Hats off to the week’s best riders.
Chapeau to a great cobbled classics season. I am a little sad that they are all over but now we turn our attention to the hillier regions of Belgium and Holland to start Ardennes week. So put down the Trappist ale and grab an Amstel lager. Here is your Chapeau from Flanders to Brabantse.
Un coup de chapeau a Tom Boonen. First ever to win Harelbeke, Gent, Roubaix, and Flanders in the same year, first to take the cobbled double, Roubaix and Flanders, twice, and ties Monsieur Paris-Roubaix, De Vlaeminck, for most wins at the Hell of the North, a record 4 times. A tip of the hat to a cycling legend in our own time. Tommeke, Tommeke, Tommeke!
Un coup de chapeau a Fillipo Pozatto. The wheel-sucker attacked at Flanders and it almost worked. He has to be admired for his toughness following an early season crash. Roubaix got the best of him. However, the man should be commended for a great comeback season.
Un coup de chapeau a Allesandro Ballan. Bontempino saved the BMC classics season by earning two 3rd place finishes in the two big monuments of the cobbles. Ballan was tactically sound and showed that he will continue to be a player in these races. I was really cheering that he would win the race for second best on the velodrome but Chapeau to Sébastien Turgot for getting the result of his career.
Un coup de chapeau a Thomas Voekler. I know that Brabantse was left off the Team Wiskota schedule. Damn Commish! However, I got to give a tip of the hat to Le Chouchou for his outstanding win on Wednesday. Look out for Ti-Blanc at Amstel this weekend. Sneaky Voekler points are a coming.
Contre-performance. This week’s disappointing performance was tough. I thought about a single rider but no one really stood out… Gilbert? How about Roger De Vlaeminck for his absurd, crazy old man comments about a 3rd rate peloton and comparing himself to Merckx? Discuss……
My pick for the week’s wag of the finger…… Team Sky. 4 guys can’t chase down 1. Come on boys! Why wait for Eddy boss. He hasn’t earned anything in these races. Too young son- work for it. The Commish has already discussed this but certainly disappointing.
It is fun to discuss Boonen's place in history and thus I like that Devlaemink has become part of the conversation. Yes he sounds like Fran Tarkenton, but he has a point. Not about the depleated peloton perse', but about being compared to Boonen. Old dude deserves some respect, too bad he feels he has to be the one to bring it up. Keep in mind dude won every classic. Dude won Roubaix 4 times. Dude finished 2nd 4 times. Dude beat Eddy Merckx. Also, he won the Omloop in '69 and he was still picking off stages in Grand Tours in 1984.
ReplyDeleteMerckx won the Tour de France five times, won all the monuments of cycling at least twice, with 19 monument victories in all, won the Giro d'Italia five times and the Vuelta a España once, won the world championship once as an amateur and three times as a professional, and broke the world hour record.
ReplyDeleteDe Vlaeminck is one of 3 riders to win all the monuments. 4 time winner of Paris-Roubaix. May be the best pure classics cyclist of all time, however, never won a grand tour or the World Championchip. Belgium National Champion, points winner of Giro and Grand Tour stage winner on some occasions.
Boonen is a 4 time winner of Paris-Roubaix, only rider to win the cobbled double twice. Has won all the Begian cobbled classics and semi classics. Green Jersey winner of Tour de France and has some Grand Tour stage wins. World Champion and Belgium National Champion.
The "Incomparable Eddy Merckx". The Boonen comparison seems fair to me. Tommeke has some wins left in the tank. Probably not L-B-L or Lombardia.