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

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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Surprised how many, and how quickly, people have uploaded already...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    Might have won if he hadn't done an extra 7km!
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    edited March 2021

    Andrii Ponomar is 18 years old, and has this as his first day of racing since September.



    "Polite golf claps"
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,581
    What do we see as Pidcock's ideal parcours?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    mrb123 said:

    What do we see as Pidcock's ideal parcours?

    Cyclocross field 😈
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    mrb123 said:

    What do we see as Pidcock's ideal parcours?

    Tough one as flatter races or those with short, sharp climbs you would expect WVA and MvdP to get the better of him whilst LBL / Fleche there's the likes of JA, Pog and Roglic. There's also Evenepoel to come back. That said he was there at the finish in KBK. I suspect the Ardennes would suit him most though.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,876
    ddraver said:

    Andrii Ponomar is 18 years old, and has this as his first day of racing since September.



    "Polite gold claps"
    Seriously impressive.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,581
    Pross said:

    mrb123 said:

    What do we see as Pidcock's ideal parcours?

    Tough one as flatter races or those with short, sharp climbs you would expect WVA and MvdP to get the better of him whilst LBL / Fleche there's the likes of JA, Pog and Roglic. There's also Evenepoel to come back. That said he was there at the finish in KBK. I suspect the Ardennes would suit him most though.
    The fact that he's in contention so soon has to bode well. He's got plenty of time to improve and find his niche.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    mrb123 said:

    What do we see as Pidcock's ideal parcours?

    He's 21, I'm not sure even he could tell us yet...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    mrb123 said:

    What do we see as Pidcock's ideal parcours?


    Ultimately a stage racer or hilly classics. He has climbing pedigree and TT pedigree, but I don't think he can sprint.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    RichN95. said:

    mrb123 said:

    What do we see as Pidcock's ideal parcours?


    Ultimately a stage racer or hilly classics. He has climbing pedigree and TT pedigree, but I don't think he can sprint.
    Given his size, he packs a pretty formidable sprint. See K-B-K for reference.
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,123

    MvdP has uploaded his mere 306 kms to Strava https://strava.com/activities/4979121895
    Only 307 watts (or 293 w depending on method) weighted average power, and 241 w average power, for 6 hrs 50 mins!
    44.9 kmh average speed!

    I was surprised he didn't try anything - and when he launched his sprint I did expect him to get there. I'm guessing, but I don't think he had his 'super legs' today - that massive effort last week may have left him missing the final % he needs to blow people away.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,876
    MvdP was in white shorts today. I blame that.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,581

    MvdP was in white shorts today. I blame that.

    White leg warmers too. Unforgivable.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    Is it reasonable to say that distance might be his one (very slight) weakness?
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,439
    Pross said:

    Is it reasonable to say that distance might be his one (very slight) weakness?

    He won Flanders so maybe not. His ride at T-A in the rain looked foolish at the time and still does.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,718
    gweeds said:

    Anyone will GvA will ever win another big race?

    No
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    andyrac said:

    MvdP has uploaded his mere 306 kms to Strava https://strava.com/activities/4979121895
    Only 307 watts (or 293 w depending on method) weighted average power, and 241 w average power, for 6 hrs 50 mins!
    44.9 kmh average speed!

    I was surprised he didn't try anything - and when he launched his sprint I did expect him to get there. I'm guessing, but I don't think he had his 'super legs' today - that massive effort last week may have left him missing the final % he needs to blow people away.
    His numbers are obviously still utterly mental, but they aren't quite as insane as the Strade ones, IMO. Proper WTF numbers there.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    edited March 2021
    Pross said:

    Is it reasonable to say that distance might be his one (very slight) weakness?

    5th in MSR is hardly bad.

    What was more surprising was that there wasn’t a more decisive selection on the Poggio, given the form.

    Stuyven’s move was textbook when you think of the composition of the final group.

    Ewan being there meant there was never going to be a whole hearted chase. You’d expect had Ewan not been there it would have been a futile move.
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,123
    Stuyven rolled the dice and won; if you don't try, you can't win - what was the worse that could have happened?
    Reminded of a race or two at Cheltenham were the good jockeyship knicked the odd race they shouldn't have won.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    gsk82 said:

    Pross said:

    Is it reasonable to say that distance might be his one (very slight) weakness?

    He won Flanders so maybe not. His ride at T-A in the rain looked foolish at the time and still does.
    Yes but that was "only" 243km and 5 hours 45 minutes. I was thinking Yorkshire Worlds (the distance was cut there but it was still 6.5 hours) and as I say 'very slight' as in just blunts his explosiveness a touch.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,892
    It's a race that probably benefits giving it a go more than any other. If you look down the roll of winners, no one has been able to dominate it for a very long time. Indeed, you have to go back 11 years to find a rider that has won it for the 2nd time.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    phreak said:

    It's a race that probably benefits giving it a go more than any other. If you look down the roll of winners, no one has been able to dominate it for a very long time. Indeed, you have to go back 11 years to find a rider that has won it for the 2nd time.

    Mr Friere?
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,312
    edited March 2021

    Pross said:

    Is it reasonable to say that distance might be his one (very slight) weakness?

    5th in MSR is hardly bad.

    What was more surprising was that there wasn’t a more decisive selection on the Poggio, given the form.

    Stuyven’s move was textbook when you think of the composition of the final group.

    Ewan being there meant there was never going to be a whole hearted chase. You’d expect had Ewan not been there it would have been a futile move.
    MvdP positioning was mostly awful. On rewatching you can clearly see how much of an extra effort he had to make on the entire Poggio to make up wheels and then still had to come back from a couple of bike lengths behind when Alaphilippe attacked. WVA on the other hand was right there.
    I think MvdP had the legs, just not the superhuman ones from Strade Bianche. I think he can manage the distance, just not the distance + the extra effort his positioning puts him in.

    Regarding Pidcock, you can clearly see how he tries to follow the Stuyven move, but simply lacks the raw power on flat terrain and basically gets ridden off the wheel (there was a gap so not entirely)/fails to close the gap. This will always remain his limiting factor. He could become amazing the the Ardennes though and maybe the next Valverde on the Muur de Huy.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,892

    phreak said:

    It's a race that probably benefits giving it a go more than any other. If you look down the roll of winners, no one has been able to dominate it for a very long time. Indeed, you have to go back 11 years to find a rider that has won it for the 2nd time.

    Mr Friere?
    The one and only.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Nathan Haas did a few tweets about racing MSR. Worth a quick look through...

    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    edited March 2021
    MvdP JA WvA trifectarama neutralising each other has happened before . ...
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236

    MvdP JA WvA trifectarama neutralising each other has happened before . ...

    Trek won that race too
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    Some speculation this year's T-A was too tough and that blunted the riders who came from that race.

    Anyone with a view on that?