Cancellara attacks Boonen on Muur to win 2010 Tour Of Flanders

[@Turk3YbAstEr]

tom boonen's "suffering" and "fighting the bike" is lightyears faster than I could go up that hill

[@warrenvazquez]

it's incredible - he is one of the elite and he is suffering at the hands of cancellara. most of us would have climbed off the bike miles before

[@Tonytestcase]

Did Boonen change his gear a couple of times? There are moments when his pedal speed is lower, before the gap is growing.

[@DanielSong39]

Only way I get up that hill is by climbing off the bike

[@Mgs9447]

Ahahahah the next video KZbin suggests me is "GCN - Are e-bikes fun? Road bike vs e-bike".

[@DanielSong39]

Well you see the difference in this video

[@joshschrader4732]

As likely as QAnon

[@sltgaming1078]

​@@DanielSong39we don't know

[@tomvermeulen8003]

I used to give cancellara the benefit of the doubt. But after discovering the very very sneaky second bike change I think its very unlikely he didnt do mechanical doping. Cancellara had a mechanical issue and did a first bike chance. The main mechanic jumps out of the car and gives him a new bike. A few km's later Breschel has a real issue and requests a new bike, but the main mechanic isnt in the car anymore resulting in Breschel getting the wrong bike, losing a lot of time and never returning to the front. A few km further the images show Cancellara suddenly sitting on his original bike. What happened, at the point where cancellara did his first bike change, the stage makes a loop. The mechanic had to walk 500 meter to get on the other part of the stage. What does amateur footage reveal. In a turn everybody where makes the short turn, Cancellara goes wide where the main mechanic is waiting with the original bike and you see Cancellara do a lightning bike swap. Its a sad thing but after all these years i am convinced Cancellara cheated.

[@HolgerDanske874]

I don't understand. Why wasn't any of this caught by cameras in a race like this?

[@mkballer4502]

literally just look at his power numbers he has done those many times and the time up was good but not even super impressive. It just looked that fast because boonen was cooked and used a wrong gearing.

[@2011hwalker]

Nah this is one of the clearest cases of motor doping of all time. Ever been passed by e bikes on steep hills? Thats exactly what it looks like. A smooth seated cadence with no rise in perceived effort versus the flat. 0:33 Cancellara hips and shoulders rocking significantly on the lower gradients of the first part of the climb 2:38 remarkably his cadence gets smoother and faster on the brutal section of the climb. It doesnt pass the eyeball test, it doesnt make sense physiologically and its basically borderline impossible.

[@zaskadu8320]

@@2011hwalker No.. 2:34 Look at the smooth line Cancellara took compared to how Boonen front wheel is bouncing around.. coincidentally at the same time Cancellara put the power down and Boonen struggling to keep his front wheel on the ground (Boonen also a lighter rider so not as anchored).. a motor does not give you traction .. Cancellara is a man with a LOT of power in his legs... this set of events in Cancellara luck and favor makes him look extraordinarily amazing.. almost unreal... so good that people has to resort to motor doping as conclusion... but there is no motor.. this was just bad luck for Boonen with the line he chose and Cancellara doing what Cancellara does best. Here watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHi4ZJ-Pr9dni6M

[@phantasiaentertainment2170]

@@HolgerDanske874 it was, i also saw him swapping two times. also, after the second swap notice how fast he returned to the peloton which at that time was completely cracking up

[@grzejnikMilosz]

This actually should be put to a scientific investigation. Physicists should calculate how much (more) power you need to output to build so much advantage in a couple seconds on a steep more than 10% (average I believe it was more than 10% at this very moment). Someone who cycle anything in his life and when put this into one's head knows exactly that this situation is just iconically ridiculous.

[@DanielSong39]

It's like the Froome acceleration up the Ventoux in 2013. A 1000+ watt surge within a couple seconds that takes place without visible effort from the rider.

[@skinny55772]

They should compare his time in the video to the Strava segment for it. If it's the same for some random strong guy doing 600 watts then it's probably legit.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Just estimates out of my butt after using Zwift for so long: Boonen was probably putting out a solid 600 watts at that moment and when seeing Cancellara motor away raised that to 700-800 watts. Cancellara's distancing would make the output well over 1400 watts. That's the kind of power unleashed in a sprint, which Cancellara had no pedigree for, plus he doesn't even show strained signs of that kind of power being made.

[@DanielSong39]

@@oldtwinsna8347 Cancellara actually has had top 5 finishes in bunch sprints but yeah you're not going to do 1400 watts+ there without putting in a visible effort

[@dunkulusjones4564]

@@oldtwinsna8347 please show your calculations

[@9Ballr]

Wow, Cancellara was really motoring up that climb, wasn't he?

[@StopTheRot]

😂

[@2011hwalker]

such an obvious motor doping case. His hips and shoulders arent even moving to show any effort in the steepest part of the climb.

[@fernandoblanco8050]

Yeeesss !! Both here and in Roubaix. Shame on you, Fabian!

[@benspeller8635]

😂

[@fhensen]

Yes he was

[@JumpingWatermelons]

I will always remember this attack, because afterword, Tom Boonen said (paraphrasing): "I didn't have any problem there. I was riding well. When he attacked near the top, I was doing 900 watts, but he was still riding away. " (It turns out, Cancellara had a max power that day of 1450, probably during that attack)

[@roebbiej]

His motor* and cancellara combined was 1450 watts

[@kahtering3555]

Motor Doping

[@gimmigimmigimmi]

900w on a climb? you clearly don't know what you're talking about. maybe try riding a bike once?

[@JumpingWatermelons]

@@gimmigimmigimmi you don't think Tom Boonen could make 900w while riding up a short hill?

[@gimmigimmigimmi]

@@JumpingWatermelons 900w is more than 10w/kg, so the answer is easily no.

[@DanielSong39]

FYI, Boonen gained time on every other rider in the field in the Muur. That should give you some perspective on how fast Cancellara went up the climb.

[@william6171]

Annemiek van Vleuten in 2020 Omloop het Nieuwsblad went faster up it than Cancellara in 2010 Ronde

[@jeroendekort5696]

Na hoeveel km moest Annemiek de muur op?

[@Shitinthemorning]

Boonen had a gear problem, why nobody can see that?!

[@jaysimoes3705]

It is not the whole climb that is important here. It is that Fabian went only in the last 300 m or so and that is where it is amazing/suspiscious.

[@zoulouzoulou4726]

La caméra écrase beaucoup l' image , mais pour l' avoir déja fait en VTT , c est un véritable mur , la pente est impressionnante !! Ce que fait Cancellarra est inhumain , quelque chose cloche et je m' etais deja fait la reflexion en direct

[@mr0totonio]

EBIKE

[@simonrano8072]

il y a que 50 m à plus de 14 %, le reste à 10 % ou moins. C'est pas si terrible et le pavé est très régulier. La côte de la ferme Libert fait la même longueur mais sa moyenne est au niveau de la pire portion du Grammont. Le Koppenberg aussi est bien plus raide que le Grammont avec un pavé bien plus mauvais mais sec pas besoin d'un VTT

[@2011hwalker]

One of the *clearest* cases of motor doping of all time. 0:33 Cancellara hips and shoulders rocking significantly on the lower gradients of the first part of the climb 2:38 *remarkably* his cadence gets smoother and faster on the brutal section of the climb. Ever been passed by e bikes on steep hills? Thats exactly what it looks like. A smooth seated cadence with no rise in perceived effort versus the flat. It doesnt pass the eyeball test, it doesnt make sense physiologically and its basically borderline impossible. What an epic cheater!

[@papalegba6796]

Watch his right hand just after 2:35 he switches the motor on I reckon. Froome does something similar on his impossible Ventoux attack.

[@2011hwalker]

@@papalegba6796 Yes, definitely at the same time the pedals start 'whirring'

[@ile1973]

No he is not putting in the motor he is switching gears, he probably goes a bit bigger but remains his cadence

[@thesoultwins72]

Firstly, I am a great fan of Fabian Cancellara and think he was an exceptionally gifted and strong rider. But I have to admit that his performances during 2010 do cause questions to be asked. The featured extract of Cancellara attacking Tom Boonen [who is no slouch and an extremely strong rider himself] on the brutal climb of Muur van Geraardsbergen in the Tour of Flanders is simply staggering! And in the 2010 edition of the Paris-Roubaix [which had been raced a few weeks earlier] Cancellara had casually 'rode away' from a group of top quality riders 50k from the finish line to secure a solo victory. This was no second-string bunch made up of domestiques and also-rans. It included the likes of Sylvain Chavanel, Stuart O'Grady, Filippo Pozzato and again, Tom Boonen - all highly capable and experienced pros. According to Boonen himself, after recovering from the initial shock of Cancellara's audacious attack, the group started to work together and were travelling at 55kph. Even so, Cancellara was still going away from them! [by the end of the race he had put 4 minutes into his competitors!] To distance a chasing group of top guys all working together like that takes a remarkable effort. And the ease at which Cancellara did this does beggar belief.

[@laurentwarnon441]

Boonen was top and fit that year. He beat his own record on this climb and looks like a child compared to the motorman... So how can the swiss cheater drop so easily a top tom boonen who climbed faster than the other years...

[@thesoultwins72]

@@laurentwarnon441 ........Hi Laurent - yes I was very suspicious of Cancellara in both the P-R and Tour of Flanders as I said. Of course, we will probably never know the 'truth' but to drop an extremely strong rider such as Tom Boonen in that manner - just doesn't seem 'correct'.

[@bellavia5]

It is cause for suspicion.

[@andresbravo704]

Nada para extrañarse. La "Locomotora de Berna" fue 2 veces Campeón Olímpico de Contrarreloj (2008 y 2016) y pudo haber sido 3 veces (sufrió una caída en el Gran Fondo de Londres, 2012 ). El suizo, uno de los mejores clasicómanos y contrarrelojistas de la historia. Eso es todo.

[@sparx550]

It’s almost like cancellara has a hidden motor in his frame.

[@SSVukic]

All his win was with hidden electric motor.

[@1101grayzer]

It's very clear what he does at 2:37. The gradient gets steeper, Boonen starts to feel it, Cancellara changes down a gear, his cadence increases and he doesn't need to get out of the saddle.

[@TheSteinbitt]

Sean Gray cadence tend to increase when you shift down...

[@MrBerndwiekema]

Sean Gray you’re probably right. Cancellara was the strongest rider at that time. Not fair to accuse him of technical fraude.

[@championthewonderhorse9733]

At the vert moment Sean Kelly says that attacking sitting in the saddle is the best way to attack the climb too...

[@ChuckD59]

I've stepped through that part a couple times and I agree (but I do think there are better examples of pros and electric assist). Right through the 2:37 mark, if you go frame by frame, it's clear their cadences had been matched but C drops his right shoulder a bit and his cadence increases, just as would happen if one were to downshift. He's off the hook in my book, and a veritable monster.

[@rudymerckx7424]

Well..as a belgian who has followed pro cycling for 50 years now...I had never seen this kind of "acceleration" ..twice in a matter of 7 days...2010..both times Cancellara...1 in RVV...1 in Roubaix....What bothers me the most in RVV are his numerous bike changes...clearly they were planned and the exchanges were done to perfection. I have seen a ton of RVV and Roubaix.....and I can tell you that in these classics in full "finale" bike changes ONLY take place if something breaks on the original bike. Even pro's will tell ya....In Roubaix...well..yes..the group was looking at each other ..true..so if you reference his speed to those 3 or 4 riders it seems like he's flying...but I do not reference it at those 3-4...I just observe the sudden ( I mean like lightning quick) enormous increase in cadence ..even as he"s looking backward and the Boonen group not exactly going slow ( one long queue). Within seconds of what should be a huge effort he looks back and keeps it all looking just a little bit too smooth for me. BTW..companies have been experimenting with electrical "in frame" motors for years..one canadian company even has their setup with SRAM..lol......oops...coincidence or not. Am I against Cancellara ?...far from..I consider him half a flandrien and a beast indeed. But these 2 moments were "super human" or at least to this day that is how I remember them....because they seemed truly effortless. And I have seen hundreds of "demarrages" by equally talented one-day-classic riders in these 2 classics.....in all those I WITNESSED GREAT PHYSICAL EFFORT with a totally different body language.

[@pato20995]

In Roubaix he looked like one the camera motors was passing the group. Like he pushed the throttle

[@DanielSong39]

Then Chris Froome did it twice, 2013 Ventoux and 2015 PSM

[@DanielSong39]

Also for long range attacks, see Floyd Landis 2006 Tour and Chris Froome 2018 Giro

[@schattelux1454]

sorr looser

[@notreally2406]

@@DanielSong39 On an up and down course a great climber can open the gap on each climb and hold that gap on the descents

[@josdenis3684]

Cancellara had a very “special” bike that day. And also in Paris-Roubaix.

[@alexp247365]

This was the day my hero died....

[@lucmeeussen9714]

Prove it or shut up.

[@el_vee_ee]

Slechte verliezers

[@oceanedetotes]

@@lucmeeussen9714 close your eyes doesn't turn the light off

[@jansnauwaert1785]

@@lucmeeussen9714 Indeed, all this is (stupid) gossip. If you can't prove it, shut up indeed. Cancellara was an exceptional champion.

[@DanielSong39]

Did Cancellara just put 30 seconds on Boonen in under a minute?

[@charlesjohnson9249]

Something like that. And it can happen, I remember Froome loosing around 30-35 seconds on a climbing stage at the TdF 2017, on the last 150 meters!

[@TheSteinbitt]

mega smacky Phil Gaimon troopers are here lol

[@santiagobenites]

@@dansprague2 Cancellara used a motor. It's obvious. Sadly he got away with it.

[@toozydude2]

Putting 30s on someone in 1min requires the front person to go 1/3 faster than the other. If you go twice as fast as them, then u gain more than 1min gap in 1min.

[@TheSteinbitt]

Frank M Boonen was on the limit going into the climb, Cancellara waited for the steep and put the hammer down. It happens almost any year in the RVV, this year Bettiol did it to GvA and the rest of the favorites. Not really unbelievable, just racing. The fact that he never got out of the saddle is his style, and to avoid slipping on the steep cobbles while putting out 1000+W.

[@raganwald]

Cancellara "motors" ahead? I see what you did there.

[@Angel-gn2on]

Cancellara is monster, Boonen is outclassed so dont talk rubish.

[@3vimages471]

+Jojo Labuguen You can even work out where Sparticus turned on his motor! Are you blind?

[@JamieSmith-fz2mz]

It's completely unnatural to simply accelerate away from your nearest competitor on that pitch and open up that big of a gap without a bit of anguish on your face. He looks so effortless - like he's waiting for an oil change. Sorry, but there is no such thing as Superman.

[@gempidge]

After thinking again, I think he was just switching on the radio. But what song, gives such motivation? Pray, do tell...

[@bernardhinault9377]

You can see boonen actually runs into the wall with his front tire, right as the commmentator says Aww, that is what makes the gap so staggering.

[@devidia]

I don't understand how people still aren't able to see the pure fraude shown here

[@devidia]

At the time of the race, bikes weren't checked for mechanical doping. Do you even bike, bro?

[@devidia]

Makes it only stranger that you have no clue of bike check ups at races of that time

[@devidia]

bro

[@pato20995]

About 10-20 bikes of the 400 are checked in most races, some races check up to 200 bikes, but never all of them

[@pato20995]

And yea they started doing it in 2013, screening randomly around 10-20 bikes in 2013, they started checking more intensively from 2018 on.

[@User_17727]

100% motor can’t believe I didn’t saw it when I watched it live in 2010

[@SongDen]

Impossible to give such a gap against a strong rider like Boonen

[@claudiobini7711]

Analoga considerazione in una tappa in cui fu staccato Peter Sagan . Il modo con cui Cancellara superò Sagan che peraltro era in in piena forma è e rimane sospetto .

[@musiccorner6377]

tom boonen was dead at that moment

[@pahouseholder]

Wow. You can see why folks think he was motorized. That little flick of the fingers of his right hand as he rode away at 2:37 was saying, "Bye, Tom!"

[@henseleric]

Right, he downshifted into a lower gear, and rode away from a blown Boonen. Occam's Razor.

[@musiccorner6377]

yes he turned his gear whot you see i think your on the dope

[@robertob.2772]

No one can convince me that he wasn't motorized, especially if you see also the video of Paris Roubaix of a week later...

[@nicolasdelaforge7420]

He needed no motor to win 6 world titles in TT, when he could not have cheated.

[@gempidge]

Around 2.37, you can see Cancerella's doing something... right before he takes off. Funny how on the bits of the slope where EVERYONE else has to stand up in the saddle, Cancerella remains comfortably seated.

[@gempidge]

MERE CONJECTURE: That he uses an electric motor. FACT: You find many videos in which he makes strange hand movements right before he attacks FACT: You can find many videos where he is doing an attack on steep climbs, and he is the only one who doesn't rise out of the saddle. FACT: There is no actual proof Cancerella has broken the rules. FACT: Swiss people are awesome, Switzerland is awesome.

[@gempidge]

Tamhas B although it is rather hard to believe that such a tiny battery could do any good for more than about 5 seconds. Probably more likely that Cancerella is just a god on two wheels now that i think about it. If there was battery that good in existence, why hasn't Apple put one in my iPhone?

[@tobi-sui6133]

haha you are joking... but believe me i hate nothing more than cheaters in cycling. An if cancellara would cheat I can't believe they would have found it out. And he didn't win all the other classic races so there might be some races who perfectly fit to him. His legs might have more power, so he doesn't have to rise out of the saddle. But I'm not an expert... Are you from belgium?

[@szalaydaniel8631]

+Tamhas B A few notes: He is just switching gears before the attack. Rising out of the saddle means a higher heart rate = faster lactate buildup. In this video Boonen is struggling already at the bottom of the hill; he gets out of the saddle a lot, which happens often when somebody cannot keep up. Cancellara looks fresh from the beginning of the hill, holds a high cadence consistently and powers through. Just take a look at the cadence difference from 2:23. My opinion: Spartacus is a beast.

[@danielabrams7587]

+Tamhas B No motor here. Look at his cadence! Cancellara is spinning his tits off!

[@StopTheRot]

This brings back memories of being dropped by an elderly woman on an e-bike with a couple of baguettes in her basket. Looks very similar.

[@ivangomezdiaz2651]

He starts the engine in the minute 2:18. The pedal changes completely.

[@championthewonderhorse9733]

Or he just changes down a gear to something lower...

[@Bayo106]

@@championthewonderhorse9733 lol right. these comments are so fucking stupid. Cancellara probably just had better gearing

[@sebastianlecourt1366]

"Prepare for LUDICROUS SPEED."

[@davidfernandez9791]

This is at least suspicious. Boonen is dying on his bike meanwhile Cancellara pedals away easily.

[@abone2pick]

Yeah because he's a time trial specialist and has spend hundred of hours riding in that position

[@trinerd]

That was bullshit. That gap was like 12 seconds after 20 seconds of racing. Boonen never cracked. Yeah, super suspicious.

[@MrMarolles]

He made that gap in seconds, whilst Boonen was still going pretty quickly, not possible with out a motor.

[@reneflippe3286]

Can you prove ? If not sh1t up !

[@musiccorner6377]

whahhaha whot a idiots in this world , you boonen struggled meter by meter in the and to get ont top

[@bergsteirer]

Everything clear to see.....motor use. This bike doping really gets ridicolous.

[@mariekeeeee1202]

Every cycling expert knows it 100% 🏍️🔋 At that time, not many people knew how an electric bicycle reacts, but now they do. Fabio was not alone, in the following 2 years there was a lot of experimentation with it within the peloton. As a Belgian who considers the Tour of Flanders to be a great day of the year. this is probably the darkest spot ever. I’m not a fan or supporter, just a lover of ‘de koers’ 🇧🇪💛🖤❤️

[@Chris-dy7hk]

2:35 he turns on the motor. There is no way he puts a gap in like that on a rider like Boonen, cramps or no cramps. This is not natural. There is no way to push that kind of wattage, it's physically impossible. Not to mention just watching the video, it's obvious. Cancellara did this too many times, unbelievable he was never caught.

[@matthiasrichter3112]

Indeed, with his right hand. We can see it on the movie.

[@serdiezv]

@@matthiasrichter3112 That's just shifting, if they never caught him, with the suspicion being there it means he wasn't cheating

[@Bayo106]

@@serdiezv this

[@Angelo_Botta]

Fabian Cancellectric

[@sltgaming1078]

We will never know

[@stephanelavoie2258]

Didn’t know about motor in the bike could exist at that moment and as i was watching this i said to my self : how is he accelerating so fast with Boonen fighting with is bike , the rest is history!

[@jordimaxwell]

He was speculated to have illegal support in his pedalling. Its so steep and yet he just sat on his saddle like nothing happened and then he looked down to his bike at the top of the climb.

[@gajupla6787]

impossible de tourner les jambes comme ça !!!

[@mcycliste2144]

Exactement, j'habite à 10 bornes de Gramont. Et à cette endroit c'est totalement illogique que cancelara se met à faire du 100 t/m alors qu'avant il à une fréquence de 70. De plus il accélère comme une moto Boonen qui fait une très bonne montée est au sprint et de fait déposer. Et ce suisse traite ces détracteurs comme un certain Texan avant lui. Vivement le jour où un mécanicien balancera le morceau.

[@alfpacino2630]

@Rémi BAZIN la sensation d'avoir pris un coup de vieux!

[@alfpacino2630]

avec Froom, il forme la génération, j'attaque le cul sur la selle en pleine montée!

[@maxsan4991]

Meme pour un simple amateur de vélo, ca se voit a l'oeil nu que ce n'est pas credible. Boonen etait au top, il s'arrache sur sa machine pour essayer d'avancer tant bien que mal, et l'autre a coté assis sur sa selle qui lui met 20 mètres en l'espace de 60 metres.

[@herrroy4963]

I don't know who the sidekick are, but he just went completely silent after that attack. His silence speaks loud..

[@errbud]

@@herrroy4963 Cycling legend Sean Kelly is the co commentator

[@herrroy4963]

​@@errbudah! Thanks.

[@jellevanthuyne1984]

and there my grandson, the e-bike was born

[@imraanmajiet1058]

Oliver Naesen has the current Muur strava record at 2 minutes 50 during the binck banck tour when he was off peak. Here Boonen and cancellara hit the Muur at 20 seconds and boonen summits at around 3:25 which is around 3 minutes on boonens side. Not putting it past cancellara in his prime to have done 2:40ish then extended his gap in the downhill without a motor.

[@nicolasdelaforge7420]

If your figures are right, this is the best analysis so far. Cancellara would have been much stronger than Naesen, and Boonen was actually slower than you would normally allow such a great rider. Great work.

[@Raphya29]

Ok there is no proof, but what ??????? How can you put 300 meters to a guy like boonen and make it look so easy .. just impossible every people that has already cycle should know that.. cheater ^^

[@DanielSong39]

1200 watts for 1 minute will open that kind of gap.

[@Whalturk]

Johnny Cab - It's just a matter of finding the right gear. And the faster he goes, the easier it looks.

[@pato20995]

I've tried electric bikes, that's exactly how it looks uphill, you barely have to push and you reach 20kph easy

[@Whalturk]

P T - Yea, but I sincerely doubt that you are able to push as many watts as Fabian Cancellara was 8 years ago. So maybe what you look like going uphill on an ebike, is how Cancellara looked when he was going full gas up the Kapelmuur ;)

[@pato20995]

Whalturk what I mean to say is, you don't have to put any power in your pedalling. You can clearly see that Cancellara is not putting any effort in his "effort"

[@100cucimata]

Cancellara's bikes were quite particular ...

[@michaelvstheworld3680]

I still remember watching this, screaming "BULLSHIT!"

[@skinny55772]

It should be pretty easy to estimate the power for the attack by comparing his time to one of the Strava segments and that rider's power and weight. It's so steep that the environmental variables are probably negligible. I can try but it might take me a while since I know nothing about that climb.

[@mikehall6608]

Have you figured it out yet?

[@carlosquin4822]

After UCI started scanning the bikes for hidden motors FC went AWOL. He was swapping 3-4 bikes in short races, no mechanical issues with them. The most serious evidence is the bike changes had a mechanic team there at pre-staged locations, this proves he was swapping the bikes after the batteries were drained or weakened. This also proves they knew the range of the batteries and worked out plans to swap the bikes as the batteries drained down. Not even Lance Armstrong on EPO could climb that hill like that, what you see here is Electrical Mechanical movement, nothing to do with your legs.

[@timrochelleandethanwatson2937]

That is the biggest load of crap hahahahha

[@carlosquin4822]

@@timrochelleandethanwatson2937 Right back at you

[@DanielSong39]

No matter how good you are, if you put in a sudden acceleration on a steep upslope on the cobbles, the bike will sway. I have no idea how Cancellara violated basic laws of physics here.

[@DolleHengst]

Cancellara weighed 90kg. On a steep climb, with a seated rider, most of that weight will rest on the rear axle, giving the rear wheel extra traction. And a higher cadence gives a rider more control over the bike.

[@Bayo106]

you obviously know nothing about cycling.

[@talep5180]

Look the cancellara's right hand at 2:36.

[@nmal6371]

C'est bien Spart'accu son surnom ?

[@tbcyable]

"Spark Plug" accu

[@RickBeckler]

Why doesn’t someone do a theoretical calculation on the amount of power put down by Cancellara? It would show that 30 seconds gap on Boonen is impossible.

[@JumpingWatermelons]

Yeah. Either Specialized or Team Saxo bank did release some of Fabian's power data from that day. The max power was 1,450 watts, presumably duing that attack.

[@abone2pick]

Cancellaras time up that hill isn't even the fastest . I think the Kom up that hill is like 3 seconds faster than what cancellara did.

[@owbeast7280]

They have evidence of Cancellara riding with a motor in his frame they just don't want "to believe it".

[@Drubujo]

"Boonen's really struggling, having to fight the bike up the hills" Almost like that's what's supposed to happen with a bike that isn't juiced.

[@fredericfrere7251]

Cancellara pioche déjà aux pied du mur dans la roue de Boonen et la différence est trop importante quand il attaque

[@Sills71]

This is DOPE. both mechanical and medical.

[@jansnauwaert1785]

Well, besides that I don't buy it: you can't prove if, so shut up.

[@sarahnathan76]

1:44 he presses twice with his right hand on the handlebars he activates his motor quite simply.

[@Gaspard_de_la_nuit]

Un grande campione e tanti grandi frustrati che accusano senza uno straccio di prova. Il mondo va così.

[@rickguerrero2282]

Did he have a hidden motor?

[@kraknoix0075]

Boonen looked quite fresh and comfortable until Cancellara just suddenly accelerates with inhuman speed without going out of the saddle. Meanwhile Boonen is sprinting after him with also impressive speed, he clearly has energy left but he can't sprint that fast. At the top Boonen is already 30 seconds behind. Seems totally legit folks

[@user-ye7su5of7c]

Sings: Things that make you go 'hmmmmmmm'

[@Michael-OdessaUK]

If anyone believes that, the reason is very simple, they have never pedal in their life. And especially on cobblestone and worst up a wall at almost 20%

[@Theubald]

Cancellara is the shame of history in cyclism.

[@TurboDally]

So in 60 seconds (give or take a few seconds) the guy pulled away around 250 meters, he's moving 4 meters PER SECOND FASTER than the other guy- in other words a good 9mph quicke- that's quite a big difference in speed.

[@felicienbourdin840]

TurboDally think twice about it ... if I have an advance of lets say 50meters at the end of the hill, during the time my opponent runs at low speed completing the hill, I go way faster than him on the flat/descent portion and when he reaches the top I could have 250meters of advance ! so do again your calculation takin this into account

[@nicolasdelaforge7420]

It depends on the form of the riders. In another commentary, Cancellara was climbing just a tiny bit faster than the record holder on the hill, Naesen, who was not a star rider overall. So, if he were on the road that day, Cancellara would have had but a small margin on him. Perhaps Boonen was not at his best. There are so many considerations - who knows? But Cancellara had such immense power, this could have been the greatest week of his career.

[@sebastian7112]

My god what a performance. What a massive gap. Opened up in a matter of seconds.

[@johanbaertie]

De muur has to come back to the race!!!! Much more exciting.

[@scallybombchucker]

Phil Gaimon brought me here!

[@aikman21]

me 2 and if you look close on 2:53/4 you see the same handling being done like on 2:38/9 exactly the moment when he has the gap and is trough the steepest part of the Muur ... i know people can do extraordinary things but that far into a race like the tour off flanders and knowing he is easily doing it from the saddle places big question marks ... I always admired him as a person but his recent twitter war and the way he is doing it reminds me about a certain texan kid who also was yelling he wasn't doing something , nevertheless we will never know for sure what happend what we have seen :D

[@TheSteinbitt]

Yep, he tried to sell a book latching on to the coat tails of real cyclist and some idiots bought it...

[@filmer25]

Ik sprak er ooit een Vlaming over. Die zei: 'Hij moest niet duwen hè.' En dat is het, hij duwt niet op de pedalen maar gaat als een brommer.

[@oceanedetotes]

After this ride, they added E-bike on Strava.

[@JonLeonardF10]

Boonen vs. cancellara These days van Der poel vs. van ert Classic specialists. excellent races

[@errbud]

We should have Remco Evenepoel in the mix next year as well exciting times

[@jaimecorvus6373]

2:37, mouvement suspect de la main droite de Cancellara, et l"attaque" (!) suit. unbelievebal !

[@Lepercurtidoo]

Check out Cancellara's right hand at 2:37 ... ;)

[@Lepercurtidoo]

First time you assume something of someone you don't know ? Guess not, i am cycling 42y straight now ...

[@Trekki61]

i very hope that the uci will the muur take to the race it belongs back. here's a german friend of the muur, theres no ronde without it...

[@santosleandro1955]

Right hand at 2:37...nun said!

[@Juan0003]

2:43 Bonnen does the same. What nun?

[@ahhhhhhhDestroyed]

Ever riden a bike? he changed gear.

[@championthewonderhorse9733]

Literally the moment Sean Kelly says the best way to attack the climb is sitting in the saddle and Cancellara does just that...

[@ChuckD59]

There's far more convincing evidence elsewhere in cycling of mechanical "doping" (Hesjedal). I see the tactic of burning up Boonen in the first part, forcing him to lead for a bit then crushing him on the final part. And I see Cancellara shifting up as he launches his attack, nothing more. He is a beast, no question.

[@chrisvillanueva4125]

how did he do that? unbelievable

[@filmer25]

2:19 Beide rijders moeten voor het oog evenveel moeite doen. 2:34 Cancellara maakt een kleine beweging met zijn rechterhand, hoeft geen moeite meer te doen en vliegt ervandoor.

[@remus3960]

Boonen werd daar serieus gesjareld door Cancellara .... dat daar nooit ernstig onderzoek naar gedaan werd is me nog steeds onduidelijk.

[@magnitogorski]

Madre mia Cancellara-Boonen tete a tete. Ataque impresionante en el mejor escenario posible. Momento mítico ya del ciclismo. Bestial. Ojalá vuelva a este nivel para 2015 y veamos una Vlaanderen espectacular. Espero ver a Wellens ahí en la pelea.

[@YoutubSUCKZ]

te gusta el motociclismo?

[@StelvioSteve-j2h]

Is that Dave Harmon commentating with Kelly?

[@paulsolon6229]

Electrical motor Cancellara?

[@kajakmannen1666]

Is this the race when Cancellara changed his bike 3-4 times? Wonder why!! The attack looks very unnatural given the fact that he must have produced well over 1000w sitting in the sadle.

[@Alpenmagier]

People just like to hate. Boonen himself was riding that part of the race faster then cancellara in the year before.

[@Starrynova]

Doped bike

[@Bad_Gnasher]

Sadly you'll never see a better example of motor doping.

[@Michael-hm8cs]

Froome in every single one of his TDF wins

[@Bad_Gnasher]

@@Michael-hm8cs got a link?

[@papalegba6796]

@@Michael-hm8cs yeah froome was blatant in retrospect.

[@adityagupta101]

Did they have motors and batteries small enough to fit in the seat tube back in those days?

[@PizzaPokerPsych]

Not off-the-shelf, but if one was willing to spend the bucks for something high-end and custom made, probably yes

[@adityagupta101]

@@PizzaPokerPsych very similar footage of one girl who cheated with motor in seat tube. She literally motored off on steep incline... However I reckon there is at least 10-15 years between the 2 incidents. So curious if the tech was as advanced back in the day

[@PizzaPokerPsych]

@@adityagupta101 I agree it looks similar. And it stands to reason that FC, as one of the best cyclists in the world, would have access to cutting edge technology (including illicit methods of performance enhancement) significantly before lesser riders such as the Belgian cyclocrosser none of us had heard of until she got caught red-handed with a motorized bicycle The more I watch that clip of FC pulling away from Boonen, the more convinced I am that it's a case of cheating. Combine that with his numerous and unconventional bike changes and I think it's naive to believe that nothing illicit took place.

[@swampula]

Der einzige Fahrer, der stets mit Motor unterwegs ist, heisst Remco Evenepoel, liebe belgische Radsport-Fans. Gruss aus der Schweiz.

[@QiuyuanChenRyan916]

Anyone realized at this moment Fabian is riding a pair of Zipp 303 and Boonen is still on the aluminum? For a zipp owner, I can say those are some of the nicest designed wheels, particularly when it gets a bit bumpy.

[@fewcruit4]

2:35

[@pcrtwentekanaal8458]

Why would you change such a great motorcycle?

[@Fennefar]

Again 2:38 what happens with the right hand?? Not a gear change but it is interesting in that year how before acceleration in Flanders and Roubaix he touches the same area on the bike.

[@jameswillett118]

Just doesn’t look right 🤔

[@ile1973]

He is literally changing gears

[@Michael-OdessaUK]

The unfamous hidden motor!

[@danieldefeudis8209]

Riis teams, specially Saxo bank and Cancellara are the perfect example of cheating. It's pretty obvious the electric motor.

[@tim3d716]

Had Cancellara an E-bike?🔋

[@willwhite1987]

Cancellara took 3 min to make the climb. This is an average effort of about 550 watts for his weight (source: the many strava segments of the same climb at similar speeds and weight). Most riders in the Tour of Flanders stay on their saddle during the climb, unless they're exhausted and have to resort to grinding. With this in mind, it seems clear that Cancellara was already pushing Boonen to its limits. A guy that grinds out of the saddle gives a clear sign that it's time to gear up and make an attack. If on top of that you make the attack in the saddle, you will crush your opponent psychologically. Which is just what Cancellara wants. About the power required: in the RIO 2016 olympics' TT, he put out 550 watts for more than 5 minutes in two occasions, with a "recovery phase" of about 400 watts. I would not be surprised if he can produce an anaerobic effort, just like in the video, on the saddle without breaking composure, of 1200+ watts for ~15 sec. At this stage if he feels fresh and Tom Boonen does not, he could put this ~500 difference in wattage that corresponds to the acceleration on the video. Incredibly hard, yes. But anyone who has ever trained with a power meter knows how incredibly hard (impossible in fact for all but a handful of people in the world) it is, too, to hold 550 watts for 5 min. What an incredible rider.

[@jesperschultz2727]

It's obvious to me, that Cancellara is holding back early in the climb. He stands up for a short while and almost can't stop himself from attacking, but he clearly had it figured out, where he wanted to attack and had much more power than Boonen. He did the same to Sagan in 2013, only with a bit lower kadence and higher gearing.

[@danieldefeudis8209]

Sorry Santa is your father!!!

[@kraknoix0075]

Boonen looked like he had energy left though and he was sprinting out of the saddle, you see cancellara looking down, at his little motor?

[@kptrzk9398]

Seated 1200 watts for 15 seconds huh? Lol

[@johnfowler5012]

kyle peterek, exactly. 1200watts after 200km seated on the cobbles. Luigi just twisted that throttle and took off!

[@kentornillson1]

This was either a MASSIVE attack the world never have seen before, or one of the biggest cheating scandales in modern cycling. I want to belive that the first sentence is the case, but like spabcn also mentioned, everytime I watch this attack i cant get away from thinking ....mmmmmm....

[@rhyslloyd6125]

The day of the motor 🛵

[@TanteLeonieCombray]

It's just stupid. Cancellara does not seem to make an effort on a 20% climb. Stupid! You can see he hardly pushes on his legs. It's robbery.

[@areyes7896]

Cancellara might have been playing possum. Why would he lead boonen all the way up the climb. Cancellara knows where the finish is at so I'm sure this was always the plan if this scenario came to pass.

[@DanielSong39]

I don't know how much power it takes to go up on a 19% cobbled climb at 15mph, but I suspect that Mark Cavendish or Marcel Kittel could not generate that many watts for even 5-10 seconds.

[@Niala8419]

Unreal.

[@Jan-se1nd]

I bought it then as a massive Cancellara fan. Today? Not so much. I've watched a lot of RvV since and this just looks unnatural.

[@Cruzanracer]

Boonen was not THAT out of shape to on the front looking so good and then DROPPED by an even HEAVIER rider! I'm over all the drug crap but this shiite has to stop. The UCI with their silly iPads... gimme an effing break already.

[@aapddd]

That acceleration doesn't look natural. Never seen someone pull away like that.

[@DanielSong39]

Chris Froome 2013 Ventoux, 2015 PSM

[@Bayo106]

high cadence vs grinding

[@bo2web]

Lithium Cancellara ????

[@hugoz1187]

On lui a toujours pas retiré ses titres au motard suisse ?

[@nicolasdelaforge7420]

Cancellara had a smaller gear - that's huge, and if they were equal, Cancellara would have won because of it. But they were not equal, Cancellara was, a this time, better.

[@livingbymottos]

Absolutely motoring through to 1st place