How would you rate Milano-Sanremo 2017 finale?

[Alexandre B.]

Since most of the race is dull, I'm only asking for the final part of the race (Capi, Cipressa, Poggio).

 

[jaylew]

"Sagan"

Just wrong, Alexandre. :lol:

 

[DFA123]

I've gone for 5. The last 500m of the Poggio and the run in was great, but the Capi and Cipressa were really disappointing. So was the first part of the Poggio, with Dumoulin and Sky controlling. Too many teams happy to take their chances in a sprint, even though their guy is only 6th or 7th favourite at best. Sadly, I think though that this is about as much action as we can hope for in a dry Sanremo with this route.

 

[Jancouver]

Voted 9.

Would be 10 if Sagan have won.

Too bad Peter the Great started the sprint so early because he deserved to win today.

 

[jaylew]

I think we'd have been looking at a 1 or 2 without Sagan's attack.

 

[Akuryo]

Even though my favorite rider won, the race was mostly boring except those last 6 or 7k. But since we are only rating the finale ... I gave it a 7. For a while it looked like Dumoulin opened a gap but other than that everyone was just waiting for Sagans attack and then there where only 2 guys capable of following. Not enough for me to rate it higher than that.

 

[Red Rick]

I wisely didn't tune in before the capi. Cipressa looked and then from the 2nd half of the Cipressa up to the last ramp of the Poggio it looked like a totally wet fart.

 

[red_flanders]

Good race–I gave it a 7. Always great to see Sagan on the rampage. I reserve a 9 or 10 for a solo win. I guess there aren't many 9's or 10's coming soon, but oh well. I enjoyed it today.

 

[Netserk]

I voted before I read the OP; I thought by final it was the very final of the race (Poggio forwards), so I gave it a 9.

 

[Forever The Best]

Good last part of Poggio and the final kms. Not a lot of action on Capi, Cipressa and early part of the Poggio. Also, shame to see Dumoulin not attacking and stopping when he realized he gapped the peloton. It would have been better if he had attacked. Also Sky riding for Viviani was stupid. Viviani has a very very small chance of winning against Sagan, Kristoff, Gaviria, Demare and Degenkolb. Kwiat winning from a select group/or solo was more realistic and luckily for Sky Sagan attacked and Kwiat followed him.

 

[kingjr]

I don't think Dumoulin had a real attack in him.

 

[Arredondo]

I give it a 5. Cipressa was really disappointing tbh. I really hope Le Manie makes a comeback.

MSR is a great race because it's the race of hope for a wide variety of riders: sprinters, allrounders, classic riders and even climbers with a good punch. But now 90% of the race is extremely boring. They should give attackers a little bit of an opportunity to do something in the last 50 km, with the actual chance to wore the sprinter teams out. Now it's with no avail really. Which is a shame.

 

[Red Rick]

ONe thing I'd like to note. As soon as they got away on the Poggio, it was immediately clear they woudldn't be brought back

 

[PunchingRouleur]

Re:

ONe thing I'd like to note. As soon as they got away on the Poggio, it was immediately clear they woudldn't be brought back

The pattern is obvious in pretty much every classic Sagan participate last few years.
If Sagan is part of the attacking group the chasers are doomed. Wonder why? :razz:

 

[IndianCyclist]

5- Over 50 riders finished in the front group which shows the race wasn't hard enough.

 

[Akuryo]

Re: Re:

ONe thing I'd like to note. As soon as they got away on the Poggio, it was immediately clear they woudldn't be brought back

The pattern is obvious in pretty much every classic Sagan participate last few years.
If Sagan is part of the attacking group the chasers are doomed. Wonder why? :razz:

It also helped a lot that his two companions came from two of maybe 3 teams willing and still able to chase someone. If Quickstep and Sky were not in the front group they would have caught Sagan.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

ONe thing I'd like to note. As soon as they got away on the Poggio, it was immediately clear they woudldn't be brought back

The pattern is obvious in pretty much every classic Sagan participate last few years.
If Sagan is part of the attacking group the chasers are doomed. Wonder why? :razz:

It also helped a lot that his two companions came from two of maybe 3 teams willing and still able to chase someone. If Quickstep and Sky were not in the front group they would have caught Sagan.

I wonder if Quickstep may have had a better chance with Gaviria in a sprint. Alaphillipe was never beating those 2 in a bunch sprint, and if they had put pressure on they might have forced Kwiat to work as well.

But yeah, decisions have to be made super quickly in spots like that, so it's not like I blame them

 

[Põhja Konn]

6. It was a tempo ride over the Cipressa and for most of the Poggio. The front three staying away ment the it ended with a slightly positive rating.

The problem for the race is that these days there are too many of similar types of sprinters who can get over some hills after a flat race well enough. Those sprinters can sustain a pace that makes any attack that comes before the last part of the Poggio a doomed one. Not sure that even reinstating Le Manie would change much with the abundance of hardy sprinter types we have now. Sagan riding with heart instead of his head remains the best chance of seeing a selection being made before Via Roma.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, the Poggio is too easy, and the 9km between the descent of the Cipressa and the start of the Poggio kill off any attacks on the Cipressa.

This route was figured out a long time ago. The parcours needs to be different to get any action. Whether that means making the race harder early on, or changing the Cipressa-Poggio sequence is anyone's guess. I don't see what's wrong with changing or alternating it a bit either.

Any hills that are possible before the Cipressa?

 

[Netserk]

Le Manie, Civezza and the hill out of Alassio (as shown below).

Civezza is immediately before Cipressa with similar stats (5,4 km al 4,8%)

 

[PunchingRouleur]

The race is too easy. The tempo over Cipressa was solid, but if not Sagan attack there would be huge 50+ bunch sprint with almost all relevant sprinters. Suggested Civezza climb + Le Manie would be perfect.

 

[rick james]

Rated it 10, just for the meltdown the Sagan fans have had

 

[armchairclimber]

Gave it a 10 just for the last kms. When they began the descent I had no idea who was going to win. I wasn't just on the edge of my seat...I was well out of it.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Re:

Le Manie, Civezza and the hill out of Alassio (as shown below).

(...)

Civezza is immediately before Cipressa with similar stats (5,4 km al 4,8%)

(...)

You also need to think about the distance. I'd applaud making it a >300km race, but I don't know how realistic it will be. The hills you propose would make a great race, but it would be over 300km, I reckon.

Bringing La Manie back would be great. Another possible addition could be doing Via Monaco from Laiguelia (I don't have exact data but it would be something like 1km of 10%). This would come in the place of Capo Mele and this change would make the route only ~1,5km longer. I think it would be just about far enough away from the finish. I don't want to have this type of steep climb closer to the finish, because I wouldn't want to Cipressa + Poggio finale to be ruined, but this climb would definitely tire some legs. This way we can have the same classic finale, but with more tired legs.

 

[Echoes]

Did you enjoy Gougeard's attack on the Capo Berta, Maarten?