Ralliez-vous à mon panache blanc!
The Classics are here! I wait all year for this day. La classica di primavera, the Spring Classic, the first monument. This is a beautiful race that starts in Milan and travels to the coast and the beautiful city of Sanremo. The longest one day race coming in at 298 km, this race is a beast despite usually perfect conditions. The sprinter’s classic is often won by a member of said discipline but the climb of the poggio allows climbers and puncheurs to attack once the road goes up. Other hills or “capi” are the cape Mele, Capo Berta, Capo Cervo, and the recently added Cipressa climb. None of these climbs are all that difficult for a professional but after 298 km and the pressure of amonument the climbs can and will crack some of the favorites.
The all-time Milan-Sanremo champ was the Cannibal himself. Eddy Merckx won this race a classic record of seven times. Beast! Other notable winners of la primavera include Fausto Coppi, Roger De Vlaeminck, Sean Kelly, Laurent Fignon, Laurent Jalabert, Erik Zabel, Oscar Freire, and more recently Spartacus, the Manx Missile, and Gossy. Sprinters and strong men tend to dominate the spring classic.
2012 offers an incredible start-list and the winner will have to be strong and fast to win the first monument of the year. My favorite for this weekend is the Terminator, Peter Sagan. The Slovak has the legs to go the 298 km and showed last week he can hang in the climbs. Spartacus, fabulous Fabian Cancellara, may have to prove once again that his bike is not motorized because the Swiss Beast is on some good form following his victory at Strade Bianchi. Eddy Bo Hag is another young rider who may finally have enough deposits in the pain bank to go the 298. Eddy Boss will be ushering Cavendouche to the poggio. If Cav can’t hang the Boss will go. The Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish, or Cavendouche, has to be a favorite. He has already done the rainbow stripes proud and he seems to be motivated for this one. Tom Boonen is on some incredible for to start 2012. If he wants this one, then all will have to watch for Tommeke to attack. I also like Oscar Freire, Vincenzo Nibali, Alessandro Ballan, Danielle Bennati, Mathew Goss, Andre Greipel, and maybe, hopefully, Ga Ga, Phillipe Gilbert will finally show up in 2012.
Forza!
I still think sagan could have won if he wasn't riding for Nibbles. cancellera looked tough, he scares me. You picked BoHaug to make a go of it if Cav wasn't there. So did I. So what happened? Eddie the Boss finished in the pack, no signs of trying for the win. What's up? Will he be racing anytime this year? I consider myself a fan, but honestley I don't know what races he is targeting or can win. Cobbles? Ardennes? maybe something like the criterium International. Probably just Bayern Rundfart.
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