Milano - San Remo Wrap

by Chris... on Mar 24, 2007 2:54 PM EDT in News Comment 10 comments

Fun race as always, though there's a reason this is more of a beloved race than, say, exciting like what's coming in the next three weeks. From Cycling News' report, the official top 10:

1 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
2 Allan Davis (Aus) Discovery
3 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto
5 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) CSC
6 Erik Zabel (Ger) Milram
7 Gabriele Balducci (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
8 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Milram
9 Vicente Reynes (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
10 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld

First off, send your best wishes to David Kopp. I am seriously nervous about that crash, and if anyone hears news of his condition, please submit it here. Hopefully it's nothing...

Update [2007-3-24 15:7:45 by chris]: Kopp was hurt, but he'll be ok... a bad Italian translation: multiple contusions, trauma cranial commotivo, fracture of the nasal and hurt septum to the left sopraccigliare arched one but already he has been discharged. Moletti was worse; he hit a pole descending the Cipressa and broke his femur.

Next, I suppose I should gloat a little about having called this one. In retrospect, though, it was hardly genius. The non-sprinters always have a chance here, but not a great one, and after Pippo's escapade last year the determination of the sprinters' teams would be high. Among the sprinters, most of them came with serious caveats: Petacchi and Zabel haven't inspired confidence lately; Bennati, Paolini, McEwen et al haven't won here before. Boonen and Bettini were both nursing injuries. Freire was the only past winner with a sprinter's pedigree and a clean sheet at today's start. The ease with which he won confirms that he should have been a prohibitive favorite.

That doesn't stop me from tweaking Pez et al who didn't offer any picks. Was the power out at the Pez Tower in downtown Vancouver? Did they stop by a pub Wednesday night, as is customary, and never re-emerge? And why was VeloNews' coverage limited to wire services bullshit? Pez may have skipped the predictions, but they led the western world in original reporting on the race. So much for the Journal of Competitive Cycling. I digress...

Back on the road, one thing that struck me is how average Quick Step looked. When they add Steegmans back into the lineup next week for E3 Prijs, it could be a totally different story, but IMHO Lampre and Liquigas were the only major factors. Milram did a nice job lining up for the last KM, but I wonder how much longer they can keep running the same play. It's too easy to grab Petacchi's wheel and use his leadout, Peta gets no advantage from it anymore.

Thoughts? VDS smack? Thanks to all for joining this morning, it was a lively start to the Classics season!

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Just to put it in perspective,

if Boonen had come around Freire, we wouldn't be disappointed by QS's efforts. Bettini -- my word! -- after re-inuring himself behind a crash before the Cipressa (according to CN), led the charge down the Poggio with his broken rib clenched between his teeth (or so it seemed). QS also led the peloton up the Poggio too if I remember correctly. But you're right, we expect more from them.

I was most surprised by how Discovery animated the race in the finale and took second(!). I can't remember the last time they had a contender in a high-powered mass sprint. Good for them.

Anyone make a T-mobile sighting during the race? I heard they might have sent a team...

by ghisallo on Mar 24, 2007 4:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Kirchen, 12th.

After that....?

Vlaenderen die Leu

by Mr Van P on Mar 24, 2007 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not much for sprint gallops

but I hope they keep MSR the way it is. Sure it will in most years produce a sprint finish but the top sprinters deserve a classics race as well. It's not like the race isn't selective.If you look at the winners these last years you don't have any no-names there, they are the top names in their field.I think it is a good thing that you see different names (and different types)among the favourites in the monuments, it's the complexity of the racing calender that makes cycling unique. Even though we all suspected the sprint today I think everyone found the finale exiting and uncertain right until the last meters. Now all we have to do is await the result that really matters, who will wear the VDS-jersey? There has to be some dangerous teams with Oscar on their roster...

by Jens on Mar 24, 2007 6:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ah Jens

You must have meant my team, I had Oscar, Robbie, and Pipo sneaked in there for some points, so I'm back on the way up...look out, brain drain will get all of you!

I'll beat you like a red-headed step child...

by blueyedfisch on Mar 24, 2007 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Look ! Up in the sky !

It's a bird !

It's a plane !

No, it's ... it's ... I think it's going to crash ! Look out for the splat when it lands.

(There must be a rip in my cape.)

The S. Obedient Flying Dog Boy

by flying dog on Mar 25, 2007 6:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Totally agree Jens

and I'm usually a race of attrition guy. But I wouldn't change MSR either, that was as tough as sprinters will ever work to get in position for a win. And since it's possible for a strong rider to sneak off the front a sprint finish is never guaranteed. How happy were the pure sprinters going up and over the Poggio yesterday? Everyone was working their asses off and I found it exciting as hell.

Also as previously mentioned, I'm really liking Disovery's tactics the last few weeks. They are making their races very exciting.

Maybe every team should only have one year sponsor contracts to ensure excitement all year round? Nah, at that type of breakneck speed all the riders would be dead by fall and you'd have to get new teams too.

"I don't know too many monkeys who could take apart a fuel injector."

by Drew on Mar 25, 2007 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

CSC are a good example

When their sponsonsorship was in limbo they started off the season at an insane pace winning just about everything. They did fade a little later in the season because they had so many riders who were aiming to peak early. I would at the same time like to deny any rumours that my teamsponsor "Swedish Steel" are retiring from the sport and that this is the cause of the teams spectacular March-performances...

by Jens on Mar 25, 2007 8:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

pez reporting

Ahhhh, our MSR previewing was of an interesting sort - all of the articles were coming from Ale Federico in Italy, and his contender article sort of missed the pick-a-favorite punchline - it was more of a - everybody that can ride a bike mention them article.

But yeah, I'll make sure there's at least one pick for next time.

Maybe we can cite some PodiumCafe opinions for the upcoming Cobbled Classics previews.

by jered on Mar 24, 2007 7:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh sure

Now that I got my one correct call out of the way. Ale does a great job, BTW, even if he forgot to pick his winner. But as I've said, his reporting got more and more Italian as the week went on.

Got a problem? Va fa Napoli!