Never trust a Norwegian

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/80...on-Sunday.aspx

Much of what makes the Garmin-Cervelo roster so impressive is the fact
that it contains so many potential winners, highlighted of course by
World Champion, Thor Hushovd, Heinrich Haussler, and Tyler Farrar,
Sunday's Paris-Roubaix, however, will see a different look for the
team of Jonathan Vaughters.

"The team is racing one hundred percent for me on Sunday," says Thor
Hushovd to VG Nett. "We are agreed on that."

The original three-headed monster at the top of the team will now
consist of just one, and he'll be in the rainbow jersey as he tears
northward from Compiegne through the barren Nord Pas de Calais
countryside on Sunday.

According to the multi-time Norwegian national champion, the decision
to base the Hell of the North completely around his performance was a
simple one - it's his race and no one else on the team has the form or
credentials to argue the fact.

"A few things have determined that. We have seen, for example, that
Heinrich is not in the shape we hoped he would be in. At the same
time, Roubaix is a different race than Sanremo and Flanders. In
Roubaix, I've shown I can win. No one else has shown that. In that
case, the choice is easy."

Up until this point in the spring, the Garmin-Cervelo Classics
campaign has faltered at every turn. They haven't raced terribly by
any means, but the results, that which a team lives and dies by,
haven't been forthcoming. All that could change on Sunday though. A
win in the Roubaix velodrome would be huge for not only the team, but
Thor Hushovd as well, who has said that it is his biggest goal.

With so much riding on Paris-Roubaix - it would seem that placing all
the hopes on the broad shoulders of Hushovd would be a recipe for a
whole lot of pressure, but the Norwegian shrugs off the pressure and
points to not Sunday, but Monday, when he'll address that idea.

"It is only on Monday when I'll talk about things like that. If I get
the result on Sunday, then my spring season is a success."

If the 33 year old from Grimstad takes the victory this weekend, it
won't just be a successful spring season for him, but his whole team
as well. It will take a perfect team effort and a perfect Thor Hushovd
when the race heads into its decisive phases as it approaches Roubaix
in a little over twenty four hours.

Read mo
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/80...#ixzz1J8K3lfLy

"Anton Berlin" wrote in message
...
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/80...on-Sunday.aspx

Much of what makes the Garmin-Cervelo roster so impressive is the fact
that it contains so many potential winners, highlighted of course by
World Champion, Thor Hushovd, Heinrich Haussler, and Tyler Farrar,
Sunday's Paris-Roubaix, however, will see a different look for the
team of Jonathan Vaughters.

"The team is racing one hundred percent for me on Sunday," says Thor
Hushovd to VG Nett. "We are agreed on that."

The original three-headed monster at the top of the team will now
consist of just one, and he'll be in the rainbow jersey as he tears
northward from Compiegne through the barren Nord Pas de Calais
countryside on Sunday.

According to the multi-time Norwegian national champion, the decision
to base the Hell of the North completely around his performance was a
simple one - it's his race and no one else on the team has the form or
credentials to argue the fact.

"A few things have determined that. We have seen, for example, that
Heinrich is not in the shape we hoped he would be in. At the same
time, Roubaix is a different race than Sanremo and Flanders. In
Roubaix, I've shown I can win. No one else has shown that. In that
case, the choice is easy."

Up until this point in the spring, the Garmin-Cervelo Classics
campaign has faltered at every turn. They haven't raced terribly by
any means, but the results, that which a team lives and dies by,
haven't been forthcoming. All that could change on Sunday though. A
win in the Roubaix velodrome would be huge for not only the team, but
Thor Hushovd as well, who has said that it is his biggest goal.

With so much riding on Paris-Roubaix - it would seem that placing all
the hopes on the broad shoulders of Hushovd would be a recipe for a
whole lot of pressure, but the Norwegian shrugs off the pressure and
points to not Sunday, but Monday, when he'll address that idea.

"It is only on Monday when I'll talk about things like that. If I get
the result on Sunday, then my spring season is a success."

If the 33 year old from Grimstad takes the victory this weekend, it
won't just be a successful spring season for him, but his whole team
as well. It will take a perfect team effort and a perfect Thor Hushovd
when the race heads into its decisive phases as it approaches Roubaix
in a little over twenty four hours.

Read mo
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/80...#ixzz1J8K3lfLy

Where's the deception?

Thor was their designated heavy hitter and played the cards he had. It was
smart but not smart enough to depend upon Cancellara; Thor should have
factored in the effects of Cancellara being such a heavily-marked man and
realized that the field wasn't going to let him go when he needed to. Thor
could not have chased down Van Summeren even if he had wanted to, and
couldn't even stay on Cancellara's wheel during those last 2 or 3 ks.

Did Van Summeren realize the advantage he had, with Thor and Cancellara
together?

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

On Apr 13, 1:14*pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
wrote:
"Anton Berlin" wrote in message

...





http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/80...-team-is-racin...

Much of what makes the Garmin-Cervelo roster so impressive is the fact
that it contains so many potential winners, highlighted of course by
World Champion, Thor Hushovd, Heinrich Haussler, and Tyler Farrar,
Sunday's Paris-Roubaix, however, will see a different look for the
team of Jonathan Vaughters.

"The team is racing one hundred percent for me on Sunday," says Thor
Hushovd to VG Nett. "We are agreed on that."

The original three-headed monster at the top of the team will now
consist of just one, and he'll be in the rainbow jersey as he tears
northward from Compiegne through the barren Nord Pas de Calais
countryside on Sunday.

According to the multi-time Norwegian national champion, the decision
to base the Hell of the North completely around his performance was a
simple one - it's his race and no one else on the team has the form or
credentials to argue the fact.

"A few things have determined that. We have seen, for example, that
Heinrich is not in the shape we hoped he would be in. At the same
time, Roubaix is a different race than Sanremo and Flanders. In
Roubaix, I've shown I can win. No one else has shown that. In that
case, the choice is easy."

Up until this point in the spring, the Garmin-Cervelo Classics
campaign has faltered at every turn. They haven't raced terribly by
any means, but the results, that which a team lives and dies by,
haven't been forthcoming. All that could change on Sunday though. A
win in the Roubaix velodrome would be huge for not only the team, but
Thor Hushovd as well, who has said that it is his biggest goal.

With so much riding on Paris-Roubaix - it would seem that placing all
the hopes on the broad shoulders of Hushovd would be a recipe for a
whole lot of pressure, but the Norwegian shrugs off the pressure and
points to not Sunday, but Monday, when he'll address that idea.

"It is only on Monday when I'll talk about things like that. If I get
the result on Sunday, then my spring season is a success."

If the 33 year old from Grimstad takes the victory this weekend, it
won't just be a successful spring season for him, but his whole team
as well. It will take a perfect team effort and a perfect Thor Hushovd
when the race heads into its decisive phases as it approaches Roubaix
in a little over twenty four hours.

Read mo
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/80...-team-is-racin...

Where's the deception?

Thor was their designated heavy hitter and played the cards he had. It was
smart but not smart enough to depend upon Cancellara; Thor should have
factored in the effects of Cancellara being such a heavily-marked man and
realized that the field wasn't going to let him go when he needed to. Thor
could not have chased down Van Summeren even if he had wanted to, and
couldn't even stay on Cancellara's wheel during those last 2 or 3 ks.

Did Van Summeren realize the advantage he had, with Thor and Cancellara
together?

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA


It doesn't matter if he realized his advantage, as long as his DS on
the other end of the radio realized it.