Paris – Roubaix

Tom Boonen (OPQ)
Filippo
Tom Boonen (OPQ)
Filippo Pozzato (FAR)
Alessandro Ballan (BMC)
Sylvain Chavanel (OPQ)
Luca Paolini (KAT)
Stijn Devolder (VCD)
Sep Vanmarcke (GRM)
Johan Vansummeren (GRM)
Gregory Rast (RSN)

Tom Boonen & Filippo Pozzato why change who is winning (or finishing 2nd)

Alessandro Ballan (replacing Oscar Freire) a proven PR performer, great current form

Sylvain Chavanel (replacing Fabian Cancellera) simply if a group containing Boonen does not win, it will be a group containing Chavanel

Luca Paolini impressed with his performance in RVV & Scheldeprijs (as with Boonen’s) so no reason to transfer out

Stijn Devolder unsure why I keep him, watched his 2007 & 2008 RVV performances before RVV. He is capable of winning PR, OK recent form but just …

Sep Vanmarcke if I knew he was sick I would of kept Matthieu Ladagnous instead. Proven pave rider, 2nd protected rider on GRM, hoping the sickness is more foxing than real.

Johan Vansummeren (transfered out Kris Boeckmans ) proven PR performer, #1 rider on the GRM team (one of the two best teams in PR OPQ is the other IMHO)

Gregory Rast (transfered out Matthieu Ladagnous) another proven PR performer and with no Cancellera, RSNT big hope. Had plenty of points to play with, but not enough for Bernie Eisel

Right, this is me for today.
Right, this is me for today. Have stuck with boonen as he is doing well. Hoping that the pressure for getting the three doesn’t get to him!!
Thor Hushovd (BMC)
Tom Boonen (OPQ)
Edvald Boasson Hagen (SKY)
Alessandro Ballan (BMC)
Johan Vansummeren (GRM)
Christopher Sutton (SKY)
Sep Vanmarcke (GRM)
Baden Cooke (GRE)
Stijn Vandenbergh (OPQ)

That was tough with the
That was tough with the transfers, some really difficult decisions. Anyway my team is:

Boonen
Ballan
Pozzato
Flecha (in)

Van Summeren
Hayman
Tjallingi (in)
O’Grady (in)
Guesdon (in)

Guesdon in purely for sentimental reasons – if he’d had a proper build-up, he’d definitely be a candidate for placing around 10th or so.

The very last race of his career, past winner, battled back from broken hip to be here, whole of France behind him. Sometimes fairytales do happen in sport… fingers crossed…

😉

Bobbins – I made my 4
Bobbins – I made my 4 transfers last night thinking the race was today . . . I bet my 4 transfers cry off with colds now.
Come on Tjallingi !!!

Happy to have 9 guys(fingers
Happy to have 9 guys(fingers crossed)

Boonen
Degenkolb
Hushovd
Oss
Rast
VanSummeren
VanMarcke
Eisel
Sutton

The weather is going to be
The weather is going to be wet, so I hope there will be a lot of action. Boonen/ Quick Step has always had some bad luck in previous campaigns, thats why I didnt put him in my (purist) team.
My remaining team since Cancellaras fall:

Ballan (very pleased with him)

Oss (strong at Wevelgem, disappointing at Flanders but ahould be in contention now as a lone leader without Sagan and a parcour that suits him)

Boasson Hagen (good display at Wevelgem, strong at Flanders too but with a lot of bad luck, Roubaix should suit him especially if its getting wet)

Hayman (domestique at Wevelgem, many attacks at the early stages of Flanders, then domestique, hopefully hes up to it at Roubaix, the race that suits him best)

Vansummeren (solide showings so far, now team leader for Roubaix)

Vanmarcke (wasnt able to deal with the long distance at Flanders but I think hes among the contenders for Roubaix tho)

Trentin (prospect, has to work for Boonen, maybe 5 points again)

Morkov (thought he has the abilities to be Saxos best cobbles rider, in good pre-race shape, but proved me wrong so far)

My RSN rider to win… Atcual
My RSN rider to win… Atcual thoughts maybe ballan to go one better than last week, but does look ominous for boonen, unless he gets caught behind any crashes