Yes,I've come back blogging after getting the news of Chris Sorensen's broken collarbone on Monday and after reflecting on his injury for some time (long History lessons in fact are perfect for reflecting on problems regarding cycling).In spite of the long rational reflections of mine, Fangirl kept on believing that everything was just a bad joke inspired by the 1st of April until Thursday.But then,since the 1st April came and went and no website came up with the head title of "Chris Sorensen's broken collarbone was just a joke!!",Fangirl had to surrender to reality: Chris really broke his collarbone during Vuelta "break your collarbone" Catalunya.However Fangirl is confident that,if Lance Armstrong broke his collarbone as well in Vuelta a Catalunya and managed to be back in the Giro a few weeks after his injury,Chris will be able to do the same. And,if he manages to get better results than the ones that Armstrong got during the 2009 Giro,Fangirl will phone Vuelta a Catalunya organisers and ask them to create a statue to put where Chris crashed.After all,they put a statue where Armstrong crashed last year,therefore why shouldn't they do the same with Chris this year? Anyway,I realise I'm writing useless things that have no-sense at all,so here I stop.
The main goal of this post in fact isn't complaining about the broken collarbone of you-know-who,but talking about Ronde van Vlaanderen. Here is the start list:
QUICK STEP: Devolder, Boonen, Chavanel, De Weert, Husmans, Tosatto, Weylandt, Wynants. Devolder has won 2 Tour of Flandres over the last 2 years,attacking in the very same point of the race both in 2008 and in 2009.Now the slope on which he used to attack has been removed (noooo!);will this affect his chances to get his 3rd Tour of Flanders victory in a row? We'll ind out tomorrow.Of course also Tom Boonen is one (if not "the") super favourite of the race,but I don't know whether his motivation will be as high as Devolder's one.
AG2R LA MONDIALE: Berard, Gastauer, Goddaert, Hinault, Mondory, Ravard, Rousseau, Smurkulis. Gastauer is one of the 2 Luxembourgers (the other one is Kirchen) who will race tomorrow,therefore his country will be in a warm "Allez Ben!" mood while waiting to support los Schlecks during the Ardenne's week.
ASTANA: Bazayev,Davis,Dmitriyev,Gasparotto,Grivko,Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy,Selvaggi. Gasparotto and Maxim Iglinskiy are in a super condition and I really do hope they'll manage to get good results.In fact they can both resist/attack on the slopes and they're both pretty fast.
CAISSE D'EPARGNE: Amador,Coyot,Drujon,Erviti,Da Costa,Gutierrez,Lastras,Rojas.
EUSKALTEL EUSKADI: De Lis, Aramendia, Koldo Fernandez, Galdos, Isasi, Izagirre,Sicard, Urtasun.
FOOTON-SERVETTO: Brandle, Capelli, Cardoso, Zabala, Faiers, Mata ,Merlo, Vitoria. Allez allez allez Capelli!!!
FRANCAISE DES JEUX: Bonnaire, Chavanel, Cherel, Geslin, Guesdon, Hutarovich, Ladagnous,Offredo.The 38 year-old Guesdon,who won the 1997 edition of Paris-Roubaix (gosh,I was 5 at that time!) seems the strongest rider of this team.
LAMPRE FARNESE VINI: Balloni,Bernucci,Sapa,Buts,Da Dalto,Hondo,Lorenzetto,Spilak.This team has some interesting young riders like Balloni (born in 1989) and Spilak (1986).
LIQUIGAS DOIMO: Bennati, Dall'Antonia, Guarnieri, Kuschynski, Oss, Quinziato, Sabatini, Willems. This is one of the strongest team that are taking part in Tour of Flanders. Bennati is a very strong and fast rider, Quinziato always gets good results in the North Classics, Oss is enchanting Italian tifosi with his exceptional results, Guarnieri is strong,fast and determined and Kuschynski showed a very good form during Gand-Wevelgem. The team captains however should be Oss,Bennati and Quinziato-and me thinks that Oss will show us something good also tomorrow.
OMEGA PHARMA-LOTTO: Delage, Elijzen, Gilbert, Hoste, Lang, Roelandts, Scheirlincx, Van Avermaet. Gilbert is in good form and he'll be the team captain together with Leif Hoste,a rider that appears every year during this period of the season,takes his podium place at Flanders and/or Roubaix,and then disappears in the fog of Cycledom.Leif crashed during last year Paris-Roubaix when he was in a very good position,arrived 2nd in Flanders in 2004,2006 and 2007 and arrived 2nd in Roubaix in 2006 (he was eventually disqualified for crossing the railway line together with other 2 riders).I have to say that,if in Cycledom there's a rider who really deserves winning Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix,that rider is Hoste.And that's why a part of me will support him tomorrow (although he'll surely crash or puncture in the final part of the race).
RABOBANK: Boom,Flens,Langeveld,Leezer,Nuyens,Posthuma,Stamsnijder,Tjallingii.Langeveld has said he can win Flanders and lots of people have probably read his comment and started to laugh.Anyway I believe that Sebastian may surprise a lot of people tomorrow,because he has the skills to get good results in races like Flanders and Roubaix.And of course,talking about Rabobank,we mustn't forget Lars Boom.
SKY: Arvesen,Barry,Boasson Hagen,Flecha,Hayman,Stannard,Sutton,Thomas. Boasson Hagen is still having health problems,but don't get too worried,Sky's supporters: Van der Flecha and Arvesen are ready to give battle in tomorrow's race.
GARMIN TRANSITIONS: Dean,Farrar,Wilson,Hunter,Maaskant,Millar,Tuft,Van Summeren. Attention to this team: Farrar could be a surprise for tomorrow's race,whereas Maaskant (4th in Tour of Flanders last year and 4th in Roubaix in 2008) and Vansummeren (5th in last year Roubaix) can both get good results tomorrow.
TEAM HTC-COLUMBIA: Bak,Dockx,Eisel,Goss,Reynes,Roulston,Sieberg,Velits.The captain will probably be Eisel.
KATUSHA: Bandiera,Brutt,Ivanov,Kirchen,McEwen,Trusov,Vandenbergh.The team has lost his captain Pozzato and I must admit I'm sorry for him,since it's always hateful to see a rider ill right when his main goals of the season arrive.Amstel Gold Race's 2009 winner Ivanov will be the captain.
MILRAM: De Vocht, Eichler, Markus and Thomas Fothen, Knaven, Wrolich, Voss, Sentjens, Terpstra. Terpstra is the team leader-don't forget that he was 3rd in Dwars door Vlaanderen.
RADIOSHACK: Armstrong,Vaitkus,Irizar,Lequatre,Murayev,Popovych,Rosseler,Rast.
SAXO BANK: Cancellara, Breschel, Cooke, Hoj, Klemme, Klostergaard, Larsson, O'Grady. Cancellara and O'Grady have both won a Roubaix each,whereas Matti Breschel hasn't won any big Classic yet.Will this be his lucky year? Me warmly hopes so.The form is good and without bad luck last week he would have won Gand-Wevelgem.Also Baden Cooke showed great form in Gand,whereas Hoj,Klemme,Larsson and Klostergaard tomorrow will probably work as first class helpers.
BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM: Bonnet,Chainel,Claude,Gene,Haddou,Pichot,Turgot,Voeckler. Turgot and Chainel both got victories in the last week.
BMC: Ballan,Burghardt,Hincapie,Kroon,Murphy,Schaer,Stewart,Wyss.This is another team that has a lot of cards to play for tomorrow's race.Together with young good helpers in fact there are classic specialists like Ballan (winner of 2007 Flanders),Burghardt,Kroon and Hincapie.In my opinion,Hincapie will be the rider to look out for tomorrow,because he's never won Ronde Van Vlaanderen (Ballan has) and therefore he'll try getting a good result.
CERVELO: Hammond,Rollin,Hunt,Hushovd,Reimer,Lancaster,Lloyd,Rasch.I don't know why, but me has the feeling that Thor Hushvod will win tomorrow's race.This feeling is completely unrational,if you consider that he had some health problems in the last days (nothing serious) and that he'll probably decide to give it all for Roubaix.
LANDBOUWKREDIET: Amorison, Barbe, Boucher, Caethoven, De Waele,Verheyen,Neirynck, Scheirlincx. Oh,another Scheirlincx: me likes this surname.
SKIL SHIMANO: Curvers,De Kort,Docker,Goesinnen,Houanard,Veelers,Vissers,Wagners. No Kenny.The main goal of this post in fact isn't complaining about the broken collarbone of you-know-who,but talking about Ronde van Vlaanderen. Here is the start list:
QUICK STEP: Devolder, Boonen, Chavanel, De Weert, Husmans, Tosatto, Weylandt, Wynants. Devolder has won 2 Tour of Flandres over the last 2 years,attacking in the very same point of the race both in 2008 and in 2009.Now the slope on which he used to attack has been removed (noooo!);will this affect his chances to get his 3rd Tour of Flanders victory in a row? We'll ind out tomorrow.Of course also Tom Boonen is one (if not "the") super favourite of the race,but I don't know whether his motivation will be as high as Devolder's one.
AG2R LA MONDIALE: Berard, Gastauer, Goddaert, Hinault, Mondory, Ravard, Rousseau, Smurkulis. Gastauer is one of the 2 Luxembourgers (the other one is Kirchen) who will race tomorrow,therefore his country will be in a warm "Allez Ben!" mood while waiting to support los Schlecks during the Ardenne's week.
ASTANA: Bazayev,Davis,Dmitriyev,Gasparotto,Grivko,Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy,Selvaggi. Gasparotto and Maxim Iglinskiy are in a super condition and I really do hope they'll manage to get good results.In fact they can both resist/attack on the slopes and they're both pretty fast.
CAISSE D'EPARGNE: Amador,Coyot,Drujon,Erviti,Da Costa,Gutierrez,Lastras,Rojas.
EUSKALTEL EUSKADI: De Lis, Aramendia, Koldo Fernandez, Galdos, Isasi, Izagirre,Sicard, Urtasun.
FOOTON-SERVETTO: Brandle, Capelli, Cardoso, Zabala, Faiers, Mata ,Merlo, Vitoria. Allez allez allez Capelli!!!
FRANCAISE DES JEUX: Bonnaire, Chavanel, Cherel, Geslin, Guesdon, Hutarovich, Ladagnous,Offredo.The 38 year-old Guesdon,who won the 1997 edition of Paris-Roubaix (gosh,I was 5 at that time!) seems the strongest rider of this team.
LAMPRE FARNESE VINI: Balloni,Bernucci,Sapa,Buts,Da Dalto,Hondo,Lorenzetto,Spilak.This team has some interesting young riders like Balloni (born in 1989) and Spilak (1986).
LIQUIGAS DOIMO: Bennati, Dall'Antonia, Guarnieri, Kuschynski, Oss, Quinziato, Sabatini, Willems. This is one of the strongest team that are taking part in Tour of Flanders. Bennati is a very strong and fast rider, Quinziato always gets good results in the North Classics, Oss is enchanting Italian tifosi with his exceptional results, Guarnieri is strong,fast and determined and Kuschynski showed a very good form during Gand-Wevelgem. The team captains however should be Oss,Bennati and Quinziato-and me thinks that Oss will show us something good also tomorrow.
OMEGA PHARMA-LOTTO: Delage, Elijzen, Gilbert, Hoste, Lang, Roelandts, Scheirlincx, Van Avermaet. Gilbert is in good form and he'll be the team captain together with Leif Hoste,a rider that appears every year during this period of the season,takes his podium place at Flanders and/or Roubaix,and then disappears in the fog of Cycledom.Leif crashed during last year Paris-Roubaix when he was in a very good position,arrived 2nd in Flanders in 2004,2006 and 2007 and arrived 2nd in Roubaix in 2006 (he was eventually disqualified for crossing the railway line together with other 2 riders).I have to say that,if in Cycledom there's a rider who really deserves winning Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix,that rider is Hoste.And that's why a part of me will support him tomorrow (although he'll surely crash or puncture in the final part of the race).
RABOBANK: Boom,Flens,Langeveld,Leezer,Nuyens,Posthuma,Stamsnijder,Tjallingii.Langeveld has said he can win Flanders and lots of people have probably read his comment and started to laugh.Anyway I believe that Sebastian may surprise a lot of people tomorrow,because he has the skills to get good results in races like Flanders and Roubaix.And of course,talking about Rabobank,we mustn't forget Lars Boom.
SKY: Arvesen,Barry,Boasson Hagen,Flecha,Hayman,Stannard,Sutton,Thomas. Boasson Hagen is still having health problems,but don't get too worried,Sky's supporters: Van der Flecha and Arvesen are ready to give battle in tomorrow's race.
GARMIN TRANSITIONS: Dean,Farrar,Wilson,Hunter,Maaskant,Millar,Tuft,Van Summeren. Attention to this team: Farrar could be a surprise for tomorrow's race,whereas Maaskant (4th in Tour of Flanders last year and 4th in Roubaix in 2008) and Vansummeren (5th in last year Roubaix) can both get good results tomorrow.
TEAM HTC-COLUMBIA: Bak,Dockx,Eisel,Goss,Reynes,Roulston,Sieberg,Velits.The captain will probably be Eisel.
KATUSHA: Bandiera,Brutt,Ivanov,Kirchen,McEwen,Trusov,Vandenbergh.The team has lost his captain Pozzato and I must admit I'm sorry for him,since it's always hateful to see a rider ill right when his main goals of the season arrive.Amstel Gold Race's 2009 winner Ivanov will be the captain.
MILRAM: De Vocht, Eichler, Markus and Thomas Fothen, Knaven, Wrolich, Voss, Sentjens, Terpstra. Terpstra is the team leader-don't forget that he was 3rd in Dwars door Vlaanderen.
RADIOSHACK: Armstrong,Vaitkus,Irizar,Lequatre,Murayev,Popovych,Rosseler,Rast.
SAXO BANK: Cancellara, Breschel, Cooke, Hoj, Klemme, Klostergaard, Larsson, O'Grady. Cancellara and O'Grady have both won a Roubaix each,whereas Matti Breschel hasn't won any big Classic yet.Will this be his lucky year? Me warmly hopes so.The form is good and without bad luck last week he would have won Gand-Wevelgem.Also Baden Cooke showed great form in Gand,whereas Hoj,Klemme,Larsson and Klostergaard tomorrow will probably work as first class helpers.
BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM: Bonnet,Chainel,Claude,Gene,Haddou,Pichot,Turgot,Voeckler. Turgot and Chainel both got victories in the last week.
BMC: Ballan,Burghardt,Hincapie,Kroon,Murphy,Schaer,Stewart,Wyss.This is another team that has a lot of cards to play for tomorrow's race.Together with young good helpers in fact there are classic specialists like Ballan (winner of 2007 Flanders),Burghardt,Kroon and Hincapie.In my opinion,Hincapie will be the rider to look out for tomorrow,because he's never won Ronde Van Vlaanderen (Ballan has) and therefore he'll try getting a good result.
CERVELO: Hammond,Rollin,Hunt,Hushovd,Reimer,Lancaster,Lloyd,Rasch.I don't know why, but me has the feeling that Thor Hushvod will win tomorrow's race.This feeling is completely unrational,if you consider that he had some health problems in the last days (nothing serious) and that he'll probably decide to give it all for Roubaix.
LANDBOUWKREDIET: Amorison, Barbe, Boucher, Caethoven, De Waele,Verheyen,Neirynck, Scheirlincx. Oh,another Scheirlincx: me likes this surname.
TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN-MERCATOR: Coenen,De Gendt,Jacobs,Lodewyck,Steurs,Van Hecke,Vanmarcke,Vanspeybrouck. Last week's hero Vanmarcke is racing (yay for him!) just like last year's Flanders surprise Preben Van Hecke (25th last year).
VACANSOLEIL: Bozic,Gardeyn,Hoogerland,Leukemans,Marcato,Mouris,Traksel,Westra. Hoogerland will be there in the finale,me hopes.And Bozic could surprise.
So,this is the start list.My personal favourites? Well,I've already mentioned my unrational feeling about a possible Hushvod's victory.But trying to be more rational,I think that the main favourites of the race are the usual ones (Boonen,Devolder,Cancellara,Hincapie,Hoste and Ballan).Anyway Ballan and Boonen have already won Flanders,therefore they may decide not to give everything in tomorrow's race in order to win next week's Paris-Roubaix.Cancellara hasn't won Flanders yet,but I believe he'll help his teammate Matti Breschel tomorrow.Devolder,if he's in good form, could try to win his 3rd Tour of Flanders,whereas Hoste and Hincapie will attack,just like Langeveld.Anyway I think that in the end also Oss,Gasparotto,Maaskant, Vanmarcke,Hushvod,Gilbert,Langeveld and Iglinskiy will be ready to play their cards.Also Vansummeren,Flecha and Maaskant can't be let out from the list of possible winners.In conclusion,my podium hope,ehm,prediction for tomorrow is: Breschel,Oss,Iglinskiy.
Anyway,that's all for now: happy Easter to everyone and enjoy tomorrow's race (and don't trust my predictions).
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