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

[smutchin]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[The Couch]

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

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

 

[thom]

Here is the official guide

Still to see a rider line up

 

[themosquitoking]

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

 

[Strathlubnaig]

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

 

[fimm]

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

Yes

 

[themosquitoking]

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

 

[raindog]

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]

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

 

[The Couch]

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]

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]

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