botto 

7 days to go.

Wij zijn er klaar voor?

Laggard

Boonen? Haussler? Pozzato? Devolder? Nuyens? Gilbert?

botto 

^

hincapie, hoste, devolder, flecha, langeveld...

dmotoguy

Hincapie and Boonen will crush many souls.

I hope Hincapie wins, he's a deserving fellow.

Duke of Kent

Hincapie will be second, after making an error in the last turn, and Boonen/Flecha/Haussler forcing him to the front.

dmotoguy

Hinapie is getting pretty wily in his advanced age.. but he does have the deck stacked against him in the last couple hundred meters and must make a decisive move before it comes to that.

YMCA

I always said I'd rather win De Ronde more than any race in the world.
Distance, wind, power climbs, cobbles, fans.
Many types of riders can win this race, unlike Liege or Roubaix.

Laggard

Amen! I believe it was Bartoli who said that it was his favorite race and the toughest one-day of the year. My favorite race and in some opinions the most prestigious classic to win.

AlexTaylor

I'd LOVE to see Hincapie win it but according to Pozzato yesterday Boonen is looking strong for this one...

fly:yes/land:no

boonen certainly looked to be the class of the field at e3. the only other riders that looked as good as him were chavenel and devolder! qs is loaded.

dmb2786

hey bud, we don't all speak brazilian.

fly:yes/land:no

btw, cool vid, botto. would you say that commercial is a good depiction of the ronde's atmosphere? i mean, given that it is a 2 minute clip, it is limited in content, but it seemed pretty authentic from what i have read.

YMCA

Actually Haussler was King that day, just overpowered by a well drilled QS.

DiabloScott

Steegmans is out too so that makes Pozzato even less likely. No Ballan either that's a real shame.

So if Hincapie attacks on de Muur... would Boonen think him enough of a threat to go with him? I realize this hypothetical is pure fantasy but Hinc might be getting desperate enough to try something.

If Devolder and Boonen come in to town together alone... do they sprint it out or does Lefevere decide who wins?

Greg180

+1000

There is something about him that wants to make you cheer for his success.

Laggard

Not this dude. Never a big fan of "Big" Georgie. Maybe it's cause there's something wrong with the fact that a rider who's considered the most successful classics rider ever to come out of the USA has only won one semi-classic.

The guy does work hard though and has that old-school cycling ethic.

Duke of Kent

+1. He put in the meanest pull I've ever seen, taking that little terd Cavendish from 40th to the top 5 in the last 2-3km at Sanremo.

YMCA

He has not bagged the big monument, but has won a few semi's.

GentWevelgem, KBK, GP Ouest
plus the 3 days of De Panne which of course is a stage race, but a "Classics" one at that.

And his work ethic towards training/diet/teamwork is second to none.
He'll always be known as a Classics guy because he's in there at the hunt quite often, but his main role in this sport has got to be as super-domestique. That job is one he can play well.

fly:yes/land:no

he wasn't done. he still led out the field for about 400m inside the last 1k.

Laggard

Never heard KBK or GP Ouest called a semi. Oh well.

Go George. Maybe he'll pull a Duclos-Lasalle and come through with a major win late in his career.

NomadVW 

Hincapie is definitely the feel good to root for, but who can put up a defense to the QS Armada this year. Cripes, they're just working over the other teams. Even Cervelo - arguably one of the best teams - just can't field enough folks at this point.

Chavanel, Devolder or Boonen win this one.

Chavanel appears on the down side of form. Devolder started to show up this week, maybe ready for PR, with Boonen on target for Ronde.

skinnyone

All I know is Flecha will launch a "win or bust" attack.

I am tipping Pozzato/Hushovd for Z win

Laggard

Here are the UCI pro tour team rankings as of 3/23

1 Quick Step
2 Team Columbia - High Road
3 Team Saxo Bank
4 Caisse D'Epargne
5 Cervelo Test Team
6 Astana
7 Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
8 Liquigas
9 Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
10 Française Des Jeux
11 Team Katusha
12 AG2R La Mondiale
13 LPR Brakes Farnese Vini
14 Garmin - Slipstream
15 Team Milram
16 Euskaltel - Euskadi
17 Skil-Shimano
18 Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce
19 Lampre - N.G.C
20 Rabobank
21 Bbox Bouygues Telecom
22 Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
23 Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
24 Agritubel
25 Silence-Lotto

YMCA

I was desperate to give George some credit.
I guess a bit to desperate.

smoke

6 days to go

i just can't see anyone other than boonen. he may not be your sentimental pick, but it's just too hard to argue against