# Milan-San Remo - 23'rd March - *spoilers*



## thom (17 Mar 2014)

La Primavera takes place this Sunday.

The proposed additional climb was not included due to safety reasons:






Arguably this is the first of the really big ones, one with romance but likely the longest parcours of the year. Really looking forward to it.


----------



## smutchin (18 Mar 2014)

Ooh, yes! Could be a very exciting one. Cav's win yesterday shows he's well up for it, but there are plenty of strong contenders showing good form...


----------



## Crackle (18 Mar 2014)

Start list and the weather is looking wet


----------



## raindog (18 Mar 2014)

Crackle said:


> Start list and the weather is looking wet


that's last year's start list


----------



## Crackle (18 Mar 2014)

raindog said:


> that's last year's start list


Right! It's this years weather though


----------



## raindog (18 Mar 2014)




----------



## rich p (18 Mar 2014)

I wonder if OPQS will be riding primarily for Boonen or Cav?


----------



## Crackle (18 Mar 2014)

More likely to be a sprinters race this year do you think? Degenkolb and Cav both looked like they were climbing well. Grepel less so but not bad for a big guy and Kittel hopeless.


----------



## thom (18 Mar 2014)

Sagan is going to win something like this sooner rather than later.


----------



## rich p (18 Mar 2014)

Crackle said:


> More likely to be a sprinters race this year do you think? Degenkolb and Cav both looked like they were climbing well. Grepel less so but not bad for a big guy and Kittel hopeless.


Boonen climbs well and is still a sprinter of sorts


----------



## laurence (18 Mar 2014)

Boonen for me.


----------



## Keith Oates (19 Mar 2014)

I don't know who will win but I really HOPE it's Cav!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## The Couch (19 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> Boonen climbs well and is still a sprinter of sorts


Not so sure though if he can actually climb that much better than Cav (currently) and as long as Cav is in the same group, Boonen won't be able to sprint for it

Probably people like Sagan, Cancellara, Van Avermaet, Gilbert, Ulissi, Chavanel,... (Degenkolb, Kristof?) should be able to drop the rest of peloton and after the top of the Poggio it will be a race if the left-over of the peloton (Greipel, Cav, Demare) can catch them back or not


----------



## thom (19 Mar 2014)

Stannard to place well again ?


----------



## beastie (19 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> I wonder if OPQS will be riding primarily for Boonen or Cav?


Boonen I expect.


----------



## smutchin (19 Mar 2014)

Given that they didn't even bother taking Cav to the Omloop or KBK, and his stated reasons for that, it would seem highly unlikely that they're taking him to MSR just to make up the numbers...

Boonen is a very useful Plan B though.

After Paris-Nice, I've got my eye on Vichot and Rojas as possible contenders for MSR. And Degenkolb has to be in with a strong shout.


----------



## smutchin (19 Mar 2014)

Crackle said:


> More likely to be a sprinters race this year do you think?



Apparently, the route they're using this year has been used 11 times before and went to a sprint finish on seven out of those 11 occasions. The last time being Freire in 2007.


----------



## adscrim (19 Mar 2014)

Cavendish mentioned after his win in TA that he had been working hard on his climbing in view of a pop at MSR - I took from his comments that he was the primary objective for the team. In that win, they dropped Kittel on the climb but I note Sagan and Griepel were both there and would have been more of a threat were it not for the Lotto crash in the last 2k.


----------



## dragon72 (19 Mar 2014)

Sadly Boonen's out of M-S. His wife's had a miscarriage. Very sad indeed.


----------



## The Couch (19 Mar 2014)

dragon72 said:


> ..His wife's had a miscarriage. Very sad indeed.


That's though news, man
(my thought's go out to his family)


----------



## thom (19 Mar 2014)

Here is the official guide

Still to see a rider line up


----------



## themosquitoking (19 Mar 2014)

Was it MSR last year where they all took a bus halfway through the race?


----------



## Strathlubnaig (19 Mar 2014)

Pro Cycling Stats have most of the line up listed, still a few gaps though.


----------



## fimm (20 Mar 2014)

themosquitoking said:


> Was it MSR last year where they all took a bus halfway through the race?


 Yes


----------



## themosquitoking (20 Mar 2014)

Thought so, cheers. That was brutal last year, i remember the riders photoing each other with icicles on their face.


----------



## raindog (21 Mar 2014)

themosquitoking said:


> That was brutal last year, i remember the riders photoing each other with icicles on their face.


I saved some of those
here's a Taylor Phinney selfie


----------



## raindog (21 Mar 2014)

Start list
http://www.cyclingnews.com/milan-san-remo/start-list
Stannard not riding apparently


----------



## The Couch (21 Mar 2014)

raindog said:


> Start list
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/milan-san-remo/start-list
> Stannard not riding apparently


Weird... after his great race last year 
(I guess Sky wants to make Hagen feel leader in this one, so he doesn't have much of an issue with being kinda second fiddle in the upcoming races like RvV)


----------



## thom (21 Mar 2014)

The Couch said:


> Weird... after his great race last year
> (I guess Sky wants to make Hagen feel leader in this one, so he doesn't have much of an issue with being kinda second fiddle in the upcoming races like RvV)


Could be he's injured - could be the absence of Le Manie has a bearing on selection (seems to be why Ben Swift is in).


----------



## rich p (21 Mar 2014)

The weather looks iffy, showers could make descending tricky.
It would favour someone like Nibali if he wasn't riding like a dog.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/3173435


----------



## The Couch (21 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> The weather looks iffy, showers could make descending tricky.
> It would favour someone like Nibali if he wasn't riding like a dog.
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/3173435


Gilbert, Sagan and Kwiatek all are very good descenders as well (and are among the pre-race favourites)


----------



## laurence (21 Mar 2014)

fab Fab for me.


----------



## thom (21 Mar 2014)

Last year's story in Rouleur's blog


----------



## oldroadman (21 Mar 2014)

240km of getting it done and avoiding the loony Italian pro conti teams. Then the real stuff starts. Poggio is crucial, top that with 45 seconds and there's just a chance... but apart from that, if Cav gets over it and down the other side near the front, it will come down to him versus whichever sprinters are left. Only thing to spoil the party might be Sagan going long (see comment about Poggio). All I know is it's bloomin' hard by then. Nearly 300km is a long way!
In days of old, it was even madder, sometimes up to 350 starters, with every local no-hope team trying for their 5 minutes of glory. If you think the crashes are bad now, it's nothing compared to what happened back then.


----------



## beastie (23 Mar 2014)

Light rain / drizzle forecast for much of the route, not much of a breeze


246km remaining from 299km
*10:30:47 CET*
53km into the race and the seven leaders have 9'15 over the peloton.

Matteo Bono (Lampre Merida), Nathan Haas (Garmin-Sharp), Nicola Boem (Bardiani), Antonio Parrinello (Androni Giocattoli), Maarten Tjallingii (Belkin), Jan Barta (Netapp-Endura), Marc de Maar (UnitedHealthCare)
Only 5 and a bit hours to go


----------



## rich p (23 Mar 2014)

So 100km gone, 200 to go and a 9 minute lead for the breakaway.
So they should win by 27 minutes by my maths.
Have I got this right?


----------



## beastie (23 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> So 100km gone, 200 to go and a 9 minute lead for the breakaway.
> So they should win by 27 minutes by my maths.
> Have I got this right?


You are UKcyclingexpert AICMFP. 

"
The Milan-San Marino sportive is the longest of the year. (Well over 100 miles!) Unlike last year, no one is allowed to do the short route!"


----------



## rich p (23 Mar 2014)

Live at last on ES
83km to go and 6 minutes ahead now.
Wet Wet Wet


----------



## Crackle (23 Mar 2014)

Lots beginning to suffer now.


----------



## raindog (23 Mar 2014)

Crap conditions, although not as bad as last year, obviously.
Reports of snow at the finish though.


----------



## thom (23 Mar 2014)

raindog said:


> Reports of snow at the finish though.


You're joking ?


----------



## raindog (23 Mar 2014)

Read that on CN updates.
Real shame Stannard isn't there - right up his street this kind of thing.


----------



## rich p (23 Mar 2014)

Strada, Raindog, strada!


----------



## Pro Tour Punditry (23 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> Wet Wet Wet



Marty Pellow on the front?


----------



## rliu (23 Mar 2014)

We needed the bad weather to get the excitement back into the race after all those sections that were taken out or re-routed, wouldn't be Milan-San Remo without some wind beaten faces


----------



## Strathlubnaig (23 Mar 2014)

rliu said:


> We needed the bad weather to get the excitement back into the race after all those sections that were taken out or re-routed, wouldn't be Milan-San Remo without some wind beaten faces


I can see why Wiggins didnt enter this one....


----------



## raindog (23 Mar 2014)

The Nibs Attacks!


----------



## thom (23 Mar 2014)

raindog said:


> The Nibs Attacks!


I don't believe his form is good enough - the peloton isn't too concerned
edit - wet roads may help him though


----------



## Strathlubnaig (23 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> I don't believe his form is good enough - the peloton isn't too concerned
> edit - wet roads may help him though


He just pelted past the lead pair, guess he is going for the long range early attack, sans aide.


----------



## Strathlubnaig (23 Mar 2014)

A big effort will be made to leave the sprinters behind on the final climb to avoid that type of finish. Nibbles knows he cant outsprint those guys, so all or nothing I guess.


----------



## beastie (23 Mar 2014)

Interesting finale. Lots of potential victors. Sky obviously do not share my lack of belief in EBH.


----------



## raindog (23 Mar 2014)

this last descent will be 'orrible in these conditions


----------



## Strathlubnaig (23 Mar 2014)

Looks a flat out sprinters sprint to finish


----------



## thom (23 Mar 2014)

good sized bunch still


----------



## raindog (23 Mar 2014)

Cav could do this!


----------



## thom (23 Mar 2014)

Kristoff - who saw that coming …!?


----------



## Strathlubnaig (23 Mar 2014)

ouph, you could see the legs were heavy in that 'sprint'. Good effort all round.


----------



## raindog (23 Mar 2014)

Strathlubnaig said:


> ouph, you could see the legs were heavy in that 'sprint'. Good effort all round.


absolutely - what a finish from everyone - brilliant!


----------



## thom (23 Mar 2014)

Kristoff, Cancellara, Swift , xxx, Cavendish

That must be Ben Swift's best ever result


----------



## Strathlubnaig (23 Mar 2014)

Good last push by Candelabra there, 2nd, and a third for Swift, Cav seemed to fade last 20m.


----------



## raindog (23 Mar 2014)

1 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha
2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek Factory Racing
3 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky
4 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team
5 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team
6 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
7 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team
8 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida
9 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN-Qhubeka
10 Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale


----------



## rliu (23 Mar 2014)

Not surprised Cav didn't have the legs to follow Kristoff, the attacks up Cipressa and Poggio would have taken a lot out of the sprinters. I was a bit hasty earlier saying the segments taken out would have affected the excitement, the effort of doing near 300km in the rain is still hell in itself.


----------



## rich p (23 Mar 2014)

Impressive by Swift, although not as impressive as Kristoff!


----------



## raindog (23 Mar 2014)

rliu said:


> I was a bit hasty earlier saying the segments taken out would have affected the excitement, the effort of doing near 300km in the rain is still hell in itself.


That's what's special about this race. In the post race interview Kristoff said sprinting after 300k isn't the same as sprinting after 200.
Fabulous ride from Ben Swift


----------



## thom (23 Mar 2014)

raindog said:


> 1 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha
> 2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek Factory Racing
> 3 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky
> 4 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team
> ...


Curious - Cav might have won with Stybar linking up better for a lead out.
Katusha certainly had good team work in the finale so hats off to them for sealing the deal.


----------



## raindog (23 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> Curious - Cav might have won with Stybar linking up better for a lead out.


Not sure that helps in M-SR. That last descent with everyone strung out in a long line, then the last kilometre which is just a sort of mad, every-man-for-himself scramble - almost a lottery in some ways.
I've always loved this race.


----------



## Crackle (23 Mar 2014)

Final k's



Didn't realize Greipel had made it into the group.


----------



## dan_bo (23 Mar 2014)

Well chuffed for Ben Swift.


----------



## rliu (23 Mar 2014)

Crackle said:


> Final k's
> 
> 
> 
> Didn't realize Greipel had made it into the group.




Good thing about one day races is that no one is keeping anything in reserve. If it had been a Grand Tour stage and a sprinter got dropped with 5k to go they would have just rolled in with a grupetto.


----------



## zizou (23 Mar 2014)

Exciting finish and great timing from Kristoff (he is really rocking the American Flyers look these days).

The finish is always a bit of a strange one - going up and then down the Poggio then the race through town is consistently one of the most exciting last few KMs in cycling...however despite that the final stretch into the sprint always feels a bit unsatisfying with the 90 degree corners.


----------



## Hont (25 Mar 2014)

Two days later with everyone saying how big a factor the cold was...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/col...hard-to-attack-at-milan-san-remo-says-gilbert
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/iam-cycling-wet-and-cold-at-milan-san-remo

Anyone else thinking that Stannard would have loved it?


----------



## lay (25 Mar 2014)

It didn't do anything for me, then again it never has.. - MSR is TOO long and needs to be shortened..! imo  - it kicks off in the last 30kms prior to that they ride 250 odd kms...some warm-up ???


----------



## smutchin (25 Mar 2014)

lay said:


> it kicks off in the last 30kms



That could describe most bike races, really. It's the length and difficulty of the "warm-up" that make MSR what it is (see Kristoff quote upthread).


----------



## lay (25 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> Kristoff, Cancellara, Swift , xxx, Cavendish
> 
> That must be Ben Swift's best ever result



No, he won a stage on the tour of cali. back in 2011 i think...http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/6th-amgen-tour-of-california-2-hc/stage-2/results


----------



## thom (25 Mar 2014)

lay said:


> No, he won a stage on the tour of cali. back in 2011 i think...http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/6th-amgen-tour-of-california-2-hc/stage-2/results


True but stage race wins aren't comparable. 

If you look at it from the point of view of UCI points, Swift gets 70 points for 3rd place at MSR. 
A stage winner at the Tour de France gets 20. For smaller races like Cali, you get 6.

As regards the route, if you shorten it you won't get from Milan to San Remo, you lose a century worth of tradition and you fundamentally change a key part of it's character. Being the longest race of the year, it has a different dynamic at the end to any other race; any rider left at the end has to be truly strong and that is why it is epic.


----------



## smutchin (25 Mar 2014)

He also won a stage of the Giro Della Valle d'Aosta Mont Blanc in 2008, but I doubt even his mum counts that.

Also, his stage win at Romandie in 2011, plus two stage wins at the TDU and 3rd place on GC, are stronger candidates for biggest result than his Tour of California stage win. As are his stage win and green jersey from Poland in 2012. 

He's also had a 2nd on a Vuelta stage, which arguably trumps everything else.


----------

