March 19: Milan - San Remo 2011 298km

[auscyclefan94]

Goss not riding Milan San remo
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/22172/Goss-ready-for-Spring-Classics-berth

I smell a rat, and his name ain't roland

 

[Tuarts]

The Garmin Three Amigos look tough to go past but if anyone can, its Freire imo. Goss and Hagen are chances but both are unknowns for this distance (Hagen was 6min down last year - can he improve?)

Pozzato, too inconsistent but always a chance and I don't think Cancellara will win like he did last time. Boonen if he isn't sick I'd rate as high as Freire but then is he too busy looking at PR?

 

[auscyclefan94]

I want ale jet or mcwewen to win. But my outsider is Robbie Hunter.

 

[ingsve]

(Hagen was 6min down last year - can he improve?)

It's hard to draw any conclusions from that since he had stomach problems that bothered him that race and that's also when he hurt his achilles last year.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

If Gilbert attacks, he better hope it goes better than the attack he tried at last years Worlds.

The only way for Gilbert to win would be to do as Bettini managed in 2003(just re-viewed on RS2 last night) - not to go alone but with a team mate and maybe one rival - but that can't work because no team-mate could stay with him - so how about send some one up ahead before the Poggio and then catching him, pulling him up the hill and collaborating from the top on.

 

[online-rider]

Sky has the most interesting line-up if the provisional start lists are to be believed. They have left behind all their pure sprinters and have included a lot of in-form climbing power in Wiggins, Lovkvist and Rogers.

It looks as though their tactic will be to try to shell out all the pure sprinters.

Rogers could do it, althought he didnt manage to get far last year.

Mind you, I never said anything about attacking. He doesn't need to attack if he's in small groups with people that can't sprint. When he was with Hushovd in 2009 he was riding at a ferocious pace and Hushovd was about to crack until he crashed(probably out of fatigue, the crash was entirely his own fault)

And Boonen attacked at every edition of P-R he won until only a small group remained. Hushovd doesn't do that.

Anyway some people really can't stand if you criticizes their idol. If I had to react like that on everyone that says something bad about Bertie lol. I would be glad if Thor wins Milan-San Remo this year however, that jersey looks good on him and we need a decent world champion for once

Cadel honoured the jersey last year. It was Ballan who dropped nuts.

ftw: matthews, chavanel or flecha

 

[maltiv]

The Garmin Three Amigos look tough to go past but if anyone can, its Freire imo. Goss and Hagen are chances but both are unknowns for this distance (Hagen was 6min down last year - can he improve?)

The 6 minutes were caused by a stomach cramp, as long as nothing like that happens I don't think the distance here will be a problem. He says that Sky wants to get rid of some sprinters before the sprint by going hard on poggio and cipressa. If they manage to do that then he has a very good chance to get on the podium at least, but as mentioned earlier I don't think he can beat Haussler.

 

[Archibald]

I want ale jet or mcwewen to win. But my outsider is Robbie Hunter.

would be a fantastic way for Robbie Mc to finish off his career, and would love to see it no matter how unlikely or improbable is sounds

The One Jose winning would be christmas come early but i dont see him making it over the climbs.

considering he couldn't keep up with the peleton at the TDU, I'd be very surprised to see him in the mix by then

 

[markene2]

I want ale jet or mcwewen to win. But my outsider is Robbie Hunter.

Hunter is a good outsider, he can climb. He will definatly be up there. Would be awsome if Ale Jet to win. Or Hunter. Will be a great race

 

[stefrees]

Stuck £5e/w on ebh at odds of 25/1 which I thought was reasonable, but I'd love to see some attacks go on the climbs, and Visconti or Gilbert win

 

[kukiniloa]

The 6 minutes were caused by a stomach cramp, as long as nothing like that happens I don't think the distance here will be a problem. He says that Sky wants to get rid of some sprinters before the sprint by going hard on poggio and cipressa. If they manage to do that then he has a very good chance to get on the podium at least, but as mentioned earlier I don't think he can beat Haussler.

Where these Haussler fans get their information i have no idea.

Go and review Haussler's palmares...and what was his single best single-day event WIN???

There are so many better picks, like freire obviously, or a particularly well-supported sprinter.

Everybody will be expecting cancellaras attack, So will it go?

Farrar for the win.

 

[M Sport]

I am surprised people are including Farrar's name with the likes of Haussler, Freire, Hushovd, Cavendish, etc.

He will not ever win this race, he's a stage winner, not a classics winner. Never come close in a monument and he won't ever in this race. Fabian has more chance winning this year and that's a long long shot.

 

[maltiv]

Where these Haussler fans get their information i have no idea.

Go and review Haussler's palmares...and what was his single best single-day event WIN???

There are so many better picks, like freire obviously, or a particularly well-supported sprinter.

Everybody will be expecting cancellaras attack, So will it go?

Farrar for the win.

Go and search Farrar's palmares. What was his best M-SR results? That's right, a 42. place.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Farrar has won Vattenfall Cyclasics, M Sport. I would regard that as a sprinters classic. I think he could win, but I think Haussler is the best option.

 

[joy118118]

I am surprised people are including Farrar's name with the likes of Haussler, Freire, Hushovd, Cavendish, etc.

He will not ever win this race, he's a stage winner, not a classics winner. Never come close in a monument and he won't ever in this race. Fabian has more chance winning this year and that's a long long shot.

Before Cavendish winning MSR, he hadnt ever come close in a monument either.

 

[M Sport]

Before Cavendish winning MSR, he hadnt ever come close in a monument either.

Yeah, but love him or hate him it was a matter of time. And sooner rather than later. Farrar just doesn't have the same form or ability.

 

[M Sport]

Farrar has won Vattenfall Cyclasics, M Sport. I would regard that as a sprinters classic..

Yeah sorry, I completely forgot about that most prestigous of races that's been running since the mid 90's. That changes everything. Come on, seriously. The only decent results the guy has ever got have been stages wins. Not BIG one day races.

 

[joy118118]

Farrar's form is quite good now.

But i think Vaughters has to sacrifice someone if he wants Tyler to win. Hushovd, Farrar, Haussler, none of the three is in GREAT form. Vaughter will be torn among the three.

 

[Lanark]

Farrar has won Vattenfall Cyclasics, M Sport. I would regard that as a sprinters classic. I think he could win, but I think Haussler is the best option.

You're kidding right? Vattenfall is easier than your average Grand Tour bunch sprint, and probably with a weaker field as well. Besides, Milano - Sanremo is over 80 kilometers longer. His 5th place in Vlaanderen and his second place in Plouay are a better indication than the Vattenfall Cyclassics.

Farrar's form is quite good now.

But i think Vaughters has to sacrifice someone if he wants Tyler to win. Hushovd, Farrar, Haussler, none of the three is in GREAT form. Vaughter will be torn among the three.

Hushovd certainly appeared to be in great shape in the Tirreno, Haussler looked very good in Paris-Nice as well.

 

[joy118118]

Hushovd certainly appeared to be in great shape in the Tirreno, Haussler looked very good in Paris-Nice as well.

for me it is hard to call it great. 2009 his form was much better. Now his form is more for cobbles than MSR.

 

[EtapeReine]

Hi all. New to the forum. Looking forward to tomorrow's show down. IMHO Garmin looked best placed to create problems for the other teams and ensure that one of their leaders wins. It's between Hushovd and Haussler for me.
Interesting article by Laurent Jalabert on strategy to the race http://bit.ly/e6BZIa

 

[boomcie]

for me it is hard to call it great. 2009 his form was much better. Now his form is more for cobbles than MSR.

He does seem to be in killer shape to me...

 

[El Pistolero]

So Freire says he'll win because he's the strongest.

For this only, I hope he gets beaten

And then he went on to say that no one will get away on the Poggio. Now I really hope someone does. Sprinters need to be taught a lesson

 

[lancaster]

If it ends in a bunch sprint, then it's not that fat off a hard tour sprint. TF has a chance in this circumstance. but if i was JV i wouldn't be waiting for him, but trying to drop as many of the sprinters as possible as long as 1 of HH or TH are still there. if it all comes back together, then TF gets a shot, but i wouldn't play for it.

 

[stefrees]

The thing with cav is, he always raises his game when he needs to. When a sprint has mattered in the last 2 years, he wins.

Don't think he will win though.