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

[pastronef]

If it wasn't for Cancellara, it would have been a massive sprint and Sagan would have won it. I fill bad for Cancellara. He deserv to win this.

true, so even if I am super happy for Gerro, I must say Canc did turn around the outcome of this race, and didn't let Sagan, the strongest rider in the group tbh, join them

 

[Panda Claws]

You have to admire what Pozzato did here. He finished 6th and beat Freire and in a sprint.

 

[cocteau_ireland]

Gratz to Gerrans.
Nonsense the bashing about Liquigas, they made the perfect move with Nibali (of course the only way to win for him was alone).
BTW the order for Sagan was to follow Cancellare and the like should they have followed Nibali (just said in the interview by Nibali).

Completely contradicted yourself there; can only win alone so made perfect move by breaking away in a group? The decisive move happened over a period of several hundred metres. Sagan would have looked/been complicit by moving up into it

 

[djlovesyou]

He needs to just stop pedaling when whey won't work, why get a 2nd and give someone else a win. Or tap the brakes and force them to the front, there's ways of getting them up there.

Then he finishes 15th and gives someone else a win. If he had someone who could sprint for the win coming behind that would be a valid tactic, otherwise he's got to do the only thing that gives him a chance, and that's TT it to the finish and hope beyond hope that he's got the legs in the finish.

 

[pastronef]

Lots of love for Gerrans


Got to be the most unpopular winner for quite a while

it's a draw with last year's Goss

e bravo brian nygaard, glad for him too

 

[Red Rick]

Just came back from tennis, so i missed it. Gerrans is a great rider, but i'd rather have Cancellara or Nibbles winning this race

 

[The Hitch]

If today has taught us anything its that Valverde should try MSR

 

[c&cfan]

Then he finishes 15th and gives someone else a win. If he had someone who could sprint for the win coming behind that would be a valid tactic, otherwise he's got to do the only thing that gives him a chance, and that's TT it to the finish and hope beyond hope that he's got the legs in the finish.

not really..

 

[c&cfan]

If today has taught us anything its that Valverde should try MSR

why doesnt he race it? it's perfect for him.

 

[El Pistolero]

no... he didn't. he is stronger than a bull but for what? why does he has to go while climbing from 10km out? why not for once wait for others to chase and attack each others?

the fact his, he isn't ready to lose races. mentally he is far from being the best. same happened with boonen. this does not happen to valverde, bettini, etc.

For once I agree with you. Cancellara was strong today, but just like last year, he rode without a brain. He should've forced Gerrans to ride in the wind more... He knew Gerrans was probably faster than him, but he still only asked once for someone else to take over.

You do need big balls to not take over and just sit in the wheels with the peloton so close behind you. Smart ride by Gerrans, he didn't let the pressure get to him in the final which is the most important thing. He dared to risk it all just so he could beat Cancellara in the sprint.

Sucks that Phil crashed at the Cipressa, would have been interesting to see him on the Poggio, but oh well... I'm just glad it didn't turn into a bunch sprint again.

What I do find funny is that GreenEdge apparantly doesn't deserve to be in the WT, but they have won 2 out of 4 WT events.
They also won the TTT in Tirreno-Adriatico.

 

[Fatclimber]

What were the pre-race odds on Gerrans?

 

[roundabout]

You have to admire what Pozzato did here. He finished 6th and beat Freire and in a sprint.

He did very well to get there after his collarbone break, yes. Beating Freire when the sprint was for 4th is rather deceptive though.

 

[DominicDecoco]

If today has taught us anything its that Valverde should try MSR

True

_________

 

[Lanark]

What, Boonen was 22nd and he didn't crash, you wouldnt say he didnt have power.It was because of his bad posititong at Poggio. Mainly because of Sky **** up sending riders for useless Cav.

It's confirmed on twitter, it was Trentin that crashed btw

I would say Boonen didn't enough power today. It was a really small group going to the Poggio, and they started that climb at quite a slow pace. There was more than enough opportunity to move to the front. I even saw Boom do that, hardly the guy with a lot of strength after a long race. If you got dropped, it was in almost all cases because you weren't good enough, not because you were placed badly in a 40 man group on a 4 km climb.

 

[Climbing]

Completely contradicted yourself there; can only win alone so made perfect move by breaking away in a group? The decisive move happened over a period of several hundred metres. Sagan would have looked/been complicit by moving up into it

Sorry my english isn't that good, I meant they did well to force other to work with the attack of Nibali, in the end they got to the finish just because Cancellara is incredible.

About Nibali I said that they only way for him to win is to go alone, so of course he couldn't help Cancellara, that wouldn't make sense, especially with Sagan in the back.

 

[djlovesyou]

not really..

You realise that I wasn't specifying an exact finishing position there, just saying that he either rides at the front of that group and finishes second, or stops riding and the group behind catch up.

He could have 'made' the other two work, but they would have got caught.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Are there any English speaking riders you do like?

Probably not.

Well, there's Tomas Metcalfe, Dave Clarke, Tom Faiers, Matthew Wilson?

It's a start...

 

[Red Rick]

why doesnt he race it? it's perfect for him.

Look in on the world map and see in which country MSR is. But honestly, if i ever met the guy i'd tell him he'd be an idiot of he never raced MSR, Giro or GdL after his suspension

 

[ElChingon]

Then he finishes 15th and gives someone else a win. If he had someone who could sprint for the win coming behind that would be a valid tactic, otherwise he's got to do the only thing that gives him a chance, and that's TT it to the finish and hope beyond hope that he's got the legs in the finish.

If he does it once anyone joining him next time knows it maybe for not to join him if he won't work like before, leaving the average wheel sucker out to fry on their own.

 

[c&cfan]

You realise that I wasn't specifying an exact finishing position there, just saying that he either rides at the front of that group and finishes second, or stops riding and the group behind catch up.

He could have 'made' the other two work, but they would have got caught.

he shoud just wait and them explode with 2 km to go. or stop pedalling and never stock attacking, even if he lost.

 

[trevim]

why doesnt he race it? it's perfect for him.

He's still traumatized with Italy

 

[hrotha]

why doesnt he race it? it's perfect for him.

Valverde doesn't really care for the classics. He rides the hilly ones because he's too good to skip them, and sure, he's learned to appreciate them to some extent, but deep inside he'd rather win the Vuelta a Murcia than MSR or RvV.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Anyone know how Farrar did? I have Boeckmans ahead of him.

 

[El Pistolero]

Valverde doesn't really care for the classics. He rides the hilly ones because he's too good to skip them, and sure, he's learned to appreciate them to some extent, but deep inside he'd rather win the Vuelta a Murcia than MSR or RvV.

So you're basically saying Valverde is the biggest idiot in today's peloton? Funny, I always thought that was Ricco before his ban.

As for the real reason why Valverde doesn't race this: it's too nervous for him.

 

[Lanark]

Anyone know how Farrar did? I have Boeckmans ahead of him.

I'm pretty sure he was in the Cavendish group.