2017 Tirreno-Adriatico, March 8-14, WT

[frisenfruitig]

Re: Re:

I don't really see Sagan competing for the win in the hilly classics tbh. There's a chance he could but the cobbled classics just suit him too well to risk it imo. And he himself said that he used to look up to guys like Boonen. I don't think he's very interested in the hilly classics.

Also I'm not convinced he could battle for the win in La Flèche Wallonne or LBL. That a lot of climbing. I think guys like Alaphilippe are better than him at that. Amstel should be doable though

Alaphilippe is nowhere near the level of Sagan, even on hilly stuff.

Alaphilippe was second behind Valverde at the Mur de Huy when he was like 22 years old. He's a better climber than Sagan and he also has a lot of punch.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

I don't really see Sagan competing for the win in the hilly classics tbh. There's a chance he could but the cobbled classics just suit him too well to risk it imo. And he himself said that he used to look up to guys like Boonen. I don't think he's very interested in the hilly classics.

Also I'm not convinced he could battle for the win in La Flèche Wallonne or LBL. That a lot of climbing. I think guys like Alaphilippe are better than him at that. Amstel should be doable though

Alaphilippe is nowhere near the level of Sagan, even on hilly stuff.

Call me back when Sagan can beat Alaphilippe in FW. And don't give me that he doesn't try - he tried hard in 2015, during TdF, but fell waaay short. Pure nonsense.

 

[jaylew]

Also agree that FW and LBL are too much for him, at least given his current physique. Maybe he'd have an outside shot at LBL in a conservatively raced edition if he dropped some kilos but who knows?

 

[frisenfruitig]

Re:

Also agree that FW and LBL are too much for him, at least given his current physique. Maybe he'd have an outside shot at LBL in a conservatively raced edition if he dropped some kilos but who knows?

I really hope he doesn't do that. He'd probably lose some of that explosiveness we all like to see of him. He's so damn good the way he is now, why risk it?

 

[BigMac]

I'd bet my house he could win LBL. I have no doubts.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Sagan can definately win Amstel with the new course.
For FW and LBL he would need specific preparation. Slim down, lose 10kg.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Sagan can definately win Amstel with the new course.
For FW and LBL he would need specific preparation. Slim down, lose 10kg.

Netserk approves not

 

[burning]

Re:

Sagan can definately win Amstel with the new course.
For FW and LBL he would need specific preparation. Slim down, lose 10kg.

You forget that Gerrans won LBL, if stars align and 60 people goes to the Saint Nicolas, then he definitely has a shot to win LBL.

 

[Gloin22]

Re: Re:

Sagan can definately win Amstel with the new course.
For FW and LBL he would need specific preparation. Slim down, lose 10kg.

You forget that Gerrans won LBL, if stars align and 60 people goes to the Saint Nicolas, then he definitely has a shot to win LBL.

Gerro is quite underrated on hilly stuff, just cause most people hate him cause he wheelsucks doesnt make him a decent rider

 

[frisenfruitig]

Re: Re:

Sagan can definately win Amstel with the new course.
For FW and LBL he would need specific preparation. Slim down, lose 10kg.

You forget that Gerrans won LBL, if stars align and 60 people goes to the Saint Nicolas, then he definitely has a shot to win LBL.

Sure he could win in that scenario. But not when the hilly specialists go full gas. Seems like too big of a risk to peak for that when he has a much better chance at winning in the cobbled classics.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

I don't really see Sagan competing for the win in the hilly classics tbh. There's a chance he could but the cobbled classics just suit him too well to risk it imo. And he himself said that he used to look up to guys like Boonen. I don't think he's very interested in the hilly classics.

Also I'm not convinced he could battle for the win in La Flèche Wallonne or LBL. That a lot of climbing. I think guys like Alaphilippe are better than him at that. Amstel should be doable though

Alaphilippe is nowhere near the level of Sagan, even on hilly stuff.

Call me back when Sagan can beat Alaphilippe in FW. And don't give me that he doesn't try - he tried hard in 2015, during TdF, but fell waaay short. Pure nonsense.

Call me when Alaphilippe manages to actually win a bike race.

I wasn't even talking about that joke race FW, but AGR and LBL.

 

[kingjr]

Re:

Understanding Pinot is a difficult task, if you ask me.

That's the title of a documentary right there.

 

[frisenfruitig]

Re: Re:

I don't really see Sagan competing for the win in the hilly classics tbh. There's a chance he could but the cobbled classics just suit him too well to risk it imo. And he himself said that he used to look up to guys like Boonen. I don't think he's very interested in the hilly classics.

Also I'm not convinced he could battle for the win in La Flèche Wallonne or LBL. That a lot of climbing. I think guys like Alaphilippe are better than him at that. Amstel should be doable though

Alaphilippe is nowhere near the level of Sagan, even on hilly stuff.

Call me back when Sagan can beat Alaphilippe in FW. And don't give me that he doesn't try - he tried hard in 2015, during TdF, but fell waaay short. Pure nonsense.

Call me when Alaphilippe manages to actually win a bike race.

I wasn't even talking about that joke race FW, but AGR and LBL.

The guy was second in his first FW and LBL man. Does that not count for anything in your world?

I agree he could win AGR though

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

Sagan can definately win Amstel with the new course.

No doubt about that. Steffen Wesemann was sixth in PR and then finished second in Amstel one week later on the Cauberg. It can be done. On the other side Wesemann missed Flanders that year due to illness.

I was always sure that guys like Cancellara or Boonen could do well in Amstel, but they never tried. That huge effort one week before Amstel is just too much.

 

[saganftw]

Re: Re:

Sagan can definately win Amstel with the new course.

No doubt about that. Steffen Wesemann was sixth in PR and then finished second in Amstel one week later on the Cauberg. It can be done. On the other side Wesemann missed Flanders that year due to illness.

I was always sure that guys like Cancellara or Boonen could do well in Amstel, but they never tried. That huge effort one week before Amstel is just too much.

but its not just PR...its also ronde before that and MSR/tirreno before even tho he is not 100% there its still a tiring race where you have to go into red numbers if you want to win and you can even count strade these days - its basically a month of tough racing culminating in PR...at some point you just have to stop and take a break

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Disappointing finish, but congrats to Sagan.

 

[Lequack]

This was from earlier in the stage:

Longer (ish) video source:
https://streamable.com/oqetx

It was quite hilarious.

 

[jaylew]

Sounds like Sagan feels like he benefitted from yesterday's stage:

“I want to point out that if today was a one-day race, then perhaps I wouldn’t have been up there,” Sagan said. “All the climbers had raced hard yesterday, while I took it steady up to the finish in Terminillo. Stage races are different and so I perhaps felt fresher today.”

 

[Nirvana]

Re: Re:

Sagan can definately win Amstel with the new course.

No doubt about that. Steffen Wesemann was sixth in PR and then finished second in Amstel one week later on the Cauberg. It can be done. On the other side Wesemann missed Flanders that year due to illness.

I was always sure that guys like Cancellara or Boonen could do well in Amstel, but they never tried. That huge effort one week before Amstel is just too much.

but its not just PR...its also ronde before that and MSR/tirreno before even tho he is not 100% there its still a tiring race where you have to go into red numbers if you want to win and you can even count strade these days - its basically a month of tough racing culminating in PR...at some point you just have to stop and take a break

In 2012/2013 he didn't have any problem in carrying the form into Ardennes (he was third in Amstel in 2012, the last one on the Cauberg, and twelfth in FW in 2013) and he skipped only Roubaix but he rode Brabantse instead (winning in 2012).

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Smacking the skinny bitches

LOL.

That sprint was rather funny. The climbers trying to give it to Sagan.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Ridiculous that Bernal won't start in the Giro

I think he is too young for that. But a great talent!

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Sounds like Sagan feels like he benefitted from yesterday's stage:

“I want to point out that if today was a one-day race, then perhaps I wouldn’t have been up there,” Sagan said. “All the climbers had raced hard yesterday, while I took it steady up to the finish in Terminillo. Stage races are different and so I perhaps felt fresher today.”

Good of him to slam the brakes on the LBL hype train before it has even left the station.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

Sounds like Sagan feels like he benefitted from yesterday's stage:

“I want to point out that if today was a one-day race, then perhaps I wouldn’t have been up there,” Sagan said. “All the climbers had raced hard yesterday, while I took it steady up to the finish in Terminillo. Stage races are different and so I perhaps felt fresher today.”

Good of him to slam the brakes on the LBL hype train before it has even left the station.

He is right that he had an advantage but that doesn't mean he can't win LBL. Todays finale was probably more difficult than the finale of LBL.
Just look at the top ten of todays stage. This stage really favored climbers.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he would be the favorite for LBL if he rides it, but if he wins MSR and PR in the next few years he should at least try to win LBL since winning 4 monuments would be absolutely incredible for the current era.

 

[Billie]

Re: Re:

GVA ftw

No chance.

Sagan doesn't stand a chance, but I wouldnt be surprised if GVA made it deep into the final. My pick is Kwito or Yates.

Sagan has won in Chieti. This isn't too hard

A different time
A different Sagan

lol

Sagan was much closer to his current weight when he won in Chieti than he was in 2013, 2014, 2015

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

This was from earlier in the stage:

Longer (ish) video source:
https://streamable.com/oqetx

It was quite hilarious.

In Denmark we have a saying which translates directly as "To stick a branch in someone's wheel"...



(I don't think it's supposed to be meant literally...)