Favorites Aplenty but Dark Horses Could Surprise All
Ronde vonSan Raflaanderran, one would have to expect that Mathys Foley, the impressive but often misguided talent from the East Baye, would figure prominently after his near miss at Marin-Roubaix. Foley, who never fails to impress with his strength and fitness, is often outfoxed by less strong but more cunning riders due to his tendency to repeatedly put his cards on the table in the first 5k of a fake-race. If Foley can resist the urge to blast of the front like a cruise missile early in the race, he may be wearing the crown on Wednesday.
Also in the mix is last year’s defending SanRaflaanderrs champion, Markus Clijisters who, by virtue of a Ken Hushvod blunder, lucked onto the podium in last weeks Marin-Roubaix. Clijisters, who earns his money on the steep terrain, must be considered a threat after his result in MR on a day where he clearly did not have his best legs…or any legs at all for that matter. Clijisters’ key to victory will being able to shake off Jonas Lodewick and Ken Hushvod, both of whom can wind it up in a bunch sprint.
Speaking of Hushvod and Lodewick, we could see a repeat of last year where they marked each other out of the race, neither willing to drag the other to the line. It has to be said however that Hushvod has not been looking the redoubtable Hedgehog of SanRaflaanderrs of late and has possibly see his best days recede into the distance behind him. Regardless, it would be folly to totally dismiss the pernicious rodent entirely as Carl Spackler would readily attest.
Lodewick on the other hand is another matter entirely. By his own absurd estimation (repeating his claim from 2009) he is not only the prohibitive favorite but also the “2nd favorite and the 3rd favorite”…whatever that means. Never short on opinion, Lodewick often borders on the obnoxious with his outrageously self-aggrandizing claims. The only saving grace that endears him to the fans is his uncanny ability to put his money where his proverbial mouth is which, by this reporter’s estimation, must put him in the billionaires’ club. Still, after his impressive display of both canny strategy and field splintering power, a bet against Lodewick is a courageous wager indeed.
Finally, it would be remiss to gloss over the dark horses who lurk quietly waiting to pounce on victory if the big names spend too much time looking and shouting at one another. One such horse would be the wizened veteran Stijn Cherry who, despite a strong showing at the Marin-Roubaix, didn’t figure prominently in the finale. Early season gossip brought wind of the tough-as-nails- Cherry having taken up with a foreign live in Geisha which, in the words of a source close to Stijn, has “made him soft as a down feather resting on the freshly lotioned derriere of a teenage prostitute.” What exactly this missive is supposed to mean is unclear but one never knows when it may be “Stijn Time” again.
Also rumored to be taking the start is a last minute addition from Team Multi-Sport, Franke DeKeane who was treated to his PHRO deflowering in the 2010 edition of der Ronde. While there was no doubting that the sometime swimmer, sometime runner was a “fish out of water” as the saying goes, it’s hard not to admire his determination and grit in finishing in the main pack last year. Indeed, stranger things have happened in the world of PHRO than a former triathlete like DeKeane claiming the crown in this, the hardest of the spring classics.
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