Milano - Sanremo 2025, one day monument, March 22

[KZD]

Cipressa time 9:11

 

[scribers]

looks like a jr in some donated kit

I look at him and I'm thinking I could take him in any sport including checkers!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

UAE 9:23

Foss 8:53

Truth of the year!

 

[Tim Cahill]

Foss is kinda flying to be fair and might actually attack somewhere given how he's ridden this season. Maybe when they all come back together after the cipressa.

 

[tobydawq]

@tobydawq, will you be posting a negative startlist for this race? I assume Alessandro Tonelli will be mentioned first.

No, I only do that for E3. And in any case, he wouldn't have been mentioned as his team is not in the race. But what a scandal that non-selection is!

 

[Sciatic]

Visma are really training those power poses

too bad they didn't bring their power riders. . . .

 

[scribers]

Daybreak soon in Europe my friends. La primavera is upon us again.

 

[pelotonIQ]

Are they doing full coverage from start?

 

[SHAD0W93]

8’47”

 

[Heston]

Are they doing full coverage from start?

Yes, Max is showing the full race.

 

[RedheadDane]

Are they doing full coverage from start?

Just to be a little pedantic here.
It has to be from start in order to be full coverage.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Just to be a little pedantic here.
It has to be from start in order to be full coverage.

They could show random experts while they‘re starting, which would be unprecedented, that could kind of qualify as not ‚full‘ coverage, but would still be coverage from the start

 

[RedheadDane]

They could show random experts while they‘re starting, which would be unprecedented, that could kind of qualify as not ‚full‘ coverage, but would still be coverage from the start

That would be having coverage from the start, without it being full coverage.
How would you make full coverage, without having coverage from the start?

 

[Heston]

I am really hyped for today.

10 years ago this was by far the most boring moment. Now its by far the most exciting.

 

[Miha81]

8:57 but it won't matter

 

[gregrowlerson]

I am really hyped for today.

10 years ago this was by far the most boring moment. Now its by far the most exciting.

Overall it's still probably the most boring monument.

But it has the most exciting moments

 

[pelotonIQ]

I am really hyped for today.

10 years ago this was by far the most boring moment. Now its by far the most exciting.

The Pogacar effect!

 

[KZD]

A boring race overall but with the most exciting finish of the season as its always open to surprises.

I expect UAE to control the race for Pogačar once again and I hope that they set a strong pace from the Capi onwards especially Capo Berta which despite being short is the steepest climb of the race so maybe they can even drop a few sprinters there. As for a Cipressa attack, I would love it but I don't will happen but if UAE can reduce the group to 15-20 riders there it would already be a success and then its up to Pogačar try to make the difference on the Poggio after a Narvaez and Wellens leadout.

Alpecin won the last seasons so I give them a big chance once again. Van der Poel is the only rider that I can see winning this race in three different ways, attack on the Poggio like in 2023, attack on the descent of the Poggio and a sprint in a reduced group. I just hope that he doesn't work for Philipsen like last year. Speaking about him, he is always a threat but after his crash in Nokere Koerse and with the sort of pace I expect UAE to set, I think it might become too hard for him and there is no guarantee that he wins in the sprint either.

Trek also have two cards to play but I give them less chances than Alpecin. Pedersen is flying and maybe this is his time to finally win a monument but the absence of rain is bad for him and I haven't been very convinced with his sprint lately. As for Milan, I think he will need something to go very wrong with the UAE train for him to win as I don't trust his climbing enough, still if we have a 30-40 group sprint he would be the favourite but that's a very unlikely scenario imo.

Honourable mentions to Ganna, Pidcock and Matthews

The Italian has been one of the strongest riders in the race in the last two years and its in great shape, might not be a great descender but if he comes back at the end of the Poggio with speed he can launch a devestating attack and never be caught. Also with a tailwind at the finish I think he has a decent chance in a reduced sprint (let's not forget he outsprinted Van Aert for second in 2023).
The Brit also has a chance as he should be almost undroppable but for me he will need to do a crazy Mohorič style descent or catch everyone napping after the Poggio which could happen but I am not too bullish
The Australian was close to win last year so he has a chance in a reduced sprint but he will probably hope that the race doesn't explode on the Poggio because I see him getting dropped there.

The beauty of this race is that even though I listed almost 10 riders there is a decent chance that the winner is not even on this list

 

[Netserk]

In memory of @Coffeeplanter [EDIT2: Figure of speech!], I think we should also guess what the fastest Cipressa time will be this year.

@Netserk: 9'08"
@Monsi: 8'48"
@QueenStagiaire: 8'57"
@Krzysztof_O: 8'50"
@Samu Cuenca: 8'56"
@RedheadDane: 9'00"
@Tim Cahill: 9'20"
@Red Rick: 9'15"
@hayneplane: 8'43"
@jono: 9'05"
@Berniece: 9'04"
@scribers: 8'40"
@gregrowlerson: 9'07"
@armchairclimber: 8'53"
@Ilmaestro99: 9'01"
@Alien Performance: 8'30"
@Didinho: 8'53"
@KZD: 9'11"
@SHAD0W93: 8'47"
@Miha81: 8'57"

EDIT: @jens_attacks will be the official timekeeper.

Sorted by time:

8'30" @Alien Performance
8'40" @scribers
8'43" @hayneplane
8'47" @SHAD0W93
8'48" @Monsi
8'50" @Krzysztof_O
8'53" @armchairclimber @Didinho
8'56" @Samu Cuenca
8'57" @QueenStagiaire @Miha81
9'00" @RedheadDane
9'01" @Ilmaestro99
9'04" @Berniece
9'05" @jono
9'07" @gregrowlerson
9'08" @Netserk
9'11" @KZD
9'15" @Red Rick
9'20" @Tim Cahill

NB: The record is 9'19" from 1996. The past three years have been at 9'30", 9'45", 9'26".

 

[pelotonIQ]

8:32 Cipressa.

 

[Heston]

9'32 Cipressa. UAE will mess up their positioning at the bottom

 

[Cookster15]

Overall it's still probably the most boring monument.

But it has the most exciting moments

I am sure if I sat and watched the full 6.5 hour race it would be very boring. But for me I usually just watch the extended highlights of Cipressa and Poggio moments then read the banter in this forum

 

[gregrowlerson]

I am sure if I sat and watched the full 6.5 hour race it would be very boring. But for me I usually just watch the extended highlights of Cipressa and Poggio moments then read the banter in this forum

According to all the forum predictions those will be reduced highlights

 

[scribers]

Are they doing full coverage from start?

All of the intermediate pee sprints will get live coverage and possibly a van der dom poopie stop

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

9'08" has gone, so I'll go 9'09"