me so giddy!
Good stuff coming. Good stuff happened. First what has happened:Boonen is a beast. He took E3 Prijs again, for the third time. As well as using Dwars as a training ride; he was playing w/ the peleton the entire day. This is all after leading "Pipo" Pizzato out for the Quick-Step win of Milan-SanRemo. He is the obvious favorite for the Flanders/ Roubaix double again. I like him. My wife likes him more! What's more he's not an ass! No big Cipo or Simoni mouth. Just a strong rider talking w/ his legs and wins.
I've been VERY impressed w/ the Discovery Channel's riding this spring. They just took Driedaagse van De Panne w/ new recruit Leif Hoste claiming the blue ribbon of domination. To top this off, the final time trial saw non other than 3 Disco boys clogging the first three places! Leif, Hincapie, and Stijn Devolder blew everyone away in convincing fashion. This is the post-Lance effect. Everyone that rode w/ him have become exceptional all around riders themselves. It was either that or not make the team. Lance rode fast.
Former Postie and now Phonak team leader Floyd Landis (winner of recent Tour of California) won Paris-Nice! California was a good win, but this is a downright confirmation of his power. Landis has the blessing of his entire team as they all believe that he will be a major protagonist come this Tour de France, if not gracing the top podium step itself! This is very early in his season and he's not even peaking yet! He recently dropped the Giro as a prep race for le Tour hoping that he doesn't go into the red against the other prodigy w/ a Lance connection, Ivan Basso. An American has won the past 2 editions of the race as Bobby Julich took top honors last year.
Other things that make me happy and prove that the cycling world stars are aligning:
-3 time former World RR Champion and rainbow jersey curse victim Oscar Freire won Brabantse Pijl (don't you love these Belgian race names!). He's been suffering from one NASTY saddle sore that, well, we'll leave it at that. No we won't, that sucker abcessed! Ugh!
-another former RR Champion and curse victim Igor Astarloa has been showing his missed face in the top ten of nearly every race he's entered this year! This guy had a year like Boonen did when he won the RR title and then proceeded to not be heard of at all until now. He's riding for Pro Continental team Barloworld, so he's not in all the Pro Tour races, but given his results he should be able to sign w/ someone next year that is.
-Erik Dekker won a stage of the Criterium International. He's been a great rider in the past years but has suffered from major injuries for the last two.
-Ivan Basso hasn't been injured and is not a former World Champion, but he will be a major Tour winner this year. He just won the Criterium International well before his form is scheduled to peak in May for the Giro. Can he do the double this year?
As for what's coming, I'm tired of typing and I already said it earlier. Flanders and Roubaix. The height of the Classics for most. I can't wait.
Images courtesy of Cyclingnews.com.
I've been VERY impressed w/ the Discovery Channel's riding this spring. They just took Driedaagse van De Panne w/ new recruit Leif Hoste claiming the blue ribbon of domination. To top this off, the final time trial saw non other than 3 Disco boys clogging the first three places! Leif, Hincapie, and Stijn Devolder blew everyone away in convincing fashion. This is the post-Lance effect. Everyone that rode w/ him have become exceptional all around riders themselves. It was either that or not make the team. Lance rode fast.
Former Postie and now Phonak team leader Floyd Landis (winner of recent Tour of California) won Paris-Nice! California was a good win, but this is a downright confirmation of his power. Landis has the blessing of his entire team as they all believe that he will be a major protagonist come this Tour de France, if not gracing the top podium step itself! This is very early in his season and he's not even peaking yet! He recently dropped the Giro as a prep race for le Tour hoping that he doesn't go into the red against the other prodigy w/ a Lance connection, Ivan Basso. An American has won the past 2 editions of the race as Bobby Julich took top honors last year.
Other things that make me happy and prove that the cycling world stars are aligning:
-3 time former World RR Champion and rainbow jersey curse victim Oscar Freire won Brabantse Pijl (don't you love these Belgian race names!). He's been suffering from one NASTY saddle sore that, well, we'll leave it at that. No we won't, that sucker abcessed! Ugh!
-another former RR Champion and curse victim Igor Astarloa has been showing his missed face in the top ten of nearly every race he's entered this year! This guy had a year like Boonen did when he won the RR title and then proceeded to not be heard of at all until now. He's riding for Pro Continental team Barloworld, so he's not in all the Pro Tour races, but given his results he should be able to sign w/ someone next year that is.
-Erik Dekker won a stage of the Criterium International. He's been a great rider in the past years but has suffered from major injuries for the last two.
-Ivan Basso hasn't been injured and is not a former World Champion, but he will be a major Tour winner this year. He just won the Criterium International well before his form is scheduled to peak in May for the Giro. Can he do the double this year?As for what's coming, I'm tired of typing and I already said it earlier. Flanders and Roubaix. The height of the Classics for most. I can't wait.
Images courtesy of Cyclingnews.com.
posted by Chris Huller at 5:40 PM
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