• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

March 17th 2012 Milan-Sanremo - The Primavera - 298km

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
E

Echoes

Oct 8, 2009
3,391
6
13,495
No thread yet. Last year, the major classics got a thread one weak in advance.

Still no Via Roma. :mad:

As you all know, Milan Sanremo is not a sprinters' classic unlike what is usually thought. I hope this year will prove it again.

A unique race by its length and by the straightness of the course. One of the hardest. (Much harder than Flanders :-D) And one of my favourites.


Passo_del_Turchino_Voltri_profile.gif


La_Cipressa_San_Lorenzo_al_Mare_profile.jpg


Poggio_di_Sanremo_Bussana_profile.gif
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
32,220
13,691
28,180
It didn't use to be a sprinters' classic, but since Zabel's first win there have been 10/14 editions won by sprinters, and of the others, Tchmil and Pozzato only just beat them home, finishing in the same time as the bunch gallop behind. Only Cancellara and Bettini have managed to foil the sprinters.

Last year's edition was won by a sprinter, of course, but was at last not a bunch sprint. If we can have another edition like that, then there will be no complaints.
 
royalpig180

royalpig180

May 28, 2010
639
0
0
I'm going to pick Boonen for the win. He's shown great form and I think that he truly has the mindset of a winner back after a couple of bad years... Sagan has to be an outside but Liquigas will have to make things really hard on the final climbs to shell out any remaining sprinters. That will surely test the unity between Sagan and Nibali. Hopefully after today's work by Sagan, Nibali will have given up any hard feelings over the Chieti incident and will work for Sagan if it comes to that in MSR, which it most likely will.
 
Q

qwerty16

Dec 24, 2009
206
0
8,830
Parrulo said:
nibali will push a massive tempo up the poggio drop most of the sprinters and freire will pip sagan for the finish line.

you heard it here first
Click to expand...

Wouldn't be a smart move. Nibali will me much more needed afterwards in the downhill and the final km's to keep the pack together. If Nibali kills himself up the Poggio Sagan will be left with no teammates alongside him and a select group of riders who will be looking to drop Sagan.
 
Descender

Descender

Aug 29, 2010
3,205
250
13,880
Echoes said:
As you all know, Milan Sanremo is not a sprinters' classic unlike what is usually thought.
Click to expand...

Uh? Maybe it wasn't in the past, but the MSR has long deserved the name of "sprinters classic".

A unique race by its length and by the straightness of the course. One of the hardest. (Much harder than Flanders :-D)
Click to expand...

Hard it is alright, but what does straightness have to do with anything? And I wouldn't say it's harder than Flanders. All in all it's the easiest monument.
 
S

skidmark

Mar 13, 2009
3,823
2,162
16,680
Yeah, hard to look past 1) Cav, if he can hang on the front like in 2009, or 2) Sagan, if the pace is hard enough to shell some sprinters - his win in the 252km stage was impressive to say the least. I'm hoping for an edition like last year, but with Gilbert not in strong enough shape to destroy on the uphill, and with Sky being such a goddamn strong team, I can see it coming back together.

Definitely see Nibali and/or Di Luca attacking on the Poggio, but can't really see them getting away. The only one I could think of that I might expect to foil the sprinters is Cancellara; I think last year's close calls made him hungrier, and although the cobbles are a few weeks away, he may quietly be slipping into unbeatable form.
 
Panda Claws

Panda Claws

Aug 29, 2011
3,622
1,965
16,680
skidmark said:
Yeah, hard to look past 1) Cav, if he can hang on the front like in 2009, or 2) Sagan, if the pace is hard enough to shell some sprinters - his win in the 252km stage was impressive to say the least. I'm hoping for an edition like last year, but with Gilbert not in strong enough shape to destroy on the uphill, and with Sky being such a goddamn strong team, I can see it coming back together.

Definitely see Nibali and/or Di Luca attacking on the Poggio, but can't really see them getting away. The only one I could think of that I might expect to foil the sprinters is Cancellara; I think last year's close calls made him hungrier, and although the cobbles are a few weeks away, he may quietly be slipping into unbeatable form.
Click to expand...

Cancellara will be lucky to hang on once BMC unleashes the beast.
 
L

little-ear

Aug 9, 2011
16
0
0
jens_attacks said:
the ascent times up poggio,clocked and verified by me:

Poggio
2009:4 km@3,7%---6:04---average speed 39.56 km/h(Filippo Pozzato)
Click to expand...

Truly, the year in wich Chavanel slow down the pace ? :rolleyes:
 
Froome19

Froome19

Dec 30, 2011
3,547
0
0
skidmark said:
Definitely see Nibali and/or Di Luca attacking on the Poggio, but can't really see them getting away. The only one I could think of that I might expect to foil the sprinters is Cancellara; I think last year's close calls made him hungrier, and although the cobbles are a few weeks away, he may quietly be slipping into unbeatable form.
Click to expand...

Dont know what your definition of quitely is?
I certainly wouldnt call his perfomance in Strade-Bianche quiet;)
 
Cancellator

Cancellator

Mar 4, 2012
701
0
0
skidmark said:
The only one I could think of that I might expect to foil the sprinters is Cancellara; I think last year's close calls made him hungrier, and although the cobbles are a few weeks away, he may quietly be slipping into unbeatable form.
Click to expand...

I think he's become smarter since last year. He will time his attacks better and maybe use his (now better) team more ( like in this year's Strade Bianche ). Although I think Flanders and P-R are much bigger objectives for him this year, along with the Olympics, so I'm not sure he will actually contest this.

If it comes to a bunch sprint , 90% Cavendish will take it. From a small group, Boonen, Freire, Sagan all have good chances.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom