1. Boonen 2. Pozzato 3. Devolder (who profited from team work, again), 4. Gilbert 5. Chavanel 6. Maaskant (top 10 on almost every climb and better towards the end) 7. Flecha
8. Van Hecke. Really impressed by him. Managed to hold on for a lot longer than I expected.
doddy13 wrote:
Personally i think the Quick Step statergy was to have Boonen the leader, Devolder helping. Why? Well read this nice excerpt
from CyclingNews
Cyclingnews: Was it your initiative to attack or a team order, and what's the key to dominating this event?
A: It was my initiative. I had a flash of inspiration.
Just makes me think..
well Boonen has a talent to be beaten by his team-mates: Ronde last year, Milano San-Remo 2006 by Pozzato or the stage won by Steegmans in Le Tour 2007.
well Boonen has a talent to be beaten by his team-mates: Ronde last year, Milano San-Remo 2006 by Pozzato or the stage won by Steegmans in Le Tour 2007.
That's true, however didn't Boonen lead out Steegmans in 2006 (Gent).
Not that it matters.
Also nice to see that Haussler isn't saying "oh i felt good" etc. He's saying next year he has to work on when to peak his form, he thinks he's not feeling as good as he did.
There's no point slapping a schleck - Sean Kelly on "Who needs a slap"
Well, when Boonen, Devolder and Pozzato got away, it was Devolder who took the big turn up front to drive things along.
I think there's no doubt that QS were behind Boonen - though Devolder what Devolder was thinking when the other two refused to step up and do a bit of work, who knows?
With 2 consecutive victories now, next year, Devolder HAS to be team leader.
It's even better to have Boonen as team leader. The other riders are always so busy keeping an eye on him, they can't react when Devolder goes. That is the Quickstep succes formula: Devolder attacks, if he is not caught Quickstep wins, if he is then Boonen will finish off the work and Quickstep still wins.
Gustavovskiy wrote:
Another great ride by Devolder. Also Haussler and Gilbert showed very good form with a great performance.
Just a shame that last fall in the sprint...really nasty
I have to disagree with this. Haussler wasn't great at all, he was pretty poor even. Dropped on almost every climb, was way behind for most of the time and one of the weakest Cervelo riders today. He was lucky he could stay away with the final K attack and that's it.
If I should rate the riders from good to bad it was : 1. Boonen 2. Pozzato 3. Devolder (who profited from team work, again), 4. Gilbert 5. Chavanel 6. Maaskant (top 10 on almost every climb and better towards the end) 7. Flecha
Ofcourse, the result barely reflect the strong men after first place, due to the big group finishing at the end
I have to disagree, Haussler rode very well, not great, but very well (certainly not warranting the great Phil Ligget calling him the favorite halfway through the race). Gilbert, Maaskant, and Flecha do not deserve to be rated as high as guys like Manuel Quinzato (who rode very strong, considering he no where near as quality a rider as the other three mentioned.)
I would say that Chavanel and Devolder were the strongest riders (or at least the most resilient) today. I don't think you can really judge Pozzato or Boonen, as both were marked (by each other) and never really showed their stuff.
i think i just set a record for parentheses
I could probably not disagree more with you then I do now. But earlier efforts have shown it's senseless trying to talk you out of that
Gustavovskiy wrote:
Another great ride by Devolder. Also Haussler and Gilbert showed very good form with a great performance.
Just a shame that last fall in the sprint...really nasty
I have to disagree with this. Haussler wasn't great at all, he was pretty poor even. Dropped on almost every climb, was way behind for most of the time and one of the weakest Cervelo riders today. He was lucky he could stay away with the final K attack and that's it.
If I should rate the riders from good to bad it was : 1. Boonen 2. Pozzato 3. Devolder (who profited from team work, again), 4. Gilbert 5. Chavanel 6. Maaskant (top 10 on almost every climb and better towards the end) 7. Flecha
Ofcourse, the result barely reflect the strong men after first place, due to the big group finishing at the end
I have to disagree, Haussler rode very well, not great, but very well (certainly not warranting the great Phil Ligget calling him the favorite halfway through the race). Gilbert, Maaskant, and Flecha do not deserve to be rated as high as guys like Manuel Quinzato (who rode very strong, considering he no where near as quality a rider as the other three mentioned.)
I would say that Chavanel and Devolder were the strongest riders (or at least the most resilient) today. I don't think you can really judge Pozzato or Boonen, as both were marked (by each other) and never really showed their stuff.
i think i just set a record for parentheses
I could probably not disagree more with you then I do now. But earlier efforts have shown it's senseless trying to talk you out of that
Let me explain, Haussler rode, like Maaskant, Gilbert, and Flecha, very well. They stayed with the front group, and therefore rode well. You can't say they rode better or worse based on where they were on climbs or in the final sprint. Stuff like that is likely who had the right burst of energy at the right time.
Boonen and Pozzato can't really be quantified because neither of them attacked. They certainly both looked very strong, but like Haussler, Maaskant, Gilbert, and Flecha, stayed in the leading groups. Considering that, as the top favorites, they need to be held to a higher standard. Therefore I can't figure out a way to truly judge them.
Chavanel and Devolder both worked very hard and rode the hell out of the race. Chavanel was sitting for most of the break, but simply being there for the length he was hurts, and considering he still had the strength to help out Devolder when the group of four came together makes him in my view, the strongest rider in the race. Devolder worked all race for Boonen, and was looking dead when he made the move the four-man group, but he dug deep and was able to drop Qunizato, who was pestering him of the Geersbaarden (spelling) and hold off the pack.
Gustavovskiy wrote:
Another great ride by Devolder. Also Haussler and Gilbert showed very good form with a great performance.
Just a shame that last fall in the sprint...really nasty
I have to disagree with this. Haussler wasn't great at all, he was pretty poor even. Dropped on almost every climb, was way behind for most of the time and one of the weakest Cervelo riders today. He was lucky he could stay away with the final K attack and that's it.
If I should rate the riders from good to bad it was : 1. Boonen 2. Pozzato 3. Devolder (who profited from team work, again), 4. Gilbert 5. Chavanel 6. Maaskant (top 10 on almost every climb and better towards the end) 7. Flecha
Ofcourse, the result barely reflect the strong men after first place, due to the big group finishing at the end
I'm not exactly sure how you can possibly be saying that Haussler did not ride well. Even if he wasn't doing great on the climbs and did end up behind the pack at times he WAS there at the finish with the big group and furthermore, didn't have to rely on his sprint to get second place, remember that whole riding alone a hundred meters or so off the front to get second place? So his legs obviously still had something in them. So i think he gauged his efforts perfectly to be in the running for a podium and what would have been first had Devolder not been away and still having something left in the legs for an effort like that.
Gustavovskiy wrote:
Another great ride by Devolder. Also Haussler and Gilbert showed very good form with a great performance.
Just a shame that last fall in the sprint...really nasty
I have to disagree with this. Haussler wasn't great at all, he was pretty poor even. Dropped on almost every climb, was way behind for most of the time and one of the weakest Cervelo riders today. He was lucky he could stay away with the final K attack and that's it.
If I should rate the riders from good to bad it was : 1. Boonen 2. Pozzato 3. Devolder (who profited from team work, again), 4. Gilbert 5. Chavanel 6. Maaskant (top 10 on almost every climb and better towards the end) 7. Flecha
Ofcourse, the result barely reflect the strong men after first place, due to the big group finishing at the end
I have to disagree, Haussler rode very well, not great, but very well (certainly not warranting the great Phil Ligget calling him the favorite halfway through the race). Gilbert, Maaskant, and Flecha do not deserve to be rated as high as guys like Manuel Quinzato (who rode very strong, considering he no where near as quality a rider as the other three mentioned.)
I would say that Chavanel and Devolder were the strongest riders (or at least the most resilient) today. I don't think you can really judge Pozzato or Boonen, as both were marked (by each other) and never really showed their stuff.
i think i just set a record for parentheses
I could probably not disagree more with you then I do now. But earlier efforts have shown it's senseless trying to talk you out of that
Let me explain, Haussler rode, like Maaskant, Gilbert, and Flecha, very well. They stayed with the front group, and therefore rode well. You can't say they rode better or worse based on where they were on climbs or in the final sprint. Stuff like that is likely who had the right burst of energy at the right time.
Boonen and Pozzato can't really be quantified because neither of them attacked. They certainly both looked very strong, but like Haussler, Maaskant, Gilbert, and Flecha, stayed in the leading groups. Considering that, as the top favorites, they need to be held to a higher standard. Therefore I can't figure out a way to truly judge them.
Chavanel and Devolder both worked very hard and rode the hell out of the race. Chavanel was sitting for most of the break, but simply being there for the length he was hurts, and considering he still had the strength to help out Devolder when the group of four came together makes him in my view, the strongest rider in the race. Devolder worked all race for Boonen, and was looking dead when he made the move the four-man group, but he dug deep and was able to drop Qunizato, who was pestering him of the Geersbaarden (spelling) and hold off the pack.
LOL
Case lost for you.
If you say Pozzato and Boonen have not attacked, you simply did not see the race? Or maybe you only saw the final 20km? That would explain a lot, and even then it doesn't make sense (because they attacked on the muur and bosberg as well)
Gustavovskiy wrote:
Another great ride by Devolder. Also Haussler and Gilbert showed very good form with a great performance.
Just a shame that last fall in the sprint...really nasty
I have to disagree with this. Haussler wasn't great at all, he was pretty poor even. Dropped on almost every climb, was way behind for most of the time and one of the weakest Cervelo riders today. He was lucky he could stay away with the final K attack and that's it.
If I should rate the riders from good to bad it was : 1. Boonen 2. Pozzato 3. Devolder (who profited from team work, again), 4. Gilbert 5. Chavanel 6. Maaskant (top 10 on almost every climb and better towards the end) 7. Flecha
Ofcourse, the result barely reflect the strong men after first place, due to the big group finishing at the end
I have to disagree, Haussler rode very well, not great, but very well (certainly not warranting the great Phil Ligget calling him the favorite halfway through the race). Gilbert, Maaskant, and Flecha do not deserve to be rated as high as guys like Manuel Quinzato (who rode very strong, considering he no where near as quality a rider as the other three mentioned.)
I would say that Chavanel and Devolder were the strongest riders (or at least the most resilient) today. I don't think you can really judge Pozzato or Boonen, as both were marked (by each other) and never really showed their stuff.
i think i just set a record for parentheses
I could probably not disagree more with you then I do now. But earlier efforts have shown it's senseless trying to talk you out of that
Let me explain, Haussler rode, like Maaskant, Gilbert, and Flecha, very well. They stayed with the front group, and therefore rode well. You can't say they rode better or worse based on where they were on climbs or in the final sprint. Stuff like that is likely who had the right burst of energy at the right time.
Boonen and Pozzato can't really be quantified because neither of them attacked. They certainly both looked very strong, but like Haussler, Maaskant, Gilbert, and Flecha, stayed in the leading groups. Considering that, as the top favorites, they need to be held to a higher standard. Therefore I can't figure out a way to truly judge them.
Chavanel and Devolder both worked very hard and rode the hell out of the race. Chavanel was sitting for most of the break, but simply being there for the length he was hurts, and considering he still had the strength to help out Devolder when the group of four came together makes him in my view, the strongest rider in the race. Devolder worked all race for Boonen, and was looking dead when he made the move the four-man group, but he dug deep and was able to drop Qunizato, who was pestering him of the Geersbaarden (spelling) and hold off the pack.
LOL
Case lost for you.
If you say Pozzato and Boonen have not attacked, you simply did not see the race? Or maybe you only saw the final 20km? That would explain a lot, and even then it doesn't make sense (because they attacked on the muur and bosberg as well)
You don't make any sense now
Let me put it this way, they did attack, but neither of them ever were in a situation where they were forced to drive the pace, except for one small section. I did see the last 100 km of the race, and I really wasn't impressed by either of them.
)
