2011 Giro di Lombardia

[roundabout]

meh........

 

[AussieGoddess]

Looks good to me - might as well give it to Phil now

 

[Parrulo]

meh i am very disappointed with those parcours. the hard climbs are way too early in the race

no way they will attack the peloton with 180k to go or 90k to go

 

[Praetor]

I hope Gilbert finally gets the Cancellara treatment from other riders and teams.

Yeah, that really worked in the Amstel Gold Race.

 

[ultimobici]

Gilbert has this in the bag...

You're kidding aren't you?

The profile leads one to believe that there is flat between the Sormano & Ghisallo and also from Onno to Lecco. Far from it.

The prospect of climbing the Sormano and then shortly afterwards the Ghisallo is not one I'd relish. The surfaces of the roads around the lake are not that smooth either, tending to sap one's momentum on the "flat" or climbs and be treacherous on the descents.

 

[Eshnar]

You're kidding aren't you?

No, I'm not kidding, though I hope I'm wrong.
Even if the terrain between the climbs isn't flat, I just can't see how someone could drop Gilbert on the Ghisallo or the final climb (in the latter is likely Gilbert will drop anyone, not the other way round). The only chance for Basso, Cunego & co. is to go full gas on the Valcava and then drop him on Sormano, but then it won't be easy to reach Lecco for a group of maybe 4-5 riders (none of which is a Cancellara-like rider).

 

[Kensuke]

I don't think so Cunego will participe. Scarponi will be the leader.

 

[El Pistolero]

I hope Gilbert finally gets the Cancellara treatment from other riders and teams.

You mean not pulling one bit and going to the finish line together with him? Yeah that will work like a charm Hitch

If only more people in the peloton were such brilliant strategists.

Ps: Unlike Cancellara, Gilbert actually has a team.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

You're kidding aren't you?

The profile leads one to believe that there is flat between the Sormano & Ghisallo and also from Onno to Lecco. Far from it.

The prospect of climbing the Sormano and then shortly afterwards the Ghisallo is not one I'd relish. The surfaces of the roads around the lake are not that smooth either, tending to sap one's momentum on the "flat" or climbs and be treacherous on the descents.

No, I'm not kidding, though I hope I'm wrong.
Even if the terrain between the climbs isn't flat, I just can't see how someone could drop Gilbert on the Ghisallo or the final climb (in the latter is likely Gilbert will drop anyone, not the other way round). The only chance for Basso, Cunego & co. is to go full gas on the Valcava and then drop him on Sormano, but then it won't be easy to reach Lecco for a group of maybe 4-5 riders (none of which is a Cancellara-like rider).

How likely are they to race flat out up Valcava though? It's too far out to be really selective, unless someone/some team really attacks but it's unlikely unfortunately.

 

[El Pistolero]

meh i am very disappointed with those parcours. the hard climbs are way too early in the race

no way they will attack the peloton with 180k to go or 90k to go

I told you the climb was going to be too far from the finish Even 32km from the finish line was stretching it.

Anyway, if the course changes again next year this will no longer be worth it's Monumental status. It's becoming a joke.

 

[Arnout]

I told you the climb was going to be too far from the finish Even 32km from the finish line was stretching it.

Anyway, if the course changes again next year this will no longer be worth it's Monumental status. It's becoming a joke.

Why? All classics change course from time to time.

Although I don't like this profile.

 

[AussieGoddess]

see if Basso, Nibali, Scarponi, Sanchez et al can stick with Gilbert on that final climb, descending and holding on could be pretty interesting.

The second to last climb with about 50 to go looks pretty ok as well - if a small group of leaders can get away there, they could stay to the end also.

Overall, I dont see it as a bad course.

 

[The Hitch]

Yeah, that really worked in the Amstel Gold Race.

If you think the 2 are comparable watch the way all 200 riders not named Cancellara rode PR and RVV.

 

[Lupetto]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this is the last climb. They'll do 3,4 km of it.

 

[roundabout]

Hmm, that's much meaner than I thought from the profile.

 

[mb2612]

Looks correct to me,

 

[veganrob]

You mean not pulling one bit and going to the finish line together with him? Yeah that will work like a charm Hitch

If only more people in the peloton were such brilliant strategists.

Ps: Unlike Cancellara, Gilbert actually has a team.

While Cancellara is stronger, Gilbert is smarter IMO. We also have to take course into consideration.
But, whatever the brilliant, or stupid, strategies were, Cancellara did not win a Classic. His team couldn't have been that bad though, a mate did win one.

 

[Descender]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this is the last climb. They'll do 3,4 km of it.

I don't think that's the last climb.

I don't like this route.

 

[ultimobici]

I told you the climb was going to be too far from the finish Even 32km from the finish line was stretching it.

Anyway, if the course changes again next year this will no longer be worth it's Monumental status. It's becoming a joke.

Check out Lombardia's history. Lombardia is no different to the other Monuments in changing its route periodically
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giro_di_Lombardia#Route
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_of_Flanders#The_route
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris–Roubaix#Course

Looking down the list of winners, you'd be hard pressed to find a single fluke winner either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giro_di_Lombardia#Winners

Last year there was almost 42 km to Como with just San Fermo Della Battaglia a shade over 5 kilometres from the finish. This year the Ghisallo is 45 km from Lecco and the last climb is 9km from the finish.

 

[Descender]

Check out Lombardia's history. Lombardia is no different to the other Monuments in changing its route periodically
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giro_di_Lombardia#Route
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_of_Flanders#The_route
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris–Roubaix#Course

Looking down the list of winners, you'd be hard pressed to find a single fluke winner either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giro_di_Lombardia#Winners

Last year there was almost 42 km to Como with just San Fermo Della Battaglia a shade over 5 kilometres from the finish. This year the Ghisallo is 45 km from Lecco and the last climb is 9km from the finish.

The Colma di Sormano is much tougher than the Ghisallo, and the terrain after Sormano was also harder and more difficult.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Omg...

Lombardia is a lot easier now... Surely no problem for Gilbert now

 

[bicing]

Tony Martin FTW

 

[Duartista]

Is this the first post-Zomegnan RCS race? They seem to have gone for tradition over innovation by making sure Madonna del Ghisallo will be a key point in the race. In principle I'm not against that, but with Gilbert... it will take something special from other riders to make the race exciting.

 

[Ferminal]

Looks like a very tough day, if they want to hand it to Gilbert then good on them, don't blame the course.

If there's one thing I could add it would be a small climb between Ghisallo and the final one.

 

[Moncoutie]

Hmmm.....rain like last year would make it interesting again!