107th Milano - Sanremo, 19th March 2016, 291 km, WT

[Flamin]

http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/1.2606017

Tossato and Capecchi totally disgusted how Demare was helped by the team car to return to the peloton... I knew this was coming.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

So, several riders claim Démare held on to the team car while climbing Cipressa.
Capecchi said that 'he flew past us at 80 km/h'.

That would explain how he managed to get back after he was held up by the crash.

 

[del1962]

Re: Re:

Slo-mo of Canc and Sagan avoiding Gav's crash:

https://gifs.com/embed/wpZWlm

Nice drift from Spartacus.

And those reflexes from Sagan! I'm going to go ahead and say I go down if that's me.

Thanks for posting. Wow! Great bike handling skills by both Cancellara and Sagan.

Great reaction from all riders just behind but especially Sagan, how no one else went down is amazing

 

[Metabolol]

I believet that without the mechanical Nacer would have won but at the same time it might have played out differently hadn't Gaviria crashed (and disturbed Sagan). Nacer has the potential to win something really big and Gaviria has shown that he is already ready to do the same thing.

I also see signs of Sagan riding smarter which will probably mean less podium placings but more wins (than lately).

 

[PeterB]

Re: Re:

Slo-mo of Canc and Sagan avoiding Gav's crash:

https://gifs.com/embed/wpZWlm

Nice drift from Spartacus.

And those reflexes from Sagan! I'm going to go ahead and say I go down if that's me.

Thanks for posting. Wow! Great bike handling skills by both Cancellara and Sagan.

Great reaction from all riders just behind but especially Sagan, how no one else went down is amazing

Thanks for the gif! Besides Sagan and Cancellara, Swift was another one who was heavily affected, but he somehow managed to carry on, get on Demare's wheel, and eventually podium. Sagan got on Swift's wheel but gave up. Probably did too much work before compared to fresher sprinters around him.
It also shows how far Kristoff, Haussler and Pozzato were at that moment, but managed to finish nicely.

So this was another race where Cancellara and Sagan neutralised each others' chances. First when Cancellara went with Trentin Sagan chased down, and then when EBH went with GVA, Gaviria chased down (impressive!) with Sagan on his wheel, a gap appeared, and without Cancellara's effort, I am not sure if sprinters behind him could close it down. Next year when Cancellara is gone, I expect big attack from Sagan after the descent.

And Demare's story... I am afraid the reports are true. And although I like him, I would not mind if jury takes firm stance on this in order to discourage such behaviour in the future. Not that I think this is likely to happen, alas.

 

[JRanton]

Re: Re:

So, several riders claim Démare held on to the team car while climbing Cipressa.
Capecchi said that 'he flew past us at 80 km/h'.

That would explain how he managed to get back after he was held up by the crash.

Yup. Sounded too good to be true. Logically you just can't win a race like that without car assistance after crashing when he did and after taking considerable time to get going. The peloton was going full gas and the idea that Demare would first be able to get back on and then have the energy to win is fanciful. A car tow up the Cipressa makes a lot of sense. Helped him close the gap significantly to the peloton and saved him energy at the same time.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/1.2606017

Tossato and Capecchi totally disgusted how Demare was helped by the team car to return to the peloton... I knew this was coming.

I am really sad if that is true. I cannot see what the Astana or Tinkoff rider have to gain by making such accusations. It actually makes the claims more credible.

 

[mc_mountain]

NFA - No further action. Surely it would at least be worth putting demare in a room and asking him if its true or not. If you're going to take a stand against motorised doping, this needs to be addressed.. shouldnt really need to rely on video or photo evidence, when it should be possible to track the speed differential.

 

[Savant12]

Swift will be even more p*ssed when he wakes up this morning and sees the news. This could (should?) have been his year!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Re:

http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/1.2606017

Tossato and Capecchi totally disgusted how Demare was helped by the team car to return to the peloton... I knew this was coming.

La Gazzetta also reporting this

"He lost time, but on the Cipressa passed us at double speed"

http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/20-03-2016/tosatto-accusa-demare-si-attaccato-ammiraglia-1401087508039.shtml

 

[Gloin22]

The jury already reviewed it yesterday, there is no video hence no action can be taken.

Cancellera voiced his opinion, with Dan Lloyd that FDJ should release power data to disprove it, but let's be fair, that ain't happening People will remember this shorterm, but few years and no one will know.

 

[Pentacycle]

Cyclisme à deux vitesses?

 

[Dedelou]

Re: Re:

http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/1.2606017

Tossato and Capecchi totally disgusted how Demare was helped by the team car to return to the peloton... I knew this was coming.

I am really sad if that is true. I cannot see what the Astana or Tinkoff rider have to gain by making such accusations. It actually makes the claims more credible.

Of course it has to be true. How else does any rider caught in a crash get back to the front? I like to find that amazing rare bird who could do that.. It is probably even rarer to find than a rider who never took a pull in similar circumstances. What the jury will do better take into consideration how much of a pull they will tolerate because i can see a ton of riders getting DQued at every race. Unless they use the "Cancellera method" and neutralize the front till the crash affected riders get back

 

[ray j willings]

Getting a tow back to the peloton is one thing , getting a tow up the final climb is not acceptable.
The UCI demand to see his Data. It would easily confirm the tow.
Its unfortunate if you crash in a bad moment but that his racing. Racing is not being towed up the last climb.
If that's the case riders will start to do the same " fake a crash" in order to gain such an advantage.

 

[Billie]

Who was the Lotto rider going after Kwiatkowski at the end of the Poggio descent?

 

[Vino's Mum]

Re: Re:

Unless they use the "Cancellera method"

Nah, I'm pretty sure that's not allowed either.

 

[postmanhat]

Matthews got back on after the same(?) crash but was too nacked to do anything. Was wondering how noted climber Demare managed it.

 

[postmanhat]

Re:

Swift will be even more p*ssed when he wakes up this morning and sees the news. This could (should?) have been his year!

Honorary winner. Especially as Sky probably did the most to animate the last 20k

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

Swift will be even more p*ssed when he wakes up this morning and sees the news. This could (should?) have been his year!

Honorary winner. Especially as Sky probably did the most to animate the last 20k

See that interview with Swift after the race ....looks like its in somr pub with TV on in background ..See #msr or SKY timeline on twitter
What does the guy in the background shout in English ( I can't make it out)
Swift cannot hold a straight face after the comment

 

[Pentacycle]

Roelandts could have been more duped than Swift though. It was Démare who launched Swift past him.

 

[classicomano]

Re: Re:

Swift will be even more p*ssed when he wakes up this morning and sees the news. This could (should?) have been his year!

Honorary winner. Especially as Sky probably did the most to animate the last 20k

See that interview with Swift after the race ....looks like its in somr pub with TV on in background ..See #msr or SKY timeline on twitter
What does the guy in the background shout in English ( I can't make it out)
Swift cannot hold a straight face after the comment

*** her right in the pussy. It was an internet thing that died out a while ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpbkcMSlCgw

 

[HelloDolly]

First it was "what would have happened if Gaviria hadn't crashed " but now its going to be "What would have happened if Demare hadn't go back"

All the things about what could have happened if only

 

[classicomano]

Anyway, what ever happens people will from this day onward know that Arnaud Demare is a fraud. Arnaud Demare is a fraud.

Arnaud Demare is a fraud.

All hail Sky! All hail Ben Swift!

 

[roundabout]

Re:

The jury already reviewed it yesterday, there is no video hence no action can be taken.

Cancellera voiced his opinion, with Dan Lloyd that FDJ should release power data to disprove it, but let's be fair, that ain't happening People will remember this shorterm, but few years and no one will know.

The irony of Cancellara asking anyone to release a power file to disprove an allegation of mechanical "assistance" is duly noted.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Was Swift not reported as being caught up in the same accident? In which case, is his appearance at the end not equally suspicious?