What a beautiful day to ride! Did you go out to ride today?
I did after a night of drinking half a bottle of wine and a glass of beer. Why? Why did I have to drink that much? I don't know... but it tasted so good... I'm just silly like that. I wasn't feeling all that great at 7:30 am, but I'm glad I went to ride. Riding always makes me happy. Never fails.
Speaking of happiness... I have an exciting announcement to make.
For the past 6 months or so, I have been working with my friends to start our own Sunday riding group.
Say hello to team a2b. Our first ride will roll out at 8:30 am on Sunday, May 9, 2010. We will meet at Cynergy Cycles, 2300 Santa Monica Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90404.
All the details are being finalized as we speak, but for now you can follow us on Facebook for any updates.
Our inaugural ride will introduce you to lots of fellow So Cal riders as well as some of the Cynergy staff who will be supporting us. After our ride, there will be refreshments waiting for us at the store, so come back and hang out with us! Oh, and did I mention a big special sale?? If you ride with us on May 9, you will get a special pricing on everything in the store!! *GASP*
Check out our FB page and become a fan so you won't miss all the exciting news! And, email me with any questions. I hope I get to meet some of the Velo Angels readers at this event. Aaaaaah! I'm excited!!
Hello. Sorry I haven't been writing much lately. After finishing the century, I wasn't being able to set the next goal, and that made me utterly unmotivated. I spent a lot of time eating out, having a few (too many) cocktails with friends, being a couch potato... and put on a few extra pounds! I guess that's going to be my motivation to get back on the bike! One thing for sure is that I got my much needed rest though. Even with a layer of fat I must lose before the summer, I feel pretty good and refreshed!
Before going back to me riding... let's talk about other people (pros) riding. Tomorrow is one of my favorite bike races! Paris-Roubaix on Versus.
Ben wrote an awesome post about it last week, so check it out. I love having Ben, my own commentator, who is like Phil (for his funny comments), Paul (for his sanity and precision) and Bobke (for his dorkiness) all rolled up in one and spiked with lots of hot pepper. Ben's post is always funny, full of good information and SPICY. Thank you, Ben, for another excellent post.
So on Sunday we were treated to an amazing Tour of Flanders -- seriously, the two strongest guys going off on the climbs, throwing down so hard no one else could cover -- you just can't beat that. But the joy of victory is fleeting, because next Sunday those riders who beat themselves up getting up and over the cobbled climbs, will have to descend into the Hell of the North -- Paris Roubaix.
So why, you ask, is Paris Roubaix called the Hell of the North? It's simple -- because guys have to ride over 200 miles, on road bikes, over roads like this.
The sadists who keep this race going literally pick stones out of the fields, to make sure they are uneven, have gaps, and can be easily kicked out in the rain -- for the sole reason to torture riders once a year. Which makes for some really, really fun racing.
Because while the Tour of Flanders is often decided by tactics, in Roubaix, almost every year, the strongest man wins. Because no amount of tactics will help you on the cobblestones, and I guarantee you you can't mark the wheel of someone when you're bouncing all over the road.
So considering that only the strong survive, you have to know who the favorite is after last week -- Spartacus himself, Fabian Cancellara.
If you saw the race, you saw him just power away from Boonen on a climb, which I thought could not happen. He didn't even attack -- he just set his own pace, and suddenly he was on his own. He got 20 seconds over Boonen on the climb, and then just crushed him on the flats to win by well over a minute. He had to be that strong to call his shot and win -- and oh, did he deliver.
That is really, really bad news for Tom Boonen. Boonen had a chance to make some history on Sunday -- if he win, not only would it have been 3 in a row, but he also would tie the mark for most Paris Roubaix wins ever, set first by Roger de Vlaeminck.
And if he would have done that, you have no idea how good the party would have been in Belgium -- seriously, there wouldn't have been any coke left in all the Benelux countries. But now it appears that he peaked too soon, and he's coming down in form -- a very, very bad omen for next Sunday.
So who is peaking at the right time to give Fabian a run for his money then? Given his performance on Sunday, you have to start with Big George. While his form is definitely coming along, it's still George -- which means you can pretty much guarantee he'll have some bad luck, and then he'll think too hard and not react. I mean, he's talking now that he regretted not going with Fabi and Boonen on Sunday. I mean, it's Fabi and Boonen -- you have to know if they go, you have to go. If you think when that happens, you're just screwed in Roubaix, even if your handlebars don't snap on you.
Another guy who had a really good race, after a really crappy year to date, was Leif Hoste. He's a big, fat Belgian, who always seems to come close in these races. He also is willing to take chances -- hell, he was kicked out one year because he crossed railroad tracks when a train was coming. He'll be the top guy at Omega Lotto, and I'd be willing to bet he makes the last selection.
Another guy who will be there is Juan Antonia Flecha. He peaked earlier this year, came down, and appears to be on the upswing for the Ronde. He's also shown he's willing to make the decisive move this year, and he'll need that type of confidence on Sunday. If he's not on the podium I'd be shocked.
And then we have two guys who will just be pissed on Sunday and will want to hurt people -- probably the absolute best way to ride this race. Matti Breschel went into the race as a favorite, then watched as Fabi got a perfect bike change ...... and he got the bike of a guy 5 cm shorter than him. Needless to say he was a bit pissed. And he let everyone know how he got screwed, which I'm sure will make the mechanics work extra hard for him on Sunday .....
Then there's Flippo Pozatto, the peleton's favorite metrosexual. He missed the Ronde because he got the swine flu. And last year he lost the race because some guys went down right in front of him and he was pushed off Boonen's wheel. I guarantee he'll be there at the end on Sunday.
So who's my picks for Sunday? After going 2 for 3 last week, there's a bit of pressure, but I bet these guys, plus one shocker (maybe Van Summeran or Maaskant from Garmin, maybe Bjorn Leukemans from Vaconsoleil). At that point everyone will be watching Fabian, since he's so clearly the strongest. That leaves the door open for someone else to make a move and get away.
My prediction is that 3 guys get out -- Flippo, Flecha, and Big George. So is this finally the year George makes it? Uh, no. Flecha will jump out of that group, and George will be tactical and not follow, making Flippo do that since he's a better sprinter. Which pretty much guarantees Flecha wins, Flippo doesn't move either and beats George in the velodrome for 2nd, and George comes in for 3, telling everyone he had the legs, but just wishes he would have gone at the decisive move ......
Alright now folks, as the resident pro cycling geek here, it's my duty to bring everyone up to speed on the greatest week in the pro cycling calendar. Next week we'll talk about Roubaix, but today, it's all about the Ronde -- Sunday's Tour of Flanders.
The Ronde is a fascinating race because of it's narrow roads, 15% climbs over wet cobblestones, and the batshit crazy, likely drunk, Flemish fans lining the entire course. Think I'm kidding? This is one of the few pro races where every single year, many folks are reduced to walking.
This is also a fascinating race for how the tactics play out. This is race where you need a strong team -- for every climb the favorites need to be at the front, and with all the narrow roads you need a strong teammate to stretch out the field. You won't see an 80 person field at the end like you will in the Tour -- this is all about attrition, and in the end it may not be the strongest man who wins -- but it sure as hell will be the one who's team played their tactics just right.
So who are the favorites this year? It is usually a wide open race, but this year there are two clear favorites -- big names who are on great form. And that would be Tommeke and Spartacus.
Tommeke is Tom Boonen, Belgium's favorite cokehead. When he's not doing hookers and blow in Monoco, he's a great rider, especially on the cobblestones. Just watch him on the climbs in this race. He gets to the front and just powers away. Literally, he is someone who can leave the rest of the peleton anytime he wants, and the real challenge with him is to reign him in. Last year he lost because one rider literally spent the whole race on his wheel. He's strong again, so that is a definite possibility for Sunday's race. But there is no one who can match his power, and in a sprint at the end he's one of the best, so he's always at the top of the list of favorites at any classic in the North.
Spartacus is Fabian Cancellara, the Swiss time-trial star. There is no one better than him at the late break. He generally is strong enough to stay in contact on the climbs, and on the flats he can literally ride away from people. And once he's alone, you'll almost never catch him. This is the strategy he used to win the E3 over Boonen a few weeks ago, so make sure to keep an eye on him.
After these two, there are a long line of possibilities.
Juan Antonia Flecha -- finally won a cobbled race early in the year, but the climbs may be too much for him. He's better suited for Roubaix later in the week, but is a possibility here.
Phillipe Gilbert -- the master of the pointless attack. I love watching him race, but until last year he never won. This year he's gotten back in the habit of making the attack that lets someone else win the race, but if his form is good he's definitely a possibility.
George Hincapie -- everyone wants him to win one of these, but he always finds a way to lose. Like last week at Ghent -- he was in the perfect position, but then went too early in the spring and finished 4th. He should be at the front all day, but I'd be shocked if he got on the podium.
Stijn Devolder -- Boonen's helper, who found a way to win the last two years when everyone was watching Tommeke. His form is horrible this year though, so it would be really surprising if he pulled another good performance out of his ass.
Thor Hushovd -- The God of Thunder. Not sure how his form is, but are you really going to bet against a Norweigan hardman when it's supposed to be 40 degrees, rainy and windy? He's my darkhorse to possibly pull of an upset of the two top guys on Sunday.
Matti Breschel -- he's a hot favorite right now since he's on crazy good form. A teammate of Spartacus, you can pretty much guarantee he'll be in a late break to take some pressure off Fabi. Devolder won the last two years doing this, so if Fabi's marked, there's a great chance he'll win. Even if he's caught, he's a great sprinter so he should podium.
Now is you're watching Versus' coverage, you'll probably hear everyone slobbering over Lance. He's not going to win. He probably won't finish. He's here for training, so just don't pay attention to the one-nutted medical miracle until July when his season really starts (and finishes).
So my picks for the end? Spartacus 1, Boonen 2, Breschel 3. Saxo Bank is so strong right now, and teamwork is the key in this race. Fabi has targeted the Ronde for two years now, and his form is on. Breschel is super strong and will be there at the end, and I can see a final break of these 3 plus Flecha and Thor. George will have his usual bad luck, and Lance will be giving a lot of interviews.
