Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Broom Wagon: Ardennes in Review


Yes, those skirts are made out of coasters
GIlbert powered away in Amstel Gold and won the congratulatory beer chug.

"You young guys are going way to soon"

Valverde passed his rivals as if the were sitting still on the Mur de Huy.

Some guy thinks this is art
Gerrans timed it just right in Liege, and redeems himself in the eyes of his beer chugging Aussie bretheren.


Friday, April 18, 2014

Broom Wagon: Cobbled Classics Wrap Up

Until Next Year
The Terpinator destroyed the cobbles this year

Well, not exactly, we are lucky enough to have a cobbled stage coming up in this year's Tour de France.  Time to rattle the bones of some of these ultra skinny climber types, I like it.  But, besides for that little taster, we will have to wait another year to feed our cobbles jones.  Let's recap.

Dwars door Vlaanderen:  In a sign of things to come, the cobbles of the Paterberg got Terpinated (trademark pending) by Maillot Jaune Guillame's killer late round selection, Niki Terpstra.  

E3 Harelbeke: Despite how it may have seemed, Peter Sagan did not come away empty handed from the spring classics season.  He managed a sprint victory, heading a podium group of Terpstra and Geraint that we would get to see a lot more of later in the classics.

Gent-Wevelgem: Degenkolb began the transformation from being considered a sprinter to being considered a classics rider by...winning a sprint finish.  The only thing more ironic is Degenkolb's hipster mustache, or is that the actual style in Germany right now?  Apparently, he shaved his euro stash afterwards thus, dooming his chances for victory in Roubaix. 

The Ronde: We all know how his one turned out.  An epic, legendary, history making effort to bridge the gap by Kristoff came up heart breakingly short.  And some other guy opened a beer on the side of a table or something.

Scheldeprijs:  Skittles owns this race, but I haven't had much of a chance to rip on my boy Ty Ty Farrar yet this year and he came "close" to making me eat crow with a second place finish.  "you don't do that"

Paris-Roubaix:  Another great edition of the queen of the monuments.  In the end, Terpstra got a way for the win, but there was a whole hell of a lot more going on in this race.  The final group was crazy strong.  11 national road race titles, 14 monuments, 30 grand tour stages, 3 cyclocross world championships, 1 road race world champion, 3 green jerseys, 6 gold medals and for the first time since 1992, 1 Tour de France winner.

As the dust settles can we determine a WFL winner here?  Most of us scored significant points.  Eric and Greg keep battling it out for 5th place while Volpe sees his annual Cancellera bump give him some breathing room.  Steven has been raking it in, a bit from G. Thomas but mostly off the cobbles with Contador.  Bill is probably the big winner here as he has inched even closer to first.

On to the Ardennes where we put away our roleurs and bring out our puncheurs.  The WFL is full of climby riders and this next week should be pretty fun.  Tune in. Wiskota!

Friday, April 11, 2014

On the Rivet

Paris - Roubaix

Who will hoist the trophy this year?

Tune in early because the action starts at 6 am on NBC Sports Live Extra.  In addition, there will be another Wiskota Team group text started as soon as the Commish can drag himself out his hotel bed.  

As for favorites, one name looms large.  Can anyone top Cancellera?  At this point it seems hard to imagine. Sep Van Marcke has seemed to be on the best form.  Boonen obviously has the most experience and wins, but was lacking in Flanders.  GVA has been ripping it up, doing everything but winning.  Phinney was born for this race, but is it too soon?  Eddy the Boss has been given the go ahead at Sky, will Wiggo and the Penguin be there in the end as well?  Kristoff seems like a real tough son of a bitch, can he make it to the velodrome? Will Thor finally get his?  Or will one of Omega Pharma's many 2nd lieutenants ride away from the pack?  I haven't even mentioned Sagan, Degenkolb or Pozzato... Everybody has got a dog in the race so fire up the laptop and hit the cobbles.

Predictions:

Wiskota Podium:
Cancellera
Sep
Boonen

Spoilers:
Hayman
Langeveld
Leukemans


Is it weird that I kind of want Wiggo to pull this out?  Tour/Roubaix winner, epic.  Also, I'm serious about that Haymaker pick, dude has serious experience.  


    

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Flanders!


Cancellera
It's Miller Time, Bitch!
Spartacus takes his record tying 3rd Ronde.  There have been so many races and so little time to recap.  The points are updated and ready for Roubaix.  Feel free to comment on your favorite moments from the cobbled classics season so far.