We've arrived at the height of Belgium's racing calendar: Vlaanderen's mooiste: De Ronde Van vlaanderen.
Last year we saw an amazing Cancellara taking his second Ronde. I finished 7th, which was good at the time. Today I start as leader of the UCI Ranking and as absolute favorite, next to Cancellara. Can I make my dream come true and win the Ronde in the Belgian Tricolor Jersey?
The Race
The breakaway didn't contain any riders of our team. We decided to use all men in the peloton and not waste energy in the break.
I was mainly our team and BMC (Cancellara's team) that did the work.
We had a great battle plan, but then Maaskant hit the curb and fell! He failed to catch up and was in pain. After five more minutes, he abandoned.
The plan needed to be changed and as soon as I was isolated, I dared the jump to a late breakaway, on the Oude Kwaremont.
I had a lot of success but no one came with me. I couldn't ride a 70 km solo, so I rode at 80% for a while.
Then the best thing possible happened, a group of about 10 ripped itself from the pack and was headed my way. I waited for them.
Then it was only a matter before the attacks would come. Breschel and Cancellara tried it! I knew how important this was and really blew a lot of energy on going with them here.
I joined them and then there were three of us!
After the final Paterberg, it seemed we would be going to a sprint with three. However, the pace on the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg had killed me. I didn't relay, I barely hung on to their wheels. I hope they don't blame me. With a bit more energy this would've been the ideal scenario!
I tried to recuperate a bit for the sprint, but my legs were gone. I switched the brain-switch on "off" and went as fast as I could!
Cramps, pain, the cold. It was too much. My best chance to win this beautiful race gone in the wind as Cancellara proves to be unbeatable on his terrain. I have to take enough with a bronze medal...
Needless to say, I was very disappointed at the finish. However, I congratulated Cancellara instantly. He was the motor of the break and deserved it the most. I couldn't relay the final kilometers so I deserve this third place.
However you spin it, this was my big chance. Vlaanderen is a different race from Gent - Wevelgem and E3 - Harelbeke, though. Riding podium here at age 24 is pretty good, and I believe I will win here one day!
Fabian Cancellara: Today was unbelievably hard. Van Gent went from far out and it caused some panic in the peloton. I think he went too early, so he blew his legs for the finish. Breschel looked like the winner, but I somehow beat him in the sprint, I'm really happy.
Matti Breschel: When I saw I took Cancellara and Van Gent in my attack, I thought it was over already. The strongest attacker and strongest sprinter in this group. Ironically, Cancellara won the sprint. We felt he was the strongest the final kilometers. Everyone had to pass on the relay on the Paterberg.
Stijn Van Gent: On the final climb of the Kwaremont and the Paterberg I was already flat out. On character, I was able to hang on, but there was nothing left in my legs. My final sprint, if you can call it that, confirms my fatigue. I'll enjoy the rest and hope to be strong again for Roubaix.
Kenneth Vanbilsen: I feel stronger every race. I'm happy to see I'm riding frequent top 10 places. Maybe next year I will finish on the podium!
Fabian Cancellara joins an elite group with 3 victories in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen.
So near yet so far. Still, plenty of time for him to win plenty, the experience from this year will help in in the future. Sometimes Cancellara is just too good.
That's logic: the worst sprinter of the 3 wins the sprint Happy for Spartacus, but Stijn did great with the 3rd place (and improved a lot since last year).
sutty68 - Thanks he needed a bigger bike, then he would've won
Jesleyh - We have to leave something for the other riders
Flair - Ain't that the truth
Ollfardh - He really gave it 100% during those last 70 km. Nothing wrong with that, but only if you finish solo!
Jakstar22 - Thanks!
Stromeon - Next year is another chance! Cancellara even started his sprint as the first in the line, I guess he killed everyone on the Paterberg... We were just along for the ride, not to score.
krisa - Really unfortunate. The race shoud've been 10 km shorter
dienblad - After such a race, I noticed that sprinting stats matter less and less. Stijn is only 24, he'll have plenty of time to get that win!
Thanks for all the support and sorry about the temporary radio-silence. I reckon the pace will be low for a little while now.
So I don't know for sure when Paris - Roubaix will be raced. Maybe tonight, maybe Sunday, maybe later. This way Stijn has some time to recover
Time to be honest here. I'm in a bit of a motivational crisis right now. I guess it's a combination of several things: I'm training incredibly hard on the bike lately (hours a day), doing more work for school, playing less PCM and some more new games, heavily into The Sopranos again...
So I think the best thing to do is take a small break, couple of days, forget about this story just for a little while. I've got a great idea for a potentially amazing story, but I won't just stop this story so I reckon I would start that idea when the new PCM releases.
Anyway, we'll see, but I'll probably take a few days off. In the end, I'm writing the story, and doing it against your will isn't the way to go for a hobby, right?
Sure, I haven't got any details yet but something like this: a new kind of Voeckler/Boucher. All-Rounder but mostly an attacker, but starting young (like I usually do) in a continental team, no stats above 70, really starting realistically. Not an extremely talented but an extremely motivated guy. First year would be all about getting camera-time, getting in breakaways.
Unlike my other stories, where winning RvV or TDF is a big goal, his biggest dream of the first 3 years would be participating in those racing. And I heard Boucher once had a site where he counted his breakaway km, I thought it might be nice to do that, too.
So he wouldn't win too much races (attackers rarely do), but he would be very active and I think it would be a nice story, and he could perform all year long, not necessarily peaking one period and slacking the rest of the season.
Maybe he could grew like Voeckler and be a real strong one, maybe not, depends on the progress
Something like that. Like I said, it's just an idea and it's a long way away, but at the moment that seems like a nice story that can last over 100 pages! Maybe even over a year.
Nothing too fancy or special, but not every story can be 100% original. No story actually is Edited by Ian Butler on 31-03-2013 10:39
Feel free to take a break. The worst thing a story writer can do in my opinion is try to force more of the story until thaey hate writing it and quit. Take a break when you need to and don't force it. We won't have stages for a few days but in the end the story will stay thriving this way. Edited by baseballlover312 on 31-03-2013 12:52
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Happy for Spartacus, but Stijn did great with the 3rd place (and improved a lot since last year).
