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Milan - San Remo 2021 ***Spoilers***

ddraverddraver Posts: 25,572
edited March 2021 in Pro race
I have a few spare minutes....

SOURCE - All Photos ripped from Cycling Tips unless otherwise credited

Start List is pure cyclo-porn - https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/milan-san-remo-2-216650





Getty


Favourites - Anyone
Potentials - Anyone

Heart over head - Gilbert wins his 5th and final Monument and retires a legend. Sam Bennett who was climbing superbly at Paris Nice pulls off a win for the big boys.

For food & wine we move from Milan up into Piedmont then on to Liguria. Piedmont, being mountainous, is dominated by dairy and red meat. Eggy Pasta, bollito Misto and truffles and deep, red tannic wines from the Nebbiolo grape - Barolo and Barbaresco. For a more approachable version try a Barbera.

https://verietyinfo.com/belgiumfr/san-remo-un-itineraire-classique-mais-sans-le-passo-del-turcino/


Moving to lower altitudes in Liguria we enter the home of focaccia, minestrone and Pesto (student raver's idea of fine dining...). Liguria is also the spiritual home of the best herb in the world BASIL! The limestone in Liguria makes it particularly good for white wines given them a mineral taste (My geology brain is sending up red flags everywhere here 🤔 - but it makes a good excuse for those of us who may want a white wine during the race). Try a wine from Vermentino with a fragrant pine wood and sea salt aroma (cough..bu11shit...cough!)

We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver
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Posts

  • TheBigBeanTheBigBean Posts: 18,485
    MvDP is the popular PTP pick, but isn't he going to get bored by the Cipressa and attack?
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,655





    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,500 Lives Here
    Orecchiette? Up north? Mind blown.
    _
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,655
    rick_chasey said:

    Orecchiette? Up north? Mind blown.

    It was a generic post cos of the name.

    Here's a 4 time winner of San Remo to make up for it.


    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 10,626


    Off Luke Rowe's Instagram
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,572
    This is good for attacks right?

    (Come ooooon Phil!)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • joe_totale-2joe_totale-2 Posts: 1,333
    Those hairpin turns on the descents near the end could be fun with the extra speed everyone might be carrying into them.
  • yorkshirerawyorkshireraw Posts: 1,626
    Would love to see Phil Gil do it but can't see a scenario where he does get to the finish at the front, and isn't faced with a stronger rider or a whole bunch.
    Everyone knows he wants it so any attack he does will be covered - he's not going in as a stalking horse.
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,500 Lives Here
    Think he'll struggle to hold the wheel of JA or MvdP on the Poggio tbh.
    _
  • TheBigBeanTheBigBean Posts: 18,485
    rick_chasey said:

    Think he'll struggle to hold the wheel of JA or MvdP on the Poggio tbh.

    Depends entirely on his form though surely? A 2011 version would match them. I know that he won't have that level of form now, but he does have a habit of producing stunning performances in one off races every now and then.
  • yorkshirerawyorkshireraw Posts: 1,626
    rick_chasey said:

    Think he'll struggle to hold the wheel of JA or MvdP on the Poggio tbh.

    agreed. And if he does, he's then faced with JA or MVDP at the finish....
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,898
    I can't see JA getting away without at least one of them, and I can't see him winning the flat sprint against either.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,655
    kingstongraham said:

    I can't see JA getting away without at least one of them, and I can't see him winning the flat sprint against either.

    The one thing he has going for him is how, after he got his stage win, he toodled around Tirreno while the other two turned themselves inside out.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • jam1ejam1e Posts: 1,065
    Shouldn't this be in the "s*** small races" thread?
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,500 Lives Here
    lol at who flagged that.
    _
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,500 Lives Here
    TheBigBean said:

    rick_chasey said:

    Think he'll struggle to hold the wheel of JA or MvdP on the Poggio tbh.

    Depends entirely on his form though surely? A 2011 version would match them. I know that he won't have that level of form now, but he does have a habit of producing stunning performances in one off races every now and then.
    Yeah maybe. He tends to show his form rather than have it come out the blue.
    _
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,572
    rick_chasey said:

    lol at who flagged that.

    😇
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,500 Lives Here
    Do we have a view if MvdP is good going downhill? I know we think JA will commit and WvA can go down faster than him - how does MvdP stack up?
    _
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,572
    First - outside of Ned Boulting's head - JA isnt actually that good - last year being a good example. WvA cruised across the gap on the downhill.

    MvdP - probably the same as WvA but more likely to take all or nothing risks
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,898
    :)

  • tailwindhometailwindhome Posts: 18,366
    edited March 2021
    The Inner Ring compared a Cancellara Paris Roubaix to an episode of Columbo. You know who did it, you just watch the full episode to find out how.

    I think this MSR may be the same with MVDP as the killer.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • andypandyp Posts: 9,428
    rick_chasey said:

    Do we have a view if MvdP is good going downhill? I know we think JA will commit and WvA can go down faster than him - how does MvdP stack up?

    He can handle a bike.
  • phreakphreak Posts: 2,809
    The rest of the peloton can't just wait until the Poggio though, can they? It will be interesting to see if the presence of the big three prompts others to try and shake things up from further out.
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,500 Lives Here
    edited March 2021
    phreak said:

    The rest of the peloton can't just wait until the Poggio though, can they? It will be interesting to see if the presence of the big three prompts others to try and shake things up from further out.

    So if you're a DS of any team that isn't MvdP, you don't want it to be a particularly punchy final hour or so, as that's the MvdP sweet spot. He can just outride anyone over an hour or so. So you're happy to keep it together, unless maybe you're backing WvA, JA or possibly Gilbert or Nibali, for as long as possible.

    Even then, if I was WvA, I would role the dice and just follow and ride with MvdP and chance the sprint.

    If you're QS you play both sides, have JA go big on the poggio and hope Bennet and or Ballerini can hang onto the peloton up the Poggio.

    if you're someone like a GvA or Naesen you go with the MvdP move and just hope there are enough numbers clear at the back end of the poggio to make it a tactical run in.

    But there are still plenty of sprinters in the peloton so there will still be a lot of interest to keep it together for a sprint > you would definitely urge them to really gun it hard after the Poggio regardless as it would not be totally unforeseen that MvdP and WvA mark themselves out or blow it tactically.
    _
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,724
    phreak said:

    The rest of the peloton can't just wait until the Poggio though, can they? It will be interesting to see if the presence of the big three prompts others to try and shake things up from further out.


    The thing is I don't think that MVDP can either. Not tactically, just he seems to get bored easily. I just can't see him waiting that long.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,500 Lives Here
    edited March 2021
    RichN95. said:

    phreak said:

    The rest of the peloton can't just wait until the Poggio though, can they? It will be interesting to see if the presence of the big three prompts others to try and shake things up from further out.


    The thing is I don't think that MVDP can either. Not tactically, just he seems to get bored easily. I just can't see him waiting that long.
    It's a monument though. Don't get many opportunities to arrive at a monument like MSR with such good form. Even the best riders ever only have this level going into the big races a few times a career.
    _
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,724
    rick_chasey said:

    RichN95. said:

    phreak said:

    The rest of the peloton can't just wait until the Poggio though, can they? It will be interesting to see if the presence of the big three prompts others to try and shake things up from further out.


    The thing is I don't think that MVDP can either. Not tactically, just he seems to get bored easily. I just can't see him waiting that long.
    It's a monument though. Don't get many opportunities to arrive at a monument like MSR with such good form. Even the best riders ever only have this level going into the big races a few times a career.

    I'm unconvinced that he thinks like that
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 10,626
    RichN95. said:

    rick_chasey said:

    RichN95. said:

    phreak said:

    The rest of the peloton can't just wait until the Poggio though, can they? It will be interesting to see if the presence of the big three prompts others to try and shake things up from further out.


    The thing is I don't think that MVDP can either. Not tactically, just he seems to get bored easily. I just can't see him waiting that long.
    It's a monument though. Don't get many opportunities to arrive at a monument like MSR with such good form. Even the best riders ever only have this level going into the big races a few times a career.

    I'm unconvinced that he thinks like that
    You don't think maybe he does and this is a target event for him?
  • andyracandyrac Posts: 973
    andyp said:

    rick_chasey said:

    Do we have a view if MvdP is good going downhill? I know we think JA will commit and WvA can go down faster than him - how does MvdP stack up?

    He can handle a bike.
    I don't think that should be an issue; if you can stay with Nino et al on a rocky /rooty descent, a smooth tarmac one shouldn't pose too many problems.

    All Road/ Gravel: Trek Crockett 5
    WInter: Trek Domane ALR3
    MTB: Canyon Grand Canyon 8.0
    Road: tbc
  • shirley_bassoshirley_basso Posts: 5,752
    Don't forget what happened to MvdP at the worlds
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