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

[roundabout]

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.

It's a local race for him. He is excused

 

[hrotha]

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.

No, I'm saying he comes from a cycling culture that traditionally doesn't care for the classics and prefers to focus on stage races. This is pretty obvious.

 

[DominicDecoco]

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

I like the sound of that.

 

[search]

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

he was, but Boeckmans crashed on the descent of the Poggio, don't know if he finished the race

 

[El Pistolero]

No, I'm saying he comes from a cycling culture that traditionally doesn't care for the classics and prefers to focus on stage races. This is pretty obvious.

Yet Freire won MSR 3 times.

So, I'm asking again, are you saying Valverde is an idiot?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

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

Valverde's race days in Italy:
2002:
119th, Tirreno-Adriatico (7)
130th, Milano-Sanremo (1)
2003:
54th, Milano-Sanremo (1)
37th, Milano-Torino (1)
39th, Giro di Lombardia (1)
2004:
6th, World Championships Road Race Verona (1)
2005:
34th, Milano-Sanremo (1)
12th, Giro di Lombardia (1)
2006:
24th, Milano-Sanremo (1)
2007:
(0)
2008:
36th, World Championships Road Race Varese (1)
2009:
(0)
2010:
(0)
2011:
(0)
2012 so far:
(0)

 

[Benotti69]

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

i agree with this Canc needs to sit up and say i am not dragging anyone to the finish. All ride or he sits up.


Nibali should've gone to the front and tried to slow it down for Sagan. Not that Canc would have allowed that but he should've tried.

Canc needed to give a second kick and try to get a way on his own and if not sit up.

Everyone will sit on his wheel to the finish like always on waiting for the tow.

 

[Echoes]

It feels good when your theories are verified by reality while everybody says you're trolling.


Every time I see Cancellara attacking, I'm in awe. The guy who never asks anybody any help. In this respect he's definitely comparable to Merckx. He's the moral winner but well he gambled and lost. What if the race ended on the Via Roma?



Oh and how long since a GT winner got on the Milan-Sanremo podium? Hats off to Nibbs !

Yeah Milan-Sanremo is still a major classic, one of the hardest. One of the greatest to watch. I've always had a soft spot for this one. The days of the sprinter domination is over. Twice in a row now.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yet Freire won MSR 3 times.

So, I'm asking again, are you saying Valverde is an idiot?

He's just saying Valverde is more traditionalist than Freire

 

[badboyberty]

We have seen that many times in sport.

Time for Canc to rethink his tactics to win races if he can only win by attacking and TTing to the win.

He needs to make sure no one goes with him.

No the only tactic Cancellara needs to rethink is staying with a team that doesn't it's energy into winning classics. Goss and Sagan gave the other two the free ride and there wasn't much Cancellara could do about it.

 

[Fatclimber]

Cancellara is just like Cavendish: one trick pony. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't work anywhere near as often. The best place for him is the cobbles.

 

[roundabout]

No, I'm saying he comes from a cycling culture that traditionally doesn't care for the classics and prefers to focus on stage races. This is pretty obvious.

Still, unless he is too spent after the Vuelta, there aren't any stage races that clash with GdL and Emillia.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

cadel rubbing it in ?

Cadel Evans ‏ @CadelOfficial Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Me at Milan - San Remo? No...I'm baby sitting...The other guys are so good at it anyway... #mycouchmightmissme











probably not.

 

[El Pistolero]

He's just saying Valverde is more traditionalist than Freire

No, pretty sure you're an idiot if what hrorta said is true. If you could chose between MSR and the Vuelta a Murcia on your palmares and you chose the latter then there's no question about it. Vuelta a Murcia, that's like a 2.6 UCI race now or what?

 

[Gloin22]

On facebook Degendt is saying how Gerrans stole the victory today lol.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Too much disrespect for the winner. Did anyone else manage, with next to no team support, to stay near the front throughout the Capi? Or to be the only one that followed Nibali in the decisive attack (he attacked before Cancellara, guys)? Or to stay with "the two best descenders in the world" on the way down? Or to resist the Spartacus surge that has broken select groups in so many big races before? Anyone else (with the exception of Sagan) was allowed to do those things, but they didn't. Timing a sprint well cannot be outlawed, unless every race is to be a time trial, and that is what, after everything else I mentioned, Gerrans did.

 

[hrotha]

Yet Freire won MSR 3 times.

So, I'm asking again, are you saying Valverde is an idiot?

Freire? The guy cycling fans in Spain praise for being atypical in that he actually contends the classics, while at the same time complaining that he'd get a lot more praise in any other country, where he'd be considered a legend instead of a has-been? That Freire?

Freire and Flecha are exceptions, not the norm. And Freire turned pro in 1998, when Valverde's views on cycling were already formed. Spanish cycling opening up to the classics only happened in the 2000s.

 

[DominicDecoco]

he was, but Boeckmans crashed on the descent of the Poggio, don't know if he finished the race

Argh!!

____

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It feels good when your theories are verified by reality while everybody says you're trolling.


Every time I see Cancellara attacking, I'm in awe. The guy who never asks anybody any help. In this respect he's definitely comparable to Merckx. He's the moral winner but well he gambled and lost. What if the race ended on the Via Roma?



Oh and how long since a GT winner got on the Milan-Sanremo podium? Hats off to Nibbs !

Yeah Milan-Sanremo is still a major classic, one of the hardest. One of the greatest to watch. I've always had a soft spot for this one. The days of the sprinter domination is over. Twice in a row now.

They finished with the same time as the bunch. The bunch has been foiled by late attacks a few times recently (Tchmil, Pozzato, Cancellara).

Goss' win is the only time it has been splintered to small groups all over the place in recent years, even Bettini won from a small group a few seconds ahead of a big bunch sprint.

That you have to ask when was the last time a GT winner got on the podium is evidence of how un-GC man oriented it has become.

The answer, by the way, is 1995, when Jalabert won, although he was not a GT winner at the time (his first being the '95 Vuelta). To find somebody who had already won a GT appearing on the podium, you must go back to 1992, when Sean Kelly won.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

ebh lacked again engine and incredible cancellara. nibali make me sick to my stomach he totally f'd up all sagan's chances to win. I can;'t believe what an egomaniac he is. still incredibly impressive cancellara and also hoogerland

 

[El Pistolero]

Freire? The guy cycling fans in Spain praise for being atypical in that he actually contends the classics, while at the same time complaining that he'd get a lot more praise in any other country, where he'd be considered a legend instead of a has-been? That Freire?

Freire and Flecha are exceptions, not the norm. And Freire turned pro in 1998, when Valverde's views on cycling were already formed. Spanish cycling opening up to the classics only happened in the 2000s.

Anyone who rather wins Vuelta a Murcia over Milan-San Remo is foolish.

And I know Freire is a jealous cyclist, but that has nothing to do with what you said. Scrap that Murcia part in your post and change it with Espana

 

[Frosty]

Ok so the Sky/Cav drama has been done to death, but... Sky were working on the front early on suggesting that they werent expecting Cavendish to suffer that much?

 

[DominicDecoco]

ebh lacked again engine and incredible cancellara. nibali make me sick to my stomach he totally f'd up all sagan's chances to win. I can;'t believe what an egomaniac he is. still incredibly impressive cancellara and also hoogerland

Sagan can blame himself and and only himself. Nibs told that the plan was to get Sagan behind Fabi all the time. He wasn't strong enough to do that.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

No, pretty sure you're an idiot if what hrorta said is true. If you could chose between MSR and the Vuelta a Murcia on your palmares and you chose the latter then there's no question about it. Vuelta a Murcia, that's like a 2.6 UCI race now or what?

I think almost anybody would rather have Sanremo. But Murcía is Valverde's home race, lest we forget. Maybe he values a win in a less prestigious race in front of his family and friends more highly than a (much) more prestigious race in a country he's at loggerheads with.

I can't say I agree with him, but just because the majority hold one view doesn't mean that the opposing view automatically makes you an idiot.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Anyone who rather wins Vuelta a Murcia over Milan-San Remo is foolish.

And I know Freire is a jealous cyclist, but that has nothing to do with what you said. Scrap that Murcia part in your post and change it with Espana

My my, we get cranky when Gilbert doesn't do well, don't we!