Nice cliffhanger. He outsprinted Bak, but who knows if it was for the 6th place or the 121th?
And chance of rain is always 100% at Roubaix in-game I guess
Jesleyh: I must've said it wrong, he outsprinted Bak on a recon, not in the real race. The race is yet to be played
I sure hope for rain, but I've had it dry before
PCM rulezz: Thanks! Jelle is doing his job well, building up from Catalunya to Basque to the Ardennes. He seems ready!
Stromeon: Thank you, it's good to run the story again, too.
Jakstar22: Thanks Stijn is holding a great shape, let's hope he can continue his top20 streak in Roubaix!
Not sure when the next race is, today is a busy day, and Roubaix is a long race. Will try, otherwise another day, obviously
My fault, I read it as: I've had a one-on-one(conversation) with Bak in the last 150km(like they were in the same group (somewhere)in the last 150km )
Never mind.
Can't wait to see how Stijn will achieve at Roubaix...
Well, I can't believe the cobbled classic is over already. Here's what happened on the climax: Paris - Roubaix. Right before the start, the team leader reminded me once more of my place: domestique.
Well, a lot of cobbles, that's one. What I wanted most for today was a bit of rain. Preferably a lot.
I couldn't believe it. Dry as a dead dingo's donger!
The first major competitor to bite the dust, literally, was the Italian Ballan.
As the peloton thinned out, Roelandts came to me. "I'm feeling good", he said. So I took initiative and attacked out of the front group.
I didn't get far away but what I had intended with the attack was achieved: Cancellara himself worked on the chase. As soon as they came near, I let myself get caught, hoping to regain some energy before the next cobbled section!
And then, a few kilometers later, Spartacus himself went on the attack. Only Boonen was able to keep his pace, sort of.
The pace upped with 5km/h in a second and my former attack took its toll. I dropped out of the group with Thomas.
Another dropped duo were Chavanel and a surprisingly strong Eisel.
We caught up with them and formed a group of four. But Chavanel didn't see eye to eye with the two sky's and attacked himself. I tried to counter his attack.
A mistake, I realized soon enough. I wasted my remaining energy and the Sky duo caught up with me 500m later.
At the front of the race, Cancellara had left everyone and everything behind with a formidable solo effort. He took the double, Ronde and Roubaix!
A couple minutes later, I entered the Velodrome with Eisel and Thomas on my wheel.
Thomas surprised me with an early sprint/late attack. I took the bait and depleted all energy left. Eisel had the 18th place for the taking.
I resisted as hard as I could. But there was no way. I've never felt emptier. I finish a 19th place, sucked dry by the 150km of intensive riding.
Roelandts landed just outside the top 10, finishing 11th. But what's really remarkable is that only 31 riders finished (within time limits). Despite the great weather conditions, the race was incredibly hard and fast paced. Hell, I'm glad to be part of those 31!
It was a tough race, and I, for one, am glad to be back in good old Belgium. I'll take it easy for a few days and then it's time to build up for my first Grand Tour, another big event to look forward to.
I'll reflect upon my first cobbled season a bit later in the week! So until then,
Stijn!
First of all, we would like to thank everyone out there. Our blogging project is already a major success, with over 5000 views. We only hope it'll get better and better. With Paris - Roubaix behind us and the Giro coming up, it's safe to say the first part of the season is over. A little review on the last months.
Stijn Van Gent
2012 will always be a special year for me. It's my first year as a professional cyclist, and I plan to make the most of it. A part of it's over already, but there's much to look forward to!
Individual Efforts
I started out with a surprising jersey, one I never thought I'd hold: a mountain jersey, in my very first professional tour, the tour of Argentina. It was a perfect way to start my season and career.
In the Ronde van West-Vlaanderen, I managed a 5th place overall, which helped me to build a name. In Tirreno I had some ups and downs. I did some fairly promising sprints, but in the mountains I cracked up entirely.
Then the cobbled season was upon us, let's take a look at the figures:
Omloop
K-B-K
DDV
E3
GW
RvV
PR
2012
21th
28th
3th
17th
19th
15th
19th
Judging those, I did well. Better than I would've expected starting my career, especially the podium in Dwars Door Vlaanderen! I just hope there's a lot of room for improvement. My general idea was that I can follow the pace fairly well, but as soon as the big guns bring on the war, I get dropped within seconds. My final sprint was not as it usually is, I may have to change my training a bit, I'll have to speak to the management to that.
Team Efforts
The team was off to a mediocre start. Greipel impressed the world by winning several stage wins everywhere he started, but in terms of World Tour Points, we didn't take a flying start.
Jurgen Van Den Broeck and Jelle Vanendert did a lot to this extent and at the moment we are placed in the middle, so far it's going good! Jurgen Roelandts didn't have the cobbled season he expected, I hope he takes it easy on himself, I know he'll beat himself up about it...
Personal Thoughts
I'm starting to think I might've made a mistake, creating the calendar. Lotto Belisol's youth program is great for experience, but some boys lose morale in the big-boys' races. I know I would've preferred racing in a lesser stage race than Tirreno Adriatico, that way I might've been able to sprint for a victory, maybe?
Anyway, I'll talk to the team about it. Overall I can't complain. I did my best everywhere I went, and I've already had a good run. I know what to improve for next year, and I'm definitely looking forward to sprinting in the Giro!
The Future
The rest of the season is more or less about sprinting. Too bad I'll be entering WT races mostly. Though I might be able to be of assistance for Roelandts or Greipel in those races. The only cobbles I'll encounter, will be in the Eneco Tour, maybe I can have a free role there. We'll see!
Willy Wouters
Riding for a professional cycling team is hard, that's for sure. The job is all consuming and my social life has been set back dramatically. But that's okay, I love my job!
Individual Efforts
I started the season extremely well, I think. Hopefully I haven't wasted too much energy already, peaked too early, but the fact is I finished on the podium in Argentina, and that's a nice thing for a rider's resume.
In the first World Tour race I participated, Tirreno Adriatico, I finished 14th, which is considered more than respectable from a neopro. I owe it to my consistency, and my time trialing ability, I believe. The profiles resemble the Giro, which gives me hope, but one week and three weeks is quite the difference.
Team Efforts
I've been training so hard, I don't know much about what's going on. Jurgen Van Den Broeck had a rough time in Paris - Nice, but he made up for it in Catalunya. Vanendert is getting ready for the Ardennes Classics, and I've no doubt he'll get some great results there.
Greipel's sprinting abilities are impressive, let's hope Stijn can learn something from them!
Personal Thoughts
I share Stijn's vision on the youth program. It's an amazing initiative, but like everything it has its cons as well as its pros. Being able to race the Giro as a neopro without any pressure and without having to work for a leader is amazing, but maybe it would be better for young rider's confidence to finish high up in a lesser race than ending up way down the charts in the Giro. Anyway, we'll have to see about that.
The Future
My season is really just starting. I'm definitely looking forward to the Giro. I guess I'll try to follow the pace in the first week, and see where I end up, before deciding what I'll do for the remaining two weeks. A stage win, I can only dream of, but I may have what it takes. Where I lack experience and absolute strength, I have consistency and youth. So we'll see!
Thanks for reading once again!
Stijn & Willy
Edited by Ian Butler on 17-01-2013 18:06
