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114th Il Lombardia (1.UWT) // 15th of August 2020

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Well it looked like Remco and Fuglsang were riding two different races at the same time, I understand the confusion. Both were in Poland.

I wanted to joke about Remco so dominating that I forget every other rider in the race... than I wanted to excuse myself with that LEIPZIG :eek: match. But in the end I'm just terrible with these things and always jumble riders and facts of past races...
 
Obviously no one except Remco haters would gloat but wouldn't it be a bit of a disappointment if he doesn't at least podium against those guys given what we've seen so far?
It would depend greatly on the circumstances. I could imagine him winning a disappointing race. I could imagine him coming 7th in thrilling fashion. But i understand what you mean. I'll settle for a junior WCC 2018 scenario :tearsofjoy:
 
I can't seem to get as excited for this as usual. Doesn't really feel like a monument this year and the startlist is really underwhelming. Strade definitely feels like a much bigger and more important race this year.

I guess it's just the Covid calendar and conflict for Tour guys. Giro will likely feel the same.
100% agree. Very underwhelming for a monument. Compared with MSR which basically had everyone.
 
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Could be a little harsh (apologies to Birdsong et al), but we could also reverse this for ill Lombardia: no one but Remco...
So, about the same amount of quality in both races :kissingsmiling:

Seriously though, the guy who won it last year, is here. The guy who won it twice before, is also here. The winner of last year's LBL is also here, as is the last Giro winner and the last CSS winner. So unless all those guys stumbled upon those wins last year, i think it's safe to say whoever beats them, is a worthy winner. Actually, all the winners of last year's biggest ardennes/mountain classics are here. Fuglsang, van der Poel, Evenepoel & Mollema.

I didn't see anyone complain when Fuglsang won last year's LBL. "Oh, no Bernal, no Roglic, no Mollema, no Buchmann... so it doesn't really count!"
 
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I can't seem to get as excited for this as usual. Doesn't really feel like a monument this year and the startlist is really underwhelming. Strade definitely feels like a much bigger and more important race this year.

I guess it's just the Covid calendar and conflict for Tour guys. Giro will likely feel the same.
Nibali, Mollema, Fuglsang, Woods, Carapaz, Aru and Majka is still a very solid list of contenders, and about right for Lombardia. Unless you're talking overall field depth?
 
Let me cranck this up a notch..I actually think the field is stronger in comparison to previous years. Let’s be honest: few people make Lombardia a real goal the specially build up for. It’s just not ideally set on the calendar. Riders who went all out at the Tour, have difficulties finding motivation or form for it. Others focus full on the Vuelta or the WC. The peak is often over when Lombardia arrives. It’s the end of a very long season for most.
Very few are those who arrive at Lombardia in top shape.
Yes the names at the start might have been bigger in the past (yet to me it still is debatable) but again, they rarely were in top shape. So that doesn’t say much about the quality of the field.
This year is different: the new season just started, riders and teams trained and prepared hard in order to perform over these next 3 months. Those who don’t do the Tour have their first peak here. Nibali, Mollema, Fuglsang, Evenepoel,..They were all focused on this race. Other guys that will ride the Tour and want to perform there want to be in great shape now too.
 
Let me cranck this up a notch..I actually think the field is stronger in comparison to previous years. Let’s be honest: few people make Lombardia a real goal the specially build up for. It’s just not ideally set on the calendar. Riders who went all out at the Tour, have difficulties finding motivation or form for it. Others focus full on the Vuelta or the WC. The peak is often over when Lombardia arrives. It’s the end of a very long season for most.
Very few are those who arrive at Lombardia in top shape.
Yes the names at the start might have been bigger in the past (yet to me it still is debatable) but again, they rarely were in top shape. So that doesn’t say much about the quality of the field.
This year is different: the new season just started, riders and teams trained and prepared hard in order to perform over these next 3 months. Those who don’t do the Tour have their first peak here. Nibali, Mollema, Fuglsang, Evenepoel,..They were all focused on this race. Other guys that will ride the Tour and want to perform there want to be in great shape now too.
Mollema is going to the Tour
 
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We have not yet seen him race against Fuglsang, have we? What if Fuglsang pulls it off... After all he was incredible last year. Seems to get better with the years. In Strade he himself went too early, maybe practising for a long range attack at Lombardia...

And then there's my favourite outcome: Kelderman winning!
Actually we did. In Pologne Evenepoel humiliated Fuglsang in the queen stage... 1m48 the difference
 

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