Milano - Sanremo: March 20, 2021

[Leinster]

My main hope is that we get any type of race other than 1, 2 or 3 of the big three going clear on the poggio and going on to win. I don’t care if it’s an unexpected group on the poggio, a freak earlier attack, the sprinters contesting it. Anything. It’s probably a forlorn hope though.

Happy now?

 

[johnymax]

Where did Mohoric come from. he was not close to Kwiatkowski and Sagan on the top

I don't get this rider. He was positioned perfectly on the Poggio, he is good enough on the climbs to take a 4th place in L-B-L, the Poggio should suit him even better on paper. This race was probably his biggest target of the season, yet he gets dropped by probably 20-30 riders. He is always in a position to chase from behind on the Poggio descent. But if he somehow manages in the future to come over the top of Poggio in the first group or at least, let's say 10s behind the first rider, then it's over for everybody. I don't think anybody can stay with him on the descent.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

how is this race used to be hated few years ago and now is so loved?

Whoever hates MSR doesn't love cycling.

 

[Breezy1985]

While Andersen handed the victory to Stuyven, Alaphilippe pulled so hard at the end that it seems the chasing group would not have caught Stuyven and Andersen at all. So Andersen and Alaphilippe were the big losers here, but hey, they were going for it.

In the race for who pulled hardest for no reward O'Ganna definitely won

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

This is Pidcock first year in the World Tour

He is 21 years old

This is his first MSR

He beat most of the field including Allaphillipe

Cut the guy some slack ...He is an amasing talent and he will win this race yet

Bit of a ridiculous thing to say tbh ...

What is more he will beat the over hyped Evenepol in races like this is in the future

...yeah...trying to drop two guys who ate your lunch all cross season, on a descent is brilliant...he is a talent, but his ideas of his acumen related to this level of racing are a bit like Evenepol...so maybe hold off on your proclamations of greatness (I do like his aggressiveness, and am not rooting against him)...there's a lot of very young talent in the peloton. Blowing your load on a stupid downhill attack suggests you might want to talk with someone about how to win bike races.

 

[Samamba]

I think van Aert was the strongest, he had to take a detour around van der Poel in the sprint and still only got beaten by Ewan by a noselength. He was also doing more work than Ewan. I didn't really feel van Aert lost an edge since TA.
But Ewan was very strong, never expected that, and probably (imho) 2nd strongest. His presence and how good he looked certainly had a huge impact on the chasing group.

I don't know who was the strongest today (I would pick Van Aert too probably), but obviously Ewan and VdP started sprinting in the wind way earlier than Van Aert because they needed to catch Stuyven. Van Aert needs to take that detour cause he was in Van der Poels slipstream for a while, obviously that helps.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Whoever hates MSR doesn't love cycling.

I watch...but this is the most boring of classics...

 

[Bolder]

I'm guessing, but I don't think he had the legs to do anything - and he knew it, and tried bluffing his way into contention; if he'd had good legs he'd surely try something and/or when he started his sprint he'd have got to Stuyven. Maybe he left his race in T-A...

Yep, he dug too deep in TA, but then maybe Wout did too. Very interesting finish, looked like Rowe and Ganna took some of the sting from everybody. Alaphilippe again forced the issue but too many riders were able to follow,and no one wanted to be the guy who led out the winner...IMO Ewan should have gone earlier; this was a rare chance for a pure sprinter. But I need to rewatch the last 3kms.

 

[Spine Concept]

I don't know who was the strongest today (I would pick Van Aert too probably), but obviously Ewan and VdP started sprinting in the wind way earlier than Van Aert because they needed to catch Stuyven. Van Aert needs to take that detour cause he was in Van der Poels slipstream for a while, obviously that helps.

Yep. People seem to overlook the fact that Mathieu started his sprint very early and played “all or nothing” because none of the other favorites dared to go first. He said as much in the post-race interview.

Similar to how Wout chased Stybar in stage 3 of Tirreno and Mathieu profited from that.

I thought they were all about equally strong. Very surprised at Ewan. Wow.

 

[jaylew]

how is this race used to be hated few years ago and now is so loved?

I think we've always loved the end. It's the rest that's gawd-awful. Today, it wasn't interesting until the Poggio, which is pretty much par for the course. For me it's like FW or a sprint stage in that way - no real need to tune in until the end. Yes, you have more possible outcomes but it's still only good in the finale.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

2 times in the last ten years that the main group let a solo attacker go and couldn't bring him back. 2 times Ewan got 2nd.

I see a pattern.
Not even kidding

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Just my style of finish!
Chapeau, Jasper!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I think we've always loved the end. It's the rest that's gawd-awful. Today, it wasn't interesting until the Poggio, which is pretty much par for the course. For me it's like FW or a sprint stage in that way - no real need to tune in until the end. Yes, you have more possible outcomes but it's still only good in the finale.

Indeed. It's only good the last 15 minute, like FW. With that difference, that in FW you get a battle of the punchers (as an indication who will win that type of finishes throughout the year), and in MSR anybody coming over the top of the Poggio with the first 20, can win. Probably MSR is more exciting because it has plenty of plot twists in the final 5k.

 

[Lequack]

It's always good to see an attacking rider win a big race.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1373298510271893510

View: https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/1373298510271893510?s=20

 

[Fernandez]

Ive just watched the race, well, at least from the bottom of the Poggio. I dont think this race could be called a good race

 

[Danskebjerge]

Ive just watched the race, well, at least from the bottom of the Poggio. I dont think this race could be called a good race

I agree. Only the last 3 k were good.

 

[Fernandez]

For me the final in Ans or in Cauberg was better than the final here in The Poggio.

 

[jaylew]

So ultimately Ewan was the only pure sprinter to make the front group while the next chasing group had Ackermann, Bouhanni, Nizzolo, and Démare. Surprising that neither of the DQS sprinters even made that group.

 

[Netserk]

I don't get this rider. He was positioned perfectly on the Poggio, he is good enough on the climbs to take a 4th place in L-B-L, the Poggio should suit him even better on paper. This race was probably his biggest target of the season, yet he gets dropped by probably 20-30 riders. He is always in a position to chase from behind on the Poggio descent. But if he somehow manages in the future to come over the top of Poggio in the first group or at least, let's say 10s behind the first rider, then it's over for everybody. I don't think anybody can stay with him on the descent.

He was about 3'' behind Sagan on the top.

 

[Leinster]

Congratulations to Stuyven for rolling the dice and coming up big with his late attack but can’t help feel like he got away with it because of a lack of cooperation behind.

You mean like just about every solo breakaway winner ever in the history of cycling?

 

[tomorrow]

You have to wonder why Schackmann didn't lead out Sagan in the sprint ?

Firstly, Sagan usually ends up worse when having a actual lead out. Second, I think they didn't know, what Sagan had left in the tank. If you watch the replay, both Sagan and Schachmann started sprinting at the same time. When Schachmann saw, that Sagan actually is sprinting pretty well, he just sat down.

 

[Pantani_lives]

What a terrific and well-deserved win for Stuyven! He's one of those riders who's always strong, but doesn't have the sprint or the explosiveness to win lots of races. If however he gets fifty meters in a final he can keep hammering till the end. He often plays the super domestique, in the past for Cancellara; nowadays for Pedersen. When Pedersen decided to stay away Stuyven got the chance to try for himself, but who would have thought he'd pull it off?

When SKA caught him back I thought it was over and the others would come back too. However Stuyven's luck was that the Dane went full in the final K and he had that little bit of time to sit in the wheel and reload for one final effort, and take the biggest win of his career. And aren't the closest victories always the best?

On another note: Sagan finishes fourth for the fifth time, which is incredible after recovering from corona.

 

[HelloDolly]

Evenepol is only 21 years old.

He started winning WT races at 19 at his first try.

He beat the entire field including everyone.

He's been injured for 8 months.

Cut the guy some slack.

I didnt attack Evenepol and say he has the race craft of a brick

I was referring to the hype on here that says he will win everything

Your reply does not equate to mine in the need for a defense nor in its logic ...nonsense

 

[Andy262]

You have to wonder why Schackmann didn't lead out Sagan in the sprint ?

Agree, surely Schachmann should have tried to close on Stuyven but maybe he didn't have the legs. Good to see Sagan competitive though.

As for the griping about Ineos, why not? Should they just let the big 3 ride away? Pidcock showed his inexperience in the end but by putting him over the Poggio they gave him and Kwiato every chance, if the legs were there.

Well done to Stuyven; can't win if you don't try.

 

[tobydawq]

A few observations:

Søren Kragh definitely just wanted the podium there. And given that his best ever monument result before today was 52nd, I guess that makes sense.

Ewan's level on the Poggio was mind-boggling. He just looked to be cruising when Van Aert drilled it on the top. I guess he was sick in Tirreno...

No DQS in the top 15. Pretty crazy for a team with three top favourites. Bennett will never get close to a victory in this race.

Apparently Aranburu is a much better descender than Sagan and Kwiatkowski. He crested the summit with them but got back up to Turgis and then the front much sooner than those two. They then needed Mohoric to close the gap to them and then chauffeur them the final part of the way up to get in touch with the group.

Did Van der Poel's poor positioning prevent him from winning the race? I doubt it. Yes, he came fast, but he wasn't that far away. I think Wout would have caught his wheel and more riders would have been able to join (Søren Kragh almost matched him on the run-in).

Weird tactics from Trentin and Alaphilippe, with those crazy long openings of the sprint. But a good thing someone did it to keep the excitement to the final metre.

Stuyven as a monument winner. I'm not too enthused about that but it was a good move, and when he went I was sure he would go to the line. But that would not have happened if it had not been for Søren Kragh. Who might have been able to win if he had been the one to go first instead of Stuyven.