Strade Bianche on Saturday [Now with discussion & spoilers]

[nooneline]

With Gilbert on the startlist for Paris-Nice, I don't think he'll make the start list for Strade Bianche. Which is too bad - he's obviously on his way toward good form, is a former winner, and hey - him and GVA pack a hell of a one-two punch.

The start is usually a bit of a conflict with Paris-Nice, so I think you're gonna see the riders who race Tirreno-Adriatico race Strade Bianche. Usually, Tirreno is for the classics riders aiming at April in Belgium - the stages are longer - and Paris-Nice is for the stage race contenders and those who are bringing their form toward the Ardennes classics.

Kwiatkowski is also on the startlist for Paris-Nice, so I don't expect to see him start Strade Bianche. Too bad. I think that means that for EQS, Stybar's their best shot. I'll be rooting for Stybar to win the way that this race seems to work - a two- or three-man break getting away with 15km to go and then that climb and awkwardly tight sprint into the piazza.

I think we can probably expect Cancellara, Valverde, Cunego, Gatto, Gerrans, and Sagan to be in the mix in the end, too. Sagan has a habit of being tactically outgunned and I wonder if the finish is too steep for Gerrans.

[weisan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPomEbKDpQk

Make sure you run it at HD, and then fast forward to about 55 mins, that's when the fireworks start.

[weisan]

So I watched how this kid left Sagan in the dust at the last climb in last year's race and then went back and watched how he held off the chasing group and won the rainbow jersey last year....this kid is only 24 years old. Very impressive.

[BumbleBeeDave]

Is there anything reliable out there that isn't going to try to install Java viruses on my machine?

BBD

[carlineng]

Originally Posted by BumbleBeeDave

Is there anything reliable out there that isn't going to try to install Java viruses on my machine?

BBD

Funny you should ask... inrng.com just did a post dedicated to this: http://inrng.com/2015/03/tv-pirate-feeds-vpn/

[guido]

Fabian Cancellara

[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by uncle jam's army

i haven't seen a start list. But gilbert is a good pick.

+1

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by Uncle Jam's Army

It's very much still the same race he has won twice before, with the same hard finish to Piazza del Campo. He's just not the same old Fabian anymore.

He had a pretty good season last year. I think he's way more picky now on what he races and doesn't seem to care for the Tour so we don't see him as much.

These were his 2014 results. Still not too shabby.

1st MaillotSuiza.PNG National Time Trial Championships
1st Tour of Flanders
2nd Milan – San Remo
3rd Paris–Roubaix
6th Strade Bianche

[azrider]

This could come back together

[MattTuck]

Hard to see GVA holding valverde's wheel up the final climb. Not sure if Stybar can climb like that.

[MattTuck]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

Hard to see GVA holding valverde's wheel up the final climb. Not sure if Stybar can climb like that.

Ignore that fine piece of analysis. D'oh!


Also, my audio video were NOT synched for that final. The audio was announcing GVA attacking like 15 seconds before the video showed it.

[guido]

He can and does...

Originally Posted by MattTuck

Not sure if Stybar can climb like that.

[azrider]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

Ignore that fine piece of analysis. D'oh!


Also, my audio video were NOT synched for that final. The audio was announcing GVA attacking like 15 seconds before the video showed it.

I myself was glad to see him get dropped

Ditto on the audio. When they were climbing in the town of Sienna he started screaming about the attack and once i realized what was going on i just muted it

[weisan]

Peter Sagan!

[druptight]

Originally Posted by azrider

Ditto on the audio. When they were climbing in the town of Sienna he started screaming about the attack and once i realized what was going on i just muted it

I did the same. I tried to refresh the feed with about 1K to go to get it synced up but it was still about 5 seconds off, so mute at least allowed me to watch it happen without it being spoiled first.