Milano-Torino 2022 (March 16)

[Devil's Elbow]

'Don't fix what isn't broken', said nobody at RCS. Because being the only major one-day race with an MTF attracting a great field right before Lombardia apparently wasn't good enough, the solution was obviously to move the race to the spring, bulldoze the parcours, and then attract a field of second-rate sprinters. Thanks, Vegni, just what we wanted.

Startlist

You know what the best/worst part is? These images are dated June of 2021. They had this monstrosity planned for almost a year, then didn't reveal it until a month before the race, because that's obviously how you attract the best field you can.

Oh, you were still expecting climb profiles? Think again. Instead, there's roundabouts. Lots of roundabouts. Six within less than two kilometres, the final one coming at just over 1.5 km from the line. Then there's a big turn 400 metres out onto the final straight. It's all flat, of course.

 

[Netserk]

Doesn't start in Milano, doesn't finish in Torino.

It'd make more sense to have Gran Piemonte at this time, given that they probably won't repeat the Barolo route again, and the route changes so much (I think the 2015 route would have been good here).

 

[jaylew]

Terrible.

Well, the good news is, we'll finally be treated to that Cav-Bouhanni-Kristoff-Groves,-Moschetti showdown we've all been waiting for. Oh wait, we just saw that at T-A. So, we're basically getting another T-A sprint stage without any of the guys who actually won them? Fantastic.

 

[Kazistuta]

Terrible.

Well, the good news is, we'll finally be treated to that Cav-Bouhanni-Kristoff-Groves,-Moschetti showdown we've all been waiting for. Oh wait, we just saw that at T-A. So, we're basically getting another T-A sprint stage without any of the guys who actually won them? Fantastic.

LOL, fantastic assessment. Couldn't agree more.

 

[RedheadDane]

I just have one question; did someone forget to inform Bora about the change of nature of this race? Coz... it doen't exactly look like they're bringing the sprint lineup!

• 41 KELDERMAN Wilco
• 42 ALEOTTI Giovanni
• 43 BENEDETTI Cesare
• 44 HALLER Marco
• 45 LÜHRS Luis-Joe
• 46 SCHELLING Ide
• 47 WANDAHL Frederik

 

[claude cat]

I just have one question; did someone forget to inform Bora about the change of nature of this race? Coz... it doen't exactly look like they're bringing the sprint lineup!

• 41 KELDERMAN Wilco
• 42 ALEOTTI Giovanni
• 43 BENEDETTI Cesare
• 44 HALLER Marco
• 45 LÜHRS Luis-Joe
• 46 SCHELLING Ide
• 47 WANDAHL Frederik

EF too

https://twitter.com/x/status/1503827979499196417

View: https://twitter.com/EFprocycling/status/1503827979499196417?s=20&t=AHXBhPE9qaqxJj1dEo3A2w


Chaves? Really?

 

[AlfaLum]

Always really liked the double Superga climb. Too bad they redesigned this race to the horrible race it is this year.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Vincenzo Nibali will win this bike race.

 

[Ricco']

Even the 2008 to 2011 route of this race was better than this one.

 

[Earns1985]

Well, if they really want to implement this race as a Milan- San Remo preperation race, they should at least also add some Poggio/Cipressa hills for the end of the race.

 

[OlavEH]

'Don't fix what isn't broken', said nobody at RCS. Because being the only major one-day race with an MTF attracting a great field right before Lombardia apparently wasn't good enough, the solution was obviously to move the race to the spring, bulldoze the parcours, and then attract a field of second-rate sprinters. Thanks, Vegni, just what we wanted.

Startlist

Haha, this is utterly ridiculous.

Milano - Torino is actually a one-day race with a huge potential. Should be designed like this year's Giro stage to Torino. Superga followed by Maddalena and perhaps something else in the same area before a descent to the centre of Torino.

 

[Mosul]

Even the 2008 to 2011 route of this race was better than this one.

The 1876 route was probably better than this one. 50km shorter for a start.

 

[hayneplane]

The old route had potential to be marketed and developed into one of the best hilly classics outside of the monuments but this is a sad sight to view the parcours and look at how they have butchered the race.

I am of the opinion that looking through a list of past winners should at least be logical and not have totally random twists like now where a guy like Mareczko could win a race that has in the last 10 years been won by the likes of Roglic, Pinot, Lopez and Contador. They did mess it up in the post covid resumption calendar in 2020 with Demare winning from Ewan.

As others have said Gran Piemonte would have been a fairer race to change.

 

[hayneplane]

Looking at the startlist it feels like most teams failed to read the memo informing them that its now a pan flat course as many big teams have not brought any kind of sprinter

 

[Red Rick]

Deserves to be merged with lesser race thread tbh

 

[Red Rick]

The old route had potential to be marketed and developed into one of the best hilly classics outside of the monuments but this is a sad sight to view the parcours and look at how they have butchered the race.

I am of the opinion that looking through a list of past winners should at least be logical and not have totally random twists like now where a guy like Mareczko could win a race that has in the last 10 years been won by the likes of Roglic, Pinot, Lopez and Contador. They did mess it up in the post covid resumption calendar in 2020 with Demare winning from Ewan.

As others have said Gran Piemonte would have been a fairer race to change.

Absolutely. While it was a pretty straightforward race and not a hyped monument like SB, I think it was a really nice tace for what it was. Making it a circuit in the end like the Giro stage this year would be an improvement, but for me this is worse tham straight up deleting the race from the calendar.

 

[topcat]

An absolute classic. The oldest classic in cycling. Nibali to win the sprint.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Looking at the startlist it feels like most teams failed to read the memo informing them that its now a pan flat course as many big teams have not brought any kind of sprinter

About that...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1504004824655970305

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Deserves to be merged with lesser race thread tbh

I mainly made the OP because I needed to vent a bit of anger tbh. Based on the responses, I wasn't the only one.

 

[greyclouds]

Ditching Superga from Milano-Torino for a series of 6 roundabouts in a dead flat parcour should be a reason to be banned from the sport

 

[Samamba]

This route is really not worth .Pro class. What is this? As boring as Almeria. Just looks like a random sprint stage in the Giro, but then only with sprinters from teams who need their points.

 

[Red Rick]

I mainly made the OP because I needed to vent a bit of anger tbh. Based on the responses, I wasn't the only one.

Petulant Whiners United approves unanimously

 

[Pirazziattacks]

EF too

https://twitter.com/x/status/1503827979499196417

View: https://twitter.com/EFprocycling/status/1503827979499196417?s=20&t=AHXBhPE9qaqxJj1dEo3A2w


Chaves? Really?

Are Carthy and Chaves just there for a flat and fast group ride? Hilarious team selection.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

This route is really not worth .Pro class. What is this? As boring as Almeria. Just looks like a random sprint stage in the Giro, but then only with sprinters from teams who need their points.

And in some cases, teams who need the points without a sprinter, like EF and arguably Israel, who have sent Einhorn for some (sponsor-related) reason and not, you know, Nizzolo.

 

[Samamba]

And in some cases, teams who need the points without a sprinter, like EF and arguably Israel, who have sent Einhorn for some (sponsor-related) reason and not, you know, Nizzolo.

EF apparently doesn't have any fit fast guys so they decided to just let their Catalunya team race this. That Nizzolo isn't racing this is beyond stupid cause Israel definitely need points.

It also doesn't help that the organizers decided to announce the parcours change a month before the race. There's teams like LTS and FDJ who probably would've been at the start if they knew.