Landslides could see Poggio removed from 2020 Milan San Remo

[MatParker117]

Landslides could see the Poggio left out next year’s Milan-San Remo

Major landslides could see the Poggio forced out of Milan-San Remo next spring unless local authorities stump up €10 million

www.cyclist.co.uk

Cipressa would be the final climb if this happens, nailed on for the likes of Viviani, Ewan & Gaviria if this happens.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Unless they were to replace it with the Pompeiana, that could be interesting.

 

[MatParker117]

Unless they were to replace it with the Pompeiana, that could be interesting.

The descent has issues due to a nearby Quarry, making it unsafe for a race caravan.

 

[OlavEH]

Not good. It would be almost 15 kms from the bottom of Cipressa to the finish in San Remo. Unless they add Pompeiana as the last climb.

Still, I would prefer to see the combo of Pompeiana and Poggio instead of Cipressa-Poggio.........

 

[Leinster]

What if they add Le Manie earlier in the race? A 15km flat run-in doesn’t mean a bad race, it’s what goes before that counts. The last berg in the Ronde is 13km from the end.

 

[MatParker117]

Not good. It would be almost 15 kms from the bottom of Cipressa to the finish in San Remo. Unless they add Pompeiana as the last climb.

Still, I would prefer to see the combo of Pompeiana and Poggio instead of Cipressa-Poggio.........

A Quarry nearby means that the descent of the Pompeiana isn't safe for racing due to damage from the trucks. It's part of the reason it was cut in 2014.

 

[Blanco]

What if they add Le Manie earlier in the race? A 15km flat run-in doesn’t mean a bad race, it’s what goes before that counts. The last berg in the Ronde is 13km from the end.

Are you kidding?! A 15 km flat run-in doesn't mean a bad race if you have numerous obstacles before that, like 10-15 cobbled bergs, or 5-10 steep hills, or 2-3 mountains, but if you have Passo del Turchino, Le Manie and Cipressa before that 15 km run-in, that only means one thing, a bunch sprint!

 

[Velolover2]

I think that would be a disaster. With Poggio, MSR has the perfect balance between an attacker vs. sprinter match.

Adding Pompeiana would make it more of an Ardennes classics. It would eliminate the sprinters. But without Poggio, Kittel might reconsider retirement.

I guess you could make it 300 km+ but it wouldn't really change the dynamics.

 

[Thomson]

Love this race.

 

[Leinster]

Are you kidding?! A 15 km flat run-in doesn't mean a bad race if you have numerous obstacles before that, like 10-15 cobbled bergs, or 5-10 steep hills, or 2-3 mountains, but if you have Passo del Turchino, Le Manie and Cipressa before that 15 km run-in, that only means one thing, a bunch sprint!

I don’t think that’s a given. We’ve seen in recent MSRs that even the Cipressa/Poggio can be very selective, if raced hard enough. The Turchino is too far out to have a similar effect, but if a team really goes for it on Le Manie, less than 100km from the finish, it’s possible to create a gap worth working to hold. Certainly some sprinters would get dropped, so there would be a motivation in the peloton to keep the pace high.
The question then would be who feels strong? Van der Poel and Sagan aren’t going to want to see lots of Quickstep jerseys surrounding Alaphilippe and Bennett after the Cipressa...

 

[Blanco]

I don’t think that’s a given. We’ve seen in recent MSRs that even the Cipressa/Poggio can be very selective, if raced hard enough. The Turchino is too far out to have a similar effect, but if a team really goes for it on Le Manie, less than 100km from the finish, it’s possible to create a gap worth working to hold. Certainly some sprinters would get dropped, so there would be a motivation in the peloton to keep the pace high.
The question then would be who feels strong? Van der Poel and Sagan aren’t going to want to see lots of Quickstep jerseys surrounding Alaphilippe and Bennett after the Cipressa...

It's a given.
Without Poggio, Alaphilippe, Van Der Poel and the likes won't be in contention for the win.

 

[Red Rick]

Aren't there many small climbs like the Pompeiana they could add earlier in the race?

At the very least I would want Le Manie so we could see some yolo attacks

That being said, Cipressa as final climb would really change the dynamics of the race a lot, and with an all out ascent of that climb the final 15km shouldn't be easy to control.

 

[wansteadimp]

Are you kidding?! A 15 km flat run-in doesn't mean a bad race if you have numerous obstacles before that, like 10-15 cobbled bergs, or 5-10 steep hills, or 2-3 mountains, but if you have Passo del Turchino, Le Manie and Cipressa before that 15 km run-in, that only means one thing, a bunch sprint!

The lack of respect here for the monstrous Capi climbs is outrageous

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

It's a given.
Without Poggio, Alaphilippe, Van Der Poel and the likes won't be in contention for the win.

Both have won normal sprints against "elite sprinters". I don't see why especially van der Poel wouldn't be in contention for the win otherwise.

 

[Blanco]

Both have won normal sprints against "elite sprinters". I don't see why especially van der Poel wouldn't be in contention for the win otherwise.

Yep, they won from the smaller groups, beat some fast guys, like Sagan, Trentin, but I'm talking about at least 30-40 men sprint, with the likes of Ewan, Gaviria, Viviani, Ackermann, even Groenewegen present. I don't think they will stand a chance in that company...

 

[Pantani_lives]

The Cipressa would be ridden more agressively, knowing that it's the final climb. On the other hand 15 km might be too much for a soloist against a group with sprinters and their helpers. Maybe if they add Le Manie or several smaller climbs it might still be good.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hey, at least it didn't happen in the middle of the frikkin' race...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yep, they won from the smaller groups, beat some fast guys, like Sagan, Trentin, but I'm talking about at least 30-40 men sprint, with the likes of Ewan, Gaviria, Viviani, Ackermann, even Groenewegen present. I don't think they will stand a chance in that company...

So... you mean a bunch with elite sprinters like Ewan, Viviani... like the sprint van Aert won in TDF? Van der poel is generally considered as fast or faster than van Aert.
Also, Sagan is a "fast guy" but not a sprinter? Amazing how many full peloton sprints he wins for a non-sprinter.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Just replace the Poggio by the Mortirolo. That way we can be fairly certain Viviani won't win.

 

[Leinster]

Yep, they won from the smaller groups, beat some fast guys, like Sagan, Trentin, but I'm talking about at least 30-40 men sprint, with the likes of Ewan, Gaviria, Viviani, Ackermann, even Groenewegen present. I don't think they will stand a chance in that company...

That could depend on how hard the Cipressa is raced, or if Le Manie is added how hard that is raced. Quickstep will try to make the climbs as hard as possible because even if they can’t spring Alaphilippe in a breakaway, Bennett will still climb better than Ewan, Groenewegen etc. Then you’d have, say, FDJ working for Demare or UAE for Gaviria once Groenewegen gets dropped.

It’s not a slam dunk for a bunch sprint. And even at that, it’s not a given that the sprinters involved will be the usual GT bunch sprint suspects.

Look at Paris-Tours before they turned it into a gravel race. Surprisingly few bunch finishes in recent years, with no climbs as tough as the Poggio in the finale.

 

[Red Rick]

That could depend on how hard the Cipressa is raced, or if Le Manie is added how hard that is raced. Quickstep will try to make the climbs as hard as possible because even if they can’t spring Alaphilippe in a breakaway, Bennett will still climb better than Ewan, Groenewegen etc. Then you’d have, say, FDJ working for Demare or UAE for Gaviria once Groenewegen gets dropped.

It’s not a slam dunk for a bunch sprint. And even at that, it’s not a given that the sprinters involved will be the usual GT bunch sprint suspects.

Look at Paris-Tours before they turned it into a gravel race. Surprisingly few bunch finishes in recent years, with no climbs as tough as the Poggio in the finale.

PT had a big tailwind usually and a field that was very tired anyway though.

But yeah I don't think a bunch sprint is guaranteed. If the main selection happens on the Cipressa gaps will naturally be bigger, etc. But I think there's a bigger chance of groups coming back and the most likely scenario is this move really favoring the top 50% of climbers among the pure sprinters.

 

[Blanco]

So... you mean a bunch with elite sprinters like Ewan, Viviani... like the sprint van Aert won in TDF? Van der poel is generally considered as fast or faster than van Aert.
Also, Sagan is a "fast guy" but not a sprinter? Amazing how many full peloton sprints he wins for a non-sprinter.

I didn't said that Sagan is not a sprinter, of course he is, among many other things. I however say right now that Van Der Poel is not a sprinter and if this race comes to a bunch sprint of 30-40 guys he ain't going to win, no matter what freaking Wout Van Aert did in the Tour de France! All this applies to Julian Alaphilippe also, even more.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I didn't said that Sagan is not a sprinter, of course he is, among many other things. I however say right now that Van Der Poel is not a sprinter and if this race comes to a bunch sprint of 30-40 guys he ain't going to win, no matter what freaking Wout Van Aert did in the Tour de France! All this applies to Julian Alaphilippe also, even more.

You're free to your opinion. Van der Poel is very comparable to Sagan. Not "only" a sprinter, and initially people wouldn't have even considered him a sprinter (just like they didn't think Sagan could win from "pure" sprinters, until he did). They are both very versatile riders who are also very strong sprinters. I hope you remember your statement the first time van der Poel wins a sprint from Viviani, Ewan or Sagan. Because he can and will, if the situation grants it (just like van Aert in TDF).

 

[Leinster]

You're free to your opinion. Van der Poel is very comparable to Sagan. Not "only" a sprinter, and initially people wouldn't have even considered him a sprinter (just like they didn't think Sagan could win from "pure" sprinters, until he did). They are both very versatile riders who are also very strong sprinters. I hope you remember your statement the first time van der Poel wins a sprint from Viviani, Ewan or Sagan. Because he can and will, if the situation grants it (just like van Aert in TDF).

Don’t forget that MSR is a very different sprint to the end of 5 flat hours in the middle of a GT, when half the peloton is basically on a rest day. In the years when it has ended in a bunch sprint, the podiums and top 10 are very different from your usual sprint top 10. Oscar Freire has more bunch sprint wins at MSR and the Worlds than he does at the Tour de France.

 

[Singularitarian]

Suggest a difficulty to be added. E.g. a 500m cobbled section in the last 5 km that has to be completed doing a wheelie.