Cancellara Conquers Cobbles

If I was planning an outdoor music festival in Northern France, I think I’d have it on the same day as Paris-Roubaix.  Granted, no-one would be paying much attention to the bands with such an exciting bike race to watch, but at least the weather would be nice.  Europe has had a tough old spring by all accounts, but much to my disappointment, it looked quite pleasant out yesterday.  In fact, I don’t think we’ve had a wet Roubaix since 2002.

Fear not though.  Even though it was dry and dusty we still had a corker of a race. 

All bets were on Fabian Cancellara and even though he won, he certainly had to work for it.

 

Spartacus played it cool.  He didn’t fall off, he didn’t let anyone get too far up the road, and when he decided to make his move he made it count.  He was soon at the head of the race with only the talented but dodgy-kneed Sep Vanmarcke and former World Cross-Champ turned roadie Zdenek Stybar for company.

 

I was pleased to see Stybar up there; he was on my team, and I like a bit of the cyclocross.  I wasn’t so pleased to see him become the second Omega-Pharma rider to be taken out of contention by a roadside fan.  So then there were two.  Vanmarcke reacted well to a little dig by Cancellara on the run-in to the Velodrome at Roubaix and they were still together when they reached the track.  Cancellara has lost the sprint at Roubaix before, but he’s obviously been getting some lessons from Chris Hoy.  After a little track-stand on the banking, he forced Vanmarcke to lead-out the sprint, and then came past him to take his third Paris-Roubaix win.

 

In the scores for the day, there was finally some good news for Mungo  as they took the first 4 places.  Not so good for the Vicarious Victors, who earned 3 points and who still have all their transfers left.  Anyone might think that they have given up, but I’m sure they are just building up for a spectacular showing at Ardennes week.

 

Rank	Team	Score
1	Mungo Cycling	216
2	Bile Beans	152
3	Caffe Americano	151
4	Evil Chanbots	148
5	Rouleurs	142
6	KLOEFEKAPPERS	106
7	Fulgas	73
8	synergy	71
9	ENRICO 666	55
10	Bodged blaggards!	52
11	vicarious victors	3

 

Rouleurs still lead the overall, although the Bile Beans are inching closer.  Down in the lower reaches of the table, the Vicarious Victors’ inaction has allowed the Bodged blaggards! to move out of the Lantern Rouge position.

 

Rank		Team	Directeur	Score
1		Rouleurs	tdm911	642
2		Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	601
3		Evil Chanbots	Danny Chan	556
4		KLOEFEKAPPERS	Jan Van Belleghem	534
5		Fulgas	Vincent Lavallee	467
6		ENRICO 666	Erik Mortier	460
7		Caffe Americano	Sherwood	455
8		Mungo Cycling	Mungo	445
9		synergy	Adrian Leggett	304
10		Bodged blaggards!	Warwick Anderson	248
11		vicarious victors	eddy wu	213

The next race on our Fantasy Calendar is Brabantse Pijl - which you may remember was won last year by Gurning-Gallic-Gargoyle Thomas Voeckler.  It could be time to have a spring clean of your team, as the likes of Fabian Cancellara will be sitting out the remaining races.  So out with the sprinters and hardmen, and in with little fellas who can ride up a hill quick.  Unless you’re Danny, in which case you’re out of transfers and shit out of luck.