finish. I'd LOOOOVE to see him square off with the big boys. My pick? Heart says Keukeleire, head says Greg Van Avermaet.
Who ya got?
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Weather
Belgian Meteorological Service says it will be dry, some risk of rain later in the day, 17-18ºC (look for Coast & Centre).
Oh
well, it’s the persistent showers and 50s that I find disappointing, though 62 degrees F for the next day or two sounds rather nice.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Mar 23, 2010 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions
The -lack of- persistent etc.?
because I don’t see showers/50ºF, on kmi.be nor on wunderground.com. I think the weekend will be quite bad, well, rain-filled at least.
well
I don’t get in til Thursday, so if tomorrow is nice it doesn’t do me much good. Am thinking more about the weekend.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Mar 23, 2010 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
yah
when I write fast, I don’t write with much precision…
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Mar 23, 2010 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions
You're the boss
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Mar 23, 2010 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Hooter!
It’s due time some of these bike racers start supporting VDS.
"Italians often mock me for not enjoying tighter clothing" - willj
"cashing in a lifetime supply of marital chits to fly there"
Boo hoo. Everyone who feels sorry for Chris, raise your hand…
OK Olympics boy
take it easy.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Mar 23, 2010 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Did I mention I touched a silver medal?
Oh I did…I did a lot? Alrighty then…
Proud member of Thuggetz nation.
Was that the picture that got the athlete sent home?
1974 is so long ago. Nearly thirty years.--Mark Cavendish
Well lets think about that
a) I am not a female
b) I do not touch medals if they are near the groin of athletes
c) I do not hang around stoned snowboarders unless they are my friends
d) Have you ever touched an Olympic medal majope? HMMMMMM???
Proud member of Thuggetz nation.
Did I ever mention that
my cousin won Olympic gold?
1974 is so long ago. Nearly thirty years.--Mark Cavendish
Sadly
in my family, I am the famous relative.
1974 is so long ago. Nearly thirty years.--Mark Cavendish
Well then you always have something to gloat about
something that isn’t your VDS team.
Proud member of Thuggetz nation.
That wasn't a gloat--it was a rueful comment on the relative anonymity of the family.
Now, once I regain the heights in VDS, then we’ll be back to our regularly-scheduled gloating.
1974 is so long ago. Nearly thirty years.--Mark Cavendish
All Edvald needs is a little more strawberry-flavored fishmeal
and he’s going to pay off big time.
1974 is so long ago. Nearly thirty years.--Mark Cavendish
VDS says Boonen
Heart hopes for an exciting race.
I shouldn't post this
But my vds says
“guys, look in the fridge, behind the soymiljk. See the thermos? No pressure, but we need a result.
Uh what? They have tests for that now? Crap. Is there a gran fondo vds?"
by R Mc on Mar 23, 2010 7:18 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Am I the only one who, when hearing the name of a certain up-and-comer, starts humming
Keukeleire sits in the old gum tree…?
1974 is so long ago. Nearly thirty years.--Mark Cavendish
'Merry merry king of the roads is he..e'
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
eating all the cobblestones he can see
stop Keukeleire stop, leave some VDS points me
"The road is our agony, but also our daily bread; and at night, when it is deserted and the moon glistens on the asphalt, the ridiculous dreams of racers like us pass up and down it."
--Dino Buzzati
O'Grady's not on the start list..
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Hm
cyclingfever had him there earlier. Premature…
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Mar 23, 2010 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions
So Van Avermaet's going to win?
Nice, Becaause other than him I’ve just got Boom, so far unproven in classics, and Damien Gaudin, a young guy on BBox who I think is more of the climbing type. Plus Nikolas Maes: at least I’ve got one Quick Step. Barbie Barbie, languishing in the Graveyard of Classics Dreams, has left a yawning cliché chasm in my cobbles lineup.
Wrong about Damien Gaudin
Very wrong, for the record. He won the Paris-Roubaix Espoirs in 2007, was a French U23 champion in multiple track events, and weighs 79kg. I picked him after researching low cost riders I didn’t know, but obviously I forgot everything shortly afterward.
I only have two shots...
…for vds points:
Cancellara and Rollin
Doubt I’ll ever get over a thousand points this year. But, hey, any excuse to blow off work and watch cycling is totally worth it…
Since I have pretty much put myself out of the running for VDS...
Van Avermaet would be nice for Lotto but I can definitely see somebody like Weylandt or Eeckhout winning, so either of those two.
"Cofidis Keukeleire in revelation set off a seat and made the job off." Oh Google translator...
Lets see...
My Lotto duo of Van Avermaet and Roelandts and Goddaert. Points will not be big today.
"Cofidis Keukeleire in revelation set off a seat and made the job off." Oh Google translator...
Boom here, too.
Plus Chavanel, Weylandt, McEwen, Rollin, Roulston, Ghyselinck, and Guldhammer.
1974 is so long ago. Nearly thirty years.--Mark Cavendish
With none of the bigs (Thor/Barbie) around
this could be the moment for Rollin to step up? Would be nice to see if he has it in him to stay at the front of a race like this.
Well he made it over 7 or 8 in Kuurne and kept on chugging away
If Klier leads them well today then he could have a mighty fine podium chance
"Cofidis Keukeleire in revelation set off a seat and made the job off." Oh Google translator...
by Vlaanderen90 on Mar 24, 2010 6:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Boom also,
and although unproven as someone said above, it was exactly for races like this that I and a whole bunch of others I guess, picked him. He’s a badass and definitely has a shot. The 4 geniuses who picked Keukeleire should really have owned up to their superiority from the beginning and started this contest a few hundred points in the hole. Just to make it fair.
by sebastiandeluded on Mar 24, 2010 7:53 AM EDT up reply actions
ja tedvdw posted the teams in the Giro teams thread
"Cofidis Keukeleire in revelation set off a seat and made the job off." Oh Google translator...
by Vlaanderen90 on Mar 24, 2010 6:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Yikes
So much for expanding the horizons of Dutch cycling
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Mar 24, 2010 10:06 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
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