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

[meat puppet]

When I was still young and fresh to cycling, I thought MSR was a boring race.. I thought it was all about mountain top finishes.. but now I see the beauty of it.. Just takes some time to get used to. You can't chop 200km off of it, because then everyone would be fresh at the end! Although I guess it might be interesting to see all my favorites compete in a short 100km race? If it held the same value as a big classic... might be scary though! There must be a reason these races are so bloody long.

+1 Sure, I dig the explosive finishes and MTF and they are the cream of the adrenaline filled crap, but indeed there is something gracious about this fat of the land slow burner. I think a big part of the charm has to with it being a race where endurance, tactics and positioning ie the ability to save muscle glycogen for the finale becomes very decisive. It's precisely the "boring" and lenghty war of attrition that makes this race. Or perhaps Im just the nerdy type...

But yes, moving the finish line closer to the Poggio would probably improve this race, gotta admit.

Guess I'll be rooting for Oscarito and the mandatory surprises from Saxo, Vac etc

 

[Richeypen]

Yup, he's good at it, it's well known from the Tour.

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Yup, he's good at it, it's well known from the Tour.

good one

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

oh hello, weren't you the guy that thought leipheimer would win the final paris nice itt despite his crash? LOL

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Glass houses.

Ryo has correctly predicted 17 of the last 2 Colombian victories.

 

[jens_attacks]

well looking at his physique recently in the pics from internet,i won't bet on cav being dropped on the climbs.not at all.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/featherweight-cav-ready-for-san-remo_209413

“2009 was the fastest ever edition of San Remo, with the fastest climbs on the ascents. As long as I have form like that, people can throw what they want at us,” he said. “I have myself for the sprints, Edvald for the attacks. We’ve got it covered.”

Poggio
2009:4 km@3,7%---6:04---average speed 39.56 km/h(Filippo Pozzato)
Cipressa:
2009:5,7 km@4,1%---9:45---average speed 35.08 km/h(Basso-Nibali-Rebellin-30 riders group)

2009 had the fastest time ascents in the last decade.it will take a supersonic pace or attack on the poggio to destroy cav's chances of victory.hardly to imagine.

 

[Lexman]

Tomorrows winner doing a spot of motor-pacing today..

keep on dreaming...

 

[kjetilraknerud]

“2009 was the fastest ever edition of San Remo, with the fastest climbs on the ascents. As long as I have form like that, people can throw what they want at us,” he said. “I have myself for the sprints, Edvald for the attacks. We’ve got it covered.”

Encouraging. Maybe EBH will be allowed to skip Cav-duty until the final after all.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

ebh lacks the engine to go 200+ km. again he showed in tirreno in the stage sagan won and msr last year as well as wc last year.

 

[kanari]

ebh lacks the engine to go 200+ km. again he showed in tirreno in the stage sagan won and msr last year as well as wc last year.

Yes because getting caught in a crash shows he doesn't have the engine. Also winning the longest stage in Giro 09 and Tour 11 are clear signs he doesn't have the engine.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

He wasn't caught behind the crash last year if I recall right, he sat in the front group but was dropped on Cipressa or Poggio, can't remember which.

 

[little-ear]

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

btw. you are right great surprise for me

in 2008 (massive attack) the real poggio time (old dailymotions) was 6.01 min +/- 1 sec and in 2009 (no attack) 5.49 +/- 1 sec

EDIT: real Poggio means not 4 km

 

[Gloin22]

He wasn't caught behind the crash last year if I recall right, he sat in the front group but was dropped on Cipressa or Poggio, can't remember which.

kanari means at Tirreno. Ryo gladly forgot EBH crashed badly before the last 4km and was withdrawn later on from Tirreno because of that crash, he finished 1 minute begin Sagan after hitting tarmac. That's not bad At MSR last year he was suffering from Achilles a lot, we will judge him finally this year where he looks at it best yet at this time.

 

[Andy99]

well looking at his physique recently in the pics from internet,i won't bet on cav being dropped on the climbs.not at all.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/featherweight-cav-ready-for-san-remo_209413

“2009 was the fastest ever edition of San Remo, with the fastest climbs on the ascents. As long as I have form like that, people can throw what they want at us,” he said. “I have myself for the sprints, Edvald for the attacks. We’ve got it covered.”

Poggio
2009:4 km@3,7%---6:04---average speed 39.56 km/h(Filippo Pozzato)
Cipressa:
2009:5,7 km@4,1%---9:45---average speed 35.08 km/h(Basso-Nibali-Rebellin-30 riders group)

2009 had the fastest time ascents in the last decade.it will take a supersonic pace or attack on the poggio to destroy cav's chances of victory.hardly to imagine.

Yeah, and both climbs are nothing really. If they didn't come after 250+ km's they would barely be noticed. If Cav can ride smart and conserve what energy he can, he has a great chance.

World champ winning MSR. What could show better respect for the jersey?

 

[FabulousCandelabra]

gadzooks!! 25mph up a climb! in the 53x15 or thereabouts... these guys are freaks of nature... i thought i was special when i did my first time trial and had an average Cat 3 type of time, and my coach said I'd be in Cat 2 in no time, but damn, is there some kind of special multi vitamin i forgot to take??

 

[maltiv]

ebh lacks the engine to go 200+ km. again he showed in tirreno in the stage sagan won and msr last year as well as wc last year.

He fell in the stage Sagan won, while being in a very good position with 7 km to go. He still made it back up to the peloton, which just shows how strong he actually was. In WC last year there was no signs that he couldn't handle the distance, he did decently to get top 10 and was 3rd on the road with 50 meters to go before he gave up when he no longer could fight for a medal.

In M-SR last year he was simply in bad shape. He couldn't do T-A due to his achilles and barely made it to the startline in M-SR with almost no training done.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He fell in the stage Sagan won, while being in a very good position with 7 km to go. He still made it back up to the peloton, which just shows how strong he actually was. In WC last year there was no signs that he couldn't handle the distance, he did decently to get top 10 and was 3rd on the road with 50 meters to go before he gave up when he no longer could fight for a medal.

In M-SR last year he was simply in bad shape. He couldn't do T-A due to his achilles and barely made it to the startline in M-SR with almost no training done.

ok I didn't know about his crash. I thought he was sick in last day when he retired?

 

[maltiv]

ok I didn't know about his crash. I thought he was sick in last day when he retired?

Not sick, just sore after his crash

 

[Lupetto]

Partenti.

Can't wait for this.

 

[Afrank]

Tomorrows winner doing a spot of motor-pacing today..

Maybe it's the picture but Cav looks a little fat and out of shape.

 

[Gloin22]

Maybe it's the picture but Cav looks a little fat and out of shape.

He won Tirreno stage and KBK.... ? He's saying he's at same peak as he was in 2009. It's just a pic.

 

[theyoungest]

Maybe it's the picture but Cav looks a little fat and out of shape.

Always those comments... abdominal breathing, look it up.

 

[Afrank]

Not saying he doesn't have a chance just that the pic makes him look fat, if it comes down to a bunch sprint I am 90% sure he will take it.

 

[Richeypen]

Looking pretty skinny there as far as Cav goes

 

[taiwan]

In kilos, please.