Road Bike Racing - Ronde van Vlaanderen

I'm so damn excited about this race that I couldn't wait any longer to start the thread. :o

The second of cycling's five monuments and arguably the greatest. I'm not even sure where to start.

This will be Museeuw's final Ronde and I can think of no one who deserves to win than him.

http://www.rondevanvlaanderen.be/fotos/win98.jpg

http://www.panderzinedistro.com/pater.jpg

Official Site (http://www.rondevanvlaanderen.be/eng/)

Sunday - April 4

Cyclingnews.com will have live coverage. OLN has delayed same day coverage at 4 pm-5pm eastern.

The Koppenberg

http://www.panderzinedistro.com/Koppe2.jpg

http://www.panderzinedistro.com/koppe.jpg

I really wish that OLN had live coverage. The race sounds beautiful.

To watch it on cyclingnews, or wait until the tape delay... that is the question.

I'm not going to make any predictions in winners.
It would be great to see Museeuw pull it off. :)

The second of cycling's five monuments and arguably the greatest.

RVV is definitely my favourite Classic.

I really wish that OLN had live coverage. The race sounds beautiful.

And miss a 4-year-old episode of Shotgun journal? No way! :D

You said it Laggard,easily my favorite race of the year. I was lucky enough to be there in 99 for both the Ronde & Liege. The atmosphere was incredible nothing like I'd ever experienced in my life. I was on the Bosberg when Van Petegem rode by,the crowd was insane,same for Liege we were staying in Awallie(sp?) and saw the race go by in the morning then went to Ans for the finale, sitting in a cafe by the finish line watching on the big screen until Vandenbrouke got to the last climb, coming in by himself again the crowd was incredible I still get goose bumps today.
If you ever get the chance you must see these races.

I think this will apply to every Classic and World Cup race in the first half of the season:

So many strong one-day riders have great form this year making it next to impossible to single anybody out as a favourite before the race.

Quick-Step appears to have the edge with a number of riders who can be active and control this race. I will be happy with any result that does not involve a large group (which, for this race would be anything more than ten) charging at the line for a sprint-finish.

Tape delay or not, it's more than us pathetic canadians get!

I saw last year's Ronde on tape, and it was athe first time I'd ever seen the Koppenberg. OY! I've never seen anything like that. What chaos! A motorcycle turned over, it was hilarious. It didn't see the previous year's which was the first time they'd used the Koppenberg since 1985.

ALso, there is a women's Ronde. The route is shorter and they don't do all the climbs, but they do some,like the Leberg and the Bosberg, but they don't do the Koppenberg.

Go Johan!

I don't believe they are using Koppenburg this year, seem to have read it somewhere.
If we are talking favourites for me its Paris-Roubaix, now thats a classic race.

Marty

Here's a map and profile of Flanders this year (http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2004/worldcup04/rvv04/?id=map). Looks like the Koppenberg's in there.

It'll be interesting to hear the peloton's reaction to the Muur, now that it has been resurfaced. Dave Bruylandts was quoted in cyclingnews (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/mar04/mar29news) this week:


"The new Muur has really disappointed me," commented Dave Bruylandts (Chocolade Jacques) to Het Nieuwsblad. "It has become an autostrada. As if they had laid asphalt over it. Earlier you won 10 seconds with the right line. Also the Paddestraat and the Lippenhovestraat have become main roads."

The Koppe is on this years profile. Kilometer 192.

Ok, so now I have to figure out where I heard that it was out.
Personally I love it (although I don't think I'd like to ride it) wouldn't
be the same race without it.

Marty

... although I don't think I'd like to ride it ...

Last weekend I rode the E3 Flanders for cyclotourists (http://e3prijswielertoeristen.cjb.net/). Nice preparation for the RVV (http://www.rvv.be/eng/index.html), although this year I will be only watching it. ;) The Koppenberg :eek: was not included, but some of the RVV's other highlights were: Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg, Taaienberg, Eikenberg, Boigneberg.

The Paterberg, which is a short, nasty leg killer, was especially difficult. It is only 350 metres, but the average climb is 12,5%, with a maximum of 20%.

Makes you wonder how they master those climbs when the cobbles are wet and slippery and most of the wheel traction is gone :rolleyes:

Ok everyone. Your predictions please.

One of these three will win: Boogerd, VP or Dekker.

I'm going with Boogerd.

I'll be wrong. I usually am.

I'll be wrong. I usually am.

Being wrong is sometimes right, so my pick is Saeco's cobbleslayer Dario Pierri. His victory would be well deserved (and be a boost for my sorry standing in Laggard's Fantasy Cycling game :rolleyes: )

Ok everyone. Your predictions please.

If Tchmil were still riding, I'd sink or swim with him in this race without a moment's hesitation.

I like Van Petegem. This race is seldom won back-to-back, but the spring classics are PVP's whole season, he has always said this.

CSC couldn't be a stronger team right now and Bartoli has won here before. I'll add him to my "who knows, but I'll try" guess-list.

Like Laggard, I like both Dekker and Boogerd, though I'll give Boogerd the nod. Rabobank is always great in the one-day classics, often well represented in crucial moves. I don't think they will have appreciated being beaten by Quick-Step at Brabantse-Pijl when they had 2 of the final 5 riders heading for the finish.

Recent podium finishers Vandenbroucke, O'Grady and Pieri can't be ignored but Quick-Step, Rabobank and Lotto-Domo are just too strong in numbers. A rider from any other team taking this race would be nothing short of a disaster for these teams and should not happen.

My dark horse pick? Van Heeswijk.
other than that VDB.

Marty

After careful, objective consideration, I think my fantasy league riders will finish 1-10 in no particular order. :p

Rain is forcast for Belgium tomorrow!

Don: I'll give you 1000 bonus points if you're right.

Rain is forcast for Belgium tomorrow!

Ok. Well if it's rain for tomorrow, I'll bet that Museeuw's out of the picture.

That being said... GO TOM BOONEN! COME ON, FRANKY BOY!

I was having a hard time rooting for anyone but the Lion of Flanders. I'm the sentimental sort that way. :rolleyes:

Gonna ride 50miles in the morning then get my VCR ready for that tape delay and me layed up on the couch watching!! :p

Rain is forcast for Belgium tomorrow!

Possibility of rain in Flanders tomorrow, Gent Wevelgem on Wednesday, The Queen of the Classics on Sunday the 11th, Amstel Gold; the next weekend. End it all with what was once the Ardennes weekend ( Fleche Wallone and Liege).

Who needs July to be excited by this sport??

April is the cruelest month.

Yes, it looks like the weather will be crap for the ronde. YAAY! One of the climbs, Ithink it's the Leberg, is sort of like one of the hilly roads around here, it's called Hill Park. Its quite steep but very short, and not cobbled of course. Once you get up a head of steam, it's not bad. I kind of like short, steep hills. But the koppenberg, isn't it like 22% at some points?Yow!

Roubaix really is my favorite of all the spring races.It's just wild! I hope this year it rains!

Congrats to Wesemann on finally getting the classic victory he has fought so hard for over the past few years. His break took the risks and got the rewards. He is now a made man for the next few years. Bruylandts also gets a fine finish in what most expected to be a big year for him.

www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=408467#post408467

Possibility of rain in Flanders tomorrow, Gent Wevelgem on Wednesday, The Queen of the Classics on Sunday the 11th, Amstel Gold; the next weekend. End it all with what was once the Ardennes weekend ( Fleche Wallone and Liege). Who needs July to be excited by this sport?? April is the cruelest month.

Correct! This IS the time.

This year's Ronde was dry (which comes in handy on Koppenberg, Patersberg et al.), but really windy.


my pick is Saeco's cobbleslayer Dario Pierri.

Where was he? :cry:

Ironically, the race coincided with the death of the Flemish legend Briek Schotte (a.k.a. the last of the Flandriens). Helmets off for Alberic! May he rest in peace.

I really grant it to Wese.
He finished second in Paris-Roubaix and shows up big in the spring classics.
Now he got the reward.

But still I couldn´t believe he just won it. No Musseuw, no Bettini, no van Petegem...

I was kind of shocked, too, when I saw the results, but glad for Stefan. He does a lot of work for the team. It is about time he got to shine. Wasn't it he a couple of years ago who stayed with the leaders til near the end of Paris-Roubaix despite having a broken cleat that kept coming out of the pedal?

My dream European vacation would be to go to that area for this week in April and catch the Ronde, Ghent-Wevelgem, and Paris-Roubaix. For some reason I just can't get Rainbabe excited about the idea. I don't know, some wierd issues with standing around in the rain and cold like it's not a good thing. Even promises of frites with mayonnaise washed down with Duval or Hoegaarden didn't tempt her. It's just hard to figure some people out.

Actually, Rainman, I'd love that. Standing in the rain cold and mud is part of the whole fun! For me, I'd love to stand in the arenberg forest and get splashed by the riders as they go by!

However, the weather forecast indicates a nice, sunny roubaix this year. AWWWW!

Actually, Rainman, I'd love that. Standing in the rain cold and mud is part of the whole fun! For me, I'd love to stand in the arenberg forest and get splashed by the riders as they go by!

However, the weather forecast indicates a nice, sunny roubaix this year. AWWWW!

http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/local/FRXX0084?from=search_city