Milano - Sanremo: March 23rd, 2019

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

In an interview, Roelandts says a Lotto team mate told him after the 2016 edition (Roelandts ended 3rd) that he had seen Démare hanging on to a car. I've never heard this story from him, but this again strongly hints that Démare stole the win that day.

You can go back to the relevant threads and articles, I can't believe you didn't hear about this unless you didn't watch the race or follow the coverage afterwards? It's pretty much all anyone was talking about from what I remember, there was even an investigation I think.

'I never heard that story from him' - i.e. Roelandts.

Roelandts repeating what he heard from teammates at the time doesn’t add to any evidence against Demare that didn’t already exist.

Either way, taking an extended sticky bottle after the Cipressa is far from the most controversial way to win a monument. He still had to get over the Poggio, navigating his way through the bunch, get DOWN the Poggio without missing any splits, hold position through the streets to the Via Roma, avoid Gaviria’s crash in the finale, and beat a few other handy finishers to the line.

 

[Tim Booth]

Re: Re:

You could divide the favourites into three groups:

*Uphill punchers:
Nibali, Alaphilippe, Kwiatkowski, Moscon, Bardet...

Don't think that Kwiatkowski will be there.

Possibly, I haven't seen a start list from Team Sky yet.

seems Kwiatkowski will be there

Sources contradict each other two days before the race, but cyclingfever has a start list with Kwiatkowski and without Moscon.

always worth checking the teams website
https://twitter.com/TeamSky

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

In an interview, Roelandts says a Lotto team mate told him after the 2016 edition (Roelandts ended 3rd) that he had seen Démare hanging on to a car. I've never heard this story from him, but this again strongly hints that Démare stole the win that day.

You can go back to the relevant threads and articles, I can't believe you didn't hear about this unless you didn't watch the race or follow the coverage afterwards? It's pretty much all anyone was talking about from what I remember, there was even an investigation I think.

'I never heard that story from him' - i.e. Roelandts.

Ah ok, I misread.

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

In an interview, Roelandts says a Lotto team mate told him after the 2016 edition (Roelandts ended 3rd) that he had seen Démare hanging on to a car. I've never heard this story from him, but this again strongly hints that Démare stole the win that day.

You can go back to the relevant threads and articles, I can't believe you didn't hear about this unless you didn't watch the race or follow the coverage afterwards? It's pretty much all anyone was talking about from what I remember, there was even an investigation I think.

'I never heard that story from him' - i.e. Roelandts.

Roelandts repeating what he heard from teammates at the time doesn’t add to any evidence against Demare that didn’t already exist.

Either way, taking an extended sticky bottle after the Cipressa is far from the most controversial way to win a monument. He still had to get over the Poggio, navigating his way through the bunch, get DOWN the Poggio without missing any splits, hold position through the streets to the Via Roma, avoid Gaviria’s crash in the finale, and beat a few other handy finishers to the line.

It also assumes previous winners didn't do this (if it really happened). Just sounds like bike racing to me.

 

[Climbing]

Re: Re:

I predict the winner will be someone that nobody thought had a real chance of winning, yet after the race loads of people will claim that it was obvious that rider would win...

The winners list of the last ten years is full of those

That's why it's a pretty safe call

yeah, just going by the betting odds, there haven't been many riders under 50-1 winning the race over the past years

I don't really keep up with the odds. I just know that every year people complain saying it's the most boring monument, it's a sprinters race etc. We then get a really exciting race with a winner no-one thought would take it, even if a favourite is in the finishing bunch, and everyone claims that they knew all along that rider would win.

The unpredictability of a supposedly predictable race is one of the reasons I love it. I think the main problem is people massively underestimate what 300km does to the legs.

Indeed, one has to wonder why on earth endurance has left the sport lately, when it should be one of the major and focal point of cycling.
Edit: I'm obviously referring to GT with ridiculously short stages (I guess the Giro is trying to compensate this year).

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

Indeed, one has to wonder why on earth endurance has left the sport lately, when it should be one of the major and focal point of cycling.
Edit: I'm obviously referring to GT with ridiculously short stages (I guess the Giro is trying to compensate this year).

Well, sometimes the organizers have to offer some TV-friendly format too. And it's not like the short stages didn't provide excitement.
It's primarily on riders to make the race. A course can be more or less selective, but still won't make the race if no one's willing to exploit the possibilities.

 

[Sciatic]

Re: Re:

I don't really keep up with the odds. I just know that every year people complain saying it's the most boring monument, it's a sprinters race etc. We then get a really exciting race with a winner no-one thought would take it, even if a favourite is in the finishing bunch, and everyone claims that they knew all along that rider would win.

The unpredictability of a supposedly predictable race is one of the reasons I love it. I think the main problem is people massively underestimate what 300km does to the legs.[/quote]

Indeed, one has to wonder why on earth endurance has left the sport lately, when it should be one of the major and focal point of cycling.
Edit: I'm obviously referring to GT with ridiculously short stages (I guess the Giro is trying to compensate this year).[/quote]


Completely agree about it being sad that the endurance aspect has depreciated in value, particularly in grand tours. And if you go to the Nordic Skiing thread you'll find plenty of similar sentiment.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Surely for anyone who has spent any time at the "Home of Cycling", there can only be one favourite; he may have been desperately unlucky to have not finished higher than 93rd in his last 5 attempts, but surely "Si" Clarke must be a shoe-in this year.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

I don't really keep up with the odds. I just know that every year people complain saying it's the most boring monument, it's a sprinters race etc. We then get a really exciting race with a winner no-one thought would take it, even if a favourite is in the finishing bunch, and everyone claims that they knew all along that rider would win.

The unpredictability of a supposedly predictable race is one of the reasons I love it. I think the main problem is people massively underestimate what 300km does to the legs.

Indeed, one has to wonder why on earth endurance has left the sport lately, when it should be one of the major and focal point of cycling.
Edit: I'm obviously referring to GT with ridiculously short stages (I guess the Giro is trying to compensate this year).

Completely agree about it being sad that the endurance aspect has depreciated in value, particularly in grand tours. And if you go to the Nordic Skiing thread you'll find plenty of similar sentiment.

Would be interesting to have a 350km pan flat type of one day race.

 

[Lequack]

10 years ago: Cav wins the 100th Milano-Sanremo

 

[tobydawq]

Noone prevents you from following Race across America and its likes.

 

[Velolover2]

Or a 350 km race with a 2 km at 2% climb about 10k from the finish line just to see if it would have any effect on the riders.

Riders getting dropped on 2% slopes sounds comical these days.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Or a 350 km race with a 2 km at 2% climb about 10k from the finish line just to see if it would have any effect on the riders.

Riders getting dropped on 2% slopes sounds comical these days.

Kittel did it in the Tour

 

[Climbing]

Re:

Or a 350 km race with a 2 km at 2% climb about 10k from the finish line just to see if it would have any effect on the riders.

Riders getting dropped on 2% slopes sounds comical these days.

Yeah I'm sure the riders will be laughing after 350 km... :lol:

 

[SafeBet]

Let's make a 400km ITT across the Po Valley.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Would be interesting to have a 350km pan flat type of one day race.

I'm really not sure that it would be interesting. It would be like watching paint dry, followed by a fast sprint. 350km pan flat isn't a physical challenge for WT pros; It's basically seven hours of riding, nearly all at a very comfortable pace for those in the peloton. Probably be a few crashes as well, because of riders losing concentration through sheer boredom.

The World Championship RR last year was about 7 hours of riding, and with many high intensity intervals thrown in.

 

[Laplaz]

Re:

Let's make a 400km ITT across the Po Valley.

That would be too much. But I would like a one-day-race TT of 100km. That would be extremely interesting.

 

[sir fly]

Listening to the latest podcast, I realized that every MSR is won in the sprint... it's only a matter of timing it right.
Like Nibali did last year.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Listening to the latest podcast, I realized that every MSR is won in the sprint... it's only a matter of timing it right.
Like Nibali did last year.

At least Cav put 2s into almost everybody when he won Milan Sanremo. True solo victory that one.

 

[Velolover2]

Kwiatkowski who seems to be in great shape is on Sky's starter list!

Watch out, Alaphilippe!

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

Listening to the latest podcast, I realized that every MSR is won in the sprint... it's only a matter of timing it right.
Like Nibali did last year.

At least Cav put 2s into almost everybody when he won Milan Sanremo. True solo victory that one.

Yeah, he held the bunch off pretty well, after the entire day on his own.

 

[Tonton]

Some of the same every year, things come and go, that's why MSR is a special race.

Is it long enough? How long is long? Il Poggio is not steep enough...well, we see that one differently since we saw epics in recent years. Simply put: we don't have a clue. All we can gauge, IMO, is who is hoe, who is not, and envision race scenarii.

To me, if Sagan is in top shape, he's the favorite. He'sthe best rider in the World. He can handle a climb, a descent, win a sprint, even a mass sprint. Nibali is the defending champion, he's the master tactician, how he got second in Lombardia still amazes me. GVA and Alaf' are Sagan-Light, but not being Sagan and not having that target on your back can help. The Don can do it, talk about a dark horse. No one talks about him, he can climb and sprint better than most. As insane as it may seem, he may be overlooked.

If its a mass sprint, Sagan still is in contention, Dylan is my favorite, Gaviria, Ewan, Demare, man, it's a huge field.

We'll find out, but let's not poo-poo MSR as I feel, and I may be wrong, that many keep doing year after year, and in the end we get something good...

Besides my predictions and CQ team goals, I want a Poggio attack, a crazy descent, and a small group intrigue, a rider going away and then what? Politics. Kwiat?

 

[Leinster]

Even when MSR does end in a sprint, from the Capi climbs on its still a series of attack after attack as teams try to send guys up the road to avoid having to chase, and keep themselves fresh for the sprint. Even as far out as the Cipressa, the serious classic riders are still having a genuine attempt to get away. It’s always a thrilling last hour of racing, that then comes down to the final straightaway.

 

[movingtarget]

Can't say it's my favourite classic but sometimes it is surprisingly good.

 

[armchairclimber]

Switch on for the Cipressa, watch that bit .... make a cup of tea ... settle down with this forum open and watch the rest. A first rate way to spend Saturday afternoon. Personally, I'd like a complete no hoper to win it ... like Gaviria.