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In an outcome I neither expected nor anticpated, Nick Nuyens took the 2011 Tour of Flanders (or, the Ronde van Vlaanderen, if you prefer the Dutch).
Source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-flanders-upt/photos/166364.
Good on ya, son. You earned that one.
Nuyens on the Kapelmuur:
Source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-flanders-upt/photos/166507.
I was coming of my skin for Gilbert after his attack on the Bosberg. He’s a Walloon, and hard as coffin nails. You can read about Gilbert’s brush with glory here: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/a-very-different-tour-of-flanders-to-last-year-says-gilbert.
More over at websites that actually pay people to write about this shit (as compared to the rest of us professional hacks with mountains of other work, paying and otherwise, stacked upon our desks so much like post-tsunami detris):
– http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/04/news/nick-nuyens-wins-2011-tour-of-flanders_166707.
– http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-flanders-upt/results.
– http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=9229&status=True.
Next weekend is going to be insane. In-fucking-sane.
A few things you may be interested in reading regarding the 2011 Paris-Roubaix (if you have not already done so):
– http://www.steephill.tv/classics/paris-roubaix/.
– http://www.letour.fr/2011/PRX/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html.
– http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/new-cobblestones-for-paris-roubaix-2011.
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I’m glad I was awake for Gilbert’s attack. I missed the last 3 km, though.
…got home from work in the early morning hours & followed cyclingnews live written updates ’til about 60 k’s out & then unfortunately drifted off to sleep…
…that was some seriously exciting stuff…woke up & immediately hadda read the results ‘cuz i couldn’t wait to know…
…now i’m ‘phil & pauling’ it on versus just for the visual effect…
…chavanel deserved it, gilbert deserved it, cancellara deserved it, boonen deserved it, flecha deserved it, hell, even hincapie deserved it but nuyens not only deserved it, he fucking got it !!!…
…revision…after watching boonen attack his own teammate chavenal @ 42 k’s, i don’t think the ‘cocaine cowboy’ even deserved 4th…could a’ sat on knowing full well that candy store/big oil’ & a lotta other protagonists were gonna have to go for it…
…coke habits lead to selfish people…just sayin’…
…all in all, a great & exciting race though…