108th Milano - Sanremo, 18th March 2017, 291 km, WT

[movingtarget]

Re:

I will say for a team without a sprinter BMC did and awful lot of pulling and zero attacking.

GVA also chased his own team mate. He had no excuses. Sagan was just too good on the climb.

 

[Akuryo]

Re: Re:

For the record, neither Kwiat nor Alaphilippe took any decent pulls. Going on the front for 5 seconds like Alaphilippe did to sabotage the break for Gaviria is not pulling. Not making judgements on whether Kwiatkowski is a deserved winner or not, just clarifying some bits.

I'm still trying to understand this Sagan gift. He had everything to be the sole protagonist, now he's just the guy who made the decisive move. Happens way too often.

Sagan should just stop working when Kwiatko is in the group, he no longer has the excuse of being the slower rider.

I'll have to agree with you for once. It pains me.

Well, Sagan seems to be always riding for teams where he is the only rider capable of anything. Kwiatkowski rode for QS and Sky and Alaphilippe still rides for QS. Both teams with other options. If Sagan would ride for teams such as QS or Sky he would also have the excuse of having someone in the chasing group ...

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

I will say for a team without a sprinter BMC did and awful lot of pulling and zero attacking.

Yeah surprising not to see Van Avermaet make the jump with Alaphilippe and Kwiatkowski. He must have been too cooked to respond though.

 

[jaylew]

This outcome was so incredibly obvious.

Really? I thought Alaphillipe would win as he really sat on at the end

There's this thing called intrinsic speed....

I don't believe Kwia to really be any faster than Ala though.[/quote!]

I agree, if you beat someone, you ain't faster than them! LOL

You can't possibly be serious with that statement. Every rider has been beaten in a sprint by a rider slower than them, including Cav, Greipel, Kittel, etc...

Kwia may very well be faster but if he is it isn't by much. It's not like he'd win 10 out of 10.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

https://twitter.com/f_cancellara/status/843135395277799424

@f_cancellara
I think this final today in @Milano_Sanremo was a flashback with @vincenzonibali @simongerrans not always the strongest winning bike races

He still remembers as he should. Just an awful display by Gerrans that day. Wish Spartacus would come back.

Why does he mention Nibs? Did nibs get screwed over too or was he also not taking turns?

Because they finished in a group of 3?

Yea but I don't remember the race. I know Gerrans did Gerrans things and Cancellara did Cancellara things but I don't know what Nibs did.

Nibali did what climbers do in a sprint. lose by miles

 

[Valv.Piti]

Sagan fans and supporters blaming Kwito and Julian when the blame is 100% on himself.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

K.

Kwiatkowski is usually an attacking rider, yet his whole chance on one other rider. He reacted to that rider, and he got the win because that one rider did 90% of the work and brainfarted his sprint.

Michal Kwiatowski wheelsucked when it was in his interest, and usually he makes the race. Simon Gerrans just wheelsucks. full stop.

It's a sensible tactic, but I don't understand why he gets credit for a tactical mastermind for this when it was obviously his only option to win. It's like asking somebody what 10+10 is and calling them a genius when they give the correct answer.

I don't see Cavendish or Kittel doing anything different to Gerrans when they win.

They're sprinters. They ruin every chance they have to win by taking any pull themselves. Gerrans rather wins the sprint for 5th than get beaten in the sprint for the win.

Gerrans is a sprinter as well, he just can climb better than the other two but not well enough to win a Fleche. I don't have a problem with Gerrans.

 

[hfer07]

Re:

https://twitter.com/f_cancellara/status/843135395277799424

@f_cancellara
I think this final today in @Milano_Sanremo was a flashback with @vincenzonibali @simongerrans not always the strongest winning bike races

Cance still sore about it?? :lol: :lol:

 

[GraftPunk]

My favorite didn't win, but that was proper racing!

 

[Forever The Best]

Great attack by Sagan, and he raced great except the last km. He shouldn't have been at the front when the sprint starts. And if he is in the front he should have started the sprint a bit later.

Also Kwiatkowski is definitely a deserving winner. He didn't too that much of a work today but considering that he is a very entertaining rider and he also works in small groups mostly, this win isn't a problem with me.

Alaphilippe should have doe a bit better in the sprint considering he was the one who worked the least. Also Gaviria still managed to get a decent result.

Ala normally doesn't have the sprint on the flat that the other two have but he sprinted very well and wasn't beaten far.

But I expected him to be a bit more of a factor in the sprint.

 

[Billie]

Two best classic riders of the last 5 years (and the upcoming 5) fighting it out. can't complain

 

[Netserk]

Great final!

Given they won with 5'', I wouldn't have minded a bit more looking in each others' eyes before the sprint.

 

[BigMac]

Re:

Sagan fans and supporters blaming Kwito and Julian when the blame is 100% on himself.

Can you please be factual? Why are you ignoring the ''Sagan fans'' criticizing Sagan, or those who are having a go at Kwiatkowski and Alaphiliipe while also criticizing Sagan?

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

Most dissapointing thing: Dumoulin timetrialling on the poggio, creating a small gap, and sitting up again. Not once, but 2 or 3 times. It would have been awesome if he would have gone full gas after realising he had a gap.
I got the impression sky was just riding a tempo they decided was so fast that Viviani would be able to stay in the wheel, but giving a hard time to contenders with less climbing abilities. If Tom really would have gone, they would have had to think fast and change their plans on the go.
I am really curious if sky was going for Kwiatkovski or for Viviani, or did they maybe have a hybrid plan?

Kwiat said he didn't expect Sagan to attack and thought they were heading for a bunch sprint.

In that case, makes you wonder why he didn't start the attack on the Poggio.

Anyway, he's not my favorite rider but he's got class and deserved the win. Wasn't anything like Gerrans' win (though I don't have a real problem with that either, even if I wanted Canc).

 

[dacooley]

Re:

Sagan fans and supporters blaming Kwito and Julian when the blame is 100% on himself.

quite a common reaction when one of the most popular bike riders loses the race.

 

[kingjr]

Re: Re:

Most dissapointing thing: Dumoulin timetrialling on the poggio, creating a small gap, and sitting up again. Not once, but 2 or 3 times. It would have been awesome if he would have gone full gas after realising he had a gap.
I got the impression sky was just riding a tempo they decided was so fast that Viviani would be able to stay in the wheel, but giving a hard time to contenders with less climbing abilities. If Tom really would have gone, they would have had to think fast and change their plans on the go.
I am really curious if sky was going for Kwiatkovski or for Viviani, or did they maybe have a hybrid plan?

Kwiat said he didn't expect Sagan to attack and thought they were heading for a bunch sprint.

In that case, makes you wonder why he didn't start the attack on the Poggio.

It seemed he was riding for Viviani.

 

[Billie]

Re: Re:

Most dissapointing thing: Dumoulin timetrialling on the poggio, creating a small gap, and sitting up again. Not once, but 2 or 3 times. It would have been awesome if he would have gone full gas after realising he had a gap.
I got the impression sky was just riding a tempo they decided was so fast that Viviani would be able to stay in the wheel, but giving a hard time to contenders with less climbing abilities. If Tom really would have gone, they would have had to think fast and change their plans on the go.
I am really curious if sky was going for Kwiatkovski or for Viviani, or did they maybe have a hybrid plan?

Kwiat said he didn't expect Sagan to attack and thought they were heading for a bunch sprint.

In that case, makes you wonder why he didn't start the attack on the Poggio.

It seemed he was riding for Viviani.

Sky were clearly setting pace for Viviani indeed

 

[sQiD]

Re:

Sagan needs to be calm on the flat. Kwai can outsprint him.

Sadly, that's what happened for Peter

 

[Põhja Konn]

Once they reached the last km, Sagan's only chance was to time his sprint right. No way the other two were going to lead him out. Unfortunately he didn't manage to do that. That's cycling and riding the way he did today, is not making Kwiatkowski a less deserving winner, or a wheelsucker all of a sudden.

Kwiatkowski owes this one partly to Alaphilippe though, as it was the Frenchman who closed the gap on Sagan on Poggio with the Pole just about able to hold his wheel. Had Sagan got to the descent with a gap, no-one would have brought him back.

 

[Bardamu]

Sagan again proves to be the most exciting rider of the 21st century.

 

[sQiD]

Re:

What a fantastic finish! Congratulations to Kwiatkowski, he deserves it!

I think Peter deserved it more

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Sagan fans and supporters blaming Kwito and Julian when the blame is 100% on himself.

Can you please be factual? Why are you ignoring the ''Sagan fans'' criticizing Sagan, or those who are having a go at Kwiatkowski and Alaphiliipe while also criticizing Sagan?

Factual is exactly what I am, but you are arguing something else.
Sagan is 100% to be blamed for his loss hence why Julian and Kwito shouldn't be blamed at no point, even when you still were critiquing Sagan.

 

[sQiD]

Re:

Sagan paying Kwiat back for RVV last year

He said it, if i can't win, i can decide who will take it

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

Two best classic riders of the last 5 years (and the upcoming 5) fighting it out. can't complain

Who is the second?

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Two best classic riders of the last 5 years (and the upcoming 5) fighting it out. can't complain

Who is the second?

Sagan i guess. It's the position he usually finishes after all.