Spartacus for LBL this year?
by Softie on Apr 13, 2010 9:36 AM EDT
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Riis thinks Fabian should try to win LBL this year. Me, I'm not so sure.
Spartacus looks pretty skinny for this part of the season, especially in his face. He just sailed away from select groups 50km from the finish in TWO monuments (I'm not really counting Boonen's assistance in Flanders). It would seem difficult, but not impossible, to keep this form until Liege. That would be a peak of 21 days. Personally I think it would be too much to expect Spartcacus to win LBL in another long breakaway---it would be the equivalent of breaking away to win the yellow jersey on stage 1 of the Tour and then extending his lead in the final mountaintop finish.
What does the Cafe think?
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Surely LBL would be too much for him
He’s said himself that when he plans on doing it in the future his preparation would be completely different. A more realistic goal would be to aim to peak again for the Lombardy where the course isn’t as difficult as LBL and there is usually a weaker field. His quest to win all five of cycling’s monuments is fascinating.
http://www.irishpeloton.com/
I don't believe he is on the startlist for L-B-L
he will do Amstel Gold and in fact on the AGR website there is an article which quotes Riis as saying that he believes Cance will win it.
Proud member of Thuggetz nation.
Riis also has said Cancellara should try to win L-B-L (as Softie mentions above), but he’s not going to force him. Might not know if he’s on the startlist until closer to the race.
"Fabian is on the form of his life and I think he should race at Amstel and Liège," Riis said Sunday. "I think he could win Liège." Riis said he will not force Cancellara to race the Ardennes classics, but left the option on the table for his prolific Swiss rider.
I'm going to party with my family, friends and team tonight and that's the most important thing.--Fabian Cancellara, after winning Paris-Roubaix
Hennie Kuiper
Said Cance will not win AGR.
Gerrie Kneteman: If a football player falls he shouts for his mother, if a cyclist falls he yells for his bike.
Fabu
should probably show up this year and ride it if it won’t upset his plans. But however strong he is, he’s going up against some incredible riders who ARE peaking for this race, so I really doubt he could win it.
"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 Apr 13, 2010 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions
It's OK, mi capitán...
… I know that you didn’t mean to say: “I really doubt he could win it”. I know that you meant to say: “I’m not sure that he will go for the win (this time)”
Nice try
Wait til you see the LBL start list.
"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 Apr 13, 2010 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Guys, Riis is doing everything he can to sell his team to a new supplier.
Cance may be a late add to the LBL roster, but really just for promotional purposes as he would likely be there to help a Schleck, or two, get on the podium.
Yeah you’d think the team would race in support of the defending champ? Still, I do think he could win it at some point, he’d be a long shot but with his talent anything’s possible, plus he’s said he wants to win all 5 so who knows?
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
by plinytheelder on Apr 13, 2010 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
That's Andy's race
no reason for him to expel any unneeded energy there, especially when his teammate is the defending champion. Cancellara can focus on repeaking at the Tour, he’s done all that was asked of him this spring.
Does Andy have any results yet?
I guess it’s like Cavendish at MSR, but Andy won in a break away last year and probably wouldn’t get far off the front again this year. But if Cancellara’s presence can help the team just by being a threat then he very well might be at LBL. People seem to have forgotten that one of Cancellara’s most endearing qualities is how great a team mate he is.
Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds. Louis J. Helle, Jr.
Yes, you may be right
but i don’t want him to be too exhausted early in the season. They can assemble a fine team without him, but if he wants in, i assume he’ll race.
If they don't let Cance take a breather
and allow him to re-build for T o Suisse and the Tour in particular they are complete and utter morons.
A well prepared Cancellara is worth gold in the Tour, a rundown and already tired Bear is not good for anything but publicity shots. Publicity shots isn’t going to help Andy beat Contador in July.
But surely the PR value of Cance is already there
They can show off 2 monuments in a week and they can say that next year he will be focusing on LBL.
In my view a sponsor that needs to be pursuaded by desperate measures , isn’t professional enough to handle a sponsorship of the size that Riis requires anyway.
I fully agree
but can’t see any explanation for why Riis is pushing when Fabian in interviews talk about needing to rest(couldn’t come up with a more fitting term) with his family.
Eagle's blood transfused by Dr. Ferrari himself is not going to help Andy beat Contador in July
by PopUp Rolen on Apr 13, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
José Ángel Gómez Marchante?
"Ants don’t worry, they operate like a fantastic team, they accept obstacles and deal with them in a positive manner, they don’t complain and remain positive. An ant doesn’t work on emotion, is proactive and always chooses the ant role."
what are you suggesting here? :)
"Ants don’t worry, they operate like a fantastic team, they accept obstacles and deal with them in a positive manner, they don’t complain and remain positive. An ant doesn’t work on emotion, is proactive and always chooses the ant role."
"pipi of the angels" is a term that was used to describe
the blood tests of some riders (DiLuca, Ricco among them) after one stage of the Giro. The hormone levels seemed to be on the level of a pre teen child suggesting that some tampering had occurred.
i know, i was just making a joke
"Ants don’t worry, they operate like a fantastic team, they accept obstacles and deal with them in a positive manner, they don’t complain and remain positive. An ant doesn’t work on emotion, is proactive and always chooses the ant role."
When does he need to stop?
I was sorta thinking the same, but maybe there’s no harm in extending another two weeks? He can have May to relax. Somehow I am not sure it works that way…
"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 Apr 13, 2010 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions
He's supposed to do California in May.
From what I remember, the original plan was for him to take a break before California. And he might still.
I'm going to party with my family, friends and team tonight and that's the most important thing.--Fabian Cancellara, after winning Paris-Roubaix
I think it's fairly simple
If Spartacus says he wants to win LBL …. consider it done.
Otherwise, no
moo
speaking of lbl, the route has been changed this year. down to 258km and lacking one hill
An alteration to the route of Liège – Bastogne – Liège was also announced today. The 96th running of ‘la Doyenne’ will be slightly shorter than previous editions, with 258 km and 10 climbs, one fewer than last year.
“The course was redesigned near the Côte de la Haute-Levée, which we will not use,” the organizers said. “Road improvements on the descent made the route dangerous for the riders.”
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-to-ride-la-fleche-wallonne
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
It would be near idotic for him to try it this year...
He has a schedule to keep for Tour prep and if he over-extends himself now, he will not be as useful come Tour time and beyond.
Even with the miraculous form he is having now, another 2 weeks of trying to hold it would be almost impossible and would be like what happened in ’08 when he peaked a bit early and then come Flanders and Roubaix he was lacking.
Tommeke!, Tommeke!, Tommeke!, Tommeke!
or he can use this blazing form to deliver a Schleck
to victory
by Davide Don of Rio on Apr 14, 2010 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
It will not be blazing by the time we get Liege...
It will definitely have curtailed and on the downswing. So then your chancing that he won’t even make the final group with 50k to go so he’ll just be shepherding bottles.
Tommeke!, Tommeke!, Tommeke!, Tommeke!
by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 14, 2010 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions
It seems Fabian is on the start list for L-B-L and Amstel
Kinda interesting cause jens! is doing them as well.. Looking kinda like the TdF Team is sticking together, less Stuey…
Matti Breschel
Fabian Cancellara
Laurent Didier
Jakob Fuglsang
Fränk Schleck
Andy Schleck
Nicki Sørensen
Jens Voigt
Jonas Aaen
"the rest was over 30. And that doesn't mean old and useless, but experienced and with the stamina"
Jens! Voigt, Crit Intl Interview, 2009
ok Aaen isnt riding Amstel.
"the rest was over 30. And that doesn't mean old and useless, but experienced and with the stamina"
Jens! Voigt, Crit Intl Interview, 2009
I think he'll ride Amstel
Then take some time off. Amstel is less of a stretch than Liege is for the kind of preparation he’s done. Plus, he’s been on form since E3 arguably, which already makes him 14 days into peak form. Methinks Liege will see a fading cancellara if it sees one at all.
In 2 years, Cance will win Liege. Mark my words.
I'm coming to the conclusion
That there isnt a race on earth that Cance can’t win, given the right focus and preparation, with the sole possible exception of the TdF. After all if Menchov can win the Giro…
But Cance does need a break, not least because (a) Bjarne needs the shop window of post-prologue TdF Yellow, and (b) Cance is a mean s.o.b. as a domestique for the Schlecks – and since he is thinner he is likely to be even better.
In fact, with Cance, Fuglsang, Jens! and NS, plus a double punch of Schlecks, I think Saxo has the strongest team at the TdF. Whether the team is enough to crack the strongest rider and his finger pointing, who knows. But Cance is a key part of their ability to animate the race, so needs the rest
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