Milano - Sanremo 2023, one day monument, March 18

[Lequack]

PS: Mostly copied from last year

You know this race. The oldest classic, the sprinter's classic, except when it's not. Will Pogacar, Wout, MVDP and other all rounders manager to drop the sprinters on the Poggior or not? Will Mohoric try on the descent again? Time will tell!

Notable all-rounder: Pogacar, Wout, MVDP, Girmay, Mohoric, Pidcock, Cort
Notable sprinters: De Lie, Pedesen, Demare, Ewan, Bennet, Coquard

Preview statistics for Milano-Sanremo 2023

Top competitors for Milano-Sanremo 2023 are Tadej Pogačar, Wout van Aert and Pello Bilbao.

www.procyclingstats.com

https://www.milanosanremo.it/

Live video stream available on Eurosport.

Full startlist (not yet final):

Startlist for Milano-Sanremo 2023

Competing teams and riders for Milano-Sanremo 2023. Top competitors are Peter Sagan, Greg Van Avermaet and Mark Cavendish.

www.procyclingstats.com

Map:

Profile:

 

[Lequack]

PS: I've noticed we started discussing Sanremo in the Wout thread already, so it seemed it was time for this thread. Let the hype begin (even though there is only one winner, Tom Pidcock).

Technical info

The Milano-Sanremo presented by Crédit Agricole starts in Abbiategrasso and, after covering around 30 km of flat roads on the edge of the Ticino River, it returns to the classic route in Pavia. From there the race will head to Ovada, then to the Passo del Turchino climb that leads into Genova Voltri. From there, it rolls westwards through Varazze, Savona, Albenga to Imperia and San Lorenzo al Mare where, after the classic sequence of the Capi (Mele, Cervo and Berta), the atheltes will deal with the two climbs added in recent decades: the Cipressa (1982) and the Poggio di Sanremo (1961). The Cipressa is just over 5.6 km long with a gradient of 4.1%. The highly testing descent leads back down to SS 1 Aurelia.

Final kilometres
The ascent of Poggio di Sanremo begins with 9 km remaining to the finish (3.7 km, average gradient less than 4%, maximum 8% in the segment before getting to the top of the climb). The road is slightly narrower, with 4 hairpin turns in the first 2 km. The descent is testing, on asphalt switchback roads, narrow at points and with twists and turns as far as the junction with SS 1 Aurelia. The final part of the descent enters urban Sanremo. The last 2 km are on long, straight urban roads. There is a left-hand bend on a roundabout 850 m from the finish line. The last bend, leading into the home straight in Via Roma, is 750 m from the finish line.

 

[Netserk]

May I suggest the use of the official profile (and map)?

 

[Lequack]

May I suggest the use of the official profile (and map)?

Ok I replaced it with official one (even though it lies, as it looks totally flat)
Alternative profile, which I think looks nice:

 

[Red Rick]

I think a lot depends on the wind direction on the Cipressa and Poggio and whether or not Pogacar will attack super early on the Poggio again.

 

[topcat]

May I suggest the use of the official profile (and map)?

You may.

 

[Netserk]

I think a lot depends on the wind direction on the Cipressa and Poggio and whether or not Pogacar will attack super early on the Poggio again.

It's a bit early, but it's looking good.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Ok I replaced it with official one (even though it lies, as it looks totally flat)
Alternative profile, which I think looks nice:

Glad i finally found the origin of the saying "making a mountain out of a molehill".

 

[topcat]

5 days to go. This is my favourite day in cycling. It often delivers. Occasionally, it disappoints. I like trembling with anticipation till they reach the Poggio when they’ll come out of the shadows all guns blazing. La primavera is all inclusive. Sprinters, climbers, descenders, rouleurs, wheel suckers, one hit wonders can all potentially win. You can enjoy the scenery, smell the flowers and tell the family you love them for hours before the serious business begins. There’s time to make peace with other forumites that you’ve crossed swords with. You could even have a coffee and a small danish, take a good hard look at yourself and better yourself for mankind. Anything is possible. Hope springs eternal in the human breast.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I think a lot depends on the wind direction on the Cipressa and Poggio and whether or not Pogacar will attack super early on the Poggio again.

UAE will definitely smash the Cipressa again but you'd think Pogacar will have analyzed last year's race and concluded he needs to attack a little further up the Poggio.

 

[Monsi]

UAE will definitely smash the Cipressa again but you'd think Pogacar will have analyzed last year's race and concluded he needs to attack a little further up the Poggio.

And not attack into a headwind twice like he did last year.

 

[Lequack]

UAE will definitely smash the Cipressa again but you'd think Pogacar will have analyzed last year's race and concluded he needs to attack a little further up the Poggio.

What about a tactic of creating a barrage in front of the peloton, gradually slowing it down to 5kmh before the climb, then drilling it uphill. I don't think everyone's done that yet, maybe it's too dangerous idk. But instead of people being dragged halfway up the climb just from the initial speed, you would create a much herder climb.

 

[Lequack]

Bling Matthews positive for Covid.

Michael Matthews positivo al covid, Sanremo a rischio?

Quest'anno non ha ancora raccolto successi, se escludiamo la vittoria della classifica a punti al Tour Down Under, ma resta pur sempre uno...

www.cicloweb.it

 

[Red Rick]

UAE will definitely smash the Cipressa again but you'd think Pogacar will have analyzed last year's race and concluded he needs to attack a little further up the Poggio.

Does his team last that long on the Poggio if they drill the Cipressa?

 

[Netserk]

Does his team last that long on the Poggio if they drill the Cipressa?

At the very least he needs Wellens to hide in the peloton until Poggio, and preferably also another rider for the entrance (like Trentin) so they can nuke the start.

 

[Monsi]

Does his team last that long on the Poggio if they drill the Cipressa?

I think what Pogacar needs is:
2 riders drilling it up Cipressa (maybe Covi and another one)
1 rider to pace on the flat between Cipressa and Poggio (Trentin if he survives Cipressa?)
2 riders to lead him out on Poggio (Formolo and Wellens?)
Then Pogacar blast off

 

[Red Rick]

I think what Pogacar needs is:
2 riders drilling it up Cipressa (maybe Covi and another one)
1 rider to pace on the flat between Cipressa and Poggio (Trentin if he survives Cipressa?)
2 riders to lead him out on Poggio (Formolo and Wellens?)
Then Pogacar blast off

I don't beleive a positive split Poggio works. I'd think it's easier to drop everyone on the steep bit at the end than in the first 4 minutes of the climb on 4%.

 

[Monsi]

I don't beleive a positive split Poggio works. I'd think it's easier to drop everyone on the steep bit at the end than in the first 4 minutes of the climb on 4%.

Oh yeah, Pogacar must hope that his last two or three teammates could survive up until that 8% section towards the end of Poggio. Maybe Wellens could set a high-ish tempo on the 3-4% slopes then Formolo to do the really hard leadout before Pogacar's attack (or the other way around too)?

Then maybe only a few riders could stick with Pogi's attack and he'll hope that their legs are toasted for the sprint. Best case scenario for him of course is that he's solo and "group two syndrome" takes place behind him.

 

[Netserk]

I don't beleive a positive split Poggio works. I'd think it's easier to drop everyone on the steep bit at the end than in the first 4 minutes of the climb on 4%.

A positive split could work if the other captains would have to pull on their own on the flat middle part.

 

[Red Rick]

A positive split could work if the other captains would have to pull on their own on the flat middle part.

You're telling me it would work if everyone else would just let him go? Unless everyone who can follow him is positioned wrong I don't see that happening.

 

[OlavEH]

No Le Manie this time either........?

"Strange" race. Probably the most predictable of them all in terms of how it is raced, but the most uncertain in terms of outcome of the race.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Hard to look beyond Mohorič. If not that then likely a sprint. In between other big favorites.

 

[DNP-Old]

It's a bit early, but it's looking good.

I'd stay home if I'm a sprinter. Or I'd take the plane to Egypt, like Viviani has done.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

On Poggio it will be Pogacar vs rest of the world. It will be hard for him to get a gap, as we've seen last year. Maybe he should focus on one big attack in the 2nd half of Poggio. If he takes a few guys with him then maybe it will be decided between them unless a Mohoric will dive downhill like crazy. Alternatively, if the group is small, Pog can try something in last kms hoping that the likes of MVP and WVA will hesitate to pull for others.

 

[DoYouEvenRideBruh]

Estimated time @ Passo del Turchino? I will be in the area that afternoon and I'm debating if it makes sense to go peek at the peloton there.