5 Questions for the Cobbled Classics

Before things get underway this weekend, I thought it might be appropriate to share some questions I look forward to having answered in this year’s cobbled classics. The list is by no means exhaustive—there are many more plots and sub-plots to explore. But these are 5 of the biggest stories I’ll be following from Harelbeke to Roubaix.


1. What effects will Ghent-Wevelgem’s calendar move have?

This is something I’ve been wondering about ever since the calendar switch was announced last year. Traditionally, a rider trying to peak for Flanders and Roubaix took part in Dwars Door Vlaanderen, the E3 Prijs Harelbeke, and maybe the 3-Days of DePanne, before participating in the Tour of Flanders, Ghent-Wevelgem, and Paris-Roubaix. It was a fairly seamless preparation: a rider could focus exclusively on the Ronde, then race Ghent-Wevelgem as both a possible consolation prize and good training for that Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix.

Now though, riders and teams are forced to make a choice. Let’s look at Tom Boonen, for example. He rode Dwars Door Vlaanderen Wednesday and was originally slated to participate only in Saturday’s E3 Prijs. This was good for him, but bad for his team as it would have left its biggest star home for one of its country’s biggest races. Now Boonen’s decided to race both the E3 and Ghent-Wevelgem. Could this prove to be too much for him? If he suffers at Flanders will we all wonder if the extra hard day of racing took a bigger toll than he and his team expected?

It will be interesting to see who takes part in which races this weekend, what their results are, and then compare how well they fare next weekend at the Ronde. If we get a week’s worth of fantastic racing, with all of our favorites stars leading the charge, then call it victory for the UCI and the Belgian Federation. On the other hand, if the changes prove to hurt the quality of racing, a few people might have more questions to answer. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.


2. Will BMC rise to the occasion?

BMC made some of the biggest waves this past off-season, signing proven classics performers George Hincapie, Alessandro Ballan, Marcus Burghardt, and Karsten Kroon. On paper, these moves looked to make BMC a force to be reckoned with in the Northern Classics. So far, not so good though, as BMC’s imports have done little to impress. The Belgian opening weekend was a complete disaster as BMC’s riders were more or less absent from the front in both the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. L’Eroica was no better—for Hincapie and Co., at least—as Cadel Evans was the team’s best finisher. Tirreno-Adriatico was yet another success for Evans, but offered little indication that BMC would make it’s mark in the next few weeks. And Milan-San Remo? Nada.

We're now less than two days from the E3 Prijs, the true dress rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders; will Ballan, Hincapie, and Burghardt justify the hype? Burghardt seems to be in the best position for a win, especially in this weekend’s Ghent-Wevelgem—a race he’s won before. If Ballan and Hincapie are indeed biding their time for Flanders and Roubaix they better show something soon. They might be hiding their form in the hope they are given more latitude—and less attention—in the races they covet. But as each day passes, I wonder more and more if they just don’t have it. We’ll have our answer soon.


3. Will Boonen and Pozzato become the DeVlaeminck and Moser of their generation?

If the last two weeks of racing are any indication, Tom Boonen and Filippo Pozzato are well on their way to picking-up right where they left-off at last year’s Paris-Roubaix. The budding rivalry brings to mind the duel waged each spring by Roger DeVlaeminck and Francesco Moser when the two of them combined for seven Paris-Roubaix titles in the 1970’s and early-1980’s.

At ages 29 and 28, respectively, Boonen and Pozzato could easily surpass the impressive run of their legendary compatriots—especially with teams talented and experienced enough to help them do it. Boonen’s already won three, although one can only wonder what would have happened last year had Pozzato been riding behind him instead of Thor Hushovd. After all, DeVlaeminck won all four of his titles before Moser even won his first—the tables could easily turn.

Personally, I would love to see Boonen win a 4th title in his nation’s drie-kleur—although I can say the same for Pozzato and his tricolore. At relatively young ages, we can only wonder just how many races these two can win.

And I didn’t even mention Fabian Cancellara.


4. Who will be this year’s revelation of the cobbled classics?

Last year’s young stars Heinrich Haussler and Edvald Boasson Hagen were expected to take the next step this year, with at least one of them perhaps taking a win in Flanders or Roubaix. Unfortunately, things don’t appear to be working-out as planned. Haussler’s already been ruled-out with a knee injury and now Hagen’s form has been put into question due to inflammation in his achilles tendon. We wouldn’t be so disappointed if it weren’t for their breakout performances last year. Who will be next young riders to rise to the top?

Two days ago I would have mentioned Saxo Bank’s Matti Breschel as a rider capable of scoring a breakout win—but he did that yesterday in Dwars Door Vlaanderen.

Peter Sagan’s another candidate—if he gets a chance to race. It’s hard to believe that the double stage-winner at Paris-Nice didn’t even make the Liquigas team for Milan-San Remo; but with Roman Kreuziger and Vincezo Nibali likely non-starters at the cobbled events, look for this young Slovakian to get a chance to continue his impressive debut season.

Jurgen Roelandts of Omega Pharma-Lotto is only 24; he’s certainly someone who seems ready to step-up and assume more responsibility following solid results so far this spring in major Belgian races. If Philippe Gilbert has an off-day and Roelandts is given a green light, look for him to shine—possibly this Sunday in Ghent-Wevelgem. Paris-Roubaix might be an interesting race for the Belgian as well; he’ll technically be riding in support of Leif Hoste, but as we all know, that’s hardly something for him to worry about.


5. Will Stijn Devolder be forced to defer his Flanders lieutenancy to Sylvain Chavanel? And if he does, will Chavanel become France’s first winner in a cobbled classic since Frederic Guesdon in 1997?

Stijn Devolder’s never been a rider to set the world on fire prior to the Tour of Flanders. That said, his sub-par performances so far this year are cause for alarm. If we couple these lackluster showings with the impressive rides by Chavanel at Paris-Nice and Milan-San Remo, we’ve got more than enough to reason to wonder if a change in Quick Step’s hierarchy might be coming.

I know I keep saying it, but Devolder will have to show something this weekend (he really will) if he hopes to have even the slimmest chance of playing his own card in the Ronde. As for Chavanel, he’s more than earned the right to be Quick Step’s #2 behind Tom Boonen with weeks (years really) of dedicated service to the team. Don’t forget, some wondered if Chavanel might have won the Tour of Flanders last year had Devolder not attacked. And after Boonen was well on his way to the win at Roubaix, Chavanel rode solidly to take 8th place. While Belgians will have their hands full watching Boonen, Gilbert, and Devolder over the coming weeks, French fans will have all of their attention squarely on Monsieur Chavanel’s shoulders. Will this be his year?

And there you have it—5 Big Questions for this year’s cobbled classics. And what about you? What do you hope to learn between now and Paris-Roubaix?

Share your comments below—and thanks for reading!

Monday Musings - While the Tour Rides Along

While the break rides along in today’s Stage 3, here are some things for you to take a look at:

1. If you haven’t seen it yet, head to the new Red Kite Prayer. BKW’s Padraig has upped the ante with a site you need to bookmark and/or add to your RSS reader. Expect the same great content you enjoyed at BKW, plus product reviews, guest commentary, and some other surprises. Thanks, Padraig!

2. The other day I stumbled upon some photos from The Retro Ronde (link's in Flemish), a sportive ride organized by the RVV Museum in Oudenaarde. Not sure how I missed this one in the past, but it’s certainly been added to my “To Ride” list.

3. And speaking of the Ronde, here’s the newest installment of the Cervelo TestTeam's Beyond the Peloton documentary. Roubaix’s next. Great stuff!

4. If you happen to be in Austin, Texas this weekend, head over to Kealing Middle School at 6:30pm for a re-enactment of the final race scene from the cycling classic, Breaking Away. It's a Rapha event commemorating the film's 30th anniversary. After the race, you and your cutter friends can head to a shop owned by a famous Austin cyclist for an awards party and film viewing.

5. This past week The Service Course posted a two-part interview with one of the former DS's from the ill-fated Mercury-Viatel team of 2001. Given the drama that's been surrounding Astana lately, it provides a very candid inside view of one of the sport's more recent team collapses.

6. And finally, I need to give a great thank you to Chris from LockringNotIncluded for coming down for a ride and a cup of coffee last week. If you haven't been to his blog before, I think you'll quickly find it to be one of the most poetic you've ever visited. There's just something about his photography and text that cuts right to the core of why we ride. Give him a visit and share in his joy.

And now back to today's stage!

Ronde van Vlaanderen/Tour of Flanders - Wrap-up, etc...

"Devolder the Soldier"?

Did I really post that?

Funny how the morning after often brings clarity through hindsight.

Speaking of hindsight, there's much to be said following yesterday's race. And while I'd like to say it all myself, I think The Service Course pretty much covered it all--with great links to boot. If you haven't visited this blog yet, today would be great day to start.

As for myself, James from Ridelugged and I spent the day wandering around Central PA, writing the final cue sheet for the Ramble. While I'm waiting for a more substantial post down the road, we've been selected to lead the ride as part of Rapha's Continental Calling.

More pics and info still to come...

Devolder the Soldier!

Alternate title: "The Pain in Stijn Falls Mainly on his Competitors".

All puns aside, today's performance was a true masterstroke for team Quick Step. Lefevre must love it when a plan works beautifully:

1. Send dangerous rider #1 up the road in the first dangerous break of the day.

2. Tell rest of team to follow wheels.

3. Once back together, continue sending dangerous Rider #1 until he has no more to offer.

4. As rider Dangerous Rider #1 begins to fade (while Favorite Rider sits comfortably on wheels), send Dangerous Rider #2 (and returning champion) up the road. Either wait for Dangerous Rider #2 to be caught (by the group containing Favorite Rider), or sit back and wait for the finale.

5. Exalt in the glory of well-deserved win.

Look, I'm not discounting Devolder's show of force. His win was not simply a case of being on the team with the overwhelming favorite. He dominated when his number was called. He rides with such force--it's really a site to be seen.

Check this out:

I'll try to post more of a recap tomorrow, but I'm off to State College to do some more recon for the Ramble. If nothing goes up tomorrow, come back Tuesday.

Ronde van Vlaanderen/Tour of Flanders - Live Stream

Finally!

You can enjoy a live stream of today's Tour of Flanders here.

Enjoy!

Ronde van Vlaanderen/Tour of Flanders - Preview

Let the metaphors fly! Sunday’s Ronde van Vlaanderen is the World Series/Super Bowl/World Cup Final/etc… of Flanders (and maybe all of Belgium). With 16 climbs spread over 260km, the Ronde is truly the highlight of the year for Belgian fans.

The course remains realtively unchanged from last year, save for the deletion of the Kluisberg and the Nokereberg and addition of the Eikenberg and the Varent.

At this point, weather reports are good—sun and fair weather. For the riders, this is welcome news; for fans hoping for another legendary race, this is somewhat disappointing. But we'll get over it.

Aside from the absence of 2007 winner Ballan and the off-form Cancellara, several riders this year are peaking just at the right time:

Quick Step: Notice I said “Quick Step” and not just Boonen, Devolder, and/or Chavanel. In fact, any of these three could win the race outright if given the final green light. Everyone claims to be working for Tommeke, but I can’t help but believe that Chavanel and Devolder would ride for themselves if the opportunity presents itself. As it is, Devolder took a bit of criticism last year for launching such a devastating attack in the race’s final stages. Had Boonen not won a week later I think we would have heard much more. This is clearly Quick Step’s race to lose; they will have to work together to ensure that doesn’t come to pass.

Filippo Pozzato: Katusha’s “Hollywood” seemed to be the only rider with enough talent to break Quick Step’s Flemish stronghold—in fact, he did in Harelbeke. But then he went to De Panne and promptly crashed in the final road stage. He says he’s fine (and so does his team), but I can’t help but think that it might set him back a bit. I’m not saying he can’t or won’t win, but he certainly didn’t do himself any favors. Aside from that, Pippo’s biggest challenge will be holding his own over the entire 260km. He won Het Volk in 2007 and E3 this year, but those races were barely over 200km. There’s a big difference between 200 and 260km—especially with the caliber of the terrain over the final 50-60km in Flanders. And yes, I’m aware that he won Milan-San Remo. But would you really compare the two? He will be much more exposed here than he was in San Remo.

George Hincapie: I have a REALLY good feeling about George this year. His preparation has been perfect. He’s rested. He has a team around him with experienced riders (Eisel and Burghardt) capable of protecting him well into the race’s final phases. Every rider in the peloton would be happy to see George finally bag his big win in a classic. However, there will be no gifts. One teammate to watch: Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Silence-Lotto has several capable riders, but I’m thinking they’re still a week too early. Yes, they’re starting to show their form, and yes, they have 3 men capable of winning. But I just think it might be a case of too little, too late. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll be in the front. But for the win? I can’t say so with confidence. Yes, riders have come from nowhere to win before, but I think Roubaix might be a better chance for them. To win this Sunday they’ll have to play their cards perfectly and save their top efforts for the race’s most decisive moments. They’ll have to determine a leader early and do everything they can to support that rider to the fullest. Getting a strong rider in an early break is critical too, allowing them to sit-in while the rest lead the chase. As I said in an earlier post, a win here and all earlier criticism is forgotten.

And what about Haussler? He's been under the radar since Dwaars door Vlaanderen. To me, that's a good sign. I was beginning to suspect that he was riding a bit too au bloc. Some well-deserved rest might be just the trick to keep him at a high level of fitness. With Hushvod and Klier, he has the support of riders with the experience to get him to the win (or even win themselves?).

Saxo Bank's hurt with Cancellara's poor form and O'Grady's absence due to a crash in San Remo. They'll be pinning their hopes on Karsten Kroon. Can't say I'm too confident.

My final thoughts are reserved for Rabobank. Nuyens and Flecha have always played prominent roles in this race, and I look for more of the same this year. Flecha tried as best he could last year—as did Nuyens—but in the end succumbed to tentative racing and Quick Step. (Oh, and a teammate who he thought wasn’t working for him.) Now he and Nuyens are together, and I can’t see how it could possibly work. But it might, you never know, right?

Who are your favorites?

No matter who wins it will certainly be an exciting race. I'll do my best to get some live coverage info up as soon as it becomes available.

1996 Ronde van Vlaanderen/Tour of Flanders

Here’s a clip from the race my mind returns to whenever I think of Flanders.

In fact, if you were to ask me to encapsulate everything Pavé represents in a single image or moment, it might be this one.



First, the weather. Gray. Not rainy, just gray.

Second, we have the Muur de Geraardsbergen, the Kapelmuur as some call it due to the church located at it’s summit. A little over 1km long and with an average gradient of about 9%, the Muur has some sections at or over 20%. Furthermore, here, we have the vintage Muur, before it was resurfaced and the stones were re-laid. Bartoli choose this as the moment to take the race into his own hands, launching an attack none could follow.

Next, we have Bartoli himself. A rider who would go on to add several more classics to his name, this is the race where he established himself as an all-rounder to be reckoned with. He would never win this race again, but with wins at Het Volk, De Panne, the Brabantse Pijl, Fleche, Liege, Amstel, and Lombardi, he was truly one of the best of his generation. It's a shame the clip ends as the last leaders summit; Bartoli's form as he solo's to the Bosberg is a sight to behold.

Finally, the equipment. The Coppi aluminum, horizontal top-tubed frameset. Mavic Paris-Roubaix SSC rims, laced to Dura Ace hubs (possibly tied and soldered), glued with Vittoria Professional All-Weather tubulars (green and black with the TAN sidewall). And don’t forget the hat under the helmet and the Briko shades.

Perfection if you ask me. Everything about this is truly "classic".