Milan - San Remo 2018

[Billie]

Re:

Good tactics by Quickstep. Mr. #StriveForFive not even an attack. Alaphilippe as well. Viviani went from 1st to 20th position in a sprint. Someone was notably missing for them..

Viviani had to go way too early. Was his only option

 

[Alexandre B.]

Quick-Step unexpectedly invisible today. Huge failure.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re:

Who was the last rider to win from a solo from the poggio?

Furlan in 1994.

 

[greenedge]

Great win by Nibali, those final few km's were great. A pity for Ewan, but there'll be more opportunities in the future and it's a great career progression by him.

Hoping that Cav is ok too

 

[Eclipse]

Re: Re:

Did Trentin cost Ewan the win?

Yes, and lets all thank him for that.

Ridiculously linear thinking imo.

If Trentin doesn't go then maybe someone else goes and maybe they do bridge to Nibali and a smaller group might go to the line together.

If Trentin doesn't go maybe the group don't chase so hard initially without having him dangling just off the front and being extra worried of a duo making it to the line and Nibali wins by more.

If Trentin doesn't go maybe the group behind does catch Nibali and there are better trains and positioning from the other sprinters with the win on the line.

If Trentin doesn't go maybe a small group disrupt things in the run in after they come off the Poggio which throws a wrench in all the sprinters plans.

So many things that can play out in that finale to say that eliminating option b) would have resulted in option c)

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

Don't understand people saying Sagan was riding defensively, only thinking about Kwiatkoski.

This is a physical test. He got beat. Nibali moved faster than Oss, for longer. Sagan couldn't make it up either, when he tried. Trentin rode Sagan off his wheel. Sagan just didn't have it.

This wasn't about Sagan's decision making, and anyone who isn't bringing respect for the very physical reality that is racing.

Sagan probably should have (and could have) gone with Nibali when he attacked. Instead Sagan tried halfheartedly and undecided later and again on the descend. He then stopped chasing when he saw Kwiatkowski was in his wheel. Sagan certainly screwed up today. Either attack or wait for the sprint, the other options that he chose didn't make sense and in the end probably cost him unnecessary energy for the sprint.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Who was the last rider to win from a solo from the poggio?

Team reduction could be a reason for that success.

 

[hrotha]

That was an amazing finale, but this was a horrible race and they really need to bring back La Manie.

 

[Vroome.exe]

Re: Re:

Good tactics by Quickstep. Mr. #StriveForFive not even an attack. Alaphilippe as well. Viviani went from 1st to 20th position in a sprint. Someone was notably missing for them..

Viviani had to go way too early. Was his only option

He faded like 10 meters after he hit the front. He just doesn't have the strength to ever win MS.

 

[Screecher]

The only 2 guys that can be genuinely happy with their performance today are Nibali and Ewan. Everyone else failed.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Of course it was boring until the final 10K, but who cares after a denouement like that? Nibali won in the way anyone would fantasize: attacking solo on the Poggio, throwing yourself into the descent and crossing the finish line a few meters ahead of the sprinters.

 

[Irondan]

Re:

The only 2 guys that can be genuinely happy with their performance today are Nibali and Ewan. Everyone else failed.

I don't know, I think Demare could be happy with his result in that it confirmed last years result.

 

[Tonton]

Looking at all the re-race articles (including here on CN) and the poll, Sagan was the overwhelming favorite today, so him not winning belongs to the post race discussion. It's not hating the guy, it's not trolling, it's a fact: the best rider in the World got beat...and the best rider in the World won that bike race...Nibali can with GTs, can win monuments, he's a master tactician, probably the smartest rider f his generation, and he has some big b@lls.

For Sagan, being so good has its flip-side. He's a marked man. He can't chase everything, everyone...damn if he does, damn if he doesn't. Having said that, the big story is Vincenzo, the great, the huge champion writing another big chapter of his legacy. Man, what a Champion!

 

[ClassicomanoLuigi]

Is there any word on Cavendish ? My live-stream of MSR ended without any update on his condition.
He had a lapse of concentration or something, boxed in, realized too late, huge endo crash and airborne over that plastic road bollard. The peloton was going about 40km/h or more, it was bad
Hard to judge from the split-second I saw but looked like Cavendish landed flat on his back

 

[Salvarani]

Re: Re:

Don't understand people saying Sagan was riding defensively, only thinking about Kwiatkoski.

This is a physical test. He got beat. Nibali moved faster than Oss, for longer. Sagan couldn't make it up either, when he tried. Trentin rode Sagan off his wheel. Sagan just didn't have it.

This wasn't about Sagan's decision making, and anyone who isn't bringing respect for the very physical reality that is racing.

Sagan probably should have (and could have) gone with Nibali when he attacked. Instead Sagan tried halfheartedly and undecided later and again on the descend. He then stopped chasing when he saw Kwiatkowski was in his wheel. Sagan certainly screwed up today. Either attack or wait for the sprint, the other options that he chose didn't make sense and in the end probably cost him unnecessary energy for the sprint.

Sometimes you make the right decision. Sometimes you dont. You can only say after the race what you should have done and which is very easy to do.

Nibali got a bigger gap then they probably expected and the sprinters and their teams reacted too late. It happens. Great ride by Nibali.

 

[krakenKE]

I was rooting for Sagan of course but I am very happy for Nibali. Great attack and finish. 1k to go I thought he would get caught. What a performance to hold this one on.

I really hop that Cav is all right.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Sagan probably realized it wasn't going to be a win when Nibali had 12 seconds so he decided to put on a show. 2nd or 6th place makes no difference to him it seems. xD

And what show did he put on
Again very disappointing in this race
On the other hand, what a show by Grandissimo Vincenzo!!! What a rider! He confirmed his place in pantheon of legends!

 

[davebqvst]

Re:

Is there any word on Cavendish ? My live-stream of MSR ended without any update on his condition.
He had a lapse of concentration or something, boxed in, realized too late, huge endo crash and airborne over that plastic road bollard. The peloton was going about 40km/h or more, it was bad
Hard to judge from the split-second I saw but looked like Cavendish landed flat on his back

from the DimensionData Twitter:
"@MarkCavendish is currently being assessed by a medical team. More information will be provided when available."

 

[Gigs_98]

Only just saw that Nibali rode into a mobile phone which was held over the barrier. If he had crashed there that would have been one of the most outrageous stories in cycling history

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

What was on with the wheel of Laporte?

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

The only 2 guys that can be genuinely happy with their performance today are Nibali and Ewan. Everyone else failed.

I don't know, I think Demare could be happy with his result in that it confirmed last years result.

Agree with this - Demare couldn't have done much more. He used his team well to save energy earlier in the day, made it to the finale and put in a decent sprint in awkward circumstances where everyone had to start sprinting unusually early.

Matthews will be happy as well I think, in his first proper race of the season. Kristoff also put in a creditable performance, probably couldn't have done much more.

 

[Screecher]

Re: Re:

Sagan probably realized it wasn't going to be a win when Nibali had 12 seconds so he decided to put on a show. 2nd or 6th place makes no difference to him it seems. xD

And what show did he put on
Again very disappointing in this race
On the other hand, what a show by Grandissimo Vincenzo!!! What a rider! He confirmed his place in pantheon of legends!

There wasn't much else he could have done. Other than going with Vincenzo (it was too late at that point) or waiting for a sprint, but it looked like he wasn't very confident in his sprint. Probably just didn't have the legs.

 

[Irondan]

Re: Re:

Is there any word on Cavendish ? My live-stream of MSR ended without any update on his condition.
He had a lapse of concentration or something, boxed in, realized too late, huge endo crash and airborne over that plastic road bollard. The peloton was going about 40km/h or more, it was bad
Hard to judge from the split-second I saw but looked like Cavendish landed flat on his back

from the DimensionData Twitter:
"@MarkCavendish is currently being assessed by a medical team. More information will be provided when available."

I was just on their feed and did not see that tweet...

 

[franic]

Re:

What's the last time a rider won consecutive monuments excluding cobbled doubles?

Don't know about this, but the last rider to win both Lombardia and Sanremo consecutively was Sean Kelly, I believe.

 

[krakenKE]

Re:

Sagan failing again, getting slightly overrated at this point

Nibali, what a campione!

He is still 3 times world champion, is he? Please rate his classic campaign after Roubaix or maybe even after AGR if he rides it not after 1st big classic of the year which we all know is a complete lottery.