Weight Weenies

I think you can bundle up against the cold and rain but it's hard to thermoregulate properly with all that clothing on, so they still tend to slightly under-dress.

I don't have any particularly hi-tech stuff -- just wool and a waterproof cover. I wonder how much better it is to run in top-end clothing.

My guy Cavendish was seen to be shivering along the coast, and that just sucks the power from your legs. He still did a super-solid ride, finishing the Poggio well positioned in the lead group then not quite having the pop needed to win the chaotic sprint, but still finishing a very solid 5th. Nice play by Cancellara to save it for the sprint, finishing 2nd. And Kristoff... if Sky is the team of emaciated "marginal gains" riders, Katusha is the team of lumber-jacks. The extra beef probably worked to keep Kristoff warm.

Degenkolb flatted at the base of the Poggio. Greipel worked too hard to get back to the lead group after the Poggio. Sagan... I don't know.

Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com

Nibali gave it a shot but he still has work to do. Which is probably right on target for the Giro.

Cav ran out of gas at the end.

Cancellara looks to be in shape for the classics.

Gilbert might win a classic this year.

djm wrote:Going with Nathanong87 here. I'd like to see The Most Interesting Cyclist in the World win (aka the bearded Paolini)!

Otherwise; Kristoff!

And Kristoff it was!

Kjetil wrote:Weather forecast for MSR is improving dramatically.

But then it turned into Kristoff weather. This time he had Paolini to keep things together.
Do you guys remember who took the bunch sprint in MSR last year and in the London olympics?

- So while you were busy with two of your captains sprinting for their own wins.. I won it wearing some of your old Hincapie gloves!

(Probably didn't say that, though)

indigo wrote:Some interesting choices .. I thought Stannard at 80/1 with bad weather seemed value.

Finally I backed Degenkolb with Stybar and Kristoff as outsiders. I'd actually made a lay bet against Cav, which with Boonen out and the weather improving I'm starting to regret! That said I'm still a huge fan so I'll still be happy either way.

Yep good old Kristoff. Was feeling pretty smug until I checked my betting history on that site ..

OPQS must be pretty gutted with that result, possibly Cav's last chance to win. No way I would have picked Kristoff. Pretty cool the last couple of winners have been people not normally on the radar for big wins like this, so hats off. Poor old Canc, 2nd again though

djm wrote:

djm wrote:Going with Nathanong87 here. I'd like to see The Most Interesting Cyclist in the World win (aka the bearded Paolini)!

Otherwise; Kristoff!

And Kristoff it was!

and the beard led him out!!!

haha something about kristoff and neils albert crooked helmets

Did Paolini ride without booties all day?
http://t.co/ckcyoHMMVY

Cancellara nothing short of talent.
First a world class time triallist, then a classics rider, and now finally a sprinter. (not sitting, not on the hoods) What a man.

10 podiums in his last 10 Monuments raced.

That's a damn impressive record.

Cancellara said that he is not a sprinter, but that he was just up there because he had more juice at the end of the race. I'm guessing he takes at least one cobbled classic this year if not both.

djconnel wrote:Sky is the team of emaciated "marginal gains" riders, Katusha is the team of lumber-jacks. The extra beef probably worked to keep Kristoff warm.

Degenkolb flatted at the base of the Poggio. Greipel worked too hard to get back to the lead group after the Poggio. Sagan... I don't know.

Hmm- EBH, Stannard, Ben Swift, Danny Pate, Zandio etc are all counter to this point.

Fair enough. Unfortunately Stannard wasn't in Milan. Point remains it likely helped to have some mass at that race. Froome did well to give it a pass.

Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com

I posted some monument stats here. The main stats were calculated by jaylew on the CyclingNews forum; I calculated a correlation matrix. Cancellara has 13 monument podiums, which is simply amazing, one more than Boonen.