How the Race was Won - 2009 Paris-Roubaix Video Analysis

[devidia]

wow,you are so wrong in many many ways

[jfsabl]

As Boonen pointed out (and some camera work near the crash sites, especially Hushovd's site, confirmed) it wasn't good luck / bad luck that kept tom up, and took Thor down. Thor picked a line that had him leaning towards the middle of the road, on the outside of a curve, with a strong crest in the road. Tom held a line on the crest. That's all about planning + bike handling. Thor must have counted on his insanely good bike handling skills to trump the laws of physics. Doesn't work.

[bob191191]

if you are watching this daz, dinner at eddies!!!!!!!!! see you soon, rob

[bob191191]

@bob191191 there better be meat

[pedricolas1]

I like that coment from fergtz. "for many reasons the winner is the winner" luck, preparation, timing etc.

[nayr497]

Why did Boonen open his brake? Bent rim and rubbing of pads?

Also, why did he switch bikes? Different setup on them or just because his first had some problem (the out of true wheel?)

[D370n470r]

@nayr497 He could have an eletric engine in one of the bikes [sarcasm]

[mcalindn]

nice video

[warmsunset62]

For those that 'love' their life in this life, will loose it.

As those that HATE their life in this life will have life E T E R N A L ............winning is not all.

[LISHEEN49]

Paris Roubaix is a total farce ! Highly paid athletes risking serious injury !. Also the practice of being paced by team cars and motobikes ....what other serious professional sport would allow this to happen ?

[indusrtial]

@LISHEEN49 cry me a river. What sport do you like? don't say american football =which sport allows for you to be 30%fat and still be good for 30 seconds. Baseball=yawn. Euro football= prima donna's falling down like flies with a touch.

[durhamsshadybean]

Have you ever heard of a challenge?

Or do you just watch overpaid and unskilled idiots risking breaking their nails and losing diamond earings on a football pitch?

[SomeUsefulVids]

Fantastic work, thanks you I enjoyed that.

[Minne1989]

Very nice analysis. I'm a huge Boonen fan but must admit that it wasn't a 100% satisfying win because of all the crashes of his main competitors.

Hope you will do thegiro and the tour as well

[fergtz100]

Doesn't matter what happens to the others contenders, for many reason the winner is the winner.

[danschmatz]

Hoste was screwed no matter what he did. He was a few meters closer to flecha when he fell off, had he tried to "take a tighter line" as you say he would have washed out also. Had Flecha slide a little further Hoste would have made it.

[hawksapoozle]

It sure was a lot of fun to watch. I understand Hoste's frustration, spoken from the anger at a possibly avoidable mishap so close to the finish. Yet, it is moments like this--the chance slipping away at any moment when one is so close after fighting and suffering all day--that help make cycling so dramatic and compelling. Do you feel better now, Leif? Probably not, you are 32. I hope you win a monument someday.

[verbiese]

this analysis is so wrong that i cannot react on all details, i only have 500 chars.

i saw another race? boonen attacks 7 times... others fall one by one as dead flies... boonen shows its supremacy and wins like last yr and in 2005

[cosmocatalano]

Well, I agree in part, Boonen did attack a lot—definitely dictated the terms of the race and decided the final selection of 6 riders.

But he definitely didn't get any daylight behind him until after Flecha and Hushovd crashed. And if you don't agree with that, I'd suggest watching the race again from 20k to go.

[soulripper31]

@cosmocatalano

Well, the crash of Hushovd was his own fault. Bike handling skills are really important in a race like this and Tom Boonen clearly has the upper hand there.

And when did Flecha ever beat Boonen in a race?

[soulripper31]

@cosmocatalano

The point of P-R is to stay upright on your bike. If you can't do that than you have no shot of winning. It's not like someone caused Hushovd to crash. And to be honest, Hushovd looked like he was about to crack and struggled to hold Boonen's wheel at that point. And Pippo is pippo, no winner.

[dejakke123]

@verbiese

Yes, but a Belgian always has an advantage in races such as Paris-Roubaix or de ronde van Vlaanderen, the greatest part of the fans are Flemish

[tombb89]

Hincapie, legendary poor luck? as Ivanisovic said, taik a look at Hoste's history in de ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix and think again. ;)

Favorable motorbike placement for Tom? lol! Those French journalists wouldn't help Tom one bit. Again, think again.

I think you're a bit frustrated. ;) You're analysis about Flecha's crash and how Hoste should've cleared it makes me think you've never riden on cobblestones at a speed of 45-50km/h before.

België, best cyclists ever. ;)

[cosmocatalano]

Riding on cobblestones at 45-50kph makes it all the more ridiculous that Hoste should complain about Flecha crashing. Crazy things happen in those conditions.

I know about Hoste getting the Flanders flag caught in his wheel at the Ronde in '04, and I'll agree he lost a coin-toss sprint to Ballan in '07. But in '06 he left a group with Hincapie to take Boonen on in a 2-up sprint. Not a great decision.

Also, I wasn't the only one complaining about the motorbikes toward the end of the race.

[ivanisovic]

While it's not correct; it is still understandable that Hoste was pissed off at Flecha.

Certainly right after the race, full of adrenaline. If you think Hincapie has had some bad luck at Paris-Roubaix, you should check Hostes history at this race.

[cosmocatalano]

Yeah, I'll admit to being a little hard on Hoste, especially considering how much pressure his team is under to get a big win this season. I just get a bit grumpy about riders blaming their crashes on someone else.

I know Hoste's history at Roubaix, pretty well, like the level crossing incident in 2006. But is there something I'm missing that could compare to Hincapie's steerer tube? Or winding up stuck in a break of 6 with four Domo-Farm Frites riders—including Johan Museeuw?

[ivanisovic]

Don't you remember the giant flag in Hostes backwheel at the moment he attacked a couple of years ago?

And a terrible crash of him in one edition that made him brake quite a lot of bones?

And as you mention the level crossing incident in 2006.

And of course Flecha was the one to blame, he made the fault, but certainly he didn't do it at purpose. I think Hoste will realise this by now.

That being said, i like Hincapie as well.

[cosmocatalano]

I remember the flag—but that was at the '04 Ronde, and I was just referring to Roubaix. I don't remember hearing about him having a bad crash, but that definitely sounds like it'd be bad luck.

I like Leif Hoste, but I just thought it was lame he blamed Flecha for ruining his race. 9 out of 10 times a rider crashes in a bike race, he's not the one at fault, but so many other factors (position, reaction time, attentiveness) play into it, you can't just blame the first rider to go down.

[ivanisovic]

The flag in Hostes wheel was Paris-Roubaix 2004. Search youtube for "Hoste vlag" -->first result.

[cosmocatalano]

You're right! I stand corrected. I could have sworn it was the Ronde, and I even tried to check by searching Google—except I searched "flag" instead of "vlag". Stupid Americans getting everything wrong :)

[ivanisovic]

Hehe, did you know that "being stupid" is the Belgians cliché/prejudice as well?

You do have my respect for knowing/liking the one day cycling classics though. It's too bad that most Americans/other people only know the Tour de France.

And even that...cycling just isn't a worldwide well known sport. Which is really a shame.

[skiflenk]

Good work Noel