Milan - San Remo *spoiler*

frenchfighter

frenchfighter

Conditions on Saturday:

above_the_cows

welshmessenger wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Another smart, cagey ride by Paolini.

I thought that too. He could upset the apple cart at RVV/PR if he can get away with the right companions.

No-one has mentioned the shortened race; could RCS have done it differently? Surely they knew that Passo Turchino was going to be dicey. Slightly cheapens the win for Ciolek, no?

I can see why people would think that the shortening of today's race 'cheapens' the win but I would rather just say that the riders raced the parcours they were given on the day and on that parcours the best man on the day in those conditions won.

I'm not sure what RCS could have done differently. The snow had been forecast for a while but there is no way around that coastal range. You have to go over it somehow to get to the coast. Apart from say making it Viareggio-San Remo. La Riviera as opposed to La Primavera.

frenchfighter

Sagan only rider with toe warmers rather than full overshoes:

frenchfighter

Turfle

welshmessenger wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Another smart, cagey ride by Paolini.

I thought that too. He could upset the apple cart at RVV/PR if he can get away with the right companions.

No-one has mentioned the shortened race; could RCS have done it differently? Surely they knew that Passo Turchino was going to be dicey. Slightly cheapens the win for Ciolek, no?

Nothing cheap about winning a race that the likes of Boonen, Nibali, Terpstra (?), and many many more gave up on. Especially when you get to the line with Sagan, Cancellara, Chavanel, Stannard, and Paolini.

frenchfighter

Ciolek racing with dark sunglasses...seems odd when it is so dark outside. Most of the riders weren't wearing any.

welshmessenger

Turfle wrote:

welshmessenger wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Another smart, cagey ride by Paolini.

I thought that too. He could upset the apple cart at RVV/PR if he can get away with the right companions.

No-one has mentioned the shortened race; could RCS have done it differently? Surely they knew that Passo Turchino was going to be dicey. Slightly cheapens the win for Ciolek, no?

Nothing cheap about winning a race that the likes of Boonen, Nibali, Terpstra (?), and many many more gave up on. Especially when you get to the line with Sagan, Cancellara, Chavanel, Stannard, and Paolini.

Fair comment that.

esafosfina1

Jesus... feeling very smug right now... picked Ciolek as a "left-field" winner... although I was praying for Chavanel!

iainf72

The last 20 minutes of MSR can be among the most exciting of the season. I think this year was pretty good, all things considered.

There was obviously attrition via the weather, but I think it would've had a different feel if the 2 early climbs hadn't been removed.

6.5/10

FJS

Rick Chasey wrote:

Told ya Moser wouldn't last ;-)

To be fair to him, he did have a huge pull on the Poggio to get Sagan closer to Chavanel and Stannard.

thegibdog

welshmessenger wrote:

Turfle wrote:

welshmessenger wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Another smart, cagey ride by Paolini.

I thought that too. He could upset the apple cart at RVV/PR if he can get away with the right companions.

No-one has mentioned the shortened race; could RCS have done it differently? Surely they knew that Passo Turchino was going to be dicey. Slightly cheapens the win for Ciolek, no?

Nothing cheap about winning a race that the likes of Boonen, Nibali, Terpstra (?), and many many more gave up on. Especially when you get to the line with Sagan, Cancellara, Chavanel, Stannard, and Paolini.

Fair comment that.

Yeah, surely most riders would prefer to ride the full length race in good conditions over a shortened race in today's weather. Makes it a more worthy win for Ciolek if anything.

Yellow Peril

A great edition. No passengers today, you had to endure the conditions just to survive and many great riders couldn't do that. Superb last 20 minutes by Chav and Stannard, they changed the race complexion completely. Tremendous respect for Phinney and Cioleck for heroic rides and a clever ride by Cancellara who wasn't prepared to be Sagan's husky. As a result the chasing down that Sagan had to do cost him the race.Without a doubt 9/10 for this edition.

Can Stannard now be certified as a true heavyweight?

ddraver

So do you think that Canc has laid down a bit of a marker in terms of this years Classics? In a sort of a "I'm not towing you anywhere no more" sort of stylee?

frenchfighter

Looks like Cancellara is doing 400km driving to get back home tonight.

frenchfighter

above_the_cows

frenchfighter wrote:

Looks like Cancellara is doing 400km driving to get back home tonight.

Yeah but he's stopped at his favourite Autogrill so he's not going hungry.

inkyfingers

ddraver wrote:

So do you think that Canc has laid down a bit of a marker in terms of this years Classics? In a sort of a "I'm not towing you anywhere no more" sort of stylee?

Yes, it was an interesting dynamic. I thought it was good that he did was he said he was going to do, i.e. not help anybody else win, even though it meant he was unlikely to win himself, but it does give him a problem as to what he's going to do in future.

frenchfighter

Yellow Peril

ddraver wrote:

So do you think that Canc has laid down a bit of a marker in terms of this years Classics? In a sort of a "I'm not towing you anywhere no more" sort of stylee?

Absolutely. His palmares is beyond reproach. He isn't prepared to allow others to build their palmares off his back. I'm sure he was happier finishing 3rd to Cioleck than finishing 2nd to Sagan and I bet he was grinning inside at all of Sagan's wasted chasing saying "welcome to my world son"

rick_chasey

It was an interesting and exciting finale.

Could have done with more information on what was happening behind in the Sagan group on the Poggio.

Thought Canc rode it well. Has he been on the podium 3 years in a row now??

disgruntledgoat

I'd love to know what race Iain would rank as 'most enjoyable'

frenchfighter

above_the_cows

ddraver wrote:

So do you think that Canc has laid down a bit of a marker in terms of this years Classics? In a sort of a "I'm not towing you anywhere no more" sort of stylee?

It certainly does set up an interesting dynamic in the tactical-nous/mind-games/cycling is a game of chess/poker department between Canc, Sagan and others.

Yellow Peril

frenchfighter wrote:

Great photo. I hope the other classics live up to this in terms of unpredictability and excitement (and I don't mean the midway taxi ride).

The question in my mind is can Stannard now hang on to the coat tails of the likes of Cancellara and Boonen in the cobbled classics? I still sense that that is yet another league above what we saw today.

Yellow Peril

Above The Cows wrote:

ddraver wrote:

So do you think that Canc has laid down a bit of a marker in terms of this years Classics? In a sort of a "I'm not towing you anywhere no more" sort of stylee?

It certainly does set up an interesting dynamic in the tactical-nous/mind-games/cycling is a game of chess/poker department between Canc, Sagan and others.

Agreed and it was interesting to note today that Cancellara was prepared to call Sagan's bluff. He probably realises that he no longer has anything to prove and isn't prepared to facilitate other's reputations

above_the_cows

Yellow Peril wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

ddraver wrote:

So do you think that Canc has laid down a bit of a marker in terms of this years Classics? In a sort of a "I'm not towing you anywhere no more" sort of stylee?

It certainly does set up an interesting dynamic in the tactical-nous/mind-games/cycling is a game of chess/poker department between Canc, Sagan and others.

Agreed and it was interesting to note today that Cancellara was prepared to call Sagan's bluff. He probably realises that he no longer has anything to prove and isn't prepared to facilitate other's reputations

So can we conclude that Fabu has learned something? As you say he has nothing to prove, he has won his monuments and so in fact holds the power over Sagan who has yet to win one and has everything to prove in that department (as good a rider as he may be).

I wonder what Sagan's thoughts will be when he closes his eyes tonight? If he isn't too knackered that he doesn't just pass out. I feel Sagan should learn something from today.

greasedscotsman

"I under-evaluated him a little bit. I was watching Cancellara, who was trying to break free, and maybe I did too much work," Sagan said. "Ciolek stayed in the wheels and he took my wheel to do the sprint and was able to beat me. I went too early in the sprint and I left it on a plate for Ciolek."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sagan-r ... n-san-remo

ddraver

@AtC

I suspect Sagan has realised that it's big boy time now and he now has the whole peloton trying to stop him winning. How he comes out of this now is likely to define the rest of his career...Him and the England Rugby team should have a chat...

LeicesterLad

ddraver wrote:

@AtC

I suspect Sagan has realised that it's big boy time now and he now has the whole peloton trying to stop him winning. How he comes out of this now is likely to define the rest of his career...Him and the England Rugby team should have a chat...

Harsh comparing Sagan to Englands performance yesterday :shock:

Sagan still finished second in a monument. He's 23 and smashes people for fun. Batter Cav and Greipel in a sprint one day, lead the bunch over a 27% climb the next. I doubt much worries Sagan.