Paris-Roubaix 2015

Pre-Race both Wiggo and Sagan

Sought to avoid the press

Sagan was caught by the pack

Bradly showed more finesse

Kristoff, by contrast,

Had a lot to say

About his recent victories 

And hopes for Paris-Roubaix

Degenkolb also has high hopes

He showed his strength at Milan-San Remo 

The pace of the race is high

Thanks to Etixx and Sky

A nine man break goes towards Le Foret--

Tailwinds also come into play

Peloton rides at 27 miles per

Out of the race is Stijn Devolder 

Section 19 Haveluy

Four stars it fills no one with glee

A battle ensues to lead into the trees

Peter Sagan is by no means at ease

Geraint Thomas struggles to the fore

The Forest opens its' dreaded door

The break intact enters first

The forest built by Napoleon the First

Peter S has worked his way up

Determined to drink from the winners’ cup

BMC mans up for Greg Van A

55 more miles to race today

A train stops the pack

The break makes it through 

Another odd moment in Paris-Rou

Geraint T crashes but regains his bike

Fighting for Wiggins with all his might

50 KM to go

Andre Griepel raises the stakes

Geraint pays in pain for his mistakes 

The race becomes a war of attrition 

With everyone scurrying for position

Etixx Quick Step is on the front

Pete Sagan continues to hump

John Degenkolb responds to speed

Wiggins and Kristoff energy bleed

Terpstra, Stybar, Vandenberg

Have not been mentioned 

But they've been heard

Ditto Boom

Fighting for room

But Etixx continues control

Riders choose the grass

Risking their ass

As this is how they roll

Mons-en-Pavele a five star nightmare 

Cross/head winds  cause some to take care

Now tactics start to be dispersed

Vandenbergh takes off--his move well rehearsed 

25 miles to go the canny Belge

Hopes he can ring winning bells 

But Wiggins puts pedal to the floor

A champion move--who could ask for more?

It does not work

The break refuses to crumble

It's enough to make you humble

Felled finally by an elite group

Their party took forever to poop

Winds so strong the flags fly straight

Lots of things to contemplate

The fast men bother one another

Ten miles to go, no one's your brother 

Wiggs and Pete Sagan hold back

In the chase for Van Avermaet 

John Degenkolb makes a move

It's his race right now to lose

Terpstra lurks for Etixx Quick

Sagan flats--he must feel sick!

Stybar and Boom take off

The rest of the group is feeling loss

Brad this time will not be Boss

It's all together at Velodome

But Degenkolb wins--a great achievement 

He had every reason for press corps appeasement!

Stybar two Van Avermaet third

But Degenkolb is true to his word

Ronde van Vlaanderen

Ronde van Vlaanderen 2015

A seven man break

Plays well together

Peloton follows

In glorious weather

Without Fab or Tom

Anything could g'wan

Involving both pain and pleasure

Brad drops his fancy K8S

He's back on his old bike and ready to fight

Or maybe not?

He's on the new bike

In the front his team is not in sight

Pave is ahead

Punishing rough

Wiggs hopes his K8S is enough 

70 KM remain

It's still anybodies game

A blue car--a danger hue

Has taken out riders

Sargent broken and blue

The climbing begins

The quick men are hungry

They crowd to the fore

Could this get ugly?

First time the Patenberg!

Sagan, Thomas, Oss, Greipel, A

Takes the position to win today

Hoping to support Roelandts, J

Paolini endures, Kristoff ditto

Greipel is caught, but he's a hero

Devolder leads, there with Rowe

40 KM to go

Lutsenko in front

Van Avermaet humps

Thomas stays in the frame

Sagan hangs in

He needs a win

To justify his fame 

Terpstra and Kristoff still a pair

Giant and BMC make a move

Convincingly.

Terpstra and Kristoff

Van Ave and Sagan

They must work together 

If they can

Kristoff wins with poise and grace

A very satisfactory race!!!

E3 Harelbeke I-Ku

Fabian Cancellara 

Crashed hard on Friday

Broken bones end his Classics

Milan-San Remo 2015 3/22/15

A determined break of 11 lads

Gets to Campo Ligure in weather bad

The high ranked teams head the peloton 

No one in the break

To help later on

Etixx, Katush and Tinkoff lurk

At the front of the pack

Ready to work

Trek says 'Ditto'

Cancellara needs room

as he's feeling fit--oh!

Sky is alert on the Capo Mele

A crash slows things down

Group still gains on breakaway 

Capo Berta exacts a price

Non-climbers melt like blocks of ice

Several riders down on the road

Sky took risks and carries the load

33 KM remain

Right now it's still an open game

‘Andiamo’ survivors!

Cipressa awaits 

Stybar attacks

Greg Van Avermaet is there

Caught in a crash is Demare

Sky pushes hard to dominate 

BMC strains to aggravate 

Sagan is fifth

Not forgotten

Are Kristoff's hopes misbegotten? 

Boss Hog rolling along quite easily

Descending Pozzato sows havoc breezily

Oss and Thomas lead to the Poggio

Astana comes to the front

Cav has made it over the hump! 

Thomas surges on the Poggio

Gilbert and Stybar make their moves

Sagan moves up  Van Avermaet 

holds firm

Gilbert and Stybar crash ditto Kwaitkowski

The Belge Van Avermaet still looking frisky 

Thomas in front, Paolini too

But Degenkolb takes it 

He was feeling good, nu?

Kristoff two

Michael Matthews three

A glorious finish to Milan-San Ree

Paris-Nice 2015 Stage 7

Bradly bows out

He has other plans

T, Martin beats Talansky

Who makes his stand

Eight seconds faster

He's still the master

Philippe Gilbert

Booty swaying

Looks good on the day

Just sayin' !!!

The Slovinian Simon Spilak

Bests Der Panzerwagen 

He's done well--he can start braggin 

15 seconds good to Martin

In Slovenia the party must be startin'

Rui Costa excells

Porte does well

He's in Yellow!

Tasmania--pull out the stops!

Richie is back

Showing no lack

Team Sky ends up on top!

The second win at Paris-Nice

Richie and Sky must sigh relief!

Paris-Nice 2015 Stage 6

This mountainous route

Must be cute

As 31 lads make the break

Kwaitkowski remains in yellow

A motivated leading fellow

Etixx and Sky remain vigilant 

And polka dots surely go to De Ghent

Coquard, Bouhanni, Haussler, Demare, A

Abandon  -- they'll live to race another day.

The rain begins --morale may be slipping

On the Cote de Coaraze  the break is still tripping

De Ghent for Lotto extends his lead 

He's king of the mountains in name and deed

The race exploded as Kwaitkowski and Martin T

Break out of the bunch with Philippe G

So now the three groups play their cards

The group breaks the move by driving hard

Kudos to Sky and Etixx Quick Step

Two power teams strong and adept

Two hours of racing yet to be ridden

Which brave man has plans well hidden?

K is taking a risky descent

Sky's under pressure to compliment 

35 KM remain 

A new break forms --Sky must up their game

And let's not forget the rain

Tony Gallopin survives and keeps on trucking 

Richie Porte crashes his chances are sucking

Thomas continues having crashed, too

A domino effect to make Sky blue

Porte and Kwaitkowski now race together

And there is also a break in the weather

Gallopin gallops his eyes on the prize

He's got wings today 

French apple of all eyes

Gallopin wins a resounding victoire

French favorite son he is sure to go far! 

Paris-Nice 2015 Stage 5

The stage is lumpy

Thomas De Gendt

Contests KOM

It could be bumpy

Andrew Talansky

In the break

Canon-Garmin allows him

To agitate

He lost some time in Stage Four

Now he searches an open door

Highest placed in the break A. Talan

 an engine constantly tooting

"I can"

The sprinters need to assert their will

As they scamper like goats over hill after hill

Cofidis moves to set the pace

Nacer Bouhanni needs to find some space

De Ghent harvests polka dots

Talansky continues to show what he's got

Which is a lot--lots of grit--

A winning stage? This won't be it

Cimolai takes it for Lampre

It was all in all a pretty good day

Coquard, then Matthews round out the top three

 De Ghent and Talansky both rode bravely

And now I’m off to the DMV