Milan - Sanremo 2016 **spoilers**

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Saturday 19th March sees the first Monument of the season, this year stretching to 291km. Will it be a sprint or will there be fireworks before then?

http://www.milanosanremo.it/en/

 

[Hont]

Well we know that Degonkolb will not defend his title. The two others - Kristoff and Matthews - that made the podium last year have looked in pretty decent form this year, but I'm picking Sagan....

...to come second.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Will a fired-up post-TA stage-cancellation Nibali be out for the win? The sprinters might be fighting for scraps if he and a few others decide to make a fight of it. Cancellara for instance might fancy mixing it up with him.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Will a fired-up post-TA stage-cancellation Nibali be out for the win? The sprinters might be fighting for scraps if he and a few others decide to make a fight of it. Cancellara for instance might fancy mixing it up with him.

I think Cancellara is out to win everything he can this year to cement his legacy. I am pretty certain he'll try to launch a characteristic attack near the end.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Just read that Betancur will be riding the 291km route of MSR 292 days after he last raced; no biggie Carlos.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I think Cancellara is out to win everything he can this year to cement his legacy. I am pretty certain he'll try to launch a characteristic attack near the end.

A £1 win treble on Cancellara to win MSR, Flanders and PR would be interesting...

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

More useless facts. The 2016 edition will be 23 years since the doping git Davide Rebellin made his debut in the race, when it was won by Maurizio Fondriest. How old does that make you feel?!

 

[ColinJ]

More useless facts. The 2016 edition will be 23 years since the doping git Davide Rebellin made his debut in the race, when it was won by Maurizio Fondriest. How old does that make you feel?!

60! (I was thinking the other day that watching Greg Lemond win the 1989 TdF was what got me interested in cycling again. That also made me feel 60! )

 

[CaadX]

de vlaeminck bit of a long shot I know, but you never know ? So were Leicester !

 

[perplexed]

I don't know who's going to win, but I think Ben Swift may as well save himself the bus fare...

 

[smutchin]

I think Cancellara is out to win everything he can this year to cement his legacy. I am pretty certain he'll try to launch a characteristic attack near the end.

It does seem highly likely, doesn't it. I've just been watching his 2008 win on youtube and it's a masterpiece of tactical riding. He leaves it until about 1km out then gets a slingshot off another rider's attack, and once he's got a gap, there's no catching him. If he can pull off something like that again, I'll be very happy for him.

Might be hard to escape the likes of Sagan, Kristoff and especially GVA on current form though.

Will be interesting to see how Gaviria does - this is going to be his longest race by a considerable margin, but if he can stick with the leaders until the end, who knows? I suspect it's too soon for him though.

 

[Crackle]

I don't know who's going to win, but I think Ben Swift may as well save himself the bus fare...

He was 2nd or third a few years ago and the length does tend to even things out. I think he'll place well even if he doesn't win it.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I don't know who's going to win, but I think Ben Swift may as well save himself the bus fare...

He was 2nd or third a few years ago and the length does tend to even things out. I think he'll place well even if he doesn't win it.

The SKY PR people* say he's "full gas for it"
http://www.teamsky.com/teamsky/home carousel/article/75228#tsKyrWzE2u4YcAwC.97

*or it might have been Swift...

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

It's Cancellara's birthday today, hopefully he waits til tomorrow and has a double celebration!

 

[Hont]

The SKY PR people* say he's "full gas for it"

As long as he's not full of gas, because that can be unpleasant in a peloton.