Does it mean anything? He's done it before. I'd like to think that Boonen is going to be in top form come March and April. I'd like to see him double up again.

I have nothing much to add about the Qatar race though. Where the hell are the spectators? Why does the government sanction a race that no one seemingly watches?

He said he's put the same time into the bike, but is resting more. His season will be just like last year, but hopefully McEwen won't drop out of the tour this time.

His season will be just like last year, but hopefully McEwen won't drop out of the tour this time.

That's rather missing the point: if Boonen won Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, he and Quickstep would basically treat the rest of the year (including the Tour) as a take-it-as-it-comes bonus. The green jersey only becomes a 'must win' for Quickstep if they mess up their classics campaign - that's all they really care about. 2005is the season they're trying to replicate.

Either way, Qatar proves nothing - there are only about 4 world class sprinters/classics specialists, and they all avoid each other until Milan-San Remo, so its easy for them to clean up in early season races.

I just like the fact that we are actually hearing that Slipstream is keeping their own in the early TT...

Although it sounded like Quickstep put the hurting on EVERYONE the next day in the winds huh? Besides, is it odd for Boonen to have great form early in time for the classics? I don't think it's that odd.

BTW - I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that Big George can pull off the win in the Paris-Roubaix (wishful thinking maybe, but I still wanna see him win it)

Qatar and Mallorca are sort of like the pre-season in baseball, over half the teams aren't there and wins only raise questions.

BTW - I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that Big George can pull off the win in the Paris-Roubaix (wishful thinking maybe, but I still wanna see him win it)

Nah - Hincapie will be riding for Hammond!

JOKULL - QUIT KILLING THE DREAM!!!!

You are most likely right, but perhaps they'll see the Paris-Roubaix as "George's Race" and let him take center stage... after all it's not like the Pro Peloton hasn't watch George Try and Try and Try for that win and Hammond will have the rest of the season to have George ride for him.... I"m still keeping my fingers crossed.

JOKULL - QUIT KILLING THE DREAM!!!!. . . I"m still keeping my fingers crossed.
Ah, the annual "can George win it" discussion.

If George wins Roubaix, I will eat a cobblestone.

JOKULL - QUIT KILLING THE DREAM!!!!

You are most likely right, but perhaps they'll see the Paris-Roubaix as "George's Race" and let him take center stage... after all it's not like the Pro Peloton hasn't watch George Try and Try and Try for that win and Hammond will have the rest of the season to have George ride for him.... I"m still keeping my fingers crossed.

It'll be interesting to see how the politics play out. Overall, Hincapie does have a better record than Hammond in Paris-Roubaix, but thats partly because Hammond only got his first ride in 2002 - before that he was in teams that didn't get a place in therace. Since then their results have been similar (but bear in mind that in 2005 and 2006, Hammond was riding for Hincapie).

Hammond moved to Discovery to take a big pay check and with the job of helping George in P-R. He left because he wanted to ride Paris-Roubaix for himself again. I suspect he wasn't too pleased when Hincapie signed for T-Mobile! Hammond spends most of the year riding for Cavendish, but like Hincapie, thinks of Paris-Roubaix as 'his' race. My guess is that they'll start as equals, with the idea that they'll see who's strongest on the day. I also suspect that neither of them will win...

Ah, the annual "can George win it" discussion.

If George wins Roubaix, I will eat a cobblestone.


Well played.

Touche...
It's early anyway...
Besides, We have to get thru Cali first right?

Meanwhile in Qatar, I'm re-jacking this thread into "crosswind appreciation day"

Hey cyclingnews - where's my echelon pics????? I want to see pelotons shredded with the QuickStep boys rotating smoothlhy at the front. Now THAT's bike racing.

Sorry
No more George talk...

I'm for Hincapie too.

Milan San Remo can actually be won by a good all round rider but I don't follow the classics that much so I won't know which of them are taking part even.

It's years since an all rounder won Milan-San Remo. It's a sprinters race these days.

It's years since an all rounder won Milan-San Remo. It's a sprinters race these days.
Has it been that long since Bettini won? We're gettin' ol', dude.

It seems like the strategy, even for potential all arrounder like Freire, is to see how the sprint works out.

Has it been that long since Bettini won? We're gettin' ol', dude.

It seems like the strategy, even for potential all arrounder like Freire, is to see how the sprint works out.

You made me go and look! Bettini won in 2003, so 5 years ago since the last all rounder won, and it has definately been all sprints since then. Before Bettini was Cipollini and before that Zabel's run, so sprinters dominated in the late 90s. The late 80s and early 90s were when the all rounders were really dominating - Fignon twice, Kelly twice, Jalabert, Chiappucci...

I think the best sprinters have just got better (for whatever reason), the hills at the end just don't create splits like they used too. It's always good to see a rider like Gilbert trying though.

1990 Gianni Bugno (Ita) Château d'Ax
1991 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera
1992 Sean Kelly (Ire) Festina
1993 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita) Lampre
1994 Giorgio Furlan (Ita) Gewiss Ballan
1995 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE
1996 Gabriele Colombo (Ita) Gewiss Playbus
1997 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom
1998 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom
1999 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto
2000 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom
2001 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom
2002 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
2003 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step-Davitamon
2004 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
2005 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
2006 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
2007 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank

What a list.... the only name that I don't recognize is Andrei Tchmil in 99... Sprinter?

Let me slide this link in under that rock, you've been living under :)
http://trap-friis.dk/cykling/belgium.Tchmil.htm




1990 Gianni Bugno (Ita) Château d'Ax
1991 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera
1992 Sean Kelly (Ire) Festina
1993 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita) Lampre
1994 Giorgio Furlan (Ita) Gewiss Ballan
1995 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE
1996 Gabriele Colombo (Ita) Gewiss Playbus
1997 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom
1998 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom
1999 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto
2000 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom
2001 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom
2002 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
2003 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step-Davitamon
2004 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
2005 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
2006 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
2007 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank

What a list.... the only name that I don't recognize is Andrei Tchmil in 99... Sprinter?

Doesn't all-arounder mean that you can compete in a GT or even a 7 or 8 day stage race? I've always thought of Bettini as a second tier sprinter that can climb punchy hills (don't get me wrong, I love him).

An all-arounder would be someone like DiLuca or Cunego. Win classics and stage races. It does seem that there were more all-arounders in the past. I guess that's what you get when folks are allowed to specialize.

It can't be time for th 2008 season already. Who won the 2006 TDF?

Doesn't all-arounder mean that you can compete in a GT or even a 7 or 8 day stage race? I've always thought of Bettini as a second tier sprinter that can climb punchy hills (don't get me wrong, I love him).
.
Bettini has won 6-7 day races.

Thanks dude.
And that ROCK feels a bit lighter...