Road Bike Racing - 2004 Omloop Het Volk

Now the season really starts.

Here's the starting lineup:

http://omloop.sportwereld.be/omloop/deelnemers.html

Predictions?
Ivanov and Aerts from T-Mobile will be dangerous.
Frankie VDB will be gunning the Het
Van Petegem is always good
and it looks like Quick Step is throwing all their big guns into it here for Johan.
I'm surprised at the sparse CSC team and no Bartoli.

Mad Max V. (postal) is my pick if they race as it has been snowing.

There's four guys from Quick Step who could win the thing. It's between them and Lotto.

I'm going to go with Boonen.

And I also predict that Hincapie will miss a crucial break. :) :)

And I also predict that Hincapie will miss a crucial break. :) :)

Does it seem to be that USPS generally has pretty bad tactics in the single day races? I get that impression from what I've seen and heard.

no. it's not postal as a team. it's hincapie as a rider. he's as strong as an ox, but he's as dumb as a brick.

I was talking to my training partner today on our way out of town, I think Hincapie is going to win a big race this year. He won Ghent Wevelgem in 2001 and has not really made any headlines since.

Then I get home and there is new Issue of Cyclesport with a 4 page article/interview with him.


He mentions that ever since he crashed in a field sprint and ended up in a neck brace he has been a bit timid in the field sprints.

He also says that this is the year which will decide where the rest of his cycling career goes.

"If I win big events, then I will be looked at as a big rider with potential to win big races. If I don't then I am a bit too old to continue getting fourth or fifth. That's not to say I'm stopping, just that this year I need to establish myself as a winner of big one day events. I need to win, not get second."

"If that doesnt happen, Im happy to keep being a team rider in the Tour as long as Lance wants to win, but I really want to win something big on my own."

Maybe I'll scan it and post it up on here.

I personally think George could have won a couple of TdF Stages by now if only Postal riders where allowed to go up the road in any of the breakaways.

That's funny, Hincapie says that every year.

Alot of the USPS riders could have won stages if not for Lance! That affects all the races all season long. You hear of that all the time. The only thing that matters to USPS is Lance and the TDF. The other riders work around that and that is why they cannot properly prepare for big UCI races.

Hincapie is always "sick so it delayed my training" or "crashed and out, real disappointed because I was good for X race" or "was in it until my tire came out from under" or whatever.

Yeah, he might win something. He won a mini-classic in a sprint against Leon Van Bon 3 years ago... you know how racing is, it's all about "what have you done for me lately".
He's lucky to be with Lance, who keeps him on no matter what. Look at Bobby Julich, 3rd in the TDF and now a domestique.
Division 1, you are either winning or you're getting the winner's bidons.

no. it's not postal as a team. it's hincapie as a rider. he's as strong as an ox, but he's as dumb as a brick.

I just spit out my rum and coke.

Thanks for the laugh.

There's four guys from Quick Step who could win the thing. It's between them and Lotto.

I'm going to go with Boonen.

And I also predict that Hincapie will miss a crucial break. :) :)

heh.

I'm with you, Laggard. (Lemme me hear you say - GO TOM BOONEN!)

But did I read something about PVP not feeling well?

If y'all are going to bring up the Postal Service, though... I'd go with Van Heeswijk over Hincapie any day.

I just heard that Het Volk could be canceled because of ice and snow... ugly weather in Flandres and even more snow is predicted. The last time Het Volk had to be canceled was back in 1986. This year it seems that at least the Eikenberg and the Molenberg has to be taken out of the course.

Brussels, Belgium weather... Temp is 32F right now (friday night). Snow showers are scheduled for tomorrow.

Cyclingnews has live coverage

Too bad the race will probably end before I wake up! ha!

weather report for Ghent, Belgium:

www.wunderground.com/global/stations/06431.html

The race has been cancelled

www.cyclingnews.com

Damn weather.

I'll have to save the Leffe for tomorrow, though I fear I should just drink it now and celebrate 1986 all over again.

That's Belgian weather for you....

I used to live there...

Well most all of the riders for Het Volk started Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne today.

I think it just got over, and there is coverage on cyclingnews.