Hello.
I'm posting this thread because I've read on the other Milan Sanremo thread that this classic was compared to Paris-Tours. For me that's an insult.
I first watch Milan Sanremo in 1992. Kelly won. What about the sprinters back then? Nowhere to be found. Until Zabel's first win in 1997, I could never EVER EVER imagine that a sprinter could win this one. And even thereafter. In 1998, Zabel's win was only due to the help of opponent Gabriele Colombo (bribed?) while Elli was heading to victory. And 1999, Tchmil's trick. Only in the noughties could the sprinters' teams master the race.
I don't know to explain it. But I think I have an idea.
Some would say it's a flat race and Poggio, Cipressa and the Capi are not that steep.
Yeah but they appear after 280/290 km race. That's a lot different then climbing them at training. If they were that easy to climb, how can you account for the fact that breakaways have been the norm for 40 years after the introduction of the Poggio?
I've made up a list of all post-war Sanremo mass sprints (I consider a peloton as a group consisting of more then 15 riders together):
1950: 53 riders (winner Bartali)
1954: 60 riders (winner Van Steenbergen)
1958: 69 riders (winner Van Looy)
1959: 90 riders (winner Poblet)
Poggio added after this edition
1980: 30 riders (winner Gavazzi P)
Cipressa added in 1982
Between 1989 and 1992 finish on the Corso Cavaloti
1997: 40 riders (winner Zabel)
1998: 18 riders (winner Zabel)
2000: 37 riders (winner Zabel)
Turchino removed after this edition
2001: 19 riders (winner Zabel)
2002: 44 riders (winner Cipollini)
Turchino re-added after this edition
2004: 62 riders (winner Freire)
2005: 39 riders (winner Petacchi)
2007: 28 riders (winner Freire) **
Manië added after this edition + finish in Lungomare
2009: 34 riders (winner Cavendish) ***
[Edit]2010: 25 riders (winner Freire)
** Paolini 12th finished at 1 second. I still consider the bunch was packed.
*** 2 seconds between the first 2 and the rest because of a rare sprint by Haussler
In 1979 De Vlaeminck won in a bunch of 15 riders. In 1954 13 riders accompanied Loretto Petrucci in his 2nd victory. These can possibly be added but these were still much smaller groups.
In 61 years only 14 editions of Milan Sanremo finished in a sprint.
Between 1960 (introduction of the Poggio) and 1996, there's been only one. After the introduction of the Cipressa and before Zabel's first win, there had been none !!
I'm posting this thread because I've read on the other Milan Sanremo thread that this classic was compared to Paris-Tours. For me that's an insult.
I first watch Milan Sanremo in 1992. Kelly won. What about the sprinters back then? Nowhere to be found. Until Zabel's first win in 1997, I could never EVER EVER imagine that a sprinter could win this one. And even thereafter. In 1998, Zabel's win was only due to the help of opponent Gabriele Colombo (bribed?) while Elli was heading to victory. And 1999, Tchmil's trick. Only in the noughties could the sprinters' teams master the race.
I don't know to explain it. But I think I have an idea.
Some would say it's a flat race and Poggio, Cipressa and the Capi are not that steep.
Yeah but they appear after 280/290 km race. That's a lot different then climbing them at training. If they were that easy to climb, how can you account for the fact that breakaways have been the norm for 40 years after the introduction of the Poggio?
I've made up a list of all post-war Sanremo mass sprints (I consider a peloton as a group consisting of more then 15 riders together):
1950: 53 riders (winner Bartali)
1954: 60 riders (winner Van Steenbergen)
1958: 69 riders (winner Van Looy)
1959: 90 riders (winner Poblet)
Poggio added after this edition
1980: 30 riders (winner Gavazzi P)
Cipressa added in 1982
Between 1989 and 1992 finish on the Corso Cavaloti
1997: 40 riders (winner Zabel)
1998: 18 riders (winner Zabel)
2000: 37 riders (winner Zabel)
Turchino removed after this edition
2001: 19 riders (winner Zabel)
2002: 44 riders (winner Cipollini)
Turchino re-added after this edition
2004: 62 riders (winner Freire)
2005: 39 riders (winner Petacchi)
2007: 28 riders (winner Freire) **
Manië added after this edition + finish in Lungomare
2009: 34 riders (winner Cavendish) ***
[Edit]2010: 25 riders (winner Freire)
** Paolini 12th finished at 1 second. I still consider the bunch was packed.
*** 2 seconds between the first 2 and the rest because of a rare sprint by Haussler
In 1979 De Vlaeminck won in a bunch of 15 riders. In 1954 13 riders accompanied Loretto Petrucci in his 2nd victory. These can possibly be added but these were still much smaller groups.
In 61 years only 14 editions of Milan Sanremo finished in a sprint.
Between 1960 (introduction of the Poggio) and 1996, there's been only one. After the introduction of the Cipressa and before Zabel's first win, there had been none !!