diphthong

milano-san remo tomorrow!
starting up the horrible classics predictions of the year…taking mads to cross the line first.

slcbob

Mads has been having a mad mad spring. Strong pick. But I have a tough time going against Pog on the Poggio.

With Pog, WVA, and MVDP, I don't think little Caleb has a chance of hanging on over the Poggio, +/- the Cipressa. Rule 2 trumps Rule 86? Prove me wrong, pocket rocket.

I hope Mohoric comes out with his dropper seat post and PsyOps again, but it will have lost its edge. Soren Kragh Anderson benefits from having just been rotated off the vexingly budget-constrained team I slapped together.

GrainBrain

Yes I'm thinking Mads as well. Thinking Wout and Pog also. Really, really think Pog will get it too though. So pricey. Of course there's Girmay, Cort. Cort is really interesting right now. I also really like the idea of Ganna going on a flyer, his climbing is good - look at how close he was in San Juan against those formidable South Americans. Imagine if he fits a big big ring up front and crested with the favorites?

That crosswind ... Maybe Tufts it is ...
... ​​​​​​ I swapped out Mads for Ganna, I've seen him pace Tufts on a similar climb I swear ...
With the big prices there's the interesting process of picking the right 4 pointers, any thoughts? I haven't even looked too closely.
Going for breakaway points, picked Magli and Mayhofer
I have this little question also of how well Philipsen can climb, him and MvdP could do something wonderful. Seems wishful.

diphthong

it was rule 87 and methinkx our boy caleb has oodles to proovles before he regains our good graces. the result in msr will be telling, one way or another. is the crashfest quite right over?

GrainBrain

Ahhh Ganna, so close! I think Powless is going to have a great year also!

MinnMan

Yeah, it was a great race for Neilson and I was also really happy to see Ganna up there. Yes, he's a TT specialist, but one day he'll win a classic, to be sure.

I guess it's hard for the TV cameras to get good coverage on the Poggio. We didn't see the beginning of MVDP's attack.

In truth, from the viewer's standpoint, Milan San Remo is mostly a dull race, with a few minutes of excitement i the last 10 k.

GrainBrain

Yes Ganna's one of those guys, like Politt going on a flyer or Campaenaerts who has such power and control yet rarely gets the results that probably reflect their work and ability. That's why we have teams I guess. Maybe RVV will be Ganna's chance, I was personally hoping for Roubaix. MSR would almost be perfect for a guy like him, with that surprising sprint and mental endurance. Look at his souplesse in these early races and yesterday - it was wonderful to watch his pedaling. I don't know if I like full coverage of MSR but for sure it just has to stay at ~300km.

Hats off to MvdP, listening to LRCP he was smart, let Wout bridge then just carried that over top and fired his classic 1300 watt shot. Watching him at the cyclocross worlds I should've been aware of his descending skill. Same race bus grandfather one. Just fantastic.

Philipsen and Ewan looked to climb even better then expected! Both are doing the classics, both scheduled for the Tour!!?

I wonder how it would've been if Trentin had sprinted instead of letting the wheel go? I suppose Soren Kraugh (??) would've probably bridged. That was quite the sight to see the elastic snap with Soren Kraugh (right?) letting go also. Gosh darn it I swore though watching Powless have to reconnect.

What the heck happened with Quickstep and Alaphillepe !!?? He probably would've caught MvdP if he had been up there. Team didn't seem to care. Contrast that with Ineos!

MinnMan

Why would Trentin have sprinted? He let the wheel go while Pog went to work, creating the split. This was the right strategy for the team, no? Same for Kraugh.

GrainBrain

Yeah great move, and it looked amazing from the moto and helicopter footage. But Pogacar had been "too generous" and exhausted himself, so I wonder how it would've been if they had Trentin with for the decent and chase. But Trentin was probably done anyway. Twitter had spectator footage of MvdP's attack - It. Looked. Brutal.

https://twitter.com/Fack1986/status/...arZNi7phg&s=19

slcbob

Powless is having a heckuva season already.

87 > 86, aye. I'm losing my edge, ooga-booga .

That gap sure did open up quickly in front of Trentin. IDK about the UAE maybes beyond that. If Kragh A, Trentin, and Pog were all there to work together, close it down, and contest the finish in a sprint, Pog might be the least capable of the three in that terrain. Pog needed to get his gap before the descent and solo in.

john m flores 

When MVDP is healthy, he is a beast. Perfectly timed attack. And while I appreciate Pogacar's aggressive, attacking style, it costs him from time to time. Like yesterday and last year's TDF. If he learns how to keep his powder dry, let someone else initiate the attack, and then counterpunch, he might be unstoppable.

As it stands, it will take another complete team effort from JV to defend Vingegaard's maillot jaune.

MinnMan

Yeah, out of place, but I don't want to start a separate thread.

Shirin van Anroojj's win at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda this past weekend was awesome. She attacked the peloton solo at 24.4 km, and held them off to the finish, most of the time just 7-10 seconds ahead. And it wasn't because the peloton failed to chase. I saw the full replay on Eurosport, but the best I can find on Youtube are the highlight reels.


She's 21 years old. A new star in the making, it seems.

MinnMan

In GCN's weekly highlights, they named Anrooij, not MvDP, the rider of the week. Good for them.

diphthong

@MinnMan...welcome to the resistance! not meant to be filled with fantasy cycling, tho surely there may be the occasional crossover donnybrook/flurry. so many great races filled within
such a short time. certain races within the time frame of the spring classics may or may not move the needle (like this next one on the 22nd) but there is so much activity that, as a cycling fan, it's
difficult to sit on your hands more often than not.

side question for all...whom is your current fave rider(s) and what do you want to see them ride in the next few months? i'll go furst. wanna see what the batman and robin dynamic duo of bora's kämna and schelling dü.
would be thrilled to see kämna ride the giro and vuelta with schelling riding a few one-days/classics along with a handful of week-long tours.

MinnMan

How could any of us have just one favorite?

This year, in the sprints I'm rooting for Merlier and Girmay.

At Paris-Roubalx, I'll be rooting for MvDP. Other classics, I don't have a favorite, really - just hoping for exciting races. But I am hoping that Powless scores (or if not in a classic, that he takes a GT stage or two). Also, I'd like to see Ganna win one.

At the Giro, I'm not sure if I'll be rooting for Evenepoel or Roglic. I like them both. But it would be cool if Almeida stole their thunder
At the tour, I want it to be someone other than Vingegaard or Pogacar - it would be more exciting if Gaudu or Hindlley or somebody else emerges.

And I'm hoping that Carapaz grabs some glory, somewhere.

And yeah, I know that most of the regulars here are doing the fantasy thing. I appreciate that y'all try to keep the threads separate, but that it sometimes bleeds across.
There are too few of us here to get offended by any of it.

diphthong

thanx for hanging in there. will still def keep the gt's separate yet semi-equal. so much springtime nonsense so quickly that it's difficult to keep things heads or tails. the fantasy dorks
mean the best but post the wurst. thank goodness, we've got the bi-annual, down to earth poster-such as yourself-with a seemingly, relative und decent grip on what passes for reality these days.

my fondest apologies for the horrible predictions...trying to force conversation here and there.

GrainBrain

Yeah cause looking at PCS she's a dang phenom! U23 cyclocross champ, European champ, and most importantly a TT specialist. Love it. Always wild to see a rider only 10 seconds up the road hold it to the finish.

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GrainBrain

Yes yes yes. Kämna's surprise TT and Schelling alongside Roglic/Remco is going to be amazing.

Wanna see Bardet do something cool - he was real good last early season and has this coolness about him now that can help when the racing gets hot. Jorgensen also is looking super super good.

Back to Classics - Ewan is riding a number of them and I'd love to see him take one.
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slcbob

Favorites? That's tough. As much as I like to watch a masterclass in team tactics and/or a crushing display of awesomeness by the beasts in the sport, I do love those days when someone comes out of nowhere, steps up, endeavors to persevere, somehow pulls it off, and is truly gob-smacked when they cross the line.

OBoile

What's crazy is that there are two 20 year old (same birth year though) cyclocross riders who were better this year. We're very likely looking at the female version of MVDP, WVA and Pidcock.

GrainBrain

I'm not really understanding Tadej doing the classics if he's going to the line with wout and MvdP every time? Matteo Jorgensen! That's a sweet result.

Vermeesch with the terrible tire change. This was a great watch, lots of close calls.

MinnMan

It's an interesting question. On the one hand, it's got to be a challenge for him to go up against the two best classics riders of this generation. Maybe he needs the humbling experience.

On the other hand, maybe he and we would have been better off if he had been in Catalunya, putting some real climbing in his legs and duking it out with Primoz and Remco.

diphthong

where exactly did that come from?!?! more than a surprise...categorized as hitchcock shock! what the?

GrainBrain

I'm a pro cycling novice but I do not understand the chasing group's mentality right now. Neither do Laporte or Wout apparently.

slcbob

Re Pogacar at E3, Sean Kelly wasn't commentating on GCN but must have been in the house doing another feed. 20 or 30k to go, Rob Hatch and Adam Blythe credited him with saying "yes, well, I guess Pogacar is happy with third place." Ouch.