Boonen 4x PR win as meaningful w/o Cancellera?

[Cog_wild]

all the glory to Boonen, but just want to throw it out there. Would it have been the same if Cancellera had been riding?

[ooga-booga]

the cobblestones, dust, crashes, mechanicals/flats and mud put more pressure on any potential winner than a particular opposing rider. every edition of p-r features big names falling by the wayside. boonen is a hard man. glad to see him back.

[canam73]

Pretty much every multi-year record will have a significant competitor who was missing or impaired for some part of it. Boonen can't help what happens to other people, he did his best. And fwiw, I would have been routing for Cancellara or Sagan to win and both were gone.

[baj32161]

[DiabloScott]

"Tell me who came in second, and I'll tell you the value of your victory." or something like that.

Still, I have no idea who DNF'ed for any of de Vlaeminck's four PR wins. Boonen deserves his place in history.

[eddiepliers]

I think the way that Boonen rode on sunday had no impact on how or if Cancellara could ride. He was on a totally different level on Sunday and you can see the determination on his face. Tom played it right and I'm glad that he broke away and kept the lead increasing.

[Keith99]

"Tell me who came in second, and I'll tell you the value of your victory." or something like that.

Still, I have no idea who DNF'ed for any of de Vlaeminck's four PR wins. Boonen deserves his place in history.

I'm not going to guess on the DNFs for De Vlaeminck. But will point out in 74 and 75 he beat a couple of decent riders. Francesco Moser and Eddy Merckx. He also finished second to Merckx once and Moser twice.

But I think frenchman may top the list for winning with an impressive podium.

Hinault is not thought of as a classics rider, but his 81 win over De Vlaeminck and Moser is pretty impressive. (Though it seems Marc De Meyer did the same in 76).

[chasm54]

Hinault is not thought of as a classics rider, but his 81 win over De Vlaeminck and Moser is pretty impressive. (Though it seems Marc De Meyer did the same in 76).

Hinault was a tough S.O.B. and a great one-day rider when he chose. Remember the 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Liege? he nearly lost some fingers to frostbite in winning that, nearly everyone else climbed off in a blizzard.

[prettyshady]

Hinault was a tough S.O.B. and a great one-day rider when he chose. Remember the 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Liege? he nearly lost some fingers to frostbite in winning that, nearly everyone else climbed off in a blizzard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdjP4...tailpage#t=26s
roubaix 81, Hinault runs over a dog and hits the ground for the 3rd time that day

[oneofpr]

Cancellara must be flippin after watching how the race ended.

I just visualized Cancellara on that solo break, lucky Boonen he could not compete.

[papawoody]

yes , equally meaningful . Boonen straight up brought it .

[bikerjp]

"Tell me who came in second, and I'll tell you the value of your victory." or something like that.

Still, I have no idea who DNF'ed for any of de Vlaeminck's four PR wins. Boonen deserves his place in history.

Yes, tell me. Who came in second? Could it have been any closer?

[daveF]

Cancellara must be flippin after watching how the race ended.

I just visualized Cancellara on that solo break, lucky Boonen he could not compete.

I think the results would have been the same, with perhaps Boonen winning in a two up sprint rather than solo. The last time Cancellara was able to ride away from Boonen, it was a Boonen without this form. But the way Cancellara has been crashing this year (how many times at E3 alone?) I'm not very confident he would have even been there with Boonen. Cancellara has crashed in every race I've seen him in this year. That ends up taking a toll even when bones aren't broken.

[Keith99]

I think the results would have been the same, with perhaps Boonen winning in a two up sprint rather than solo. The last time Cancellara was able to ride away from Boonen, it was a Boonen without this form. But the way Cancellara has been crashing this year (how many times at E3 alone?) I'm not very confident he would have even been there with Boonen. Cancellara has crashed in every race I've seen him in this year. That ends up taking a toll even when bones aren't broken.

Considering the way Boonen rode away from everyone, including his teammate on the cobbles when he seemed to jsut be trying to ride fast, not drop him, I don't see any rider alive today staying with him.

Perhaps Cancellara would have provided enough firepower to a chase group to be able to pull Boonen back on the paved sections. But only perhaps. Still Boonen for the sprint in that case.

[kleinboogie]

Problems happen during the race so there's a bit of luck (both good and bad). Tom just stayed out of trouble and had the power to own everybody. That day, nobody had the goods. Maybe Fabian would have had an impact but can't take away from what Tom did.

[DiabloScott]

I'm not going to guess on the DNFs for De Vlaeminck. But will point out in 74 and 75 he beat a couple of decent riders. Francesco Moser and Eddy Merckx. He also finished second to Merckx once and Moser twice.

Boonen also finished third in his first PR as a first-year pro. Got any interesting similars?

[Kind of Blued]

Boonen can't help what happens to other people, he did his best.

Yep. Discounting a win is a silly endeavor, as is downplaying the importance of luck, especially in Roubaix.

The correct answer is "Yes, it would have been the same considering Cancellara would have been riding with a broken collarbone".

[Keith99]

Boonen also finished third in his first PR as a first-year pro. Got any interesting similars?

A couple.

Merckx won Milan Sam Remo his first year.

But the forgotten man , Felice Gimondy is a bit more remarkable.

First year he won the TDF. Second year he won Paris Roubaix in what looks ot be his first entry in that event.

[Commodus]

Yea I think it does somewhat reduce the value. I think it's pretty clear that Cancellara has the horsepower to stay with an in-form Boonen and it would definitely have been a very different race.

But hey that's not Boonen's fault. Amazing ride by a great rider.

[peter584]

Not to the record book, but Boonen will remember he wasn't there

[curiouskid55]

You only race the guys that show up youget a victory its a victory victory is not diminished by who didnt show up people have no idea how hard it is to just show up

[Moontrane]

Hinault was a tough S.O.B. and a great one-day rider when he chose. Remember the 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Liege? he nearly lost some fingers to frostbite in winning that, nearly everyone else climbed off in a blizzard.

Hinault had no patience for those deriding Zoetemelk's win in 1980 (after Hinault abandoned with knee tendinitis), saying, basically, that the fittest rider in the race wins.

Chapeau Boonen.