Fabian Cancellara has set for his next season's goal a win at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Though certainly he would not mind a repeat of his wins at Paris-Roubaix or Milano-San Remo, he said that he likes to find new goals for each successive season. "I sort of feel like if I've won a race I'll tick it off my mental list and aim for something else. That doesn't mean I don't want to win the big races more than once but I try to aim for new things all the time," he explained, on the CSC-Saxo Bank website. For the Ronde, he plans to lose "a small amount of weight," in the hope that it will ease his trip over the cobbles.
Cancellara's highest finish so far came in 2006, when he finished 6th. Since then, he has faired less well. In 2007, he finished 53rd, after a long breakaway attempt that came too far from the finish to succeed. He called it a learning experience. This season, he finished 23rd. Though Cancellara made it to the Mur de Grammont with the main field, he failed to make the selection on the crucial climb. Devolder had already made his racing-winning escape, in any case. Certainly, the big Swiss has the power for Flanders. But he will need a combination of smart tactics and improved climbing to take the win.
Over the long term, Cancellara would like to collect victories in all five monuments: Milano-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Ronde van Vlaanderen, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Giro di Lombardia. He is quick to admit that Liège and Lombardia present difficulties unlike those of the cobbled classics or San Remo. But Cance also pointed to his recent success on the hilly course at the Beijing Olympics and in the hills at Tirreno-Adriatico as signs that he could find succeess in the hillier classics. "I don't think it's unrealistic that I might be able to win them all at some point," he concluded.
A win at next year's Ronde would give him three of the five, but the remaining two will not come easily. Cancellara has shown an ability to climb, for sure, but out-climbing and out-finishing riders like Valverde and Cunego will be no easy task, even for a rider of his talent. With its descending finish, Lombardia may well be within reach, but the steep final kilometers at Liège have tended to favor lighter, smaller riders. Likewise for the long haul up La Redoute where the first major selection of the race typically takes place. It's hard to imagine Cancellara holding the wheels of the likes of Andy Schleck and Alejandro Valverde on that sort of terrain. But as one of the biggest talents in the sport, Cancellara has already taught us to expect surprises.
In the same interview, Cancellara dismissed the press speculation that he might make a serious run at the Tour de France. To be sure, it would be a dream come true to wear yellow on the Champs Élysées, he explained. But there are dreams and then, there is reality. "I said a few years back that winning the Tour would be a dream come true for me. But I also sometimes dream of owning a small island in the Pacific and taking it easy. There's a world of difference from having dreams to setting yourself realistic goals to aim for," as he put it. The Tour might one day figure among those aims, but not for now. Next season will be all about the Ronde.
After a brief vacation with his family, Cance recently received the Best International Rider award from the Belgian press.
Photo copyright Lyne Lamoureux. Used with permission.
0 recs | 22 comments
Motivation for Tommeke!
Getting back to yesterday’s comments on Boonen’s motivation for 2009, this should certainly get his juices flowing. With apologies to the countless Tony fanboys and fangirls here at PdC, my spring would be complete by seeing Tommeke blow him away in the finale of 2 monuments in 8 days.
Serious kudos to him for setting a goal of winning all the Monuments in his career. That is my lifetime goal as well – and I’m only 2 behind Cance!
samboo - October 30, 2008
Slacker...
Get on that already!
It’d be cool to see a full-on smack down battle between an on-form Boonen and Cance at Flanders. Kinda like the one between Valverde and Cunego I’m hoping to see in the Ardennes…
Jen See - October 30, 2008
+1
On both counts. And I hope to see Boonen and Valverde win :-)
Albertina - October 30, 2008
Gotta love the guy's sense of humour
Yes I know there was all that serious talk about career goals, but it was the Pacific island quip that made me smile. But a great way of reminding the media that they shouldn’t always take things literally. I’m sure most riders dream of winning the Tour, even though 99% know it’ll never happen for them.
He also had some interesting comments about the whole Le Soir episode – the gist being that no he isn’t going to take any legal action (even though he could under Swiss Civil Code) as there is no point, nothing is going to erase the fact that they printed what they did in the first place.
Gemma - October 30, 2008
lol, yeah
I liked that bit too. And yes, Cance, I wish I could go away to a Pacific Island too. Like, maybe the North Shore right about now…
Jen See - October 30, 2008
It's no coincidence
that the two monuments he’s won are MSR and Paris-Roubaix, which feature about 10 minutes of serious climbing in toto. You can point to his performance at the Olympics as evidence of his ability to do well in a hilly race, but not all climbs are the same, and anyway he made his move on a descent. I suppose you can’t rule out the possibility of him being super strong after the Muur and powering away from whoever followed him, but can he really get over all the bergs and still have enough left to crack Boonen, Devolder, Ballan, Pozzato, Hoste, Chavanel, Gilbert and everyone else? Really? I give him a 3% chance, with a 4% margin of error.
Chris Fontecchio - October 30, 2008
The Ronde?
I think he can win the Ronde, if he showed up on form and things went right for him. I’m not sure it’ll happen the first time he makes it his goal, like say, next year. He does need to get a tad lighter to go over the cobbles, and they’re not going to give it to him on a platter by any means. But the Ronde? Yeah, he can win that before his career is up.
The other two monuments, I’d be extraordinarily surprised if he won either Liège or Lombardia. Those races are a whole ‘nother beast from the cobbled races and I have a hard time seeing Cancellara out-riding Cunego or Valverde on their fave terrain, especially Liège, with its climbing finish. There was talk in Belgium at one point of Boonen taking a serious stab at the Ardennes, that he has the talent for those races. But most of the old-timer sages don’t think too highly of his chances. And Boonen climbs better than Cance does.
Just as Bettini couldn’t collect more than three monuments, I doubt Cance or Boonen can either. Cunego, maybe.
Jen See - October 30, 2008
Crap...
totally lost my train of thought at the end there. Should read:
Just as Bettini couldn’t collect more than three monuments, I doubt Cance will. Boonen’s got two, with Milano within reach. Cunego can probably do three of the five also, though he’d better get crackin’
Jen See - October 30, 2008
He can
but I’m having trouble picturing it. The problem for him is the explosion of talent in the classics, and the fact that he doesn’t have the fastest sprint. Maybe I’m getting too hung up on that last part, if he’s feeling strong enough he could go from 200 meters and possibly make it home. But there are a few guys I can’t see him beating in the finale, e.g. Boonen or Pozzato, so he’d need to get away from them first. Also, you’d hope that whoever is in a break with him would be glued to his wheel in the last 5km, since everyone in Flanders would be expecting an attack. And all this is premised on Cancellara not coming unglued on the Muur.
I think Boonen is the prototype for Flanders, with a little more climbing and a lot more sprint. But Boonen is human, so sure, it’s a possibility. OTOH, I think Cancellara’s massive strength makes him the prototype for Paris-Roubaix, where you can just slowly grind people down to dust.
Chris Fontecchio - October 30, 2008
Tafi-style
I’m thinking he could win it Tafi style. With a move in the flats after the Grammont. No easy task, by any means, of course, but he’s a bit of a one-off that way. I wouldn’t rule out the inside the last 3 km move, but that would be a considerably more difficult way to go about it. And eh, I’m thinking a pre-Grammont move wouldn’t really work – too many teams will work to keep that from happening. Devolder could do it because he was riding for the strongest team in the race.
Certainly, I agree that Boonen was born for Flanders. Speed, enough strength for the windy flats, but light enough to make the climbs. Ballan? Not quite sure how he managed it, really.
Jen See - October 30, 2008
Agreed
That’s how he could do it. And if the guys around him let him get away with it, they deserve second!
Chris Fontecchio - October 31, 2008
The entire classics team of Saxo is almost as strong as QS, or the.
Like Tafi, he will need significant support from his team on this to keep the pace high and under control until the decisive selection is made.
I think they can do that, and I really think Canc. can do it, but things will need to unfold just right.
Oh, and back on ’02 when Tafi won, Lance came in 56th in support of Hincapie who came in 4th that day.
Ryan_Liles - October 31, 2008
I totally think he can win the Ronde
He’s the same basic size / power output as Boonen so if he can improve his climbing enough to get over the Muur with the lead group he would have a very decent chance of escaping in the final 10K. He certainly wouldn’t want to go the line with Boonen but against anyone else he’d have a shot.
Oh, and he has no shot at winning LBL or Lombardia. None. He’ll have to be content with winning 3 out of 5 monuments.
I love his competitiveness.
Drew Davis - October 31, 2008
I don't think Cance can win Liege or Lombardia
the problem is that there are so many young riders who are so far ahead of him that I don’t see Tony having a chance against them. Even if he gets better on the hilly stuff, does young guys are improving too, so he will still be one step behind them. Also as long as he is on Saxo Bank he would only be a helper for the Ardennes and Lombardia behind Frank and then Andy Schleck. Now Flanders is less of a stretch but i think he’ll need to have a great Devolder type day to do so.
Phil H. - October 30, 2008
Good point
Liège seems to take some learning to get just right. Most don’t win it on the first try.
But really, I can’t see how he can win it, given his characteristics. He’ll be out-climbed by the Schlecks, out-finished by Valverde and Cunego. Huh. It would be complicted.
Jen See - October 31, 2008
Aside
If everyone else is game, I’ll declare November “Classics Month”. Just say the word…
Chris Fontecchio - October 31, 2008
LOL
That wouldn’t be a bad call – we won’t have the official Giro route until December. And well, we gotta do something while we wait, right?
Jen See - October 31, 2008
I could have told you that
Wait… I did tell you that (almost)
Jens - October 31, 2008
nice call :-)
Not an especially surprising decision by Cance.
Jen See - October 31, 2008
I wonder..
(to tired to read all the comments) The tansfer of Ciolek to Milram:
1 To old for you?
2 Nobody cares?
3 Belgium media sucks?
4 Other media sucks?
5 I have to look further then my nose is long (If that is a correct sentence, I wish I was English :))
here
Poor THR btw.. Why would you let go such great riders after such a succesfull year? Stupidity? or lack of money?
Frinking - October 31, 2008
Ciolek
It’s in the thread about Gerdemann.
I dunno, I didn’t write about it, because it’s been all-but-confirmed for so long. All the drama sort of leaked out of the thing. We’ve know pretty much for months that Columbia wasn’t going to renew him, and we’ve know for almost as long that Milram really wanted him. LOL, okay, I confess, I’m just lazy :-)
Hmm, there’s probably a post in the new, improved Milram, though. Maybe I do this next week. Not sure I have time today…
Jen See - October 31, 2008
Not impossible
Cance has a history of being defeated by the hills in Flanders. What makes Flanders exciting is that you have to not only be on the front for the Hellingen, you must attack on them to shrink the field decisively. Flanders runs like Roubaix with hills. Cance could do it, but it would require some luck in addition to a classic Riis whole-team sacrifice—-I also sort of agree with Gav in that I’m not sure where he’d have to escape to win.
He could only win Liege and Lombardia by virtue of a succeeding breakaway that he solos out of on a descent near the end. Not impossible on either course, but once again you’re talking a lot of luck. Or a repeat of the Roubaix level crossing, but this time affecting riders more efficacious than \0/.
Softie - October 31, 2008
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Podium Cafe to post a comment.