March 19: Milan - San Remo 2011 298km

[El Pistolero]

Pfft, why does he only pick Gilbert or Boonen's wheel anyway? What's up with that? How about picking Cancellara's wheel Pippo? Not that you can hold that.

 

[Christian]

Sad that they added this useless clown called Leinauer, and even split the dreamteam
Poor Janschi always on his own now. Hope that will change again soon.



Did you watch on German ESP2 today ? Who was commenting ?

+1. Karsten and Janschi were a dreamteam, Leinauer is boring. I also hope they'll get rid of him soon.

I didn't watch the race live today, only the last 20 km in recap from Sporza

 

[Astana1]

If you are complaining about spoilers on racing message board then you are a complete idiot.

Secondly, I think Garmin could f up a cup of coffee.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

How easily would Scarponi have won this race if he were in the front group from the beginning?

Unbelievable how strong he was.

probably still wouldn't have won. The climb just isn't enough to drop the group. Has to be a real machine like spartacus, gilbert or ballan to stay away.

He looks promising for some of these short steep finishes in the ardennes tho. I like him at FW.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Another?

wordswords

of course the stage evans won is the stage of the year

 

[Granville57]

Sooo....

Heinrich Cayman 18th
Tyler Cayman 46th
Thor Cayman 127th

Cool. The hard men of cycling.

18 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:00:27
35 Andreas Klier (Ger) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:05:14
46 Tyler Farrar (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:05:23
99 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Garmin-Cervelo
123 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:09:32
127 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Team Garmin-Cervelo
147 Roger Hammond (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:18:25
DNF Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Team Garmin-Cervelo

I'm tryin', JV. I'm tryin' real hard. But don't make a damn fool out of me on this forum!

 

[El Pistolero]

probably still wouldn't have won. The climb just isn't enough to drop the group. Has to be a real machine like spartacus, gilbert or ballan to stay away.

He looks promising for some of these short steep finishes in the ardennes tho. I like him at FW.

And even they couldn't

Though with a fresh Scarponi attacking on the Poggio he could've dropped sprinters like Goss. Gilbert was asked before the start who he wanted to follow him if he attacks on the Poggio and he said Scarponi because he gives it his all even if he knows that he can't win. Gilbert's words couldn't have been closer to the truth after this race.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

And even they couldn't

Though with a fresh Scarponi attacking on the Poggio he could've dropped sprinters like Goss. Gilbert was asked before the start who he wanted to follow him if he attacks on the Poggio and he said Scarponi because he gives it his all even if he knows that he can't win. Gilbert's words couldn't have been closer to the truth after this race.

indeed.
Like i said earlier, Scarponi rides with a lot of heart, it is what I liked about him at last year's giro.

He fought like a dog on the SB stage, was admirable.

 

[Jamsque]

I wonder if we are seeing a pattern emerging in M-SR: this year, as last year, the climb that had the biggest impact on the race was not Cipressa or Poggio but Le Manie. When it was first in the race in '08 I think the riders didn't really know what to do with it and just soft pedalled over, but for the past two editions the peloton has charged full gas up Le Manie and exploded. Unless the sprinter's teams really get organised for it next year I think we could see the same kind of race again.

 

[Lanark]

I'm pretty sure it's the other way around, and 2008 was the only year Le Manie made a big difference. The only reason we saw those big differences this year was because of the wet descent, without that we would have the usual 200 men peloton going to the Cipressa.

 

[El Pistolero]

I'm pretty sure it's the other way around, and 2008 was the only year Le Manie made a big difference. The only reason we saw those big differences this year was because of the wet descent, without that we would have the usual 200 men peloton going to the Cipressa.

There was a new climb added in 2008. Sprinters were surprised.

 

[Lanark]

There was a new climb added in 2008. Sprinters were surprised.

That was Le Manie right?

 

[El Pistolero]

That was Le Manie right?

I think it was yes. But that's the reason why it made a difference, because it was new.

 

[mr. tibbs]

I think the forum is being a bit hard on Pozzato. He wasn't racing for second place, he was racing for the win. Without him, the others in the lead group may have marked themselves out of competition. The Italian makes a good point as to why he chased Gilbert:

“I paid a high price for the effort I put in trying to get back up to Gilbert in the last kilometre, but a few years ago, I was burned by Cancellara in a similar situation,” Pozzato told Tuttobici after the finish. “I knew that I was running a risk, but all told, that was my only way of trying to win San Remo.” http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pozzatos-pursuit-of-gilbert-proves-costly-at-milan-san-remo

I say chapeau to Pippo. He made a decision on the road to bridge to Gilbert and try to win. The others were content to let him do the work and save themselves. If he wouldn't have tried to win the race, then the others were content to risk Gilbert winning by a margin.

Obviously it would have been "smarter" racing had he soft pedalled while waiting for someone else to do the work (or if he had won), but he wasn't content to do that. He tried to make the race, not piggyback on someone else while they did. So to hell with "smart" racing--I wanna see these guys go for it!

 

[El Pistolero]

I think the forum is being a bit hard on Pozzato. He wasn't racing for second place, he was racing for the win. Without him, the others in the lead group may have marked themselves out of competition. The Italian makes a good point as to why he chased Gilbert:



I say chapeau to Pippo. He made a decision on the road to bridge to Gilbert and try to win. The others were content to let him do the work and save themselves. If he wouldn't have tried to win the race, then the others were content to risk Gilbert winning by a margin.

Obviously it would have been "smarter" racing had he soft pedalled while waiting for someone else to do the work (or if he had won), but he wasn't content to do that. He tried to make the race, not piggyback on someone else while they did. So to hell with "smart" racing--I wanna see these guys go for it!

If it happens once ok, but it happens all the ****ing time and always to the same two persons. I really hope he doesn't do the same in Flanders, but he will. His 2006 victory was a fluke, so much has been proven. He just doesn't have what it takes.

He caught Gilbert and didn't attack after that knowing Goss was in the group. Dumbest cyclist ever. The only talent he has is making other people lose races. How can he even compare to 2008. In 2008 all the sprinters were gone. Just using excuses again to justify his wheelsucking tactics.

 

[jens_attacks]

pippo's victory in 2006 was a miracle from heaven anyway.that happens once in a thousand years what he did there.

 

[Lyds97]

Awesome race, much improved by Scarponi (and Nibali to a lesser extent).

Nice win for Goss, he should be bothering HTC for at least one of Cav's GT slots this year.

 

[luckyboy]

I think the forum is being a bit hard on Pozzato. He wasn't racing for second place, he was racing for the win. Without him, the others in the lead group may have marked themselves out of competition. The Italian makes a good point as to why he chased Gilbert:



I say chapeau to Pippo. He made a decision on the road to bridge to Gilbert and try to win. The others were content to let him do the work and save themselves. If he wouldn't have tried to win the race, then the others were content to risk Gilbert winning by a margin.

Aw if that was the case, I wish he didn't bother so Gilbert could've

 

[hektoren]

Can't believe the blunders from Sky'n Garmin road-cap's today! Holy bejeezus! Lookin' at each other, believing EBH'n Haussler would be viable options today, without support.
Arvesen and Klier should be flogged !

 

[taiwan]

What can you say about Pippo? He makes the selections, so he deserves to be there. Note that Boonen and Haussler were absent from that group. The characteristics he has just aren't that easy to win with, but he's a classy rider.

Good showing from BMC today as well.

Nice win for Goss, he should be bothering HTC for at least one of Cav's GT slots this year.

More exciting if he goes after more one-day victories, IMO.

 

[El Pistolero]

What can you say about Pippo? He makes the selections, so he deserves to be there. Note that Boonen and Haussler were absent from that group. The characteristics he has just aren't that easy to win with, but he's a classy rider.

Good showing from BMC today as well.

Making the selection and having a good sprint not easy to win with?

 

[taiwan]

Making the selection and having a good sprint not easy to win with?

A good sprint from a small group. I think there are quite a few people he would usually need to lose before the line.

 

[palmerq]

I think the forum is being a bit hard on Pozzato. He wasn't racing for second place, he was racing for the win. Without him, the others in the lead group may have marked themselves out of competition. The Italian makes a good point as to why he chased Gilbert:



I say chapeau to Pippo. He made a decision on the road to bridge to Gilbert and try to win. The others were content to let him do the work and save themselves. If he wouldn't have tried to win the race, then the others were content to risk Gilbert winning by a margin.

Obviously it would have been "smarter" racing had he soft pedalled while waiting for someone else to do the work (or if he had won), but he wasn't content to do that. He tried to make the race, not piggyback on someone else while they did. So to hell with "smart" racing--I wanna see these guys go for it!

I agree, I like pozzato and I was hoping he would win, I think without pippo gilbert could well have gone on to win. I guess he was just too slow in reacting and then wasted all of his energy trying to catch him, if pozzato had raced like goss he might have won, or gilbert could have won :S who knows, but a good effort from pozzato.

 

[El Pistolero]

A good sprint from a small group. I think there are quite a few people he would usually need to lose before the line.

This was a small group.


If Pippo knew how to read a race he would've done this:

A) Catch Gilbert and then drop him to put in your own attack to try and outfox the sprinters.

B) Let Goss close the gap because he's the most dangerous sprinter of the group, so he needs to be tired out. And try for the sprint then or attack when Goss catches Gilbert.

He did neither and now Goss won and his "friend" lost.

Goss did a brilliant race. Nothing bad can be said about him.

The only thing that can be said about Pozatto is that he's dumb.

 

[michaeld]

This was a small group.


If Pippo knew how to read a race he would've done this:

A) Catch Gilbert and then drop him to put in your own attack to try and outfox the sprinters.

B) Let Goss close the gap because he's the most dangerous sprinter of the group, so he needs to be tired out. And try for the sprint then or attack when Goss catches Gilbert.

He did neither and now Goss won and his "friend" lost.

Goss did a brilliant race. Nothing bad can be said about him.

The only thing that can be said about Pozatto is that he's dumb.

This is it. He needed to wait and let others close it. Goss wanted it the most, he would have closed. THEN you would get on Cancellara's wheel. Cat 3 move.

Friere said it best: "To win, you have to be prepared to lose".