Strade Bianche on Saturday [Now with discussion & spoilers]

[MattTuck]

Who do you guys like?

Will Sagan deliver the goods for his new team?

http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/StradeBianche/2011/it/img/img_altimetria2015.jpg

http://www.cycling.it/foto_gallery/big/cyclingpro_strade_bianche_2012_01_71097.jpg

[45K10]

I would like to see Sagan get the win. He has a pretty good team (Bennati & Krueziger) with him this year so we will see what happens.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

I'd like for it to be Fabian, for old times sake. But I fear his better days may be behind him.

[ceolwulf]

I'm going to go out on a very shaky limb and say Gerrans :hello:

[Plum Hill]

Any internet coverage?

[MattTuck]

I'd like for it to be Fabian, for old times sake. But I fear his better days may be behind him.

Strade Bianche seems to have become a climber's race to some degree. And I think that MSR has moved in the same direction by adding some superfluous hills.

We'll see.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

Strade Bianche seems to have become a climber's race to some degree. And I think that MSR has moved in the same direction by adding some superfluous hills.

We'll see.

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.

[thwart]

Is Gilbert in? He's in good form, and IIRC has won this in the past.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

Is Gilbert in? He's in good form, and IIRC has won this in the past.

I haven't seen a start list. But Gilbert is a good pick.

[choke]

If he's there....Kwiatkowski.

Though I have more interest in the women's race.

[carlineng]

Gilbert nearly fended off a horde of 3 fully-stacked lead-out trains at the end of Kuurne. Plus he shines on those short steep climbs. I gotta go with the former world champ!

[MattTuck]

Incomplete start list (http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjY1NDU=)

Kwiatkowski had a great year in 2014... curse of the rainbow jersey this year?

I don't see him on the start list, or any official announcement on the team site. They do seem to indicate that Uran and Stybar will be there.

This is from Kwiatkowski's twitter feed...
https://twitter.com/michalkwiatek/status/572817309166911488

Last long ride in #Calpe before more important races. No trainnigbuddies, just me and my #Tarmac #kwiato

Cool black WC kit.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_MOR-2W8AANm7P.jpg

[Lovetoclimb]

A Stybar/Sagan breakaway would just blow my socks clean off.

[rrudoff]

There is a short wrap of on BeIN at 10 pm PDT Saturday. Not live, but something.

[b021c]

I'm hoping for a Stybar, Gilbert & Sagan podium

[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]

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]

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

+1

[saab2000]

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]

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...
Not sure if Stybar can climb like that.

[azrider]

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]

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.

[Web1111a]

The stream I was watching had no audio

[pinoymamba]

http://e0.365dm.com/15/03/768x432/zdenek-stybar-strade-bianche-etixx-quick-step_3273699.jpg?20150307153447

[teleguy57]

http://e0.365dm.com/15/03/768x432/zdenek-stybar-strade-bianche-etixx-quick-step_3273699.jpg?20150307153447

Love the "these ain't no skinny climber arms!"

[Rebel_Biker]

A Stybar/Sagan breakaway would just blow my socks clean off.

good call on Stybar

[Rebel_Biker]

I'm hoping for a Stybar, Gilbert & Sagan podium

another great call

NC cyclists making the correct call on Stybar

[MattTuck]

I forget, was his name mentioned in the best cyclist's physique thread?

[nooneline]

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.

Every now and then I call one right.

Hell of a race this morning!

[Red Tornado]

The stream I was watching had no audio

I had the same problem. Frustrating!! Had to change to a non-English-speaking thread.

[bobswire]

I missed but will watch it later so mums the word. :)

[ultraman6970]

After not seeing sagan at the last 10Km, wonder how well he will do later on the season. Spartacus looks like is getting old, valverde looks like will have a season full of top 5s

[Rebel_Biker]

I forget, was his name mentioned in the best cyclist's physique thread?

I don't think so. But he should get an honorable mention. Especially after the final 1k of this race today.

[GregL]

Love the "these ain't no skinny climber arms!"I showed this pic to my teenage daughter who remarked "...a bike racer with arm muscles ?!?" Sad that our reputations precede us...

- Greg

[b021c]

another great call

NC cyclists making the correct call on Stybar
Cheers Rebel Biker!

[oddsaabs]

Saw this photo today at CyclingTips. Gotta be one of the best pics of the year:

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/03/strade-bianche-in-photos-2/

From the photographers Instagram feed: How does that even happen? Funny story. Elia Viviani flatted. He held his wheel up high and waited for a spare. And waited. And waited. 200m down the road, there was carnage - bikes and bodies everywhere - so he waited some more. Eventually, frustration got the better of him, and he tossed his wheel down. Nothing violent, just the normal ughhhh moment of a race lost to bad luck. Unfortunately for Viviani and his wheel - when the wheel bounced up, the wind caught it, and it was off to the races. He didn't win. I assume the wheel is either still rolling or far, far down the field.