Milano - Sanremo 2024, one day monument, March 16

[Lequack]

Pogacar is 100% hoping Remco is riding this next year. He needs someone else who wants a hard race.

Good answer, yes the would make a good duo indeed.

 

[tobydawq]

And he endangers no one.

If Philipsen wants to go through that gap, yes, obviously he does. Wtf?

 

[Red Rick]

I have that same feeling as when mathieu was leading out Philipsen to the finish in that slightly uphil finish in a tour stage that pedersen won. But maybe Mathieu really was gassed when climbing the poggio. In that case it was a mistake that he let go of pogacars wheel before Pogi's final attack I think. It just doesn't feel like the best man won.

That computes really weirdly though with how big of a gap he closed to Pogacar on top of the Poggio

 

[magliaroz]

But serious, why do you bring young Del Toro, who is still bad at fighting for positions, as a key domestique to this race?

Del Toro did a better job than Ulissi and Hirshi

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Pog is really surrounded by all his best friends here; Jasper, Matthews, Bettiol, Mohoric, MvP.

Lance Armstrong is not going to like that !!

 

[Lequack]

Would Vingegaard be storng enough to drop everyone on the Poggio? He's been dominating everyone this year on shallow climbs even.

 

[saunaking]

Controversial this but much and all as I love Pog I cannot see him win this race ever

The climbs are not hard enough and unlike Mahoric or Pidcok or MVdP (Nibali or Alaphilippe) he is not good enough on the down hill to get away there and with the likes of Philipsen not the fastest to the line

His tactics worked out terribly this year. Maybe his best shot is from a small group like today, lottery style.
He worked so so much on the attack and descent, but still did a nice sprint

 

[yaco]

Good to see Bling perform so well - His form has looked good this season, except for crashing out of Valeciana and falling ill at PN.

 

[jono]

Pog likely wins if he is not able to close that and hesitates/sits back. It was a great move, when he noticed MVDP had lost positions.

Then MVDP just fully dedicated himself for Philipsen after that.

MVDP was great in the end, but maybe could have used a raced before this though. I am nit-picking with that though. Great performance and job done for the team.

Probably not possible for him to come off his cx campaign and then treat MSR as a top target while also hoping to peak for Flanders/Roubaix, with an eye to potentially extending his classics season to Liege. Coming in three-quarters cooked he'll always be in the mix with a chance to win if the race unfolds in the right way.

 

[Offline]

Ulissi and Hirshi out of contract end of year.

 

[mou]

those with a grain of salt in their heads know that this is the best Pog ever, for him this was a walk and the pace was not strong enough, watch Catalonia and enjoy, he will destroy everything

 

[Salvarani]

Probably not possible for him to come off his cx campaign and then treat MSR as a top target while also hoping to peak for Flanders/Roubaix, with an eye to potentially extending his classics season to Liege. Coming in three-quarters cooked he'll always be in the mix with a chance to win if the race unfolds in the right way.

Agreed, and it is not like he had an off-day. His performance was superb.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Would Vingegaard be storng enough to drop everyone on the Poggio? He's been dominating everyone this year on shallow climbs even.

No. He would've got a minute gap on Cipressa (clocking 8'30'') and TT-ed to the finish.

 

[Netserk]

But serious, why do you bring young Del Toro, who is still bad at fighting for positions, as a key domestique to this race?

Despite that, he did his job well. The problem is the two weak links and the car.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

What has MvdP done to his hair ???

 

[Lequack]

No. He would've got a minute gap on Cipressa (clocking 8'30'') and TT-ed to the finish.

It's not a bad strategy if it works.

 

[RobertCrawley]

those with a grain of salt in their heads know that this is the best Pog ever, for him this was a walk and the pace was not strong enough, watch Catalonia and enjoy, he will destroy everything

I like Pog, but if the race is not hard enough, he needs to make it harder.

 

[ppanther92]

MvdP is really loyal (showed quite often). Philipsen told him he still has good legs and he "knew what to do".

 

[nightowl]

UAE really paced most of Grand Colombier last year with Vegard Stake Laengen and then tried to do the MSR finale with Wellens as their best “roleur” are we sure they know how cycling works?

 

[search]

The Decathlon super powers disappeared after they changed jerseys

at least Benoit didn't take out half the field with an uphill crash again.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Despite that, he did his job well. The problem is the two weak links and the car.

Yeah, hard to argue against that one.

 

[ppanther92]

I like Pog, but if the race is not hard enough, he needs to make it harder.

Well, since most parts are flats and 3-4% climbs, you need a team to make it hard because drafting plays a too big role to do it your own like on a 8%-10% climb.

 

[Mayomaniac]

What has MvdP done to his hair ???

A Zoomer*** haircut...

 

[QueenStagiaire]

A Zoomer*** haircut...

He needs way more Alpecin to grow a real mullet…

 

[Red Rick]

I watched it again and what you say is simply not true. Matthews swerves quite erratically to the left when he passes Stuyven, after which he opens the door for Philipsen. But then he again goes to the left and makes the gap much tighter - this is the move that is not 'natural'. Finally though, he lets Philipsen in again. He changes direction four times, including when he passes Stuyven.

The door was closed. There was no room. Philipsen was behind him. He didn't need to cause a crash to keep Philipsen behind him, he only needed to hold his line.