"PRO" Cycling Discussion

[ticou]

Finally the spotlight for dear old Stanners, he certainly set the standard up the Poggio. Led out too early, he'll learn.

[ultyguy]

Didn't even get to see the race. Cyclisme has fallen so far in esteem in France, I tried to get 3 bars to switch over to the finale from various other sports and they wouldn't.

Just watched the last 10km on YouTube and I earlier had thought the ridiculous transfers would've ruined the race and made a hollow victor, but in the end, it was total edge of your seat MSR classic stuff. Cancellara and the favourite tag obviously played on Sagan's mind and forced him into at least 2 tactical errors in the finale...but you get the feeling he's going to sort those out soon.

[Biff]

He'll have to get used to being the "watched guy" more and more...

Louis

Definetly.To me it almost looked like he "Lost" the race due to nerves in the finale in the way he responded to Chavanel´s sprint...

Although shortened it was a great race.The last half hour was a treat:-)

[ticou]

That's if you can get your eurosport to work, which I can't, all of a sudden. Give it a week and someone will hopefully put the whole thing on youtube. It started with 2.5 mins an hour afterward, to 10 mins 3 hours afterwards..

[Kjetil]

That was a great race.

Yup. And the pic of the day was Sagan eating pie during the team bus transfer. What a character!

Class and tactical nous from Chiolek.

[cubanbe233]

Saturday morning I was puzzled at the lack of coverage. Milan-San Remo is always a bit of a lottery and this year it was worth the wait. The weather, the transfer, Boonen dropping out, Geraint Thomas crashing... Ciolek rode that really well, forcing Sagan to close gaps and riding the last 6 km in someone's draft. Good start to the classic classics season.

[dereksmalls]

That's if you can get your eurosport to work, which I can't, all of a sudden. Give it a week and someone will hopefully put the whole thing on youtube. It started with 2.5 mins an hour afterward, to 10 mins 3 hours afterwards..

cyclingtorrents.nl for the last 3 hours in English but also other languages

[aerozy]

That was a great race for sure and what a performance by Sagan! Felt sorry for him there at the end. He did all the work to contain the attacks. If not for him Stannard may have won this. Was a solid effort though and Im sure he'll be winning this race sometime in the future.

Was a little disappointing in Cancellara though. Cancellara has always been about taking the race by the scruff of the neck. Today he tried to be more "smart" and it took him nowhere. He did 1 pull on the last climb and that was it. Didnt really play the race to his strengths.

Ciolek didnt do any pulls but of course why would he!? He's a sprinter! Amazing how he managed to keep up on the poggio and cipressa. Kudos to him

OH and how about Chavanel!? Amazing! What an engine. Would love to see the power numbers on those climbs.

[euan]

It certainly worked for Eisel and Stannard. Stannard has had this potential and has shown it in a few races before.

What races of this scale? None that I can remember, just small shit.

He has shown it with KBK and Paris Tours as well as breakaway rides which he launched solo efforts from. He has shown his potential just hasn't had the results to prove it. The scale of the race doesn't matter, but the competition and the form they had at the time.

[FeitoSpain]

I think Sagan should start thinking in other tactics because the rest of the year it's going to be a battle against him. I'm really happy for Ciolek, he was a great talent years ago and after that he didn't win the amount of races that was supossed to win. It was a very important victory for him, and he raced very intelligently.

What I still don't know is why Stannard did such an effort in the final km. with Sagan on his wheel

[aerozy]

^Stannard knew he wasnt going to outsprint the likes of Sagan, Ciolek and Cancellara. He knew the only remote chance he had was to go from a distance. Of course it was never going to work after the efforts he made on the poggio with Chavanel. But at least he went down fighting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_song

[ultyguy]

Anyone know what Trek Ciolek was riding? Looks like last year's Madone? Looks like Canc was on a Domane?

Bet Trek didn't think it'd be the little guys bringing home the Momument bacon

[djconnel]

(I started writing this before the preceding two posts, with which I agree)

Somebody needs to pull or the break gets caught and Stannard was likely so wasted at that point after having played his cards he knew he had zero chance against the eventual podium winners so he may as well just pull at the front where it's safe and hope for a crash or something. There's never much margin after the Poggio and the lead group may have been swarmed. As it is he ended up with a good placing.

I couldn't believe Phinney -- unbelievable finish for him to bridge up to the break from the foot of the Poggio.

I had picked Sky for the win but training in Tenerife doesn't get one ready for freezing rain.

Top 3 were Trek-SRAM, Cannondale-SRAM, and Trek-Shimano. Good day for SRAM, good day for mechanical shifters, good day for 10 speed. I was content.

[JamieL]

Anyone know what Trek Ciolek was riding? Looks like last year's Madone? Looks like Canc was on a Domane?

Looks like either a 6- or 7-series Madone.

[FeitoSpain]

(I started writing this before the preceding two posts, with which I agree)

Somebody needs to pull or the break gets caught and Stannard was likely so wasted at that point after having played his cards he knew he had zero chance against the eventual podium winners so he may as well just pull at the front where it's safe and hope for a crash or something. There's never much margin after the Poggio and the lead group may have been swarmed. As it is he ended up with a good placing.

I couldn't believe Phinney -- unbelievable finish for him to bridge up to the break from the foot of the Poggio.

I had picked Sky for the win but training in Tenerife doesn't get one ready for freezing rain.

Top 3 were Trek-SRAM, Cannondale-SRAM, and Trek-Shimano. Good day for SRAM, good day for mechanical shifters, good day for 10 speed. I was content.

It's true that Stannard has to pull, but in the last 1,5 km it's Sagan responsability, and he was on Stannard's wheel. Sagan was the main favourite, he was "obligued" to win, because a 2nd position when you're the favourite it's nothing. And Stannard didn't see this as well as Ciolek or Cancellara.