2014 Spring Classics

[Dwight Schr-ute]

is it going to be on TV anywhere?

I've got it on a channel I don't think I've ever watched before.

Channel name: BEIN
Channel: Dish 392
Time: 9:55 am - 11:30 am PDT

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I'm still working my way through Sunday's race, but man, what a finish. Roubaix should be fantastic. Here's how the pavè sections grade out this year. http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/...roubaix_323184

I need to double check but I seem to remember that NBCSports is broadcasting.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Goose bumps!

[Moliere]

Looks like they start this one from Compiegne

I spent 5 months in that city. We had an apartment big enough that we used to play goal line stand in the living room after each district meeting. We used to also do street boarding right in front of the place where Joan of Arc was imprisoned before being shipped to Rouen to be burned.

[creekster]

Looks like they start this one from Compiegne

I spent 5 months in that city. We had an apartment big enough that we used to play goal line stand in the living room after each district meeting. We used to also do street boarding right in front of the place where Joan of Arc was imprisoned before being shipped to Rouen to be burned.

It's a great city. The Main Square with pavés. A great place to start a race. As they do each year.

[RC Vikings]

I'm still working my way through Sunday's race, but man, what a finish. Roubaix should be fantastic. Here's how the pavè sections grade out this year. http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/...roubaix_323184

I need to double check but I seem to remember that NBCSports is broadcasting.

Mid 60's and no rain is forecast for Sunday. The boys will be flying.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Mid 60's and no rain is forecast for Sunday. The boys will be flying.

Crazy. I can't think of the last wet year for Roubaix. As wet as it has been leading up to this weekend, I thought there would be a good chance that this would be the year. I haven't paid attention to the specific region but I wonder if it has been raining much there this spring with the possibility of standing water and a fairly dust free course.

[Moliere]

It's a great city. The Main Square with pavés. A great place to start a race. As they do each year.

As a cycling novice I'm learning about these things. Pretty cool they do this one from Compiegne every year. Unfortunately I was there in the fall so I never heard of it.

A couple cool things about Compiegne:

- They have a really cool antique car museum. Very worth the visit if you are ever around the area.
- Joan of Arc was captured and imprisoned in Compiegne and today they still have the ruins of the prison near the center of the city
- There's an optometrist shop right next to the Hotel de Ville where I bought a pair of French glasses as my eyes were rejecting my contact lenses. I think I still have those eyeglasses in my box of junk from my mission
- Pierrefonds is a really cool castle just a couple kilometers away from Compiegne....it's somewhat unusual to have a medievalish castle in France as they tend to be more of the elegant palace type of castles


- The Palace in Compiegne is scarce on gardens but the forest behind the castle is cool. In fact, I think it was Napolean III that had the trees cut down all the way to the horizon so his wife could see the sunrise.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

- The Palace in Compiegne is scarce on gardens but the forest behind the castle is cool. In fact, I think it was Napolean III that had the trees cut down all the way to the horizon so his wife could see the sunrise.

I sure hope that she appreciated those sunrises four days a year when everything lined up. Cool picture though.

Here's a Preview for Sunday.

According to my tv guide, NBC Sports is providing three hours of coverage, a full hour more than I expected. They usually pull in Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen for these bigger races to add a touch of authenticity. Let's just pray that they leave Bobke home.

[mtnbiker]

Let's just pray that they leave Bobke home.

Really? I like Bobke - he cracks me up. It's the know-nothing announcers like Al Trautwig that drive me nuts. Fortunately, they only get the filler guys for the TdF and we don't have to deal with them the rest of the time.

[RC Vikings]

Really? I like Bobke - he cracks me up. It's the know-nothing announcers like Al Trautwig that drive me nuts. Fortunately, they only get the filler guys for the TdF and we don't have to deal with them the rest of the time.

I like Roll and you're right about Trautwig, he's the worst. It's bad enough I've had to listen to him report on cycling for years but when they assigned him to x-country skiing for this years Olympics it about made me cry. It made be hard to believe but he knew less about x-country skiing than he does cycling.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Really? I like Bobke - he cracks me up. It's the know-nothing announcers like Al Trautwig that drive me nuts. Fortunately, they only get the filler guys for the TdF and we don't have to deal with them the rest of the time.

I like Roll and you're right about Trautwig, he's the worst. It's bad enough I've had to listen to him report on cycling for years but when they assigned him to x-country skiing for this years Olympics it about made me cry. It made be hard to believe but he knew less about x-country skiing than he does cycling.

A point of clarification. I like Bob Roll and have found him to be hilarious. The Bill Walton of cycling. I liked many of the ways how Versus used to use him during the TdF. He's great for any discussions about a completed stage or a stage that hasn't begun yet, but I don't want him any where near my play-by-play. Maybe I'm just a traditionalist.

Don't get me started on Trautwig. But if you think he's bad now? You should have heard him back in the 90's when the Tour was lucky to get 30 minutes on ESPN in the middle of the night.

[Pelado]

I like Roll and you're right about Trautwig, he's the worst. It's bad enough I've had to listen to him report on cycling for years but when they assigned him to x-country skiing for this years Olympics it about made me cry. It made be hard to believe but he knew less about x-country skiing than he does cycling.

Reminds me of this color commentary guy:

https://screen.yahoo.com/ladies-bowling-000000113.html

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Devolder is out for tomorrow. He would have been Cancellara's right hand mane but he crashed about 50 times in Flanders. Paris-Roubaix is more a factor of luck than team tactics, so it's hard to predict how big of a factor. Mostly if Fabian ends up needing a wheel, Devolder could have been there with him to pass his over. Can't wait!

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Ugh. Just realized that NBCSports coverage isn't until Monday.