Paris-Roubaix and beyond...RIP cyclist Wouter Weylandt, killed @ Giro

[TigerVols]

...if you don't know what the Hell of the North is, then kindly move along.

But if you do...who you picking Sunday?

Hard to go against Spartacus...but I've got a good feeling about Boonen, myself. Of course, would love to see Big George win it for the US, but I imagine his time has passed.

And according to early reports, it will be dusty this weekend, meaning no shots like this:

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

I'll take last year's champ Cancellara. He's supposedly looking pretty good. I've always liked Boonen though. Paris-Roubaix is such an unusual race--how do you really prepare for the pounding your legs take?

 

[micropolitan guy]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

My neice's boyfriend/partner is riding in this event.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

George will crash and break something on the cobbles.
Hard to go against Boonen in any of the Classics, but he crashed today or yesterday so I guess it depends on if he was injured.

 

[AliceBrenda]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

1.Haussler
2. Goss
3. O'Grady

 

[TigerVols]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

1.Haussler
2. Goss
3. O'Grady

Would love to see Matty finish second; not sure if the course suits him. But the hot weather will definitely be an advantage to him, since the Aussie's basically in late-summer shape right now.

 

[TigerVols]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

If you don't want to wait around until Versus airs its' taped coverage, live broadcast can be found here...

http://www.steephill.tv/classics/paris-roubaix/

 

[TigerVols]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

Spoiler alert....







...with 60K left, it's been a bloodbath. Eurosport announcers saying it's a historic crash-fest so far. Out: Cav, Boonen, Chavannel, about 1/2 of Sky, Haussler, and plenty more. In: BMC controlling the front, Sparaticus as well.

 

[ringer]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

Is Contador (I mean Meat-a-dor) riding?
What about Leipheimer? Schleck?

I'm so lost about who's suspended and who's not these days...

 

[John]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

An another cycling note, American Flyers was shown a few times yesterday on one of the Encore channels. It's not good, but I couldn't help but stop and watch for a while.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

Boonen got boned. A couple of lines of coke and he'll be OK.

American Flyers has it going on because a pre-Bay Watch Alexandra Paul gets naked.

 

[TigerVols]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

Fantastic finish.

Spartacus throws a diva-fit with 20K left, and his mucking around pretty much cost him the race.

Winner is one of the most-liked domestiques on the tour, a previously winless Johan Van Summeren...and he promptly pulls an Ian Johnson imitation and asks his girlfriend to marry him.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

I can't say I much blame Cancellara for stopping doing all the work at the front. Would you want to pull Hoshovd to the line?
Although, I would have liked to see the God of Thunder win.

 

[TigerVols]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

I can't say I much blame Cancellara for stopping doing all the work at the front. Would you want to pull Hoshovd to the line?
Although, I would have liked to see the God of Thunder win.

I wouldn't want to pull Thor; but I also don't blame him for wheelsucking (well, I don't blame him in this one instance. He's notorious for it usually)...after all, he had a teammate in the lead while Fabian was pulling his diva act.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

Brutal conditions for the Little 500 today. The Cutters are a lap down after a big pileup.

 

[TigerVols]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

Brutal conditions for the Little 500 today. The Cutters are a lap down after a big pileup.

Two Johns guys say Cutters win? WTF? How?

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

Brutal conditions for the Little 500 today. The Cutters are a lap down after a big pileup.

Two Johns guys say Cutters win? WTF? How?

The crash happened early, like lap 80-something. With 200 laps, they had plenty of time to make it up. The other teams didn't work together to really hammer the Cutters when they were a lap down. It was kind of surprising, because they got back on the lead lap pretty quickly.

 

[TigerVols]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

Speculation that tragedy has struck Day 2 of the Giro: Leopard Trek rider Weylandt crashed badly, and was last shown with medics furiously attempting CPR. A pall has descended on the race.

http://live.cyclingnews.com/

 

[Shoeless Joe]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

That sucks.

 

[TigerVols]

Re: Paris-Roubaix and beyond...

Last report is that he's undergoing "cardiac massage" for the past 15 minutes or more...but it's all but understood that Wouter Weylandt, a winner of stage in this race last year, has been killed on a descent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wouter_Weylandt