Milan-San Remo; Tips....

whiteboytrash said:

"I know the Poggio like the back of my hand," world champion Tom Boonen told the Belgian press today. He has to be the outright favorite by a long way and probably has the strongest team even without Bettini..... Petachi was very quite in T-A although it was probably to cold and risky for kamikaze like sprint finishes….

Thoughts, feelings, emotions ?

milansanremo.co.uk2006sanremoroute.htmOpen ↗

The Poggio discussion is always interesting and it was certainly dramatic last year when Pettacchi was able to "get over it" with the lead group. Makes for an interesting race, the best sprinter that can get over a short climb at a silly pace. It looks to be about 3.5k long, and about 5% average??? Who knows the exact specs on the Poggio?

barnstorm said:

The Poggio discussion is always interesting and it was certainly dramatic last year when Pettacchi was able to "get over it" with the lead group. Makes for an interesting race, the best sprinter that can get over a short climb at a silly pace. It looks to be about 3.5k long, and about 5% average??? Who knows the exact specs on the Poggio?

milansanremo.co.ukindex.htmlOpen ↗ - Some pictures.

Boonen is tough so he will have no problems getting over the Poggio if the field is relatively together.

barnstorm
Who knows the exact specs on the Poggio?

useful site
salite.chsalite ricerca.aspOpen ↗

lucybears said:

barnstorm
Who knows the exact specs on the Poggio?

useful site
salite.chsalite ricerca.aspOpen ↗

well then 4km and 3.7%, thanks lucybears

ilpirata said:

well then 4km and 3.7%, thanks lucybears

3.7% ???

that's barely a hill for those guys. Is it often that potential winners get dropped there? I suppose if the heat gets turned up and the Bettinis start flying it could be pretty nasty to keep up.

barnstorm said:

3.7% ???

that's barely a hill for those guys. Is it often that potential winners get dropped there? I suppose if the heat gets turned up and the Bettinis start flying it could be pretty nasty to keep up.

Depends on the race. They will be hitting the poggio after about 288 km of riding... that helps make things a bit more selective... and you are struggling to make it to the top with the first small group... it gets a heck of a lot tougher to catch up on the downhill...

Gilbert and Bettini will probably try attacking and getting a gap. I can only hope Gilbert wins, but my luck's surely run out after my Het Volk tip 😄

barnstorm said:

3.7% ???

that's barely a hill for those guys. Is it often that potential winners get dropped there? I suppose if the heat gets turned up and the Bettinis start flying it could be pretty nasty to keep up.

If they're hitting it at 50kph it'll hurt anyones legs 😉

Dead Star said:

Gilbert and Bettini will probably try attacking and getting a gap. I can only hope Gilbert wins, but my luck's surely run out after my Het Volk tip 😄

Latest I can find, Bettini is still doubtful for the start.

Boonen was with the lead group up the Poggio last year too - he'll make everyone hurt on the climb this year.

I'm still picking Oscar.

I think I'll go for Freire. But then again Alessandro did win today. Last year Petacchi was a certainty. This year it's wide open. Robbie was 2nd today so he seems to be recovering from his fall but I don't see him as a man for the finish at San Remo.

barnstorm said:

3.7% ???

that's barely a hill for those guys. Is it often that potential winners get dropped there? I suppose if the heat gets turned up and the Bettinis start flying it could be pretty nasty to keep up.

Having ridden those gnarly rodes in Europe, whenever it says gradient eg Alpe d'Huez is 8.3% the whole mountain is really 9-10% and long stretches of 12-13% with the flattening out switchbacks

so 3.7%-5.7% really means 5-7% with a few flat sections of 2-3%

if i had a house i'd put it on boonen to win BUT being an aussie i'd love to see allan davis get up. he had a few 2nd places to pettachi an TA and has the speed to surprise a few. if the weathers as bad as it has been, don't be surprised to see a break away get to the end a la '90 with chiappucci.

DiabloScott said:

Latest I can find, Bettini is still doubtful for the start.

Well, as soon as I wrote that I got an update from TodoCiclismo:

Paolo Bettini participará en la Milán-San Remo 14/3/2006
Tras la caída en la tercera etapa de la Tirreno-Adriático, la participación de Paolo Bettini en la Milán-San Remo era una incógnita. A pesar de las ganas del corredor y de los esfuerzos por recuperarse de la lesión de rodilla, el dolor le impedían entrenarse, y por consiguiente, pensar en tomar parte de la carrera más larga de la temporada.

Finalmente, el campeón olímpico ha comunicado que sí participará en la clásica italiana, prueba que ya ganara en la edición de 2003.

when eddy ruled said:

if i had a house i'd put it on boonen to win BUT being an aussie i'd love to see allan davis get up. he had a few 2nd places to pettachi an TA and has the speed to surprise a few. if the weathers as bad as it has been, don't be surprised to see a break away get to the end a la '90 with chiappucci.

Yes and Allan Davis also rode Paris-Nice and got 2 second places as well.... he an amazing ability to be in two places at once which should help in MSR..... [censored]... Davis rode Paris-Nice not T-A and Pettachi only won the one stage in T-A.......

"I'm going to start the race on Saturday and then worry about getting to San Remo," he added on Tuesday.

eurosport.co.uksport sto850381.shtmlOpen ↗

DiabloScott said:

Well, as soon as I wrote that I got an update from TodoCiclismo:

Paolo Bettini participará en la Milán-San Remo 14/3/2006
Tras la caída en la tercera etapa de la Tirreno-Adriático, la participación de Paolo Bettini en la Milán-San Remo era una incógnita. A pesar de las ganas del corredor y de los esfuerzos por recuperarse de la lesión de rodilla, el dolor le impedían entrenarse, y por consiguiente, pensar en tomar parte de la carrera más larga de la temporada.

Finalmente, el campeón olímpico ha comunicado que sí participará en la clásica italiana, prueba que ya ganara en la edición de 2003.

i stand corrected. most humble apologies for not being a genius

I selected Alan Davis as my dark horse for MSR.

Regarding the Poggio - after 250+kms, travelling at 50kph, it will be a hill because they'll be tired.
The usual way it works is that the lead bunch start getting fidgety at the Cipressa.
If the lead group can be whittled there, the Poggio looms.
If the bunch aren't whittled at the Cipressa, the Poggio then becomes even more strategic.
My guess is that the favourites will want the field to be whittled by the time they hit the Poggio.

As this race gets closer, it's getting tougher to call just who will prevail.

I am inclined to favour Boonen - but it's too close to call realistically.

[quote="whiteboytrash"]Yes and Allan Davis also rode Paris-Nice and got 2 second places as well.... he an amazing ability to be in two places at once which should help in MSR..... [censored]... QUOTE]
Oh for gods sake, take it easy mate....

[quote="Jono L"]

whiteboytrash said:

Yes and Allan Davis also rode Paris-Nice and got 2 second places as well.... he an amazing ability to be in two places at once which should help in MSR..... [censored]... QUOTE]
Oh for gods sake, take it easy mate....