Anyone planning to watch Milan San-Remo tomorrow?

Not sure what time to start watching? Does anyone know if there’s a “good” time to tune in?

Without doubt, although if we’re out jumping i’ll be watching it on delay..

There’s racing today too 🙂 Although i’m assuming none of the big players are out.

I have left tomorrow free. GCN starts with a preview show at 8am!

There’s racing today too 🙂 Although i’m assuming none of the big players are out.

Cavendish is racing again. He did quite well at Grote Prijs Jean-Pierre Monsere, though fell on the cobbles with 6k to go at Nokere Koerse this week

Will get a quick ride in first in the morning and then watch later. MSR is the only classic that I’m only interested in for the last hour or so. Unless you like the lovely Italian scenery of course

I normally start watching when they reach the Passio Turchino but I see its omitted this year. The first half is like a audax for the peleton with the exception of a dozen or so escapees from Bardiani and the like. The sight of the riders passing the glass houses tumbling down to the Ligurian Sea is one of the best things about spring. Can’t wait.

Nothing much happens at MSR until they hit the hills near the end, and it almost always comes back together at the bottom of the Poggio. I’ll probably follow the racetracker online and then switch on for the last 50km.

On the race preview on GCN Dan Lloyd made the prediction that the first four or five hours would be a club ride with a largish breakaway of domestiques to get exposure for their sponsors with everyone coming together before the Cipressa and the last hour being the favourites slugging it out over that and the Poggio …

Like every other year.

Alaphilippe for the win, reckon he kept his powder sufficiently dry during Tirreno.

I think the main question is whether MvdP is brave enough to attack on the Cipressa. Alaphillipe will have to go on the Poggio as he’ll lose out in a sprint to the CX twins. All the sprinter’s teams will be hunting any break down. MvdP wins if he’s recovered from that 50km breakaway win in Tirreno. He went very deep there and the cold will have inhibited his recovery too. WvA has the better team and that makes a difference on such a long race. So many variables. It’s a race that never fails to deliver.

Cavendish is racing again. He did quite well at Grote Prijs Jean-Pierre Monsere, though fell on the cobbles with 6k to go at Nokere Koerse this week

Yeah he did well in the Nokere and is generally doing really well overall considering his form of previous years, it’s the highlight of the year up to now for me.

Although watching MVdP has to be up in that too.

lovely weather for todays race.

fun descent.

just switched on (gcn+) and there’s some confusion about why it’s all split up – anyone know ?

half the peleton has gone AWOL ?

Ah, all stopped for a slash

Imagine that – Bouhani having a tantrum 🙄

that was fun !

Marvelous! I love it when someone says “ok, what you all got” and hangs on instead of relying on others etc.

Superb, I thought he’d popped, dug deep and took it. Well deserved.

That was a good finish. Uncertain outcome right to the last.

Mods, can this thread be moved to the bike forum? Makes zero sense to be in chat.

Loved that! It’s funny how all I did was sit on my couch, but I still get to benefit from the excitement. 😎

The perfect way to spend this afternoon, watching that from the sofa making “That injection yesterday has wiped me out” noises at the wife……

Very impressed with Caleb Ewans ability to hang in on both climbs, but WvA seems to be able to sprint as fast as specialists. Possibly left it a bit late.

I expect WvA was a bit wary about leading out the big Dutchman again. You see that at times where the Certs mark eachother out of the race

Good effort by Sagan!

Combined with snacks and beer that was a pleasant way to while away 8 hours.

Great finish. I really thought Caleb Ewan would have it at the bottom of the Poggio. He looked so gutted not to win. Absolutely great way to win for Stuyven though, just roll the dice and hold on for dear life.

Glad Ewan didn’t win – didn’t stick his nose out the front of the race once, just sucking other rider’s wheels for 7 hours. Stuyven great opportunist attack and for hanging on for the finish.
MVdP didn’t look sharp enough at the front – leaving too big a gap, so maybe T-A took more out than he’s admitted or he’s going to struggle to retain form for another 3 weeks for RVV and P-Rx?

Thought Pidcock did really well today – he’s been at the pointy end of most of his races this season. Can’t be long before he gets a big win.

Glad Ewan didn’t win – didn’t stick his nose out the front of the race once, just sucking other rider’s wheels for 7 hours.

You’re kidding right? He lost any support from his team, got to the front of the lead group before the Poggio and stayed there when the likes of Ganna strung the group out when every other spinter including Demare couldn’t hold on, then navigated a really technical descent, positioned him self well and beat everyone but the winner in the sprint – including last year’s winner and the world champion. Yeah. Poor form.😂

I watched the last two hours (my first time) and loved it. So beautiful along the coast.

Glad Ewan didn’t win – didn’t stick his nose out the front of the race once, just sucking other rider’s wheels for 7 hours.

What you have described there is bicycle racing.

Can anyone explain what INEOS were up to? No sprinters so surely a Kwaikoski Pidcock one two was needed. Instead they had Hanna dissuade any attacks. Made no sense to me, may they thought it was a stage race?

Looked to me that they had someone in mind to launch an attack near the top of the poggio. Too much strength in the pack nullified that chance. Possibly Pidcock as he seemed to have a go on the descent. I heard or read that he didn’t actually know the descent too well so it seems a bit of an odd one.

Can anyone explain what INEOS were up to? No sprinters so surely a Kwaikoski Pidcock one two was needed. Instead they had Hanna dissuade any attacks. Made no sense to me, may they thought it was a stage race?

I wondered that too. Only conclusion I came to was that it was simply habit.

Or treated as practice for other races, plenty still to come. I think Pidcock might get a win yet.

it was a bit A watching B watching C watching D…… K sneaked away for the win. but yeah Odious on the front was a tad odd when there didn’t seem an option other than jumping off the front at the bottom of the poggio. I guess when everyone looked round and saw Caleb still in the mix they thought **** that for a game of soldiers.

Don’t think Ineos had any other option but to ride hard up the Poggio otherwise their riders (Pidcock and Kwiatkoski) wouldn’t have had any opportunity to jump. Bit of a catch 22 for Ineos and JV.

And Caleb Ewan wheel sucking 😂. That was one hell of a ride by Ewan.

Kudos to Stuyven finding that second wind, thought he’d popped.

Dunno if it was a lack of organisation behind or just utter carnage with everyone being shredded from the previous 300km and the pace Ineos were setting up the Poggio.

Hopefully they will explain what that was all about.

Also Kudos to Ewan for keeping pace on that climb and being so close at the finish.

Edit: Ganna had the sniffles apparently: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ganna-hits-back-at-criticism-over-ineos-milan-san-remo-tactics/

I did wonder why he wouldn’t fancy a go at TT-ing to victory. Perhaps that had been Plan A.

Hopefully they will explain what that was all about.

I’d assume it went something like

“Tom/Kwia, how you feeling, you got a break in you if we get you up to the top near the front”
“yeah lads, i’m in….”

5 mins later
“oh crap, the legs say no”