Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne (Today)
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 4.20.48 (44.402 km/h)
2 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-High Road
3 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Cervelo Test Team
4 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank
5 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
6 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel
7 Mathieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux
8 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank 0.04
9 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 0.12
10 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Rabobank 0.15

Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne (Today)
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 4.20.48 (44.402 km/h)
2 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-High Road
3 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Cervelo Test Team
4 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank
5 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
6 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel
7 Mathieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux
8 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank 0.04
9 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 0.12
10 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Rabobank 0.15

So, I guess we've all heard about races that have been shortened. In Vuelta a Murcia, a storm caused the 2nd stage to be shortened from 175 km to 100 km. However, due to extreme weather conditions, 97 km were neutralized. So, Greg Henderson took the win after three km of actual racing

Does anyone knows what Greg Henderson is on?? He's now a good sprinter

probably he 'trained' a lot.

He's "on" finally being able to race for himself instead of for a team leader.

He's been this good for years. He's not a great sprinters, but he's good.

Agree with isso there. In general, that can be said about many of Columbia's riders, especially their sprinters. There's a reason why Ciolek left them

Franta Rabon won TT in Murcia. Wow B)

well yeah, Ciolek is a great sprinter, easilly able to take races however he was a lead out rider for Cavendish. At milram he was guarenteed a position of sprinter. He took it.
Fair game really.

Just to expand that point if anybody didn't know.

Jonny Hoogerland won the frist stage in the Driedaagse van West-Vlaandren, teammate Jens Mouris 2nd and Ista 3rd.

Hoogerland, Mouris and de Greef rode up to the breakway when the gap was back to 25 seconds, and went over the groupe rigth away. Then Hoogerland attacked, and de Greef couldnt close the gap. Then Mouris left him as well, and he managed to finish just in front of the peloton, where the sprint for 3rd was won by Ista.

Way to go Vacansoleil!

Also:

89. BOS Theo RABOBANK (same time as rest of peloton)
104. NAPOLITANO Danilo TEAM KATUSHA at 8:47
157. DE MOOIJ Jaryd JONG VLAANDEREN - BAUKNECHT 22:07
158. STROETINGA Wim TEAM MILRAM

Bos is already a better rider in hard races then Napolitano. And doing way better than Stroetinga, who, as scratch rider, should have had more 'talent' for endurance then track sprinter Bos.

Progression since Algarve is already huge... I'm getting more and more faith in Bos on the road.

A. These stages are much flatter

and

B. The field is far weaker this time

let's give Bos a few more months, shall we?

oh, wait untill tomorrow. thats when the profile really is completely flat

Clearly, you don't understand what stage it was today. Today, the race had many hills, flandrien-like hills, the same type you see in Flandrien races


Now, also, if you look at the full result you see that guys like Brandt, Engels, Sonnery, who do normally survive a hill, were left behind, but also eye withnesses on the Dutch/belgian forum (PCMBenelux), clearly saw how Elijzen, Ljungblad and Napolitano got left behind on such hills, the whole peloton splintered, there was a whole group at 12 minutes of some 50 riders.
Guys like Mikhailov, Radochla, Kvist, Tombak, Van Hummel etcetera... they should have been capable of surviving you would say, but they all didn't.
Mkay pumpkin?

Yes, he will never be able to finish a grand tour, or become a great survivor like Freire or Boonen (duh).

BUT, and now pay attention please, the near fact that, after 4 months of training and 2 races, he is already capable of finish hilly stages like these in the peloton, were the likes of Napolitano cannot, gives a very good indication of what he is able to do.

You're conveniently ignoring a very large factor: most of those guys don't give a shit what happens here, they're building to something else. Not the case with Bos. Bos isn't building for anything.

Not to mention that those "hills" are 300m long in most cases, with only the Tiegemberg being 750m long at the start of the stage while the pace is still low. So they're hardly anything to get frisky about.

Ah yes, Van Hummel, Tombak, Radochla, Mikhailov and Ljungblad are preparing for their star roles in RVV, PR, and other great races! Sure!

Funny how you stop mentioning names the moment they stop suiting your argument

Fine, you get your wish: I'll stop arguing with you...it's hopeless.

isso has a point, you've got to admit. a few hundred meters, he can easily get over: start at the front of the pack and slowly go to the back while climbing the hill.
thats what he did in the Algarve anyway.

40 Kenny De Haes (Bel) Team Katusha
41 David Boucher (Fra) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago
42 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Colnago
43 Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Cinelli-Down Under
44 Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
45 Franck Bouyer (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom
46 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil-Shimano


only him and Roesems of Cinelli managed to stay in the pack, the rest finished at 21mins lol

So why can't Van Hummel or Napolitano? They clearly tried according to the people who went to watch, but simply couldn't follow.

Hmm.