Paris Roubaix picks

fscyclist

Any picks for this weekends race before we see GV unfold? I'm going with Boonen. He and his team looked great. I think Hincapie has a chance, but his team looked poor in RVV, which can really hurt him. Of course, it may be easier to predict after GV, and I may change my mind after that race.

coneofsilence

For the moment ill say Greg Van Avermaet

Crankyfeet

Unless I cancellater... Camcellara. I think his biorhythms are peaking in the middle of the months.

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Aquamarinos

Boonen, Cancellara, Hincapie my top 3...
They survive the cobbles, Cance tries to TT in the end, but gets caught by the elit group. Boonen wins the sprint. GH right on the heels, might even get second.

And as I said it, it will not happen......
Gilbert/Nuyens

Drongo

Is Gilbert riding this year?

Flecha is worth a look; Rabo looked strong at Flanders.

huboon

I will say Gilbert because I like to watch him ride and love his aggressive style, but he still seems more suited to the 200km races. I hope I am wrong.

I also like Flecha but I don't think he will ever win P-R or Flanders. I am no genius, but to me he often seems tactically unsound. The strongest riders might be able to overcome that but he doesn't have a sprint to fall back on.

Powerful Pete

Fine, I will go with Boonen. Not really feeling this one, but hey, gotta pick someone.

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thunder

if astana got an invite, I will go Goussev

Eldrack

Hammond or Hincapie would be good for me. Most likely result seems to be Boonen though.

Bro Deal

Boonen, but I'll be hoping for Hincapie.

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Powerful Pete

I don't know. Do you guys think that Hincapie can do it? I just don't see him delivering a win in a monument (maybe it is subconscious dislike from his Discovery days on my part).

If anything, I would not underestimate Cancellara. That man likes the P-R and has shown this year that he can deliver the goods...

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thunder

has Hincapie ever attacked?

This should be the question. Evans is a GC rider. But Hincapie has followed more wheels than Evans.

Hincapie gotta take the race by the scruff of the neck and attack the beeyitch.

Wayne666

Boonen would seem to be the only clear favorite at this point. Then probably 10 or 15 guys that should also be in the mix but none clearly superior to the others. If nothing else we've seen this year that the group has no fire power at the end to bring back escapees because so few support riders are able to be there in the finale and if they are, they're spent.

I doubt Boonen will be so patient in Roubaix and we will likely see him on the attack relatively early unless Devolder can once again "trap" him in the group. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see him contribute to a move going forward even if it means catching up to Devolder's group.

Powerful Pete

Agree with you, he needs to do something big in the P-R given that he will be against an entirely different crowd for the L-B-L.

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