[VdB]

I'm not sure about my pick. I liked Vanendert's performance on the Cauberg and the Mur is a little more gruelling than that climb still. But I also know Dutchman Poels has been working towards the Flêche for much of the season, and I have a good eye in De Gendt's raw talent. Either way, it seems like I'm going for a winner from the low lands. Gonna go with Vanendert.

[Mark]

Before yesterday, I would have picked Purito. But considering that he was a non-factor in Amstel Gold, I'm not sure who stands out to me. Gilbert appears to be back in good (but not last year's) form, but doesn't have the same punch to drop everybody. Hmm...

[Strategy]

Not Andy, certainly. Not even Kim Andersen believes that he is in form to do anything. Will be interesting to see how his form will be at Tour time. It's a long time yet, but if the situation was harsh last year, certainly things cannot be too rosy on Team Radioshack-Nissan right now. Three victories so far this year - that's a lot of nothing for all the money that the Luxembourgian is pouring into that team.

[Burkni]

Strategy, on 16 April 2012 - 07:31 PM, said:

Not Andy, certainly. Not even Kim Andersen believes that he is in form to do anything. Will be interesting to see how his form will be at Tour time. It's a long time yet, but if the situation was harsh last year, certainly things cannot be too rosy on Team Radioshack-Nissan right now. Three victories so far this year - that's a lot of nothing for all the money that the Luxembourgian is pouring into that team.

Oh I hope that Bruyneel gets frequent phonecalls from the team owner demanding answers why the team isn't winning every single race it participates in, like Nygård

Voting Purito, he HAS to win this race one day and I will keep picking him until he does.

Edit: Is Lieuwe Westra riding? He was obviously nowhere in AGR but his win in Mendé in P-N qualifies him for the poll at least.

This post has been edited by Burkni: 16 April 2012 - 11:14 PM

[Burkni]

As pointed out on an unnamed other forum (can't believe I missed it) the finishing circuit has been changed.
It is still 30km long but now it loops north of Huy and includes two climbs at 15km to go and 9km to go instead of one climb at 11km to go.

Not saying that this will make for a successful breakaway but the escapees might actually make it on to the Mur this time
Commendable effort by ASO in any case.

[crockett]

I took Valverde, and will note that I am ashamed to admit that I have never heard of Sergio Henoa.

[Strategy]

No idea. In fact, I can't recall a year in which the field has been this open... with Gilbert off his best and many of the normal favorites either out or not at their best (Evans, Andy), I don't really know that there is a clear favorite.

This post has been edited by Strategy: 17 April 2012 - 02:09 PM

[buddy]

I went Gilbert.

I would love to see him back to his best of last year and in Amstel he wasn't far off it. He seems to be getting better each race. Now a Gilbert from last year would never have been headed in Amstel once he got that 3 metres gap. He would have just blasted away. Maybe that sort of form is not too far away.

Thanks,

Buddy

[Strategy]

Oooh - Andy finally showing some beginnings of form this season.

[Burkni]

J-ROD finally wins a classic!

Beautiful stuff, and no less dominant than Gilbert's win last season, he went with 300m to go (or even more) which, in other years than 2010 and 2011, has been suicide.

[Strategy]

Excellent win, and I sincerely can't think of a non-Scandinavian rider in the peloton (Nordhaug put in a nice little dig there at the end, causing the Norwegian commentators to move into dreamland for a few minutes) whom I more wanted to see win.

[Burkni]

Strategy, on 18 April 2012 - 06:17 PM, said:

Excellent win, and I sincerely can't think of a non-Scandinavian rider in the peloton (Nordhaug put in a nice little dig there at the end, causing the Norwegian commentators to move into dreamland for a few minutes) whom I more wanted to see win.

I would very much like to hear that if you have a clip ...

[mapeifan]

classy win, that was a very powerful move on the Muur.

[Strategy]

Burkni, on 18 April 2012 - 06:20 PM, said:

I would very much like to hear that if you have a clip ...

This is the only clip I've seen, and by this point they were back to being excited but realistic.

When the break was at 10-11-12-13 seconds, they were imagining a 75% Norwegian one-two.

[Burkni]

Strategy, on 19 April 2012 - 02:37 PM, said:

This is the only clip I've seen, and by this point they were back to being excited but realistic.

When the break was at 10-11-12-13 seconds, they were imagining a 75% Norwegian one-two.

Did they expect EBH to get second?

[Strategy]

Burkni, on 19 April 2012 - 06:51 PM, said:

Did they expect EBH to get second?

Nope. Hesjedal's great-grandparents were Norwegian, which makes him half (or wholly, depending on how great an achievement it is) Norwegian too, you know.