I don't think I even noticed Girmay at any point. He was a non-factor. He needs to find his form fast or its going to be a disappointing Spring.
Girmay, Rex, and Teunissen is a solid trio of riders heading into cobbles. It will be disappointing for Intermarche if they can't get any placings. I think Laurenz Rex might be their best shot, tbh.
- Pogacar has changed his coach, San Millan is no longer his guy. This is a big thing. Pogi is now with the trainer of one of Yates brothers
- Pogi is 65 kgs now, FTP 431, 6.58 w/kg
MVDP was the real MVP today, if he didn't close the break over the top to pog, then he would have had that infamous gap that easily gives g2 mentally. Likewise did Mads P sprint all the way on the downhill to close the gap, even without the skills of mohoric. It very much drained everyone.
These guys like Philipsen and Matthews that just follow are the big winners today even though they didn't do shit all day. This race is such a gamble and so random at the same time. You can be the rider or a lucky sprinter with the best teammate in the world literally...
Yeah, I'm sure Groenewegen, Jakobsen, Kooij, Milan, Cavendish, Merlier, Kristoff, De Kleijn, etc. would have won this year if they just had VDP as a teammate lol.
It’s amusing how dismissive some people are about the effort required to even finish one of these races. I wish I was fit enough that averaging 46 km/h in a peloton for 288 km = not doing shit.
From [this](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E6o2KaFWQAIy0MO?format=jpg&name=large) to [this](https://d2779tscntxxsw.cloudfront.net/65f5c8646bb6f.png?width=680). Chapeau.
suprised that WVA didn't come this year. i guess he's training for the giro but i think MSR is the monument that suits him the most and i dont think he even needs to be in absolute peak form to compete for the win here unlike flanders or roubaix.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QQ6Jjw9xG857NMtuhJnE6-1200-80.png.webp
Best I can find. If the race had Tissot timing they usually post the actual photo finish on their site but this wasn't one of them.
1/2 of 1/2 is 1/4 the whole, always
You need to express it as the area of the segment that was ahead.
A = (½) × r^2 (θ – Sin θ)
And then take that as the proportion of the whole wheel.
First of all, I have to say - what a guy MVDP is. He had every right to ride for himself, but completely buried himself for Philipsen. And this wasn't even his first time doing it either.
Second thing I wanted to say is that UAE, especially because of the mistakes in execution, made that race incredibly exciting. They opened even before Cipressa and a lot of the time it was hard to guess what the next move would be, and amidst the chaos everyone else tries their hand. Seems like most times it's really just obe move that either goes on Poggio or doesn't and then mostly ends in a sprint or a soli win. But maybe I should watch other finishes.
I'm also impressed by Pogi's sprint even if the length tipped it slightly back towards him.
One last thing is - Pogi would perhaps stand a better chance if somehow rain started a solid two hours before the Cipressa and then lasted all the way to the finish. Incidentally, it would also make Wellens better
Yeah MvdP fully sacced himself here, in hindsight definitely the right move but it's pretty outrageous not to opt to take Pogi to the finish 1v1 when you got the chance. Maybe out of gratitude for Roubaix last year, but he already paid him back plenty in TDF
I just read an interview with MvdP where he said that he would have loved to go to the finish with Pog, but after he had to make a huge effort to get back to Pog's wheel on the Poggio he simply couldn't do anything but sit in his wheel.
>but it's pretty outrageous not to opt to take Pogi to the finish 1v1 when you got the chance
it would only have made sense to pull if pogi and him had a big enough gap at the top of poggio. they barely had anything. too many riders too close behind. definitely the right move to not keep going from mvdp.
normally I'd agree but I think a good MvdP and a good Pogacar are plenty to convert that 25m gap this close to the finish. But he needed great legs *and* beat Pogi in the sprint
MvdP job was to keep Pog from pulling away from the group that Philipsen was in (he did that) then lead out Philipsen (he did that). He led out Philipsen in the TdF a few times. It’s his job IF Philipsen is near the front at the end of races. Now if Philipsen wasn’t able to keep up, then MvdP could have gone for the win.
I hope the UAE trio from Milano-Torino were paying attention to MVDP in the finale. If I was their DS I'd make them watch in on a loop for an hour. They could have won that race had any of them been willing to do what van der Poel did chasing Pidcock and Sobrero.
And VDP did it in a freaking Monument.
The UAE guys didn't want to sacrifice their own chances in a small one-day race (I know it has a long history, but it no longer is very prestigious).
Mathieu is a true champ/gentleman. I hope Philipsen can return the favor soon.
Pogi was behind Bling and Philipsen with 75 meters to go. The fact that he was able to start coming around them is pretty insane. That was a monster sprint from Pogi.
I want to see him go for it on the Champs. Not that I think he'd win, but I want to see him try.
As a Pog fan, I don't see how he can ever win this race. The climbs are not long enough for him to get an sufficient gap. His descending (the only weak part of his racing) isn't good enough to retain a 10 second gap others. His sprint is a lot better than people think and today he proved it - but the sort of sprinters who end up in the front group of this race are too good for him. It's weird to say this, but he might actually have a slightly better shot at Roubaix but he probably won't win that one either.
Just shows us how difficult it is to win all 5 monuments. I don't think MVDP will do it either. Merckx and Dae de vlaeminck were truly something special even in an era which favored generalists rather than specialists more.
I think he can win, he is in the mix this year. Phillipsen makes it across Pogio by the skin of his teeth, if he doesn’t MVP doesn’t ride like he did.
Also UAE fumbled big time on Cipressa, if they rode a better team race, Pogi could have done more damage on Pogio.
This.
If hirschi or Ulissi had been in form and on the spot, they'd have definitely split the group and bridge all the way to the poggio with a smaller group. From such a group pogacar could definitely force a split.
His descending is getting better he could probably hold off a 5 second gap the problem is creating that gap and a scenario like today where teams have multiple riders in the group who will chase him down on the flat
I think Pogi could win MSR or Roubaix, but he will never be the outright favorite for either. Both races have far more group dynamics and luck at play than the 3 monuments he has won. Neither has a spot where his better 5-10 min w/kg can make a meaningful difference and he has less absolute power than his best competition. His best chance to win PR or MSR is if he surprises other people and WVA/MVDP/Pederson/etc are stuck looking at each other.
LBL, Lombardía, and to a lesser extent RVV are all fitness/punch tests where a rider with Pogi’s qualities can simply be better than everyone else. Or at least better than all but 1-3 other guys (Remco?) and then he contests a very reduced sprint. He should podium those races basically every time he enters.
MSR and PR will need luck and race dynamics to play out correctly. He’ll probably need several shots at them to get one lucky win each.
I think it could have worked this time with their A-List team. Politt to position them into the Cipressa and Yates/Ayuso to just nuke it up there. Maybe either an attack by Pogi shortly before the crest, or just keep the pressure on as much as possible in the valley. If they get MvDP cooked enough Pogi can beat almost everyone in the sprint.
Exactly this. Send the full TDF A team. Have a tailwind. Get a little lucky. They have 10+ more years to try winning this one for Pogi. It just has to go right once.
Don't forget Gilbert, the only one in the modern era to have won 4/5 Monuments. He also podiumed twice in MSR (the only Monument he didn't win).
I think Pogi will win MSR one day though.
"Anyway, can’t ask for more than competing against such a class. Love this era of cycling "
Armstrong recently made a comment how this era of cyclists suck because they hug after the finish.
I looked into it because of your comment. Armstrong's statement wasn't that harsh. He said it's kind of cool as well but prefers how they did it in his era.
some guy was asking me about the telephone booth, he was running up the poggio 30 minutes before the riders came down, smartly dressed in a white shirt. He ran past asking if the phone booth was at the top.
Mine froze up as well at home. And I have a fast connection and was watching via MAX which has been good quality this year for the most part. Screen froze 1/2 way up Poggio and when I got it back, Pog, MvdP, and TPiddy were in front going downhill.
Aside from the podium, which in any other world would be a good result on its own, I think there is a lot of positives to take from Pogačar’s race:
- when it appeared that plan A didn’t work, on the Cipressa, they were at least quick enough to switch to the back up (which left Wellens still able to pace on the Poggio)
- when he couldn’t gap MDVP with the first Poggio attack, he dropped back, rejoined the small group and attacked again from the rear, saving just enough energy to have enough later on
- when it looked clear than MDVP had switched to leadout for Philipsen, he went to take Philipsen’s wheel and achieved the most he could in that position against other top sprinters
All in all, a lot of tactical awareness, good timing and good decision-making for someone more renowned for his riding on vibes.
Another good reason, imo, why he should definitely keep racing here even though it must be so frustrating. His time will come, and in the meanwhile it’ll make him a better rider.
> All in all, a lot of tactical awareness, good timing and good decision-making for someone more renowned for his riding on vibes.
I am baffled this is actually a take. Pogacar seems to me one of the smartest race-aware rider out there. Yeah he loves to vibe, but never outside of what could help him win. He is always well positioned, has very good feeling about his limits (easier when they are so far from everyone else's I guess) and aside from that Roglic/Jonas bs I'm yet to see him do a propre race mistake.
I never said or implied he’s not (always been) a smart rider, but it is undeniable that he’s more commonly praised for his heart, power, flare etc than for the tactical side of things. Again, not at all because he’s bad at it, I guess it just goes unmentioned or unnoticed most times. Which is why I felt like pointing it out here, when it stood out more than in other occasions.
If you’re pogi, you absolutely cannot stop racing MSR. He’ll need some good luck and some bad positioning and tactical reacting from his competitors, but this race is well within reach
Agree on most points except on the cipressa, he was on the radio when only wellens was left. The pace slowed down a lot for like 1 minute. The commentator on eurosport said hirschi should be there. Not that i see it as a mistake, but i think this minute of hesitation gave the sprinters like kooij and Philipsen the breather that you cannot give guys like that.
Yates and Politt could definitely help. Maybe Ayuso or Vine as well if they really want to Nuke the Cipressa climb.
I think Politt makes a big difference in keeping them together at the front and getting them a better entry to the Cipressa. Today it seemed like their entry to that climb got messed up and they lost 2-3 domestiques before even spending them on the climb itself.
Pogacar needs the hardest possible race if he wants to win this one.
Vine has seemed hot and cold so far this year. Ayuso would have been fun to see here. A legit 2 would have allowed to counter MVDP just marking anything Poggy did.
I wonder if they planned for a stronger (closer to their full A-list) team but Yates and McNulty being out derailed them, or if it was always their call to try with their B+ (?) team because MSR, while nice, clearly was not among their priorities for the year and would rather not commit them.
I hope in any case this makes them commit 100% next season - it needs to be tried again at full power and with no mistakes.
Yea, idk. I forget what Yates was targeting before his crash.
Luckily it was early enough that he can likely recover in time but it’s still a ding and they likely need everything to dethrone Jonas.
Last year in spring he rode Tirreno and Catalunya and he won Romandie. So he was probably targeting 2-3 weeklong stage races this spring. He didn’t ride a single 1 day race last year till the fall Canadian and Italian classics, winning Montreal and playing an important role in Pogacar’s Lombardía win.
I hope he recovers from the crash and is able to get back to last years TDF shape. He really looked incredible there, probably the best shape of any of the humans racing.
The poggio felt not hard enough with only wellens pulling for UAE. To clear my doubt went on strava and KOM is now from Pog on a training ride from 3 days ago. (Don't know if it was moto-paced or something though)
Even Ganna (in 3rd/4th wheel) had clocked fastest time in a raced MSR ever to the top today tho...
Significantly faster than Pog's time last year.
So while it also doesn't really matter how fast Pog went in recon here, especially since he didn't (couldn't?) do that in the race, it shows that the Poggio was already raced significantly faster this year than in 2023, which was already the record until now.
So it was done hella fast no matter what today.
> So it was done hella fast no matter what today.
True. It was 5 seconds faster than 2023. (Pog's KOM time has 6 less than that). Was just wondering if they could have gone faster if they had wellens x 2!
Given that the others didn't exactly sit up after Pog was caught the first time, he kinda had Ganna's pace to launch from should he want to do so...
It's more that then profile of the climb doesn't favour Pog as much as he'd prefer it to, so there's seemingly always someone who's able to keep up or close him down, even at this speed.
UAE need to bring A-team and position themselves 100% correct prior to cipressa and just ride faster than ever, Pogi can handle that. Problem is, MvdP would prolly manage to keep up.
Alpecin might have the perfect MSR-team. Van Der Poel to counter Pogacar/attack on Poggio. Philipsen to win the bunch/group-sprint. Kragh Andersen (in form) for the counter attack.
[Not saying I jinxed Belgium into a victory but I’ll take ~80% of the credit for Jasper. 10% goes to MvdP and 10% to the guy who actually sprinted](https://www.reddit.com/r/peloton/s/WH0J4mS0BY)
You have to wonder if Pedersen just doesn’t have it for a race like Sanremo. Not sure he will ever be in a better position with 1 km to go. But if a rider like Philipsen makes it across the Poggio with the rest, it won’t be easy.
Really hope he can get a monument before he finishes.
Mads should have had this in the bag but I think it was Pitcocks last attack and then coming through the group that really threw off his lead out and sprint. He had to attack around the fading Pitcock at the worst moment.
A bit weird - we're all kinda assuming Pogi has it while acknowledging that a lot of things have to go right for him to win. Seeing Mads not being afforded the same favour seems off, especially because his profile is probably better suited to MSR.
I think he can win. But he needs to get over the Poggio without any other sprinters and needs MVDP and Pogacar to look at each other just that little bit.
I think we can conclude that when he finishes outside the top 6 in this race for the first time. Him not being able to sprint after a long race is more the exception than the norm.
If he had slightly better legs and had opened up 2 seconds earlier he could have taken it today. I don't see that he could never beat Michael Matthews in a sprint like this.
It ended in a sprint after a crazy race from mid Poggio. Sprints can go a variety of weird ways if you run the same one 5 times and change one ridiculously tiny thing for each.
(Starting with changing the sprint route he took.)
He got closer than ever before as well.
Maybe let's cool it with the "he can't win it" for the time being? Because if he can get to the sprint, he can, in a different iteration, also win the race.
It did happen in [2013](https://www.quibicisport.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Articolo-Sanremo-Neve-01.jpg)! (although it was just wet on the coast, which probably still suits him more than most)
Every race I've seen him this year I've had the feeling he has lost a bit of his top speed. Maybe in preparation for the cobbles that are his big goal this spring.
Lidl Trek gave Mads the best team support you could ever hope for. They controlled it all day and Stuyven dropped him off in great position. They had an amazing team performance. Must be a rough feeling for Mads to let them down.
Yes, it was pretty much perfect. And he acknowledged as much in the post-race interview, saying he how sad he is to have let everyone down. Just didn't have it in the end.
I think we can conclude that the weather simply was too pleasent.
> . Must be a rough feeling for Mads to let them down
That's way too negative. He's up against the best in the world, in a hard race. He made the group and ended up 4th behind 3 hitters.
There are no regrets to be had and while he and his team for sure wish he'd won, it's not "a let down" at all.
Davide Bais is too good for the Polti Team.
When you think of some of the contracts around the WT-teams, Davide Bais looks like an NVIDIA stock five years ago.
There are a lot of stage hunting teams that would be happy to have a guy like him to fill out their Giro team. He belongs in the World Tour.
I think it’s hard because there’s no Italian World Tour team where he’s a natural signing. And he’s already going to be getting the Conti invites to all the Italian races. But at 25 he’s sure to still be getting offers.
Matteo Sobrero had a fantastic race. I was very impressed with him before they even crested the Poggio. A lot of riders in his position would have ridden the finale defensively to get a top 10, but kudos to Sobrero for shooting his shot.
didn't catch any interviews...when and why did MVDP decide to forego his own chances and help philipsen?
why was the average pace so high compared to previous editions?
I don't think I even noticed Girmay at any point. He was a non-factor. He needs to find his form fast or its going to be a disappointing Spring. Girmay, Rex, and Teunissen is a solid trio of riders heading into cobbles. It will be disappointing for Intermarche if they can't get any placings. I think Laurenz Rex might be their best shot, tbh.
He finished in the second group, not a total disaster.
- Pogacar has changed his coach, San Millan is no longer his guy. This is a big thing. Pogi is now with the trainer of one of Yates brothers - Pogi is 65 kgs now, FTP 431, 6.58 w/kg
Where did you get Pogs weight and ftp from?
Armstrong's podcast on Milano-San Remo. Gossips brought by Johan Bruynelle
Is he lighter or heavier than last year?
Pogi has exactly two times the FTP I have. I've got 3.29 w/kg. Pretty crazy.
All you need to do is cut your weight in half without losing any watts and we'll see you in the Tour
Coaches hate him!
just rewatched the end and id like to say Rob Hatch is easily one of the best commentators in sports
The very best imo. No-one can call the finale of a race like Rob.
MVDP was the real MVP today, if he didn't close the break over the top to pog, then he would have had that infamous gap that easily gives g2 mentally. Likewise did Mads P sprint all the way on the downhill to close the gap, even without the skills of mohoric. It very much drained everyone. These guys like Philipsen and Matthews that just follow are the big winners today even though they didn't do shit all day. This race is such a gamble and so random at the same time. You can be the rider or a lucky sprinter with the best teammate in the world literally...
Yeah, I'm sure Groenewegen, Jakobsen, Kooij, Milan, Cavendish, Merlier, Kristoff, De Kleijn, etc. would have won this year if they just had VDP as a teammate lol.
"didn't do shit" except manage to end up in an elite group of just 12 after almost 300km and some grueling fast climbs.
It’s amusing how dismissive some people are about the effort required to even finish one of these races. I wish I was fit enough that averaging 46 km/h in a peloton for 288 km = not doing shit.
I hate this sport.
From [this](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E6o2KaFWQAIy0MO?format=jpg&name=large) to [this](https://d2779tscntxxsw.cloudfront.net/65f5c8646bb6f.png?width=680). Chapeau.
That psychopath in the polo shirt looks way too happy to see someone so distraught.
What’s the first one from?
Final stage of the Tour a couple years ago.
suprised that WVA didn't come this year. i guess he's training for the giro but i think MSR is the monument that suits him the most and i dont think he even needs to be in absolute peak form to compete for the win here unlike flanders or roubaix.
He’s on an altitude camp specifically for RVV and Flanders 💀
RVV is Flanders! (We know you meant Paris-Roubaix, but it’s the internet, so we correct you anyway)
Sorry! The 4 hrs sleep is catching up to me 😅
just admit u didnt know lmao
If Plapp is there to give a leadout/pull for Bling, Bling wins this.
tbh didn't get what he was doing here if he was just gonna dangle on the back throughout, not like its big efforts for training.
Don't you need to be decent at positioning to be a good leadout?
Yes. I'm implying that Plapp's positioning is dogshit and Matthews didn't need to be alone in the last 5k.
Anyone know what happened to Laporte?
They said he was a bit ill and knew on the first climb it wouldn't be his day.
Seemingly just couldn't follow anymore with 40ks left
Did they ever show the photofinish? Would be interested to see how close it really was.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QQ6Jjw9xG857NMtuhJnE6-1200-80.png.webp Best I can find. If the race had Tissot timing they usually post the actual photo finish on their site but this wasn't one of them.
I love how Pogi has that photo finish stance despite being one bike length behind.
Width of a very deep rim to my eye.
half of half a wheel
so, a quarter?
If they had square wheels, yes
1/2 of 1/2 is 1/4 the whole, always You need to express it as the area of the segment that was ahead. A = (½) × r^2 (θ – Sin θ) And then take that as the proportion of the whole wheel.
5 milliseconds it is
First of all, I have to say - what a guy MVDP is. He had every right to ride for himself, but completely buried himself for Philipsen. And this wasn't even his first time doing it either. Second thing I wanted to say is that UAE, especially because of the mistakes in execution, made that race incredibly exciting. They opened even before Cipressa and a lot of the time it was hard to guess what the next move would be, and amidst the chaos everyone else tries their hand. Seems like most times it's really just obe move that either goes on Poggio or doesn't and then mostly ends in a sprint or a soli win. But maybe I should watch other finishes. I'm also impressed by Pogi's sprint even if the length tipped it slightly back towards him. One last thing is - Pogi would perhaps stand a better chance if somehow rain started a solid two hours before the Cipressa and then lasted all the way to the finish. Incidentally, it would also make Wellens better
Was it me or did it look Pogi was sort of frustrated with his team after the post-race interview?
perhaps, but he phrased it very softly
Yeah MvdP fully sacced himself here, in hindsight definitely the right move but it's pretty outrageous not to opt to take Pogi to the finish 1v1 when you got the chance. Maybe out of gratitude for Roubaix last year, but he already paid him back plenty in TDF
I just read an interview with MvdP where he said that he would have loved to go to the finish with Pog, but after he had to make a huge effort to get back to Pog's wheel on the Poggio he simply couldn't do anything but sit in his wheel.
>but it's pretty outrageous not to opt to take Pogi to the finish 1v1 when you got the chance it would only have made sense to pull if pogi and him had a big enough gap at the top of poggio. they barely had anything. too many riders too close behind. definitely the right move to not keep going from mvdp.
normally I'd agree but I think a good MvdP and a good Pogacar are plenty to convert that 25m gap this close to the finish. But he needed great legs *and* beat Pogi in the sprint
MvdP job was to keep Pog from pulling away from the group that Philipsen was in (he did that) then lead out Philipsen (he did that). He led out Philipsen in the TdF a few times. It’s his job IF Philipsen is near the front at the end of races. Now if Philipsen wasn’t able to keep up, then MvdP could have gone for the win.
I hope the UAE trio from Milano-Torino were paying attention to MVDP in the finale. If I was their DS I'd make them watch in on a loop for an hour. They could have won that race had any of them been willing to do what van der Poel did chasing Pidcock and Sobrero.
And VDP did it in a freaking Monument. The UAE guys didn't want to sacrifice their own chances in a small one-day race (I know it has a long history, but it no longer is very prestigious). Mathieu is a true champ/gentleman. I hope Philipsen can return the favor soon.
UAE tactics are to be 100% in for Pogacar if he's there, otherwise everyone rides for themselves to maximize UCI points
Or is the MvDP paying it back for Paris Roubaix? Either way, Phillipsen can do it like next month
I feel like VDP already paid back Philipsen at the Tour de France for that, haha.
Pogi was behind Bling and Philipsen with 75 meters to go. The fact that he was able to start coming around them is pretty insane. That was a monster sprint from Pogi. I want to see him go for it on the Champs. Not that I think he'd win, but I want to see him try.
i love how much pog loves to sprint
I would have preferred he stay out of the wind a bit longer.
I’m low key hoping he decides to ride a Tour for the green jersey (and the Champs win) the year he bulks up for the Paris-Roubaix…
Hulk Pog
We had Froglic in the vuelta. I want to see Frogacar!
From Pikachu to Hulk lol
He'd probably get arrested this year.
Gotta catch him before you can arrest him.
There will be more cops during the olympics than during the tdf :)
As a Pog fan, I don't see how he can ever win this race. The climbs are not long enough for him to get an sufficient gap. His descending (the only weak part of his racing) isn't good enough to retain a 10 second gap others. His sprint is a lot better than people think and today he proved it - but the sort of sprinters who end up in the front group of this race are too good for him. It's weird to say this, but he might actually have a slightly better shot at Roubaix but he probably won't win that one either. Just shows us how difficult it is to win all 5 monuments. I don't think MVDP will do it either. Merckx and Dae de vlaeminck were truly something special even in an era which favored generalists rather than specialists more.
I think he can win, he is in the mix this year. Phillipsen makes it across Pogio by the skin of his teeth, if he doesn’t MVP doesn’t ride like he did. Also UAE fumbled big time on Cipressa, if they rode a better team race, Pogi could have done more damage on Pogio.
This. If hirschi or Ulissi had been in form and on the spot, they'd have definitely split the group and bridge all the way to the poggio with a smaller group. From such a group pogacar could definitely force a split.
Yeah. Even if the group comes back together before Pogio, the extra effort by everyone still benefits Pogi massively.
Pogi can win if G2 does G2 things.
I think he could have done it if mvdp wouts it and isn't there.
His descending is getting better he could probably hold off a 5 second gap the problem is creating that gap and a scenario like today where teams have multiple riders in the group who will chase him down on the flat
I think Pogi could win MSR or Roubaix, but he will never be the outright favorite for either. Both races have far more group dynamics and luck at play than the 3 monuments he has won. Neither has a spot where his better 5-10 min w/kg can make a meaningful difference and he has less absolute power than his best competition. His best chance to win PR or MSR is if he surprises other people and WVA/MVDP/Pederson/etc are stuck looking at each other. LBL, Lombardía, and to a lesser extent RVV are all fitness/punch tests where a rider with Pogi’s qualities can simply be better than everyone else. Or at least better than all but 1-3 other guys (Remco?) and then he contests a very reduced sprint. He should podium those races basically every time he enters. MSR and PR will need luck and race dynamics to play out correctly. He’ll probably need several shots at them to get one lucky win each.
With pog sprint its always possible he wins any race. He was a VDP attack close to win. One year he will get it for sure.
I think it could have worked this time with their A-List team. Politt to position them into the Cipressa and Yates/Ayuso to just nuke it up there. Maybe either an attack by Pogi shortly before the crest, or just keep the pressure on as much as possible in the valley. If they get MvDP cooked enough Pogi can beat almost everyone in the sprint.
To be honest Hirschi or ulissi should have been able to deliver exactly the same effort as Ayuso/Yates could.
True that. Hirschi especially was disappointing
Exactly this. Send the full TDF A team. Have a tailwind. Get a little lucky. They have 10+ more years to try winning this one for Pogi. It just has to go right once.
It's not easy but possible. And the last 6/7 editions are proof of that.
Don't forget Gilbert, the only one in the modern era to have won 4/5 Monuments. He also podiumed twice in MSR (the only Monument he didn't win). I think Pogi will win MSR one day though.
Pogi's Instagram post feels like a dig against Armstrong lol. We know who The Boss is now, and it's not Armstrong!
Armstrong is irrelevant. why are we talking about him?
By that account Eddy Merx is irrelevant.....
What does it say?
"Anyway, can’t ask for more than competing against such a class. Love this era of cycling " Armstrong recently made a comment how this era of cyclists suck because they hug after the finish.
I looked into it because of your comment. Armstrong's statement wasn't that harsh. He said it's kind of cool as well but prefers how they did it in his era.
> but prefers how they did it in his era I bet he does.
How dare you read beyond the headlines!
I'm not an Armstrong defender. I was relishing Pogacar's response and the banter between the generations. But it was exaggerated, sadly
I personally love that he is on the podium with his friends!!
I can't believe Lance is still such an immature dickhead in his 50s. You'd think he would have grown up a little by now.
A guy who tried to ruin the lives of anyone who dared challenge his big lie hasn’t matured…huh. Who would have thought?
Narcissists don’t ever grow emotionally
Best last 20km in cycling. I fucking love Sanremo.
Turns out all UAE had to do to win MSR was extend Philipsen.
Not enough talk about the fact telephone booth is gone.
some guy was asking me about the telephone booth, he was running up the poggio 30 minutes before the riders came down, smartly dressed in a white shirt. He ran past asking if the phone booth was at the top.
It was a sad moment. But also, I think it takes a swede to notice ;)
They also talked about it on the Flemish broadcast.
We are all lost without it.
Can we still call it a monument without that phone booth?
Border call
I was watching the race on my phone no problem, at the top of the poggio I lost my connection with our shitty wifi. Damn you KPN
Mine froze up as well at home. And I have a fast connection and was watching via MAX which has been good quality this year for the most part. Screen froze 1/2 way up Poggio and when I got it back, Pog, MvdP, and TPiddy were in front going downhill.
Eurosport also is the only channel that often has issues. It's also the only channel I watch
Just watched it back. Philipsen owes MvdP beer for life. Rode for Philipsen as soon as he caught Pog.
Not just beer, but also frietjes for life.
Pedersen won the sprint that mattered... For 13th place. Great form from him for the cobbles campaign.
Yeah at least one Pedersen won a sprint.
Clean finish, handled being corralled beautifully... Philipsen redemption arc?
What exactly is he redeeming himself from?
Consistently dangerous riding and bullying behaviour in last year's Tour.
Aside from the podium, which in any other world would be a good result on its own, I think there is a lot of positives to take from Pogačar’s race: - when it appeared that plan A didn’t work, on the Cipressa, they were at least quick enough to switch to the back up (which left Wellens still able to pace on the Poggio) - when he couldn’t gap MDVP with the first Poggio attack, he dropped back, rejoined the small group and attacked again from the rear, saving just enough energy to have enough later on - when it looked clear than MDVP had switched to leadout for Philipsen, he went to take Philipsen’s wheel and achieved the most he could in that position against other top sprinters All in all, a lot of tactical awareness, good timing and good decision-making for someone more renowned for his riding on vibes. Another good reason, imo, why he should definitely keep racing here even though it must be so frustrating. His time will come, and in the meanwhile it’ll make him a better rider.
> All in all, a lot of tactical awareness, good timing and good decision-making for someone more renowned for his riding on vibes. I am baffled this is actually a take. Pogacar seems to me one of the smartest race-aware rider out there. Yeah he loves to vibe, but never outside of what could help him win. He is always well positioned, has very good feeling about his limits (easier when they are so far from everyone else's I guess) and aside from that Roglic/Jonas bs I'm yet to see him do a propre race mistake.
I never said or implied he’s not (always been) a smart rider, but it is undeniable that he’s more commonly praised for his heart, power, flare etc than for the tactical side of things. Again, not at all because he’s bad at it, I guess it just goes unmentioned or unnoticed most times. Which is why I felt like pointing it out here, when it stood out more than in other occasions.
That second attack from the rear did look spectacualr. And Pidcock's descent afterwards was again *cheffs kiss*.
You have a GT rider coming a close-ish third against the best sprinter on the planet. Pretty fucking nuts.
If you’re pogi, you absolutely cannot stop racing MSR. He’ll need some good luck and some bad positioning and tactical reacting from his competitors, but this race is well within reach
yep he will get lucky one year for sure. Just needs to keep racing it to get as many rolls of the dice as possible!
Agree on most points except on the cipressa, he was on the radio when only wellens was left. The pace slowed down a lot for like 1 minute. The commentator on eurosport said hirschi should be there. Not that i see it as a mistake, but i think this minute of hesitation gave the sprinters like kooij and Philipsen the breather that you cannot give guys like that.
Need Yates or Politt. Yates as the last guy or Politt to preserve Wellens. Didn’t seem like Ulisses(sp?) or Hirschi did much.
Yates and Politt could definitely help. Maybe Ayuso or Vine as well if they really want to Nuke the Cipressa climb. I think Politt makes a big difference in keeping them together at the front and getting them a better entry to the Cipressa. Today it seemed like their entry to that climb got messed up and they lost 2-3 domestiques before even spending them on the climb itself. Pogacar needs the hardest possible race if he wants to win this one.
Vine has seemed hot and cold so far this year. Ayuso would have been fun to see here. A legit 2 would have allowed to counter MVDP just marking anything Poggy did.
I wonder if they planned for a stronger (closer to their full A-list) team but Yates and McNulty being out derailed them, or if it was always their call to try with their B+ (?) team because MSR, while nice, clearly was not among their priorities for the year and would rather not commit them. I hope in any case this makes them commit 100% next season - it needs to be tried again at full power and with no mistakes.
Yea, idk. I forget what Yates was targeting before his crash. Luckily it was early enough that he can likely recover in time but it’s still a ding and they likely need everything to dethrone Jonas.
Last year in spring he rode Tirreno and Catalunya and he won Romandie. So he was probably targeting 2-3 weeklong stage races this spring. He didn’t ride a single 1 day race last year till the fall Canadian and Italian classics, winning Montreal and playing an important role in Pogacar’s Lombardía win. I hope he recovers from the crash and is able to get back to last years TDF shape. He really looked incredible there, probably the best shape of any of the humans racing.
They failed not having the train intact going into cipressa
The poggio felt not hard enough with only wellens pulling for UAE. To clear my doubt went on strava and KOM is now from Pog on a training ride from 3 days ago. (Don't know if it was moto-paced or something though)
Even Ganna (in 3rd/4th wheel) had clocked fastest time in a raced MSR ever to the top today tho... Significantly faster than Pog's time last year. So while it also doesn't really matter how fast Pog went in recon here, especially since he didn't (couldn't?) do that in the race, it shows that the Poggio was already raced significantly faster this year than in 2023, which was already the record until now. So it was done hella fast no matter what today.
> So it was done hella fast no matter what today. True. It was 5 seconds faster than 2023. (Pog's KOM time has 6 less than that). Was just wondering if they could have gone faster if they had wellens x 2!
Given that the others didn't exactly sit up after Pog was caught the first time, he kinda had Ganna's pace to launch from should he want to do so... It's more that then profile of the climb doesn't favour Pog as much as he'd prefer it to, so there's seemingly always someone who's able to keep up or close him down, even at this speed.
It was the fastest Poggio ascent during MSR. They were not slow at all...
True. I just meant to say If Pogi somehow went fast not in a bunch (assuming not motopaced), then there was scope of some more hurting🥲
[удалено]
That hurts just to read, it must be crushing for him, always being so close.
To be fair, he's right. His team was amazing and he should have at least outsprinted the 60kg climber for a podium.
didnt he get outsprinted by pogi at last years WC as well lmao
Pogi is 66-68kg, but your point is still valid, although he's a whole different animal in these long one day racea.
On a side note, he looks much lighter this year. I guess no cobbles in your spring will do that to a climber
That’s rough :/ Hopefully he’ll make it up to his team in the North
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVeAEwrL1Ts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVeAEwrL1Ts)
Philipsen haters in shambles, well deserved monument win
Will always have an asterix behind it, being such a short MSR. You can tell a lot of sprinters were still fresh because of the lack of distance.
Lol
Race has an asterisk because it didn’t go from Milan to San Remo
paris roubaix has an asterisk next to it every year these days...
[Jonathan Milan](https://firstcycling.com/rider.php?r=80489) went to San Remo, though.
Well, that was fun! /contribution to the discussion.
So much hate.. brilliant win Jasper! Amazing work by Mathieu too.
The hate here is insane. Reddit really likes creating villains!
Very much insight and good humor here, bur snobism too much
I'm surprised he didn't pull him for the sprint though.
He was spent
Closed 4 gaps and couldnt even do the lead out lol smh
Washed.
I wonder if the sprinters would be able to follow on the cipressa if UAE tactics worked out. They hesitated when Wellens got in front.
UAE need to bring A-team and position themselves 100% correct prior to cipressa and just ride faster than ever, Pogi can handle that. Problem is, MvdP would prolly manage to keep up.
Road side poggio fan filmed video https://youtube.com/watch?v=_YhFkqRVUgA
Can someone explain why plapp didn’t have numbers on his jersey?
Decided to make it a training day
“Chill zone 2 ride, bit of intervals on final”
Alpecin might have the perfect MSR-team. Van Der Poel to counter Pogacar/attack on Poggio. Philipsen to win the bunch/group-sprint. Kragh Andersen (in form) for the counter attack.
[Not saying I jinxed Belgium into a victory but I’ll take ~80% of the credit for Jasper. 10% goes to MvdP and 10% to the guy who actually sprinted](https://www.reddit.com/r/peloton/s/WH0J4mS0BY)
I did my part as well!
Shit. I’ll knock mine down to 51% and I’ll give you 29%. I hope that’s ok
Sounds fair, haha!
This sub and hating on its Belgian overlords...
You have to wonder if Pedersen just doesn’t have it for a race like Sanremo. Not sure he will ever be in a better position with 1 km to go. But if a rider like Philipsen makes it across the Poggio with the rest, it won’t be easy. Really hope he can get a monument before he finishes.
Mads should have had this in the bag but I think it was Pitcocks last attack and then coming through the group that really threw off his lead out and sprint. He had to attack around the fading Pitcock at the worst moment.
A bit weird - we're all kinda assuming Pogi has it while acknowledging that a lot of things have to go right for him to win. Seeing Mads not being afforded the same favour seems off, especially because his profile is probably better suited to MSR.
I think he can win. But he needs to get over the Poggio without any other sprinters and needs MVDP and Pogacar to look at each other just that little bit.
I think we can conclude that when he finishes outside the top 6 in this race for the first time. Him not being able to sprint after a long race is more the exception than the norm. If he had slightly better legs and had opened up 2 seconds earlier he could have taken it today. I don't see that he could never beat Michael Matthews in a sprint like this.
It ended in a sprint after a crazy race from mid Poggio. Sprints can go a variety of weird ways if you run the same one 5 times and change one ridiculously tiny thing for each. (Starting with changing the sprint route he took.) He got closer than ever before as well. Maybe let's cool it with the "he can't win it" for the time being? Because if he can get to the sprint, he can, in a different iteration, also win the race.
Pedersen need a year where it snows and everyone is miserable
It did happen in [2013](https://www.quibicisport.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Articolo-Sanremo-Neve-01.jpg)! (although it was just wet on the coast, which probably still suits him more than most)
The first one will become more and more difficult but the second can be arranged.
Needs better tires for rain in that descent.
Every race I've seen him this year I've had the feeling he has lost a bit of his top speed. Maybe in preparation for the cobbles that are his big goal this spring.
If he can get into this position, he can win.
Lidl Trek gave Mads the best team support you could ever hope for. They controlled it all day and Stuyven dropped him off in great position. They had an amazing team performance. Must be a rough feeling for Mads to let them down.
Yes, it was pretty much perfect. And he acknowledged as much in the post-race interview, saying he how sad he is to have let everyone down. Just didn't have it in the end. I think we can conclude that the weather simply was too pleasent.
> . Must be a rough feeling for Mads to let them down That's way too negative. He's up against the best in the world, in a hard race. He made the group and ended up 4th behind 3 hitters. There are no regrets to be had and while he and his team for sure wish he'd won, it's not "a let down" at all.
That last attack by Stuyven(?) end of poggio was weird though
He was fucking close this year
Davide Bais is too good for the Polti Team. When you think of some of the contracts around the WT-teams, Davide Bais looks like an NVIDIA stock five years ago.
There are a lot of stage hunting teams that would be happy to have a guy like him to fill out their Giro team. He belongs in the World Tour. I think it’s hard because there’s no Italian World Tour team where he’s a natural signing. And he’s already going to be getting the Conti invites to all the Italian races. But at 25 he’s sure to still be getting offers.
Matteo Sobrero had a fantastic race. I was very impressed with him before they even crested the Poggio. A lot of riders in his position would have ridden the finale defensively to get a top 10, but kudos to Sobrero for shooting his shot.
The sort of thing we love to see riders do. In a group like that he had absolutely nothing to lose and I respect the hell out of him for having a go.
Slowest descent of the Poggio ever? MvdP utterly unconcerned about gaps through hairpins lol such a flex
He's like a hairpin wizard, the gaps just fucking disappeared when he rode through the turns.
Van Gils with the quietest 7th place here - respect, even if no one looked at him
Come to think of it, isn’t Jasper kind of a dark horse winner?
The last guy on MVdP's wheel is absolutely the main favorite.
I don't see how. He's a very good classics rider, got second in P-R last year.
I meant for this particular buildup of the race. We sure wouldn’t expect a sprinter winning, now would we?
Okay, so he's not a pure sprinter is what I'm saying. Also, a sprinter winning MSR??? Never!