2013 Milan-San Remo, 17 March (298km)

[El Pistolero]

Leave it up to El Pisti to come up with some unrelated Belgian rider. Of course Sagan could suddenly make a huge drop in performance, but that's not the most likely scenario.

You mean like how everyone thought Sagan was going to win Milan-San Remo yesterday?

With the alcohol consumption of Peter Sagan it is a likely scenario to say the least. I've seen it many times before(not always as extreme as VDB of course).

Leave it up to you to have no real argument, so it's better to not post if you ask me.

 

[Kwibus]

the extreme weather took its toll

slowest ascents of poggio and cipressa since decades ago

http://climbing-records.blogspot.ro/2013/03/san-remo-2013-tough-one.html

That and the climber/puncheurs allready quited as well.

 

[Netserk]

Boonen have managed to party hard and still deliver. Why shouldn't Sagan?

 

[Pentacycle]

You mean like how everyone thought Sagan was going to win Milan-San Remo yesterday?

With the alcohol consumption of Peter Sagan it is a likely scenario to say the least. I've seen it many times before(not always as extreme as VDB of course).

Leave it up to you to have no real argument, so it's better to not post if you ask me.

Alcohol is making Sagan better; it increases his liver function which improves lactate processing. It's beer that makes him better every year, and I'm trying this approach as well, combining partying with hard hours of training. It's working pretty well thus far, I think Sagan would recommend it as well.(no trolling intended)

Unless Sagan starts drinking uncontrollably, I don't see another God on the rise.

 

[El Pistolero]

Boonen have managed to party hard and still deliver. Why shouldn't Sagan?

Boonen would've won a lot more without his drug/alcohol problems.

 

[theyoungest]

Boonen would've won a lot more without his drug/alcohol problems.

Like what? His drinking/snorting binches were only after his season targets.

I can only hope for you that Sagan indeed doesn't dominate the classics for the next few years, poor Gilbert and Boonen won't know what hit them. But it certainly does look that way.

 

[SafeBet]

Wait a sec. What's this thing about Sagan and alcohol?

 

[El Pistolero]

Like what? His drinking/snorting binches were only after his season targets.

I can only hope for you that Sagan indeed doesn't dominate the classics for the next few years, poor Gilbert and Boonen won't know what hit them. But it certainly does look that way.

Of course Sagan won't dominate the classics for years to come(not alone anyway, there will be multiple top riders). There will be new young riders coming up. I'm not expecting a rider that's 10 years older to be his main opponent for the next years in any case.

Ignorance is one thing I suppose, but Boonen did a lot more than drinking/taking coke after his season targets.

What races he would've won extra? Grand Tour stages, Monuments, classics, semi-classics, etc

Boonen started taking XTC as early as 2007. He didn't do well in a single race after the Tour that year.

Even in 2012 he was drinking bottles of champagne a few days before the Belgian Nats. Yeah I know he won, but that was the mature Boonen lol. Imagine what the immature Boonen did in the old days.

 

[Pentacycle]

Wait a sec. What's this thing about Sagan and alcohol?

 

[Parrulo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M38N0l0rMF0

how the race was won - MSR.

cosmo always makes great analyses

 

[Netserk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M38N0l0rMF0

how the race was won - MSR.

cosmo always makes great analyses

For some reason I haven't been able to go to his site the last couple of days

 

[pastronef]

 

[cineteq]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M38N0l0rMF0

how the race was won - MSR.

cosmo always makes great analyses

Same thing I said yesterday, he spent too much energy unnecessarily. Sure he started the sprint earlier, but that's not where he lost.

 

[pastronef]

is there any youtube footage of the hour under the snow before the stop in Ovada?

or a complete photo set?

 

[Afrank]

Cancellara: "We did it Gerald! We made Sagan lose! I make sure he doesn't get away and has to do all the work chasing down others, then you beat him in the sprint."

 

[pastronef]

Cancellara: "We did it Gerald! We made Sagan lose! I make sure he doesn't get away and has to do all the work chasing down others, then you beat him in the sprint."

well, Fabian speaks Deutsch since childhood, one more reason to congratulate the young muttersprache friend

 

[Microchip]

Cool pic!

 

[Spider1964]

is there any youtube footage of the hour under the snow before the stop in Ovada?

or a complete photo set?

At about the 4 minute mark you get to see just how brutal the conditions were -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRDHdZQFUxo

 

[The Hitch]

For some reason I haven't been able to go to his site the last couple of days

Same.

Thinking about it, he did write that critical article about Bailsford.

Put 2 and 2 together

 

[Microchip]

At about the 4 minute mark you get to see just how brutal the conditions were -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRDHdZQFUxo

These Orica videos are great!!!!! Thanks for this link!!!!

 

[Netserk]

Same.

Thinking about it, he did write that critical article about Bailsford.

Put 2 and 2 together

It was a podcast (and the transcript to it), not an article

The worst thing is though that the best HTRWW he ever made (IMO) was taken down

 

[Old School]

I bet for Ciolek

YOU WERE DEAD ON!

I told everyone that a dark horse was going to win it.

Sagan this...Sagan that....naaaaah.

 

[ljpoyz]

I reckon the race was lost by Sagan and Cancellara when Stannard made his last attack with maybe 1.5km to go and tried to TT away.

Sagan made the choice to chase him down and was on the front from then on, he should've realised Stannard has done a mountain of work and was unlikely to make it to the end.

Cancellara firstly should've been the one making that attack, I know I was waiting for him to. Secondly, as soon as Sagan pulled Stanard back Cancellara should've launched an all or nothing attack. Sagan would've had no choice but to lay everything on the line. In the end, Cancellara probably didnt have the legs but Sagan isn't to know that and saw him as a bigger threat.

Ciolek rode a beautiful race and a tactically astute last 20 mins. Well played.

 

[gruppeto993]

I reckon the race was lost by Sagan and Cancellara when Stannard made his last attack with maybe 1.5km to go and tried to TT away.

Sagan made the choice to chase him down and was on the front from then on, he should've realised Stannard has done a mountain of work and was unlikely to make it to the end.

Cancellara firstly should've been the one making that attack, I know I was waiting for him to. Secondly, as soon as Sagan pulled Stanard back Cancellara should've launched an all or nothing attack. Sagan would've had no choice but to lay everything on the line. In the end, Cancellara probably didnt have the legs but Sagan isn't to know that and saw him as a bigger threat.

Ciolek rode a beautiful race and a tactically astute last 20 mins. Well played.

Cancellara wasnt in great shape. He has to improve if he wants to win RVV or PR. You can also call it a missed opportunity for him because had he attacked the instant stannard was caught sagan would not have been able to chase him down

 

[ljpoyz]

Agree he wasn't in his best shape but still going well, and I completely agree if he was able to counter then it was his best chance to win. Great race.

Cancellara wasnt in great shape. He has to improve if he wants to win RVV or PR. You can also call it a missed opportunity for him because had he attacked the instant stannard was caught sagan would not have been able to chase him down