Milan - San Remo Spoiler
Comments
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Dam Sprinters.!! :roll:Rick Chasey wrote:What's the comment?
Can you honestly still call this a Monument as it is a glorified Paris - Tours.Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 19720 -
it's just a case of how many riders have enough juice to want to give a go on the poggio.
Recently, there have been quite a few teams who have sprinters who are in the hunt.
When Canc won it was because enough people decided they wanted to go for it.
What's interesting about M-SR is you can often predict (or at least be informed about) who will do well in the sprint by closely watching how they do on the Cipressa and on a Poggio (although it's harder to spot on the poggio because of the action etc).
Last year for example Boonen slipped down maybe 40 places from about 12 fron the front to about 50th or so on the Cipressa and again slipped a bit on the Poggio. Freire on the otherhand stayed maybe 15th position all the way.0 -
I read somewhere (probably here) that the finishline used to be much closer to the Poggio, and ever since it has moved further out, the sprinters have a much greater chance of getting back to the front.0
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Looking at the course profile I was amazed at how "easy" the Cipressa and Poggio are. When I first got into cycling and read reports / saw photos of these climbs I always thought they were genuine climbs but the Cipressa at 5.6km, 4.1% average and 9% max is very similar to a drag I did on Sunday and which I'm amazed that any pro cyclist would struggle on. The Poggio is shorter and less steep. I guess that at the end of 300km they are just the straws to break the camels back.0
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What's wrong with a sprinters monument? You have Liege and Lombardy for the climbers, Flanders and Roubaix for the pave specialists, why not something for the sprinters? Doesn't it separate the good sprinters from the great ones? It's not like it's a easy race for them to win.
And what's wrong with Paris Tours? Some recent editions have been very exciting, edge of the seat stuff!0 -
Having ridden both the Cipressa and the Poggio, and most of the other capi I can assure the doubters that with the best part of 300 km in your legs (and I've heard it said that the race distance is close to 310 km if you include the roll out from the centre of Milan) they are a lot tougher than the bare statistics suggest.0
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csp wrote:I read somewhere (probably here) that the finishline used to be much closer to the Poggio, and ever since it has moved further out, the sprinters have a much greater chance of getting back to the front.
Not sure about that. The current finish is half a km further than the Via Roma, used until 2007. That's 3 km of flat against 2.5 km. And, the first year the new, further away finish was used Cancellara won solo. It's been a bunch sprint most of the times in the years before that, with the shorter flat stretch too.
There was a series of succesful solo victories in the 1990s of rather dodgy types suddenly able to push huge gears up the Poggio. And before that of course, but the 80s was another era.
I think it just comes down to the ability and motivation of the teams of the strongest sprinters to chase down any gap on the Poggio0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:it's just a case of how many riders have enough juice to want to give a go on the poggio.
Recently, there have been quite a few teams who have sprinters who are in the hunt.
When Canc won it was because enough people decided they wanted to go for it.
What's interesting about M-SR is you can often predict (or at least be informed about) who will do well in the sprint by closely watching how they do on the Cipressa and on a Poggio (although it's harder to spot on the poggio because of the action etc).
Last year for example Boonen slipped down maybe 40 places from about 12 fron the front to about 50th or so on the Cipressa and again slipped a bit on the Poggio. Freire on the otherhand stayed maybe 15th position all the way.
How did Tom losing 40 places lead to him beating everyone but Freire?___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
calvjones wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:it's just a case of how many riders have enough juice to want to give a go on the poggio.
Recently, there have been quite a few teams who have sprinters who are in the hunt.
When Canc won it was because enough people decided they wanted to go for it.
What's interesting about M-SR is you can often predict (or at least be informed about) who will do well in the sprint by closely watching how they do on the Cipressa and on a Poggio (although it's harder to spot on the poggio because of the action etc).
Last year for example Boonen slipped down maybe 40 places from about 12 fron the front to about 50th or so on the Cipressa and again slipped a bit on the Poggio. Freire on the otherhand stayed maybe 15th position all the way.
How did Tom losing 40 places lead to him beating everyone but Freire?
I don't quite understand...0 -
You did.csp wrote:I read somewhere (probably here) that the finishline used to be much closer to the Poggio, and ever since it has moved further out, the sprinters have a much greater chance of getting back to the front.
It was one Kilometre from the bottom of the Poggio (where it hits the main road) and teams had nothing to do with the result.
Check out Sean Kelly's win in 1992. (and other solo winners who could climb the Poggio)
A year or so later the officials cars parked just after the finish line and the late arrival Bunch smashed into the cars.
One being a certain Mario Cipollini who then got up and raised his bike and was banging the sides of those cars with it. (with true Italian emotion)
They moved the finish, which now brings the teams into the mix for a Paris -Tours type finish and "even" Cipollini could now win the race.
That Paris-Tours event is a long standing race with plenty of history and has never been considered a Monument Race.
Dammed Sprinters :roll:
In the right race (Scheldeprijs 6th April for example) I can love them though.Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 19720 -
Did you ride up that drag with 53x14 or 16?Pross wrote:Looking at the course profile I was amazed at how "easy" the Cipressa and Poggio are. When I first got into cycling and read reports / saw photos of these climbs I always thought they were genuine climbs but the Cipressa at 5.6km, 4.1% average and 9% max is very similar to a drag I did on Sunday and which I'm amazed that any pro cyclist would struggle on. The Poggio is shorter and less steep. I guess that at the end of 300km they are just the straws to break the camels back.
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Rick Chasey wrote:calvjones wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:it's just a case of how many riders have enough juice to want to give a go on the poggio.
Recently, there have been quite a few teams who have sprinters who are in the hunt.
When Canc won it was because enough people decided they wanted to go for it.
What's interesting about M-SR is you can often predict (or at least be informed about) who will do well in the sprint by closely watching how they do on the Cipressa and on a Poggio (although it's harder to spot on the poggio because of the action etc).
Last year for example Boonen slipped down maybe 40 places from about 12 fron the front to about 50th or so on the Cipressa and again slipped a bit on the Poggio. Freire on the otherhand stayed maybe 15th position all the way.
How did Tom losing 40 places lead to him beating everyone but Freire?
I don't quite understand...
Sorry, I thought that you were saying because Tom slipped back on the hills you could tell he wouldn't do well in the sprint, but that because Freire held station, he therefore would do well. But clearly Tom beat everyone who overtook him on the Poggio... except Freire.
Probably misunderstood you.___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
calvjones wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:calvjones wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:it's just a case of how many riders have enough juice to want to give a go on the poggio.
Recently, there have been quite a few teams who have sprinters who are in the hunt.
When Canc won it was because enough people decided they wanted to go for it.
What's interesting about M-SR is you can often predict (or at least be informed about) who will do well in the sprint by closely watching how they do on the Cipressa and on a Poggio (although it's harder to spot on the poggio because of the action etc).
Last year for example Boonen slipped down maybe 40 places from about 12 fron the front to about 50th or so on the Cipressa and again slipped a bit on the Poggio. Freire on the otherhand stayed maybe 15th position all the way.
How did Tom losing 40 places lead to him beating everyone but Freire?
I don't quite understand...
Sorry, I thought that you were saying because Tom slipped back on the hills you could tell he wouldn't do well in the sprint, but that because Freire held station, he therefore would do well. But clearly Tom beat everyone who overtook him on the Poggio... except Freire.
Probably misunderstood you.
He's still Tom Boonen. They were the only ones coming into the race with some good form. Benatti has been out of form for years, and Petacchi never really had a chance.0 -
andyp wrote:Having ridden both the Cipressa and the Poggio, and most of the other capi I can assure the doubters that with the best part of 300 km in your legs (and I've heard it said that the race distance is close to 310 km if you include the roll out from the centre of Milan) they are a lot tougher than the bare statistics suggest.
I don't doubt that at all and even made the point in my earlier post but what I was trying to say is that the hills aren't anything in their own right that are likely to pose a problem for a sprinter in the top professional ranks. It is the wearing down process of the distance and the other capi in advance that is more of a key. Also, I was just surprised when I saw the bare statistics of the climb having had the impression when I first got interested in the sport that they were two semi-major climbs.
That said, you have a point as most of the other climbs in classics don't look overly difficult when you view them in isolation i.e. they 'appear' to be either steep but quite short or long and not so steep but when you have 10 or more of them in a race it is seriously demanding! :shock:0 -
FJS wrote:
Did you ride up that drag with 53x14 or 16?Pross wrote:Looking at the course profile I was amazed at how "easy" the Cipressa and Poggio are. When I first got into cycling and read reports / saw photos of these climbs I always thought they were genuine climbs but the Cipressa at 5.6km, 4.1% average and 9% max is very similar to a drag I did on Sunday and which I'm amazed that any pro cyclist would struggle on. The Poggio is shorter and less steep. I guess that at the end of 300km they are just the straws to break the camels back.
Nope, although I did it on about 52 x 17 many years ago when I was fit
But that is sort of the point I was trying to make i.e. that they aren't climbs where the best climbers come into their own, they are more suited to powerful riders. 0 -
I hate sprints.
But M-SR's last 30km can be the best racing of the season. When it's on, it's constant attacks, brutal pace etc etc.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Worn my Tee shirt out but 30 odd years ago I had a holiday in Alasio and rode the course of the time.andyp wrote:Having ridden both the Cipressa and the Poggio, and most of the other capi I can assure the doubters that with the best part of 300 km in your legs (and I've heard it said that the race distance is close to 310 km if you include the roll out from the centre of Milan) they are a lot tougher than the bare statistics suggest.
I'm sure that included the Poggio.
I know the riders are in no hurry across the Lombardi flat lands and they only start racing up to the Turchino Tunnel.
The Monument tag is because it's the longest race on the calendar I think and as such the organisers are reluctant to use more climbs that are available.
I am thinking about those on the Trofeo Laigueglia (19th February).
I enjoy the Paris-Tours and more so with the inclusion of the extra hills they use by circling the town these days but this has always been a sprinters race.
What will happen with the forthcoming tram tracks.??Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 19720 -
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iainf72 wrote:I hate sprints.
But M-SR's last 30km can be the best racing of the season. When it's on, it's constant attacks, brutal pace etc etc.
I agree with this the last sections of the race are usually great viewing even if it does end up in a sprint, far more exciting than last years Flanders or Roubaix for example.Gasping - but somehow still alive !0 -
I love it. Agree with posts by greasedscotsman & Iainf72.
New article on the Inner Ring blog, sums it up well for me http://inrng.com/?p=2018#more-20180 -
I love this report on the 1910 Milan-San Remo.
http://www.milansanremo.co.uk/1910story.htm
Not too many sprinters (or anyone else for that matter!) at the end of that one.0 -
rhnb wrote:I love this report on the 1910 Milan-San Remo.
http://www.milansanremo.co.uk/1910story.htm
Not too many sprinters (or anyone else for that matter!) at the end of that one.
Great read that.....makes the race radio debate look a little silly!0 -
Years ago whoever got over the Passo Turchino used to win the race. Now it's so controlled it's a bunch sprint but that's fine as there are plenty of attacks and the course makes it good viewing.0
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And they're off.
Cloudy but dry. Predicted to stay that way.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
some touching images from the start..
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shakey88 wrote:what's the story?
Errrr...have you not watched the news recently?0
